Home

Delta College Begins

Delta College has continued, without interruption, the educational opportunities that were previously provided by Bay City Junior College. In the mid-1950’s, as the demand for education beyond high school increased in the tri-county area, the percentage of students attending Bay City Junior College from outside the K-12 Bay City Public School District steadily increased. The enrollment was approximately 50 percent non-resident, with about 40 percent of the enrollment coming from Saginaw. Early in 1955, seven community leaders from Bay, Midland and Saginaw met to discuss the possibility of a tri-county college. Their interest and action prompted the following developments:

1955: Organization of the Tri-County Committee of 300 formed to study the needs of higher education in the Saginaw Valley area.

1956: The final report of the Committee of 300, outlining the need to establish and finance a new college, was received.

1957: Legislation was submitted to the State of Michigan Legislature to finance and establish a new institution of higher education.

1957: Voters of Bay, Saginaw, and Midland counties formed a community college district under Act 182 of the Public Acts of 1957 and authorized a levy of 1.5 mills to construct and operate a college.

1958: Bonds were sold to provide the financial structure for Delta College and campus construction began.

1959-61: Members of the faculty and staff of Bay City Junior College assisted in planning for the new college. Many of the Bay City Junior College faculty, students, and staff became part of the new college as Bay City Junior College operations were assimilated into Delta College.

1961: Delta College opened.

College Locations

The College main campus is located on a 640-acre campus complex in Bay County bordered by Hotchkiss, Mackinaw and Delta Roads. Noted for its beautifully-landscaped center garden, the College has miles of nature trails, running and fitness trails, tennis courts, and archery and golf putting areas, as well as a covered bridge. The natural surroundings of Delta College positively enhance the learning process of students. The main campus site, at University Center, Michigan, lies almost midway between the three counties’ major cities of Saginaw, Bay City, and Midland. This triangle forms the heart of the Saginaw Valley area which is drained by
the Saginaw River and its tributaries, northward to the Saginaw Bay and Lake Huron. Bay County adjoins the Saginaw Bay, an important recreational area and waterway whose ports are part of the St. Lawrence Seaway system.

Delta College has major centers in each of the three counties: Delta College Planetarium and Learning Center in Bay City; Delta College Midland Center; and the Ricker Center in Saginaw. The tri-county area is one of the major concentrations of population within the state. The 2000 population census reports an area population of approximately 399,320. Sixty-three percent of the people are classified as urban residents, with 44 percent residing within city limits.

Accreditation

Delta College is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission, A Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools (NCA). Initial accreditation was granted the College in October, 1962 by the Michigan Commission on College Accreditation. A status study to prepare for candidacy was submitted to the NCA in May, 1964, as a first step toward regional accreditation. College officials were notified in July, 1966, that the College had been accepted as a candidate for accreditation based on a report of a NCA visitation team. The Self-Study Report was completed in May, 1967, and accreditation was granted in April of 1968. NCA has subsequently reaccredited the College in 1973, 1984, 1993, and again in 2003. The College has also obtained approval to offer all Associate degrees online and all online degrees facilitated by The Michigan Community College Virtual Learning Collaborative. For inquiries regarding accreditation, contact The Higher Learning Commission, A Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools, 30 North LaSalle Street, Suite 2400, Chicago, Illinois 60602-2504; telephone 800-621-7440; fax 312-263-7462; or access the Web site at www.ncahigherlearningcommission.org.

Several career academic programs also have received additional accreditation status from their corresponding professional boards, councils, or regulatory groups.

National League for Innovation

Delta College is a charter member of the National League for Innovation in the Community College. The League is comprised of 19 League Board Member college districts with 56 campuses, enrolling more than 750,000 students. Additionally the League has over 750 colleges who have Alliance membership. Delta’s membership is significant recognition that it is devoted to the improvement of learning through experimentation and innovation. The League places a strong emphasis on research, evaluation, and dissemination of information on innovations. In this way, potentially valuable new approaches to instruction are made known and an opportunity is provided to judge their suitability for use at other colleges. Participation in League activities enables Delta to adapt and adopt those innovative practices which have proved effective elsewhere, while sharing the results of its own innovations with colleges in other districts. This means that residents of all ages in the tri-counties have the opportunity to share in the benefits of improved instruction and
services provided by the College.