Dr. Bear reports, in Bears' Guide 14ed, that As of 1998, the phone had been disconnected, and Internet links were no longer active. This may need to be amended, as it appears they're back: http://www.westcoastuniversity.com/ ------------------ Bill Gossett
I'd love to know. I believe they were privately owned, and in 1998, my mail to them was returned as undeliverable, and the phones had been disconnected.
Oh, I gotta check them out tomorrow! the only memorable building for me at the 101 Freeway and Vermont is the HIGHWAY PATROL Dan workin' at 4th and Virgil (
The domain registrations for West Coast University and American Career College, http://www.americancareer.com , indicate that the two institutions may have something in common. ------------------ Bill Gossett
looking closer at their web site, Califronia approved and $195 per credit hour my but that seems pricey. Instructors are listed by their other job but not their Degrees....hmm? Dan Who, contrary to the web site does NOT find the 101 and Vermont a SAFE enviorment.
I just checked the WASC website and they are not listed. They were RA before they shut down a few years ago, but they no longer seem to have that accreditation. http://www.wascweb.org/senior/list.html Hopefully they can get things up and running again, then reapply. But WASC isn't thrilled with schools that are so shaky that they go in and out of existence.
West Coast was a clone of National University (which also served as the model of UofP, BTW), with several campuses located in So. California. They offered bachelor's and master's programs, primarily in business, advertising heavily in the local newspapers. I suspect they suffered the same growing pains and retrenchment National faced in the late 1980's, but without the depth of resources National had to re-organize. Now they appear to be a California-approved school getting ready to offer health management degrees (associate's and bachelor's). I notice at the current West Coast website they say they are "accredited" by the BPPVE. This is unfortunate; California "approves" schools. "Accredited" is another category reserved for those schools accredited by a recognized agency. West Coast, having lost their RA status with WASC, doesn't meet that standard. Rich Douglas
Well, I did the “drive by” and found the previously anonymous office building now has a large sign on at least 2 sides that says it is American Career College. The building is between the Highway Patrol and the 101 Freeway, South West Side of Vermont Avenue and the 101 Fwy. The building is larger than California Coast University’s Santa Ana “campus” of course I did not stop in and find out if they are the only occupant. I guess that a VERY short drive to the on ramp and the Highway Patrol to cover your back, it might be safe, but I would not ADVERTISE that it is a SAFE neighborhood. On the other side of the freeway about three short blocks is LA City College (RA 2 YR. school) and Southwestern Law School is somewhere near. Dan Snelson
I can't locate my old catalog for West Coast but it offered mostly engineering degrees of a very high standard and also provided on site classes at aerospace companies. I am pretty sure it existed before National U was formed and went bankrupt several years ago. At the time of its bankrupcy my company (a major aerospace company) was going to build an Orange County campus for it.
National University was formed in 1971. According to BG12, West Coast was formed in 1909! I shoulda looked it up first. Rich Douglas
That's how I remember them too. Now they seem to be teaching hospital administration. That raises some questions. Are these the same people that operated the old West Coast, or did somebody just buy the rights to use the name? And to appropriate the former school's history? Is their "safe" location at Vermont and 101 the same place the old West Coast was located? I have to say that it is reassuring that they are starting it up with a limited and very doable objective of offering associate and bachelors degrees in one specialty field. Too often we see state approved schools appear out of nowhere offering Ph.D.s in every possible field. The fact that West Coast is behaving responsibly suggests that they are serious about regaining their accreditation.
OK, here is the entire story. When WCU closed ACC became the custodian for the records of WCU and the new owner of the name "West Coast University". The new WCU has NOTHING to do with the old WCU except for the name. The new WCU is trying to funnel people from ACC (the medical vocational school) into WCU by offering a BA in Healthcare Management. ACC / WCU occupies the entire building seen off the 101 in Los Angeles. ACC is the real deal as far as vocational schools go. WCU was ramping up over the past year and actually began teaching classes in the BA program. Yes, they are very pricey at $195.00/unit.
Petersons' Guide still has a page of WCU. http://www.petersons.com/sites/profiles/885300pf.html At the bottom of Closed College Consortium's California page, there is a note about WCU. http://www.closedcollege.bizland.com/california.htm ------------------ Jonathan Liu http://www.geocities.com/liu_jonathan/distance.html
