Community college celebrates 50 years
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STEUBENVILLE -- Eastern Gateway Community College will celebrate its 50th anniversary during the week of Sept. 24 with activities for students, faculty, staff, alumni and the community.
A ribbon-cutting ceremony will be held at 4 p.m. Sept. 24 for the new Gator Center on the Steubenville campus, followed by a 5 p.m. Business After Hours event by the Jefferson County Chamber of Commerce.. Various activities have been planned to involve students, faculty, staff, alumni and the community throughout the week.
Students, faculty and staff will take part in Gatorfest, starting at 11:30 a.m. Sept. 25. A community cookout and open house will begin at 3 p.m. that day. The open house will offer a chance to learn more about the offerings at EGCC and to meet faculty members. A book signing will be conducted at the new Barnes and Noble in the Gator Center and live music will be provided by the Mainstreet Lions Band. The day's activities will wrap up at 6 p.m.
An invitation-only dinner will be held Sept. 26 at Hellenic Hall at Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church.Invitations are being mailed and RSVPs are required.
Eastern Gateway Community College's roots go to the mid-1960s, when the number of community colleges was growing rapidly nationwide with the recognition that traditional forms of education were not preparing students for a modern workforce.
The Jefferson County Commissioners and the members of the Steubenville Area Development Council had the vision to recognize this need locally. In 1965, they commissioned a study from the Battelle Memorial Institute of Columbus to verify and document the area's need for workforce education.
As a result, on Sept. 16, 1966 the college was officially chartered under the name Jefferson County Technical Institute.
This move was well received by Jefferson county voters, who quickly passed the first levy to build and support the new school.
The abandoned 84-acre site of the Jefferson County Infirmary (also known as the "county home") on Sunset Boulevard was chosen as the location, and construction began in October of 1967.
Less than a year later, the college opened its doors Sept. 23, 1968. The college would go on to graduate more than50,000 people by 2008, and affect the lives of thousands more.
There were 320 students enrolled in the first class in the fall of 1968. They would become the first graduating class in 1970.
Fred Robie was appointed the first president of the college in 1970 and would continue his tenure into the time of Jefferson Technical College.
Jefferson Technical College
In 1973, the school was awarded its first accreditation by the North Central Association. The scope of educational offerings from the college expanded in the 1970s. In addition to serving the needs of industry, new programming was developed to providing classes in business, health and electronics.
By 1977, Jefferson County Technical Institute, less than 10 years after its founding, had changed its name and broadened its mission to become Jefferson Technical College. With the transition, students were able to transfer many of their courses to four-year colleges and universities.
"Jeff Tech" as the college was affectionately known, integrated itself into the community.
A baseball team, a basketball team, and accompanying cheerleaders were active at Jeff Tech. Wearing the Trojan mascot on their uniforms, the basketball team achieved championships in 1975, 1976, 1977, and 1978.
The college was defined not only by education during this era but also by construction. In 1983, a one-story health technologies wing was added to the building. In 1989, the computer wing and a second lecture hall were added. A sunken courtyard was converted into a two-storied hall. In 1993, the administrative offices were remodeled, resulting in the current footprint of the building. The brick courtyard was added in the early 1990s.
In 1985, Robie retired, and Edward L. Florak became the second president of the college. He would provide the leadership for the evolution to a community college that was still to come.
Jefferson Community College
While the 1980s were characterized by the physical growth of the campus, the 1990s were defined by a significant change in the mission of the college.
The steel industry had declined, causing an associated decrease in demand for technical education in engineering fields. An aging population in the Ohio Valley created a need for health care workers. Computers became common for everyone and traditional 4-year colleges became increasingly expensive. Responding to these various forces, the school expanded its charge and added to its mission, becoming Jefferson Community College in 1995.
In its new role as a community college, students could begin coursework toward a 4-year college degree and transfer courses to any Ohio state-related college. Students saved housing costs and enjoyed lower tuition fees. For the first time, the college offered free tuition to graduating high-school seniors with a 2.5 GPA or better. The college continued strengthening its ties with the community, offering training, personal development, art shows, entertainment and more.
To meet the need for more space, the college acquired and remodeled a former Ohio Power office building across John Scott Highway from the Steubenville Campus in 2004. The new building was converted into administrative offices, meeting rooms, a fitness center for students and employees, and classrooms for community outreach and workforce development.
Following the retirement of Florak, Laura M. Meeks was appointed the third president of the college in 1999. During her 16 years at the college, Meeks would serve as president of JCC and oversee the eventual transition to a multi-county institution in 2009.
Eastern Gateway
Community College
In 2008, Jefferson Community College celebrated its 40th anniversary.
Impressed with the college's abilities and commitment to students, state officials had inquired as to the feasibility of the college expanding its service district beyond Jefferson County, to include Columbiana, Mahoning and Trumbull counties.
Recognizing a declining population base in Jefferson County, the college took action. Eastern Gateway Community College was born in 2009, standing on the shoulders of the institutions that came before it. Board members were appointed from each county represented in the service area. Classes in the expanded service area were first held in evenings at high school career and technical centers, but to be successful, the college needed to offer daytime classes throughout the district and to have its own space to regulate as needed.
Eventually the college would find quarters on the ground floor of a parking garage in downtown Youngstown. What is now the Youngstown Campus is filled with modern classrooms and other necessary student spaces and conveniences. An administrative building has been acquired across the street from the academic spaces that is now known as the Student Services Center with more expansion planned.
With two campuses and a growing online student population, the college is positioned to be a leader in higher education in Northeast Ohio and across the country. Offering more than 40 programs ranging from healthcare to advanced manufacturing, the college meets local workforce needs and helps students save thousands of dollars toward earning a bachelor's degree.
In 2015, facing the economic challenges to higher education in the 21st century, Dr. Jimmie Bruce assumed the leadership role and became the fourth president of the college.
EGCC Today
The Youngstown location has achieved campus status equal to that of the Steubenville Campus and is thriving. Central service technician, advanced manufacturing, Machining, and early childhood education are increasing the Youngstown Campus enrollment and better serving the Mahoning Valley.
Large growth has occurred in the number of high school students throughout the four-county service district taking classes through the College Credit Plus program. By taking the correct course sequences, some students earn an associate degree before they have graduated from high school.
Intercollegiate athletics have returned to the college for the first time since the 1970s. In fall of 2017, the Gators men's baseball team began competing in the Ohio Community College Athletic Association and the National Junior College Athletic Association. Women's softball is scheduled to begin within the year, and other sports will follow.
The newly created Gator Center at the Steubenville Campus provides services to students as they apply, enroll, and progress through their education. Incorporated within the Success Center are the registrar's office, admissions, advising, financial aid, tutoring, disability services, career services, and the Barnes and Noble college bookstore. The center is intended to maximize student' completion rates as they pursue degrees and certificates.
Workforce Education, the non-credit arm of the college, has increased its certificate program offerings in health care and other technologies. A certified trucking school now awards CDL licensures and prepares students for the demands of the high-tech trucking industry.
The emergence of distance education and online courses has afforded the college the opportunity to grow exponentially. Collaborating with unions in Ohio and across the United States and Canada, EGCC is experiencing record enrollment and is recognized as one of the fastest growing colleges in the country, with students from every state in the union taking online courses.