History of Sumner College Sumner College opened their doors to students in July of 1974 with one campus located in Portland, Oregon. The college was founded as The Court Reporting Institute. Situated steps from the Portland State campus in downtown Portland, the college leased second floor space and began offering a Court Reporting diploma program. The college occupied 3,500 square feet of space, square footage that included both administrative and instructional areas. The owner, Bill Ellis, was a court reporter who had the vision to train students to become proficient, competent court reporters that would thrive in the legal community. In 1986, the college changed its name to College of Legal Arts and expanded its curriculum by adding a Legal Secretarial program. Two years later, the college further expanded its curriculum offerings and added a Paralegal program. These programs were all designed with the final goal in mind of providing students the opportunity to obtain entry-level employment in the legal field. In 1995, College of Legal Arts leased additional space and launched a Medical Transcription program that was designed, at that time, to offer an alternative career field for those interested in court reporting, but not able to commit to the time frame needed to successfully complete the program. In 1997, the college again added a new program to their curriculum with a legal focus in mind by offering a Correctional Officer program. In January of 2007, the college was purchased by Cascade Education, LLC. Under new ownership, the college focused on developing new programs related to the healthcare sector. In 2009, the college changed its name to Sumner College to incorporate the growing number of programs; those not encompassed under the title “Legal Arts”. In the fall of 2009, after two years of development, the college launched their first nursing program; the Practical Nursing diploma program. This program has consistently retained strong retention numbers, as well as strong career placement in the nursing field. With the success of this program, and students interested in more advanced opportunities in the healthcare field, the college began developing curriculum for a registered nursing program in the latter part of 2010. In 2012, the college was approved to offer an associate level Associate Degree in Nursing Program (ADN) by the state of Oregon and the OSBN; becoming the second proprietary school in history to obtain this approval in the state of Oregon. In 2013, the college opened their second Portland area location at Cascade Station, just miles from the Washington – Oregon state border. This location was designed to house the Associate Degree in Nursing program and Practical Nursing programs. In February of 2013, the first cohort of Associate Degree in Nursing students began their first term of study at the new location. In March of 2015, the first cohort of Associate Degree in Nursing students graduated from the program. This first cohort of graduates has obtained a 100% NCLEX state board exam pass rate. In 2018, The College opened the Cascade Annex building located 1 block from the Cascade Station Campus. In 2013, the college opened their Portland area location at Cascade Station, just miles from the Washington – Oregon state border. The campus consists of two buildings, and houses the Medical Assisting, Practical Nursing, Associate Degree in Nursing, and the RN to BSN program. Sumner College has a campus in the Phoenix area as well that offers programs in Phlebotomy Technician, Nursing Assistant, and Medical Assisting. In its 47 year history, Sumner College has had three presidents, and Joanna Russell, who took up the task of guiding the institution in 2007 when the change of ownership took place, serves as the current President. Board of Directors: Barry Glasser, Jeffrey Woolf, Joanna Russell. Owners: Barry Glasser, Jeffrey Woolf, Joanna Russell.
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