The 1980s - The College Continues to Grow

Services to TJC's diverse student population grew tremendously in the 1980s! Not only did the College open a third campus, but it also became the third largest higher education institution in the State of Oklahoma.  Additionally, service areas to meet the needs of diverse students were created.  This can be seen in the creation of the Resource Center for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing at the Northeast Campus in 1982. 

During this time, students enrollments continued to rise.  As of 1984, the Southeast Campus opened with a full College enrollment of 15,756 students!  Things may have seemed great on the surface, but the opening of this campus was a very complicated process.  The original plan was to open the Southeast Campus in 1983-84, but budget cuts from the State Legislature reduced the Southeast Campus's opening budget to nothing.  It was only through the internal ability of the College to reallocate funds that it was able to open in 1984.

Again, services continued to be created for the ever-growing diverse student population.  Due to the high number of enrollments, spaces were being leased at surrounding high schools and middle schools for the purposes of instruction while construction continued on the Southeast Campus. During this time, classes for SEC were being held at Memorial High School, St. Francis, and Broken Arrow Intermediate High School.  Needless to say, the opening of the Southeast Campus was welcomed by a large number of people. 

This decade also brought about a change of leadership in the College. After twenty years of service to the College, Dr. Alfred Philips retired and Dr. Dean VanTrease became the second President of Tulsa Community College in 1989.