Our History

Terra State Community College has been serving our community for over 55 years. It is truly inspiring how much we have grown and continued to serve our community by providing quality, affordable educational experiences.

If you have a story to share, please contact marketing@terra.edu. We would love to have record of any memories about Terra State.

1968

1968 - Vanguard opened its doors the day after Labor Day, September 1968. During the first year only, high school juniors were enrolled in the school.

Technical classes offered in the first year were: electronics, mechanical design, mechanical engineering, data processing and computer technology.

1969 - 1979

1969 - The Ohio Board of Regents declared Vanguard Technical Institute to be a state institution of higher learning authorized to grant the Associate Degree in Applied Business and the Associate Degree in Applied Science.

1970 - Three new buildings were constructed on Cedar Street next to Vanguard Vocational Center.

1971 - Both day and evening classes were offered for the first time.

1973 - The College Board of Trustees officially changed the name to Terra Technical College.

1979 - Work began on a new campus for Terra on Napoleon Road, and Roy Klay Hall, the first building, was named in honor of Terra's founding president. Today, the Terra College Foundation is located here, along with classrooms and Student Records, Financial Aid, Admissions and Student Services. The reprographics department also occupies this building.

1980 - 1989

1980 - The Industrial Technology Building, containing classrooms and labs for air conditioning and refrigeration, power technology, welding and music was completed.

1984 - The General Technologies Building (GTB) was added to the campus. The GTB is home to the Kern Center for Community and Industrial Development, a full-service dining room, the CollegeStore, the writing center, the math lab V-Tel classrooms and several other classrooms and computer labs. The library and the computer center also occupy GTB.

1990 - 1999

1992 - The Student Activities Building (SAC) was constructed. The SAC has become a favorite gathering place for students, and includes fitness equipment, a walking track, basketball and volleyball courts and facilities for seminars and special programs.

1994 - Terra Technical College became Terra State Community College in the summer of 1994. The Associate of Arts and Associate of Science were added to the Associate of Applied Science degrees granted by Terra State.

1996 - The 58,000-square-foot Engineering Building opened during winter quarter. The Engineering, Technologies & Mathematics Division is located here, as are labs for chemistry, physics, plastics, robotics and computer-aided design.

1997 - Terra State's newest addition, the Early Learning Center, was completed. The Center provides a learning laboratory for the Early Childhood Education Program and child care facility for area families and for the children of Terra State students

2000s

2010 - The Skilled Trades Center was completed. This state-of-the-art facility, which opened in October of 2010, houses the HVAC-R, automotive, and welding programs among others. The 23,225 sq. ft. building also houses five classrooms, faculty and staff offices as well as a student lounge.

2011 - The Marsha S. Bordner Arts and Health Technologies Center opened and houses labs for music, arts, nursing, and allied health programs.

2013 - The Ronald L. Neeley Conference & Hospitality Center opened with the renovation and addition of space to the former Early Learning Center, and serves as an event planning lab for students in the hospitality management program.

2018 - The Landings at Terra Village opened making Terra State only the second community college in Ohio to offer on-campus housing. The 200-bed residence hall provides four different room options that allow residents to enjoy a complete college experience.

2019 - The Doepker Leadership and Entrepreneurial Center opened as an asset to local leaders and entrepreneurs. The College continues to provide advanced leadership development to the region and offers personal enrichment courses for individuals of all ages. Athletics were also relaunched under a new moniker, the Terra State Titans. The first Volleyball game in over a decade was played in the SAC on August 29th, and winter sports continued with Men’s and Women’s Basketball. A new mascot, Titus, also arrived on campus.

2020 - The COVID-19 pandemic made its way to Fremont and Terra State worked diligently to keep students safe while still being able to get the education they deserved.

