Tulsa World: TCC West dedicates new building

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TCC West dedicates new building

Student Lauren Slayton (middle), 20, is helped Thursday by Patty Smith, assistant professor of biology, during a class inside the new science and math building at the TCC West campus. JAMES GIBBARD/Tulsa World

By DAVID HARPER World Staff Writer
Published: 11/6/2009 2:22 AM
Last Modified: 11/6/2009 4:50 AM

You didn't have to be a rocket scientist to add it up: Thursday was a big day for Tulsa Community College.

The dedication of the South Science and Mathematics Building on TCC's burgeoning West Campus was the latest chapter in the educational success story being written at 7505 W. 41st St.

"When you look around this campus you realize how far it has come," TCC President Tom McKeon said at a Thursday morning ceremony that christened the 25,000-square-foot facility.

McKeon said that when the campus opened in the mid-1990s it served 471 students. For the 2009 fall semester, enrollment had ballooned to 3,517.

West Campus Provost Peggy Dyer said as enrollment rose it became apparent more space was needed for science and math instruction.

The facility was funded from a capital bond issue passed by the Oklahoma Legislature in 2005. Ground was broken in November 2007 for the building, which features three biology labs, a lecture hall, a computer lab, three classrooms and even a greenhouse.

The building, which opened for classes earlier this year, came along just in time. The size of TCC's West Campus student body increased 12 percent this fall, which resulted in a 26 percent growth in enrollment for math and science classes.

Several of Thursday's speakers mentioned how vital those subjects are to the future of society and the economy.

Sand Springs Mayor Bob Walker said science and math are "core components of not only today's jobs but also tomorrow's jobs."

Besides

training future scientists and mathematicians, general science and math classes help students in a variety of majors including health care and business, school officials said.

District 2 County Commissioner Karen Keith said it is important to the future of the community that TCC continues to be successful.

McKeon announced in October that TCC had the largest freshman class in the state in the fall semester.

The TCC freshman class had 3,786 students enrolled. The second-largest class was 3,760 at the University of Oklahoma, according to a report from the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education.

TCC's overall enrollment for the fall semester was more than 19,000.

David Harper 581-8359
david.harper@tulsaworld.com By DAVID HARPER World Staff Writer

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