Governor signs bill creating Northshore Technical Community College

It has been more than 80 years since Bogalusans created the state’s first trade school and in that time, many things have changed.

And things are about to change once again.

Founded in 1930 as Sullivan Memorial Trade School, it was the first post-secondary public technical school in Louisiana. The original school was built on Mississippi Avenue in Bogalusa, Louisiana with funds contributed by school children, local sawmill workers and citizens of the city in memory of the city's first mayor, William H. Sullivan.  The late Commissioner of Education, J.P. Starns suggested that a memorial to Sullivan be established in the form of a "manual arts training" center.  Initial capital requirements were quickly exceeded, and the training center became a reality.

Then, in 1970, the school known locally as simply “Sullivan” became the first vocational/technical institute to be accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.

In addition to being known as “Sullivan,” it has officially been known as Louisiana Technical College-Sullivan Campus as well as Northshore Technical College-Sullivan.

Now, following the signing of SB 69, authored by Sen. Ben Nevers (D, Bogalusa), Northshore Technical College is poised to become Northshore Technical and Community College.

The change is more than in name only.

Unlike NTC-Sullivan, NTCC will be able to grant degrees and students will be able to transfer to other degree-granting institutions. The law, which became Act 209 when Gov. Bobby Jindal signed it into law on June 27, levels the playing field between the state’s oldest technical school and other community colleges in the state.

“The campuses in Bogalusa, Hammond and Greensburg can now offer associate degrees,” Nevers explained to mywpnews. “We can have locally enrolled students in high school working toward college hours and all of these can be applied to an associate’s degree or a baccalaureate degree.”

Nevers, a former educator and member of the Bogalusa City School board, said he could only imagine the frustration of someone, having gone through a course of study at one of the technical college campuses only to learn those credits are not transferable.

“The LPN course at Sullivan is a prime example,” he said. “I have been fighting that nursing issue since the seventies, when I served on the (Bogalusa) school board. Our students can leave Sullivan and go to Mississippi and get more credit for their courses than we gave them in Louisiana.”

No more.

Now, students attending the nation’s seventh-fastest growing technical college system will be able to either follow a technical curriculum to certification of quick entry into the work force or go through the community curriculum and earn an associate’s degree and, if they choose, take that degree, their hours and credits and transfer to a four-year school.

“That’s the reason the name is Northshore Technical Community College … to keep the technical component as well as add the community component. I believe this change will encourage students to stay in post-secondary education, rather than starting over.”

On Monday, William Wainwright, dean of Northshore Technical Community College, told mywpnews that work is under way to officially announce the name change and other new information tied to the changes created by the legislation.

Nevers: SB 69 most important legislation since creating technical colleges in Florida Parishes

Sen. Ben Nevers (D, Bogalusa), fresh from chairing a committee meeting on the morning of the last day of the 2011 Regular Legislative Session, sounded tired.

Sen. Ben Nevers
(D, Bogalusa)

But he also sounded excited at the same time, energy and adrenalin coursing when asked about SB 69, which was passed this week by the House.

“It’s a piece of legislation I’ve been working on for five years,” he told wpnewsblog. “It’s headed for the Governor’s desk now.”

Nevers said there were a lot of hurdles to getting the legislation passed, especially in a tough budget year.

“We got a lot of help from the Northshore delegation,” he said. “We got a lot of support from Dr. Joe May, from William Wainwright and Dr. John Crain.

“I think this is the best thing since we created the technical college program in the Florida Parishes. We now have a community college system we can call our own.”

May is president of the Louisiana Community and Technical College System, Wainwright is Northshore dean and regional director of the Northshore Technical College system and Crain is president of Southeastern.

What the legislation does is to create a new community college system on par with others in the state.

“The campuses in Bogalusa, Hammond and Greensburg can now offer associate degrees,” Nevers explained. “We can have locally enrolled students in high school working toward college hours and all of these can be applied to an associate’s degree or a baccalaureate degree.”

Nevers, a former educator and member of the Bogalusa City School board, said he could only imagine the frustration of someone, having gone through a course of study at one of the technical college campuses only to learn those credits are not transferable.

“The LPN course at Sullivan is a prime example,” he said. “I been fighting that nursing issue since the seventies, when I served on the (Bogalusa) school board. Our students can leave Sullivan and go to Mississippi and get more credit for their courses than we gave them in Louisiana.”

Nevers said he could only imagine what this will mean for the Northshore system.

“Right now, that region is the seventh fastest growing technical college system in the nation. I think this change will accelerate that (growth).”

Nevers was quick to point out that the change to a community college structure “takes no emphasis from the technical aspect of what we do.

“That’s the reason the nate is Northshore Technical Community College … to keep the technical component as well as add the community component. I believe this change will encourage students to stay in post-secondary education, rather than starting over.”

Nevers said he was hopeful he could persuade Gov. Bobby Jindal to come to Bogalusa, site of the state’s first trade school more than 80 years ago, to sign the legislation.

The Legislature adjourns at 6 p.m. today (Thursday).

(Published first at http://www.wpnewsblog.blogspot.com)

Nevers' bill creates Northshore Technical Community College, expands school's role

BATON ROUGE — Gov. Bobby Jindal had a piece of legislation delivered to him Wednesday that is vitally important to the future of Washington Parish.

It is SB 69 — introduced by Sen. Ben Nevers (D, Bogalusa) — and it creates Northshore Technical Community College.

That’s right. What began as Sullivan Memorial Trade School in November 1930 — the state’s first trade school — is now on the verge of becoming a member of The Louisiana Community and Technical College System and her students will be able to transfer their credits to four-year institutions.

All that remains to be done is the signing of the bill by Gov. Jindal.

“This is the most important piece of legislation regarding that campus since the initial legislation that created Sullivan,” as excited Ryan Seal told wpnewsblog. Seal is the executive director of the Washington Economic Development Foundation.

“It’s almost impossible to place a dollar value on what this means,” Seal said. “Credits can transfer … high school students can earn college level credits … it just means so much.”

The legislation faced little opposition on its way through both chambers here, with the Senate approving it 34-0 and the House by an 81-9 vote withy 15 absentees.

The law, once signed, creates the Northshore Technical Community College as a multi-campus, public institution of postsecondary

education under the supervision and management of the Board of Supervisors of Community and Technical Colleges.

In addition, it provides that the Northshore Technical Community

College:

1.     Shall provide a comprehensive educational program which may include career and technical education and training, workforce development training, adult basic education, continuing education, general education, associate degree programs, college transfer degree programs, and other educational programs.

2.     May grant certificates, diplomas, associate degrees, and associate transfer degrees. 3. Shall provide educational programs and services through the Florida Parishes Campus, the Hammond Area Campus, and the Sullivan Campus of the Louisiana Technical College, and others.

The law also requires the LCTCS Board of Supervisors to submit a written report to the Senate and House education committees relative to the status of the Northshore Technical Community College, not later than Jan. 1, 2012.

(Published first at http://www.wpnewsblog.blogspot.com)