Student Life

Athletics

360.416.7765

SVC’s intercollegiate athletic program provides you with the opportunity to participate with your peers in athletic competition. You have the opportunity to enjoy the challenge of physical competition and to learn cooperation, self-awareness, and self-confidence. It also gives you a chance to demonstrate excellence in a non-academic form.

Skagit Valley College is a member of the Northwest Athletic Association for Community Colleges (NWAC) and is represented by men’s teams in basketball, tennis, baseball, golf, and soccer, and by women’s teams in basketball, soccer, tennis, softball, volleyball, and golf.

Athletic scholarships are available for all varsity sports under the guidelines of the NWAC. Check out our Athletics website which can also be accessed from SVC’s home page by clicking on the Cardinal Mascot located in the lower left corner of the page.  

Fine & Performing Arts

360.416.7764

Student Programs offers you a variety of opportunities to become involved outside of the classroom. Participation in these activities is an important part of your life as a student here at SVC. Through a number of departments, SVC sponsors a variety of music, theater, and visual art events and productions. Frequent concerts, musicals, and recitals enrich campus life and give students performance experience. Guest artists also visit and perform regularly.

The Art Gallery is located in the Gary Knutzen Cardinal Center at SVC’s Mount Vernon Campus. It is dedicated to the exhibition of contemporary work in all media by emerging and established artists. SVC’s Art Gallery supports and promotes visual culture to enhance creativity and community dialogue by serving as a conduit for expression through the visual arts. An active play production program under the direction of the Drama department provides opportunities for students to participate in every phase of production, including acting, directing, and designing. The Phillip Tarro Theatre is a versatile 200-seat theater. Larger performances are held in McIntyre Hall, our 650-seat theatre equipped with the finest quality professional sound and lighting equipment.

Clubs & Organizations

Mount Vernon: 360.416.7611
Whidbey Island: 360.679.5303

Involvement in a student club or organization may be one of the most rewarding and educational experiences you have while attending SVC. Clubs and organizations provide meaningful and fun experiences that will build your resumé, enhance your leadership skills and your connections with other students, faculty, and staff. Student clubs and organizations provide an environment where students can build and cultivate friendships, find common interests, help the community, and engage in planning, organizing and executing programming initiatives.

All clubs and student organizations must function under the sanction of the Associated Students of Skagit Valley College and are chartered by the ASSVC. A current list of SVC’s active clubs and student organizations is available in the Student Handbook and on our website.

Health Information Services

Mount Vernon: 360.416.7611
Whidbey Island: 360.679.5303

The Student Life Office can provide you with first aid supplies, and a wide assortment of informational pamphlets and brochures. The office also offers programming, and co-sponsors a variety of events to heighten awareness of issues regarding health and wellbeing.

Many low-cost student health insurance programs are available to you via the Student Health Insurance/Injury Only Plan of Washington State Community Colleges. Information about these programs is available by visiting the Student Life website and clicking the “Student Resources” link.

The Student Life Office offers an assortment of pamphlets on substance abuse, chemical dependency, codependency, adult children of alcoholics, and many other health and wellness topics. SVC is dedicated to providing a drug- and alcohol-free environment for students, faculty, and staff. Referrals to the Counseling Center, Disability Access Services and community agencies or private providers are made for a variety of student health needs.

KSVR 91.7 FM /KSVU 90.1 FM Radio

360.416.7711

KSVR-91.7 FM, KSJU-91.9 FM and KSVU-90.1 FM are a combination of student- operated and community-operated, non-commercial, educational, community/campus radio stations. They operate 24 hours per day, every day of the year. KSVR broadcasts to the western Skagit Valley and river delta, from Burlington to Stanwood, KSJU broadcasts to Friday Harbor on San Juan Island, and KSVU broadcasts to the eastern county communities from Sedro-Woolley to Marblemount. The mission for the stations is to provide informational public service to the community and opportunities for locally-produced programs of news and music. KSVR presents a diverse format, including English and Spanish languages. All three stations offer local programs, syn-dicated regional, national, and international news and information programs, and music of numerous styles. Staff maintain websites, produce promotional materials for print, web and broadcast, and host community functions for publicity and fundraising. Students volunteer on-the-air and work behind the scenes in operating the stations, and participating in station activities. The student participants usually join “Club Radio” to earn station jackets and field trips. With over 80 volunteers and staff, the radio organization welcomes anyone with dedication, commitment, and an interest in public radio service. If you would like experience with radio as a career, public service, or recreational activity, contact any station representatives in Reeves Hall.

