Hocking College

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Coordinates: 38°13′11″N 85°42′11″W / 38.21980°N 85.70300°W / 38.21980; -85.70300

Hocking College
Motto Apply Your Passion
Established 1968
Type Public Technical
President Dr. Ron Erickson
Undergraduates 6,600
Location Nelsonville, OH, USA
Campus 2,300 acres (9.3 km2); 20 buildings
Nickname Hawks
Website www.hocking.edu

Hocking College, a technical college located in Nelsonville, Ohio, in the Appalachian region of the United States offers a wide selection of curriculum, with 56 associate degree programs, as well as several certification programs.

History

Hocking College came into existence as the Tri-County Institute. In the 1960s, the need for a vocational school became apparent in Southeast Ohio through demographic studies and population surveys.[1] The Tri-County Institute was built on the campus of the Tri-County Joint Vocational School with the schools sharing laboratory and service areas. Fall 1968 marked the opening of the Institute with approximately 250 students and 28 instructors.[2] In 1969, the Ohio Board of Regents granted a charter to the institute, and they were authorized to grant degrees in 13 technical programs. The first commencement took place June 1970 with 117 graduates.[3]

In 1972, the official name was changed to Hocking Technical College and 250 acres were purchased for new building and future development. In 1975, the college relocated its main campus to its current site on Hocking Parkway. The same year, residence halls opened on Hocking’s campus, making it the only two-year school in Ohio to have college-owned residence halls available to its students. Hocking College was first accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools, Higher Learning Commission(HLC) in 1976.[4] During the 80s, Hocking College continued to grow and expand, establishing many sister-colleges worldwide, in places such as Taiwan, Japan and Jamaica. In 1990, the Perry Campus in New Lexington opened to better serve the needs of Perry County residents with 61 students.[5] The name changed again to Hocking College in 1991. In 1997, the college purchased Lake Snowden in Albany, Ohio and in 1998 renamed it as the Lake Snowden Education and Recreation Park.

Recent history

Two new residence halls were built in 2009 and the Hocking College Energy Institute opened in Hocking County near Logan.[6] The institute features green building design and hands-on learning labs for students studying in an advanced energy program.[7]

Also in 2009, Hocking College President Dr. John Light retired after 42 years of service to Hocking College.[8] He was replaced by Dr. Ron Erickson of Minnesota.[9] In August 2008, the Ohio State Auditors website announced an audit of Hocking College to explore “various allegations regarding certain financial activities and financial transactions at the college.” Light and his wife, who served as his senior-vice president, and two other employees were found to have taken money illegally from the college. Light and his wife were charged with crimes related to these allegations in June 2011[10] and they pled no contest to the charges and were fined and ordered to pay restitution.[11] Erickson himself was removed from office in June 2011 after "blindsiding trustees by sending out a campus wide e-mail that said he'd been micromanaged"[12] but was reinstated three months later.[13]

The college also had issues in January 2010 when a note was found on a bathroom wall that threatened the African-American students on campus. Although two students withdrew from the college,[14] Hocking took a number of actions to protect the safety of its students. The college increased security measures, including more security cameras in the residence halls, provided alternative living quarters for those feeling threatened[15] and offered a $5,000 reward for anyone who had information, and an additional $2,000 if they were willing to testify.[16] In addition, Hocking President Dr. Erickson held a number of events to promote peace and healing around the campus, “We regret this kind of behavior,” he said “and as the parent of a multi racial family, it is especially important that everyone understand this kind of behavior will not be tolerated on the Hocking College Campus.”[15]

Academics

Hocking College lists 66 individual program options, organized into ten program areas:[17]

  • Arts & Sciences
  • Business
  • Computer & Information Technologies
  • Energy Institute
  • Engineering & Technology
  • Health & Nursing
  • Hospitality
  • Natural Resources
  • Public Safety Services
  • Short-Term Certificates (which includes subjects belonging to the other categories)

Land holdings

In addition to their main campus, Hocking College owns and operates Lake Snowden, a 670 acres (2.7 km2) recreation area in Lee Township. They also own 1,400 acres (5.7 km2) of open-space land in the rugged landscape of York Township, west of the campus.

References

  1. ↑ Baden, Cynthia S. (2010). Conversations with the Hocking College Community. Nelsonville, Ohio: Hocking College. 
  2. ↑ Phillips, Jim (June 29, 2011). "History Offers Peek Into College's Formative Years". The Athens News. 
  3. ↑ "2011 Hocking College Higher Learning Commission Self Study Report". 2011 Hocking College Higher Learning Commission Self Study Report. Hocking College. Retrieved September 2011. 
  4. ↑ "The Higher Learning Commission". Hocking College Accreditation. 
  5. ↑ "Hocking College Perry Campus". Hocking College Perry Campus. Hocking College. Retrieved October 6, 2011. 
  6. ↑ "Hocking College Energy Institute". Hocking College Energy Institute. Retrieved October 6, 2011. 
  7. ↑ "USGBC Awards Leed Platinum Certification To Hocking College Energy Institute". PR Newswire. March 16, 2011. 
  8. ↑ "Hocking College President to Retire". Hocking College President to Retire. WSAZ. Retrieved September 6, 2008. 
  9. ↑ Ludlow, Randy (April 29, 2009). "Hocking College selects Minnesotan for top job". The Columbus Dispatch. 
  10. ↑ Ludlow, Randy (July 1, 2011). "Ex-president of Hocking College, wife charged". The Columbus Dispatch. 
  11. ↑ Ludlow, Randy (November 5, 2009). "Hocking College officials ordered to repay $28,274". The Columbus Dispatch. 
  12. ↑ Jack Stripling (May 31, 2011). "Fearing Dismissal, College President Blasts His Board in Campuswide E-Mail". The Chronicle of Higher Education. Retrieved October 3, 2011. 
  13. ↑ Jack Stripling (September 28, 2011). "Ousted President of Hocking College Is Once More Back in the Saddle". The Chronicle of Higher Education. Retrieved October 3, 2011. 
  14. ↑ "Message Threatens Death for Black Students on Hocking College Campus Feb. 2". Message Threatens Death for Black Students on Hocking College Campus Feb. 2. CBS News. Retrieved January 28, 2010. 
  15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 "Hocking College mobilizes resources in response to racist threat". The Athens News. February 1, 2010. 
  16. ↑ "College adds $3,000 to reward". The Athens Messenger. January 26, 2010. 
  17. ↑ "Programs". Retrieved 2011-03-05. 

External links

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