# Terra State Community College

Terra State Community College is a public community college in Fremont, Ohio. It was founded in 1968 as Vanguard Technical Institute, a night school using the facilities of Vanguard Vocational Center. Terra's district includes Sandusky, Seneca, and the eastern portion of Ottawa counties.

## History

Terra State Community College was founded as Vanguard Technical Institute in September 1968, a night school at Vanguard Vocational Center. Initially enrolling high school juniors exclusively, the institute focused on technical classes such as electronics, mechanical design, mechanical engineering, data processing, and computer technology during its inaugural year.
In 1969, the Ohio Board of Regents granted Vanguard Technical Institute made the institute a state institution of higher learning. This authorization empowered the institute to confer the Associate Degree in Applied Business and the Associate Degree in Applied Science, expanding its academic offerings.
The early 1970s witnessed a significant physical expansion with the construction of three new buildings on Cedar Street, adjacent to the Vanguard Vocational Center. This laid the foundation for a more comprehensive educational environment.
As Terra Technical College emerged in 1973, it embarked on a journey of continued growth and development. The institution diversified its class schedules in 1971, introducing both day and evening classes to accommodate a broader student demographic.
The late 1970s and early 1980s were marked by pivotal construction projects. In 1979, work began on a new campus on Napoleon Road, culminating in the completion of Roy Klay Hall—the first building named in honor of Terra’s founding president. The subsequent years saw the addition of the Industrial Technology Building in 1980 and the General Technologies Building (GTB) in 1984, housing various academic and support facilities.
The college was renamed Terra Technical College in 1973.
The 1990s brought further expansion and modernization. In 1992, the Engineering Building, spanning 58,000 square feet, opened its doors, becoming the hub for the Engineering, Technologies & Mathematics Division. In 1997, the Early Learning Center enriched Terra State's offerings by providing a learning laboratory for the Early Childhood Education Program and offering childcare services to the community.
Terra Technical College officially became Terra State Community College in the summer of 1994, broadening its academic scope by adding the Associate of Arts and Associate of Science to the existing Associate of Applied Science degrees.
The turn of the century brought significant additions to Terra State's infrastructure. The Skilled Trades Center opened its doors in 2010, providing state-of-the-art facilities for programs such as HVAC-R, automotive, and welding. In 2011, the Marsha S. Bordner Arts and Health Technologies Center expanded Terra State's capacity in music, arts, nursing, and allied health programs.
Terra State continued to evolve in the following years. The Ronald L. Neeley Conference & Hospitality Center opened in 2013, serving as an event planning lab for students in the hospitality management program. In 2018, Terra State achieved a milestone by opening The Landings at Terra Village, becoming the second community college in Ohio to offer on-campus housing for 200 students.
The year 2019 marked the inauguration of the Doepker Leadership and Entrepreneurial Center, contributing to regional leadership development and offering personal enrichment courses. Athletics were relaunched under a new moniker, the Terra State Titans.
In 2023, recognizing the demand for specialized skills, Terra State Community College expanded its capacity for welding and CNC instruction.

### Presidents

Presidents of the college have included:
* Roy Klay, 1968-1978
* Richard Simon, 1979-1993
* Charlotte Lee, 1993-2003
* Marsha Bordner, 2003-2012
* Jerome Webster, 2014-2018
* Ron Schumacher, 2018–present

## Campus

The Terra State Community College campus covers an area of 143 acres (58 ha) in the western edge of Fremont on Napoleon Road.
In the fall of 2018, Terra State became the second community college in Ohio to offer residential housing. The first dorm, The Landings, cost 19.6 million dollars, and had a capacity to house 225 students with 93,445 square feet of space.
In the fall of 2019 Terra State began work with the Sandusky County Parks District to connect their campus with the North Coast Inland Bike Trail, and by extension Fremont.
In fall 2019 the college expanded their athletics center. This coincided with the college bringing back their athletics program after a 14-year hiatus.

## Athletics

The college has intercollegiate teams in the following sports:
* Men's baseball
* Men's basketball
* Men's golf
* Men's soccer
* Women's basketball
* Women's golf
* Women's soccer
* Women's softball
* Women's volleyball