Hocking College is a technical college located in Nelsonville, Ohio, in the Appalachian region of the United States. It offers dozens of associate degree programs and 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. 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. 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 in June 1970 with 117 graduates.
In 1972, the official name of the school 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. During the 1980s, 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 serve the needs of Perry County residents. 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.
In addition to their main campus, Hocking College owns and operates Lake Snowden, a 670 acres (2.7Â km2) recreation area in Lee Township. They also own 1,400 acres (5.7Â km2) of open-space land in the rugged landscape of York Township, west of the campus.
Academics
The college offers dozens of programs within the areas of Allied Health; Arts, Business & Science; Engineering and Information Technology; Hospitality; Natural Resources; Nursing; and Public Safety Services.
Controversies
Financial irregularities
In August 2008, the Ohio Auditor's office announced an audit of Hocking College to investigate possible financial irregularities. Then-president John Light, along with his wife, who served as a senior vice president, and two other employees were found to have taken money illegally from the college. They were charged with crimes related to these allegations in June 2011. They pleaded no contest to the charges, and were fined and ordered to pay restitution.
Tenure of Ron Erickson
Light was replaced by Ron Erickson, who was himself removed from office the same month as his appointment, after sending a campuswide e-mail in which he claimed he was micromanaged by the board of trustees, but was reinstated three months later.
Racial issues
In January 2010, a note threatening that black students would be killed on a specific date the following month was found in a dormitory bathroom. The school increased security measures and offered a financial reward for information leading to the arrest of the perpetrator(s). Two black students who feared for their safety withdrew from the college.
Rape culture
In the Fall of 2015, Hocking College allowed convicted rapist Trent Mays to attend the college and play for their football team. Shortly thereafter, allegations were made that four Hocking College football players raped a fellow student. A Hocking College employee responded to the allegations saying that there was "no rape," but the Athens County Prosecutor's Office told the media that Hocking College had "no idea" of the status of the case and that commenting on it was "not their place." By November of the same year, the Athens County Prosecutor's Office found that there was "no evidence" to support an indictment in the case.
References
External links
- Official website
