Welcome and thank you from Cheryl Roberts

The grounds where our Salem campus now stands was once a meeting place for Native Americans throughout the Willamette Valley and beyond. They referred to it as “Chemeketa,” a Kalapuya word meaning “place of peace.” It was a place where tribal leaders came to work out their differences through peaceful means and find ways to increase intertribal harmony. In short, it was a place where people could learn from each other. Since it was founded in 1970, Chemeketa Community College has carried that mission of learning and teaching far beyond the original meeting grounds to communities throughout the Mid-Willamette Valley.

In May 2008, voters not only passed a bond measure, they ensured that Chemeketa’s long history as a place for learning would be carried on well into future generations. Chemeketa's faculty and staff are humbled and inspired by voters’ rededication to the mission of the college. It's a charge we take seriously and it's become a commitment to excellence that each of our more than 71,000 students take with them as they move forward in their lives.

In the coming months and years, you'll likely notice big changes at Chemeketa as bond funds are turned into physical learning environments, and the user-financed Chemeketa Center for Business and Industry in downtown Salem expands services for workers and businesses. There are already exciting plans in the works as we develop these projects, and we plan to offer numerous opportunities for public involvement in this process. We look forward to meeting you at places along the path as we break new ground in Chemeketa’s great tradition.

Health Sciences Complex	Emergency Response Building	McMinnville Campus	Industrial Technology Building	Classroom Building	CCBI Building