Tidewater Community College, also known as "TCC," is a two-year higher education institution in South Hampton Roads with campuses in Chesapeake, Norfolk, Portsmouth, Suffolk and Virginia Beach. It is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools#Commission on Colleges to award the associate degree; among two-year institutions in the U.S., it is the 19th largest associate degree producer.
TCC is the largest provider of higher education and workforce development services in southeastern Virginia, enrolling nearly 47,000 students annuallyâ€"the second largest undergraduate student body in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The 11th largest public two-year community college in the entire nation, TCC is among the 50 fastest-growing large two-year institutions. During the 2011-12 academic year, 51 percent of South Hampton Roads residents who enrolled in higher education did so at TCC. The school offers a variety of vocational and transfer-oriented degrees and certificates for prospective students, including a nursing school and culinary arts degrees. The school also offers several career programs in marine trades and logistics. It is the second-largest community college in the Virginia Community College System and the 37th largest in the United States.
History
TCC Portsmouth Campus - The Fred W. Beazley Portsmouth Campus encompasses 35 acres in the centrally located Victory Village area of Portsmouth, directly off Interstate 264 and Victory Boulevard. The campus includes...
The school was founded in 1968, when a local philanthropist, Fred W. Beazley, closed the existing Frederick College and deeded the land to the Commonwealth of Virginia for the creation of Tidewater Community College. With the support of Hampton Roads' municipalities, TCC quickly expanded to Virginia Beach and Chesapeake, and in the 1990s, it helped revitalize downtown Norfolk by establishing a campus in former department store buildings. In 2010, the Portsmouth campus relocated to a new site within the city.
Edna V. Baehre-Kolovani took office as the college's fifth president in July 2012. She succeeded Deborah M. DiCroce, who had served for 14 years. In early 2018, the college's faculty voted "no confidence" in DiCroce as enrollments declined and the college announced another round of layoffs (following layoffs in 2017).
Tidewater Community College's mascot is Storm and the school colors are royal blue and white.
Facilities
Tidewater Community College has four campuses:
- Fred W. Beazley Portsmouth Campus, which opened in 2010 and has four buildings
- A Building
- B Building
- C Building
- Student Center
- Norfolk Campus, which opened in 1997 and has five buildings
- Andrews Building
- Martin Building
- Walker Building
- Roper Performing Arts Center
- Student Center
- Chesapeake Campus, which opened in 1973
- George B. Pass Building
- Marian P. Whitehurst Technology Center
- Academic Building
- Student Center (opened Spring 2014)
- Virginia Beach Campus, which opened in 1973 and has 11 buildings including
- The Advanced Technology Center (ATC) in partnership with the City of Virginia Beach and Virginia Beach City Public Schools
- Joint-Use Library in partnership with City of Virginia Beach
- Student Center
- Bayside Building
Tidewater Community College also has several centers:
- Center for Workforce Solutions, on the site of the original Frederick campus in North Suffolk
- The Jeanne & George Roper Performing Arts Center, located in downtown Norfolk
- The Center for Military & Veterans Education, including a Virginia Employment Commission (VEC) office, located on the Virginia Beach campus
- Regional Health Professions Center, located on the Virginia Beach campus
- Visual Arts Center, located in downtown Portsmouth
- Regional Automotive Center, located in Chesapeake
In addition, the Joseph N. Green Jr. District Administration Building houses TCC's administrative offices in downtown Norfolk. Classes are also offered at the Old Dominion University Tri-Cities Center.
Literary Festival and Journal
Tidewater Community College publishes an annual literary journal called the Channel Marker. Submissions are accepted in the fall semester and the publication is released in the spring (usually April) in conjunction with TCC's Annual Literary Festival.
Let's Grow: The 2013 Jobs Summit
Tidewater Community College hosted its first jobs summit on August 6, 2013. One of the signature events during TCC’s 45th anniversary, the event brought together local CEOs, industry leaders and the major candidates for governor of Virginia for discussion on two questions: Where will jobs come from in the next five years, and how should the workforce be prepared? Virginia’s gubernatorial candidates, Republican Ken Cuccinelli and Democrat Terry McAuliffe, used the opportunity to outline their jobs platforms for the Commonwealth.
References
External links
- Official website
