About MWCC
You can succeed here. MWCC can help you prepare for a new profession, upgrade your job skills, or complete a marketable degree before transferring to another college or university. We are committed to helping you align your college education with your career goals.
We provide access to an affordable education. Founded in 1963 and accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE), we are a public, two-year college with a cost that amounts to just a fraction of what you'd pay at some other well-known colleges. We are dedicated to serving the people in our region with 70+ credit-bearing degree and certificate programs, non-credit, personal enrichment classes for lifelong learners, and workforce development that includes custom, on-site training.
You can choose a course schedule that fits your life. The majority of our students work as well as go to college, so we understand the challenges of balancing college with work and the rest of your life. That's why we offer course options to fit your schedule and location taught by university-caliber faculty. Choose from day, evening, or online courses at our 269-acre main campus in Gardner or at our satellite campuses in Leominster and Fitchburg.
We offer a personal touch. We’re proud that our class sizes are small, and we enjoy a 15:1 student-to-faculty ratio. Our programs are designed in collaboration with academic and industry professionals to make sure what you learn is relevant and career-oriented. Whether you are a first-time student or you are seeking skills training for a second career, Mount Wachusett has resources beyond the classroom to support you.
Highlights of the MWCC Experience:
- Early College & K-12 Partnerships: We are a leader in early college programs through which high school students can take college classes and earn credit toward their associate degrees as they simultaneously earn their high school diplomas.
- Sustainability: The Gardner campus generates most of its energy needs on-site with two wind turbines, biomass heating, and solar panels. We have won awards for our leadership in renewable energy and sustainability.
- Civic engagement: Each year, our students complete about 100,000 hours of volunteer, community service, or internship time. These community partnerships and innovative programs, organized through the Brewer Center for Civic Learning and Community Engagement, promote positive social change and healthier, more vibrant communities.
- Veterans’ services: We support active duty veterans and their transition back to school and civilian life. We are nationally recognized for our services to veterans and their families.
- Students with disabilities: MWCC’s facilities are accessible to persons with disabilities. Persons with disabilities who may require accommodations to participate fully in program activities should contact the program director or the Coordinator of Disability Services at 978-630-9330.
- Adult Education: The Regional Adult Education Center at Mount Wachusett Community College offers free classes in Adult Education (AE), high school equivalency preparation (HiSET, formerly GED), and English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL).
Accreditation
Mount Wachusett Community College (MWCC) is accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE), a non-governmental, nationally recognized organization whose affiliated institutions include elementary schools through collegiate institutions offering post-graduate instruction. Accreditation of an institution by the NECHE indicates that it meets or exceeds criteria for the assessment of institutional quality periodically applied through a peer group review process. An accredited school or college is one that has available the necessary resources to achieve its stated purposes through appropriate educational programs, is substantially doing so, and gives reasonable evidence that it will continue to do so in the foreseeable future. Institutional integrity is also addressed through accreditation. Accreditation by the NECHE is not partial but applies to the institution as a whole. As such, it is not a guarantee of the quality of every course or program offered or the competence of individual graduates. Rather, it provides reasonable assurance about the quality of opportunities available to students who attend the institution.
Inquiries regarding the status of an institution’s accreditation by the NECHE should be directed to the administrative staff of the school or college. Individuals may also contact the association:
New England Commission of Higher Education
3 Burlington Woods #100, Burlington, MA 01803
781-426-7785 | www.neche.org
Please note: certain programs have additional industry-specific accreditations. See individual program information.
Campus Locations
MWCC’s main campus is in Gardner and its satellite campuses are located in Leominster and Fitchburg.
MWCC’s facilities are accessible to persons with disabilities. Persons with disabilities who may require accommodations to participate fully in program activities should contact the program director or the coordinator for students with disabilities at 978-630-9330.
Our Mission
Mount Wachusett Community College transforms students by providing access to affordable, high-quality, innovative, civic-minded, and relevant education and training opportunities. With a focus on community, we are committed to diversity, equity and inclusion with a racial equity lens and value the dignity and worth of all individuals and believe opportunity and access to education transforms lives.
Our Vision
Mount Wachusett Community College aspires to be a model community-connected, student-ready institution providing affordable, inclusive, equity-minded transformative learning experiences dedicated to enriching student’s academic, personal, and professional lives through an array of degree and certificate programs, campus engagement, and customized student support.
Our Core and Shared Values
Learning is at the center of our core value system. While the themes of diversity, equity, and inclusion are among our highest priorities as we develop culturally responsive practices, creating knowledge and skills through teaching and learning is the core of what we do. The following core values hold true to our vision and shape how we carry out our mission:
Community
MWCC values community by developing shared and inclusive learning environments that cultivate personal and academic growth and interpersonal relationships. By cultivating and nurturing a welcoming environment of trust and belonging through collaboration and partnerships, we meet the education and workforce training needs of our community and build strong innovative partnerships that support the economic vitality of the region.
Diversity
MWCC understands that diversity is not an outcome and recognizes that diversity goes beyond race and even beyond demographics. We value the creativity and insight that emerges from multiple perspectives and we recognize the importance of diverse representation and thought in achieving our goals.
Equity
MWCC will work towards achieving equity (different from equality) in educational outcomes, disrupting and dismantling oppressive systems and rebuilding imbalanced social systems. We acknowledge that inequity is a consequence of intentional design and if we want to create equitable outcomes, we must focus on changing underlying systems, not just adding new programs or services.
Inclusion
MWCC recognizes that inclusion is more than intentionally creating environments and space in which individuals and/or groups feel “safe”*, welcomed, valued, respected, and heard. We view inclusivity more than just collaboration, rather as a tenet of mutual respect and shared governance, authentically and intentionally bringing traditionally excluded voices into processes, activities, and decision/policy making in a way that shares power and opinion.
*Note that we put the word “safe” in quotes. This is because people with some identities or personal experiences rarely feel safe in any room/space, and it’s important to acknowledge that and consider what safety means from a position of social, cultural, historical, and institutional power.
Institutional Collaboration and Collective Impact
MWCC believes a collective willingness to collaborate with empathy, respect, trust and transparency is essential to teaching, learning and creating a sense of belonging for all. We work and communicate collegially, creating working and learning environments which are conducive to the open exchange of ideas. In addition to collaboration a collective impact approach is premised on the belief that no single department, person, or program can tackle or solve the increasingly complex social problems we face as a society (i.e., oppression, racial injustice, etc.)
Continuous Improvement and Transformative Action
MWCC is committed to inquiry, professional development, and reflection. We adjust our practices and embrace new tools and methods to provide equitable opportunities and outcomes. We are willing to make mistakes, and learn from both our mistakes and successes, in order to take purposeful action and propose transformative solutions.
Institutional Integrity
MWCC maintains public trust by being honest, fair, transparent, and equitable. We honor our commitments to our students, staff and communities by holding ourselves and others accountable for supporting the vision, mission, and priorities of the college.
Student Success and Achievement
MWCC believes student success and achievement is as much about the student experience as it is about the education, and neither exists in a vacuum. We take a holistic approach to defining and supporting student success and achievement determined by the goals of each individual student.
Goals
These five goals define and drive the strategic initiatives of MWCC:
- Equity and Inclusion in Opportunity, Access, and Affordability.
- Equitable and Inclusive Student Success and Achievement.
- Equitable and Inclusive Pedagogy, Facilitation, and Academic Programming.
- Regional and Economic Development Leader.
- Institutional Capacity Building for Equitable Decision-Making and Inclusive Engagement.