Recreation

360.416.7961

As an SVC student, you will have a variety of athletic events in which to participate and numerous opportunities to enjoy watching college games. The Dave DuVall Pavilion on the Mount Vernon Campus hosts intercollegiate basketball and volleyball, and is used for PE courses and many other activities. Soccer, baseball, and tennis are among the other sports in which SVC fields competitive teams. Facilities are also available for student recreational use, including covered tennis courts, a fitness center, playing fields, and running/walking trails.

On the Whidbey Island Campus, a fitness center is available to students. There is a modest quarterly fee to use the fitness centers at both Mount Vernon Campus and Whidbey Island Campus.

Regional Culture

Skagit Valley College is located in three counties of northwest Washington. Skagit County stretches from the high peaks of the Cascade mountain range to the edge of Puget Sound. Island and San Juan counties are comprised of islands surrounded by the beautiful waters of Puget Sound. The region has a strong farming tradition, including production of tulips for cut flowers and bulbs.

The Mount Vernon and Whidbey Island campuses are served by bus service, giving frequent transportation to neighboring towns and commercial centers.

One hour south is Seattle, a diverse, beautiful, and cosmopolitan city with a metropolitan area of 3.3 million people. It is often listed among the most desirable cities in America. Vancouver, B.C. is a 90-minute drive to the north. Its metropolitan area has a population of 2.1 million people drawn from nations all over the world. Both Seattle and Vancouver have a rich array of cultural offerings.

Research & Assessment Activities

360.416.7919

Does Skagit Valley College really do what it says it does in this catalog? In order to determine whether we are accomplishing our college mission, we evaluate and assess our programs, courses, services, and students.

Assessment starts with what matters most-you, the student. You may be asked to cooperate in various surveys, interviews, focus groups, and other data-collection efforts by the college.

Since our mission is directed to the education of the whole person, your achievement can be measured only by evidence concerning the whole person. We use the information gathered through assessment for research purposes. The college protects the privacy of student records in keeping with the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA.) For more information about FERPA, visit Enrollment Services at your campus or center.

Our goal through assessment is to increase your learning, satisfaction, and success. We value your contribution to the assessment effort.

Student Government & Program Board

Mount Vernon: 360.416.7611
mv.studentgovernment@skagit.edu
Whidbey Island: 360.679.5303
wic.studentgovernment@skagit.edu

The Associated Students of Skagit Valley College (ASSVC) represents you as a student of the college. You are a member of ASSVC if you are a student enrolled in classes. Through the ASSVC and its legislative body, which you help to elect, students govern themselves, share in policy-making within the administrative structure of the college, and organize programs and events. Students may participate with faculty, staff, and administrators in determining college policy by serving on college governance committees. ASSVC participation requires an average of ten (10) hours of work per week

The Program Boards at SVC are groups of students operating under the guidance of Student Life staff with a goal of providing quality entertainment, cultural enrichment, and educational programming for the college and the community. If you are currently enrolled or are planning to enroll at SVC, you may be eligible to be a Program Board member. Program Board members’ participation requires an average of ten (10) hours of work per week. As a member of the Program Board, you are responsible for planning, initiating, coordinating, and officiating all events.

Involvement in ASSVC and the Program Board provide opportunities for students to learn about campus wide and state initiatives regarding higher education and helps students understand the democratic decision making process. Students who hold these positions are exposed to experiences that help fine tune their leadership skills. For more information in regards to these leadership positions, please contact the Student Life Office.

Student Newspaper

Mount Vernon: 360.416.7862
Whidbey Island: 360.679.5303

The Cardinal newspaper, the studentowned newspaper, is issued 13 times per year at the Mount Vernon Campus. As a participant on the student newspaper staff, you can learn and practice news gathering, interviewing and writing skills, editing and proofreading, selling and creating display advertising, taking and processing photographs, using a scanner, and learning page design and layout. The Cardinal uses Adobe Creative Suite Photoshop and InDesign design and layout software, the industry standard.

The Cardinal has a paid editor and assistant positions. The Cardinal Newspaper accepts student submissions, regardless of involvement with the program, although not all submissions may be selected for printing due to space considerations. A Journalism class is offered concurrently with newspaper production schedule.

At the Whidbey Island Campus the Journalism Club provides monthly newsletters and papers to their college peers. They interview Students, Faculty, and Staff on campus concerns. They also inform students of local, national, and global issues so that students are up to date with the news. This is done through club volunteer work service and if interested in participating please contact the Student Life Office at Whidbey Island Campus.

Student newspapers provide for the discussion of important student concerns, and for informing the college community of events and activities.