This year is Northeast State's 60th birthday

Later this year, our country will celebrate its 250th birthday. I have promised my readers more columns about the country's founding as the year goes on, and these will be forthcoming. I promise. But in this column, I want to talk about another birthday. This year, Northeast State Community College will celebrate its 60th birthday. When the college was founded in 1966, it wasn't called a "college" at all, because, at the time, it wasn't. It was established by the state as Tri-Cities State Area Vocational-Technical School under the governance of the Tennessee State Board for Vocational Education at the location near the airport where the present Blountville campus is located. The present name is a lot better but wouldn't have fit at the time. Personally, I wouldn't call a dead cat "Tri-Cities State Area Vocational-Technical School." As time went on, the school's mission expanded. By 1978, it was able to grant both one-year certificates and two-year associate's degrees in technology, and its name was changed to the familiar Tri-Cities State Technical Institute. In 1983, Tri-Cities State Tech, as most people called it, was placed under the jurisdiction of the Tennessee Board of Regents. The school added a university parallel (i.e., "junior college") curriculum on July 1, 1990, and the current name of Northeast State Community College became official. Community volunteers helped create a foundation in 1986 to assist the college with academic support, community service, and funding scholarships. The foundation's name changed with that of the college. Last year, the college was able to fund $574,000 in scholarships. I have had the honor to serve on the foundation board since 2011. My readers know how proud I am of the foundation's work. What has the college accomplished over the past 60 years? Quite a lot, actually. For one thing it has awarded some 41,000 degrees and certificates. Over 20,000 of these have been awarded over the past 10 years. Its primary service area of Sullivan, Washington, Carter, Johnson and Unicoi counties has expanded to include Hawkins and Greene counties. It presently serves, in one way or another, close to 10,000 students. Its website proudly proclaims that its graduates are 98% debt free and that its technical and vocational degree and certificate holders have a 95% job placement rate. One of my sisters is a retired professor who worked at a community college in Western North Carolina. One of her favorite sayings is, "A community college is a junior college, but so much more than just a junior college." She's right. To get the picture, read on. In its role as a functioning junior college, NSCC turns out associate's degree holders who are "transfer eligible" to complete their four-year degrees at a college or university. Most of the college's graduates in transfer curricula go to nearby schools such as East Tennessee State University or the University of Tennessee. But NSCC has also placed its graduates at various schools around the country, including several Ivy League schools. NSCC does not, of course, stop there. Northeast State students can obtain degrees and certificates in electronics, aviation technology, health sciences (nursing and related curricula), automotive mechanics, culinary arts, welding, and computer science. That's where that 95% job placement rate comes in. The college also sponsors apprenticeships and specialized training in various trades. These offerings might be enough to satisfy some folks, but not the folks at NSCC. Within its service area, the college runs Adult Basic Education and English as a Second Language (ESL) programs for the State of Tennessee. These programs enable adults to obtain Graduate Equivalent Degrees (GEDs), so that they can obtain better jobs. NSCC also runs a federally funded public career service for the state within its service area, plus Hancock County. What about high school students who want to get a head start on college while still in high school? Northeast State is there for them. Several area high schools participate in the college's dual enrollment program, in which students can earn college credit while working toward their high school diplomas. Northeast State has always enjoyed strong community support. Names like Wilson and Basler come to mind for special recognition, but there are others. The college's web page boasts that over 90 area businesses and industries partner with in various programs. I recently spoke with NSCC President Jeff McCord, whose enthusiasm is contagious. He said the college is "only getting started." That led me to ask, "What's next?" Athletics, anyone? Bob Arrington is a Kingsport attorney. You can email him at r_arrington@chartertn.net.