By Matt Maizel for The Pioneer
Established in 1981, Tillamook Bay Community College was founded shortly after Clatsop Community College announced it would no longer offer classes in Tillamook County. Since then, TBCC has helped address educational and economic needs expressed in the community through collaboration with businesses and educators throughout Tillamook County. TBCC is the only community college in Oregon that grew enrollment in the 2018-19 academic year, and will be hiring new full-time faculty to increase the capacity to serve its students (Ron Carlbom, welding faculty; Chris Carlson, math faculty; Michele DeGraffenreid, writing faculty.)
Heidi Luquette, Executive Director of Advancement at TBCC, shed some light on the new classes TBCC has started offering students, including: Chemistry, Physics, Economic Development in the US, Overview in Exceptional Learners (which is a new course addition to the Education program), and Imaginative Writing.
New program highlights include:
● Welding Technology, which offers students a path to earn a certification through the American Welding Society
● Agricultural Science, Animal Science, and Natural Resources, with degrees that help prepare students to transfer to Oregon State University in related fields, while providing the opportunity to take classes while still in high school
● Office Supervision, a new certificate being offered within TBCC’s online Business Administration program
● Occupational Skills Training, where students earn up to 50% of their program credits through training at local business sites
● HealthCare, where students seeking to go into a nursing program can take prerequisites, general education, and nursing-related coursework at TBCC.
Luquette mentioned, “TBCC has continued to provide guided pathways without wasted credits geared towards customized training and development.” Certain classes can, at times, require that up to 50% of class time is to be spent working with the employer.
TBCC has shown continued support for students who want to explore their potential, and will be starting their 3rd year of the Career-to-Career Scholarship program, which provides tuition support for people in Tillamook County that have been out of high school or have not taken college classes for at least 5 years. It is also the 10th year TBCC has offered the First Class Scholars Program, which provides tuition scholarships to graduating high school seniors from high schools in any of the 3 Tillamook County school districts. In addition, $75,000 was available through TBCC Foundation scholarships this year to support students who attend TBCC. The college offers classes at three different locations: The Third Street Campus in Tillamook, which is its Primary location; North County Center located at Neah-Kah-Nie High School; and the South County Center in Pacific City, Oregon, at the Nestucca Valley High School Campus. For more information, go to www.tillamookbaycc.edu.