Heritage University (formerly named Holy Names College and Fort Wright College) is a

private university Private universities and private colleges are higher education institutions not operated, owned, or institutionally funded by governments. However, they often receive tax breaks, public student loans, and government grants. Depending on the count ...

on the

Yakama Indian Reservation The Yakama Indian Reservation (spelled Yakima until 1994) is a Native American reservation in Washington state of the federally recognized tribe known as the Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama Nation. The tribe is made up of Klikitat ...

Toppenish, Washington Toppenish () is a city in Yakima County, Washington, United States. The population was 8,854 at the 2020 census. It is located within the Yakama Indian Reservation, established in 1855. Toppenish calls itself the city of Murals, as it has mor ...

, United States. It offers associate,

bachelor's A bachelor's degree (from Medieval Latin ''baccalaureus'') or baccalaureate (from Modern Latin ''baccalaureatus'') is an undergraduate degree awarded by colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study lasting three to six years ( ...

, and

master's degree A master's degree (from Latin ) is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities or colleges upon completion of a course of study demonstrating mastery or a high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional prac ...

History

Founded in 1907 by the

Sisters of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary The Sisters of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary (Soeurs des Saints Noms de Jésus et de Marie) is a teaching religious institute founded at Longueuil, Québec, Canada, in 1843 by Blessed Mother Marie Rose Durocher for the Christian education of ...

as Holy Names College in

Spokane, Washington Spokane ( ) is the most populous city in eastern Washington and the county seat of Spokane County, Washington, United States. It lies along the Spokane River, adjacent to the Selkirk Mountains, and west of the Rocky Mountain foothills, south o ...

, the institution subsequently changed its name to Fort Wright College. In 1982, Fort Wright College moved its administration to Toppenish and was renamed Heritage College, which operated there and in Omak, while maintaining the Spokane campus. Five years later, the Spokane campus was closed. A fire which started on July 8, 2012, destroyed the university's oldest building, Petrie Hall.

Cooperative agreements

Heritage University offers upper-division classes at three Washington

community college A community college is a type of undergraduate higher education institution, generally leading to an associate degree, certificate, or diploma. The term can have different meanings in different countries: many community colleges have an open enr ...

campuses to allow students to work toward a four-year degree from Heritage. This cooperative program began in 1993 to allow holders of associate degrees from

Big Bend Community College Big Bend Community College (BBCC) is a public community college in Moses Lake, Washington. It was established in 1961 and moved to its campus at the former Larson Air Force Base in 1966. History Big Bend Community College was authorized by ...

Moses Lake Moses Lake is a lake and reservoir along the course of Crab Creek, in the U.S. state of Washington. Moses Lake is part of the Columbia River basin, as Crab Creek is a tributary of the Columbia River. Although originally a shallow natural lake ...

to apply their credits toward a Heritage bachelor's degree. Similar cooperative arrangements were established with

Columbia Basin College Columbia Basin College (CBC) is a public community college in Pasco, Washington. It is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities. The college offers English as a second language and General Educational Development (GED) ...

in Pasco and

Highline Community College Highline College is a public community college in Des Moines, Washington. Highline was founded in 1961 as the first community college in King County, Washington. The main campus covers . , there were approximately 17,000 students and 350,000 alu ...

Des Moines Des Moines is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of cities in Iowa, most populous city in the U.S. state of Iowa. It is the county seat of Polk County, Iowa, Polk County with parts extending into Warren County, Iowa, Wa ...

in 2003 and 2006, respectively.

References

External links

Official website
Education in Yakima County, Washington Universities and colleges established in 1981 Universities and colleges accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities Private universities and colleges in Washington (state) 1981 establishments in Washington (state) Yakama {{Washington-university-stub