Our Presidents

Roy W. Klay, President 1968-1978

It is exciting to realize that seldom in a lifetime does one have the opportunity to participate in the birth of a new concept in education for a community.”
“

President Roy W. Klay

The College is named Terra Technical College.
Terra earns its first accreditation as a member of The North Central Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools.
The campus changes location and undergoes massive transformation.
Enrollment grows from 68 students to over 2,300.
With the changing demands of the workforce, Terra commits itself to providing the education workers need for the future.

Richard M. Simon, President 1979 -1993

President Richard M. Simon

The campus expands the number of buildings as construction begins on Building D (the then home for Industrial Technologies), Building C (the Student Activities Center), and Building B (the General Technologies Building).
Enrollment continues to grow to 2,900 indicating the necessity for more programs.
The Plastics program begins its one-of-a-kind color matching program.
The first class of high school students were enrolled through the Post Secondary Enrollment Options (PSEO).
With the growing campus, faculty and staff, the first employee newsletter was started to improve communications across campus.
Desktop microcomputers were installed to service the expanding enrollment, foreshadowing the importance of computers today.

Charlotte J. Lee, President 1993 -2003

President Charlotte J. Lee

Terra transitioned from a Technical College to a comprehensive state Community College and is now called Terra State Community College.
The campus grows by adding two new buildings, the Engineering Technologies Building, Building E, and the Early Learning Center, Building G.
A Registered Nursing (RN) Program in partnership with Lorain Community College is instituted through distance learning with plans to provide an Associate of Applied Science degree.
New community education programs, KidsCollege and ElderCollege, begin and engage lifelong learners and further fulfill the mission of a community college.
The College introduces intercollegiate athletics and has two successful teams, the women’s volleyball team and men’s golf team

Dr. Marsha S. Bordner, President 2003 - 2012

President Marsha S. Bordner

Terra State reaches its highest enrollment with 3,542 students and in May of 2009, graduated its 40th class.
The growth of the College continues as another new building opens, the Skilled Trades Center, building I. This building features the Snap-On Tool Automotive lab, the O.E. Meyer Welding lab, new HVAC labs and state-of-the-art Interactive media classrooms. The Industrial Technology building is completely renovated on the inside and dedicated as the Dr. Marsha S. Bordner Arts and Health Technologies Center.
Terra State earns the ability to offer its own Associate Degree Registered Nursing and graduates its first class of students through this now independent program.
The College transitions from quarters to semesters in an effort to make transferring to other state institutions easier. This shift highlights Terra State’s strong focus on removing barriers for students to further their education and on student success.
Terra State begins long-range strategic planning to ensure the success of the institution and communities it serves. Vision 2016, the College’s strategic plan, was launched in 2011-2012 after many listening and learning sessions with both internal and external leaders.

Dr. Jerome E. Webster, President 2012 - 2018

President Jerome E. Webster

Student course completion rates rose to an all-time high of 91 percent.
The transformation of the College continues with the renovation of Building G into the Ronald L. Neeley Conference and Hospitality Center, the addition of an access road from State Route 53, and the construction of The Landings at Terra Village.
Through various partnerships, Terra State is able to offer courses at multiple locations other than the main campus, thus helping train the needed workforce in those areas. This includes Fostoria’s Community Hospital and Bay Park Hospital sites, the Fostoria Learning Center, and the Scott Park campus of University of Toledo.
Terra State establishes the Workforce Demand Scholarship to help highlight the need for trained individuals in a variety of in-demand areas. This scholarship helps remove the economic barrier for students seeking to continue their education.
Several programs receive accreditation, including Medical Assisting and Physical Therapist Assistant.

Dr. Ronald Schumacher, President 2018 - current

President Ronald Schumacher

The Landings at Terra Village opened and Terra State hosted its first Move-In Day.
Terra State received a USDA grant for the creation of the Doepker Leadership & Entrepreneurial Center.
Intercollegiate Athletics were reinstated, competing in Baseball, Basketball (Men's & Women's), Esports, Golf (Men's & Women's), Soccer (Men's & Women's) and Women's Volleyball.
Terra State and Tiffin University rolled out DragonNext, an innovative dual admission program in February 2020.