Sometimes a college is located in more than one place. The college may have a main or central campus. But then, in order to meet the needs of other students, the college sets up additional campuses in other locations.
These campuses are often called branch campuses or extension centers. Branch campuses often start with temporary buildings. Permanent buildings are added later when student demand grows.
For example, Shoreline Community College’s main campus is about 10 miles north of Seattle, Washington. In recent years, the population east of Seattle has grown dramatically. In response, Shoreline opened the Northshore Center in Bothell. That center then relocated to Lake Forest Park, so that Shoreline can better meet the high-tech training needs of the region.
Sometimes branch campuses become equal in size or importance to the original campus. The college may become a multicampus college. The campuses may or may not share a common administration. However, they often operate independently from each other.
