OWASSO - Tulsa Technology Center's new Owasso campus opened Monday with all the bells and whistles of a brand-new facility: state-of-the-art computers and technology, new furniture and lab equipment, a demonstration kitchen for the culinary arts program and a mock hotel room for the hotel and lodging management program.
"It's what we always wanted and needed," said instructor Scott Galloway, who added that students previously had to intern at hotels in Tulsa, which wasn't always conducive to their schedules. "We were able to teach it but not as effectively. What we were doing off campus we're (now) able to do on campus."
Most of land the campus sits on at 106th Street North and U.S. 169 was donated to Tulsa Tech more than a decade ago, campus Director Kent Inouye said.
The 256,000-square-foot campus offers several programs, including some that are health-related, but the main focuses are hospitality and business-based programs that will use the 51,000-square-foot conference center, Tulsa Tech Superintendent Steve Tiger said.
"That's a unique part of that campus," he said. "The conference center will provide a high-level, work-based opportunity for students."
The conference center, which will serve as a work-based learning lab for students, will be completed this fall and will begin hosting events in January, Inouye said.
"It's live situations, live hands-on training," he said. "It's so exciting, not just for us, but for Owasso, the region, even for Oklahoma itself."
In addition to the $47.6 million campus in Owasso, Tulsa Tech also opened a $15 million, 72,000-square-foot campus in Sand Springs on Monday.
Tiger said the Sand Springs site is more of a traditional technical education campus, offering programs in carpentry, construction, electrical, welding, digital graphics, cosmetology, health science, and graphics and imaging.
"There is a huge demand for skilled labor and technical jobs," he said. "We are trying to keep up with industry demands."
The Sands Springs campus has about 260 students, and the Owasso campus, which has about 400 students enrolled, can grow to 500 to 600 students, Inouye said.
Tulsa Community College is leasing about 25,000 square feet at the Owasso campus for several of its allied health programs and general education courses.
Tulsa Tech has had cooperative agreements with TCC so students in certain programs can transfer smoothly from one institution to the other, but this shared campus is different.
"We meet regularly to communicate, because communication is key," Inouye said. "The opportunities are endless if you think of the concept."
Sara Plummer 918-581-8465
sara.plummer@tulsaworld.com
Original Print Headline: Tulsa Tech campuses open in Owasso, Sand Springs
Owasso
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