The new Student Success and Career Center on the Tulsa Community College Southeast Campus revolutionizes the college onboarding and career process. Designed with the student in mind, the facility allows students to meet with answer center specialists, academic advisors, career specialists and local companies. The $5.3 million facility, part of the Vision Tulsa package approved by voters in 2016, is now part of the campus at 10300 E. 81st Street.
Tulsa Mayor G.T. Bynum, Tulsa City Councilor Lori Decter Wright, TCC Board of Regents Chair Sam Combs and TCC President Leigh Goodson took part in a grand opening celebration. They, along with city and county leaders, toured the new facility and experienced how students are benefitting from the state-of-the-art building.
“For nearly 50 years, Tulsa Community College has been a critical piece to the development of Tulsa’s workforce,” Mayor Bynum said. “With this investment in our city by Tulsa voters, we are giving individuals the tools they need to graduate from college with a degree or certificate and to start a career.”
A 2017 study found more than 90 percent of TCC graduates remain in the Tulsa area and invest their careers in Tulsa businesses. The Student Success and Career Center puts students first with increased personalized service tied directly to TCC’s on-going Pathways Project work, which targets increasing graduation rates, especially among our most underserved populations.
“TCC is very intentional with the work we are doing about getting all students successfully to college and into the workforce,” President Goodson said. “Between Pathways and this new facility, we are better equipped to remove stumbling blocks and that means more citizens better prepared to enter the Tulsa area workforce. The College is grateful to the voters of Tulsa for their support.”
The concept of the Student Success and Career Center is a one-stop shop location from the first-time students enter TCC until they graduate and enter the workforce or transfer. There are key support services integrated into the student experience making it easier to navigate college - removing the long lines or wait times associated with applying to and completing the necessary steps to enroll for classes. These are important considerations when the goal of 918 Educate is to boost Oklahoma’s post-secondary attainment from 40% to 70%.
“This new, state-of-the-art Student Success Center provides a place for today’s students to meet their ongoing needs for support and guidance as they develop into tomorrow’s workforce,” Councilor Wright said. “It also serves as a space where employers can connect and engage with students for a highly well-trained workforce.”
TCC serves approximately 24,000 each year. The Southeast Campus, the largest of the four main campuses, routinely serves about half of those students. Already, students are seeing a positive impact with early indicators for fall 2019 showing more students taking full-time course loads and more first-time students enrolling. Plus, Tulsa employers, excited about the Career Center, are already stopping by for tours to get a first-hand look at the interview rooms and business center.
“We are thrilled with the opportunity to engage Tulsa-area employers with the college as we look at providing opportunities that could include job shadowing, internships and interviewing on-site,” said Terri Alonso, Dean of Advising, Retention, and Career Services. “We would love to hear from Tulsa employers who would like to connect with what TCC is doing.”
For more information, Tulsa companies can email careerservices@tulsacc.edu.
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