Tulsa Community College (TCC) has received a $1 million gift from the Hardesty Family Foundation that will support the new Hardesty Student Success Center at the school’s West campus.
The donation supports the college’s largest fundraising campaign, Clearing the Pathway: The Campaign for Completion. The multi-year campaign is focused on removing financial, navigational and physical barriers to a student’s college success and graduation.
Planned to be established at all four Tulsa campuses, Student Success Centers provide a central space for all student services needed to apply, enroll and pay for college, according to Tulsa World.
“We envision a college where our students’ success is determined solely by their motivation to learn, not by their personal finances or social circumstances,” TCC president and CEO Dr. Leigh B. Goodson said in a Tulsa news release. “Plus, our research shows 90 percent of TCC graduates live and work in the greater Tulsa area, so, increasing a student’s success improves our workforce.”
Essentially, the Student Success Centers are “one-stop shops” that help students navigate the college application process and were outlined using national data on removing those barriers.
“Our investment is about improving our community by impacting the lives of current and future students,” said Michelle Hardesty, Hardesty Family Foundation executive director. “TCC plays a major role in training and educating our community. If we expect the Tulsa area to continue to grow, we need to ensure we have a properly educated workforce. TCC is well positioned to fill this need and we are excited to be part of TCC’s future.”
The campaign for Completion plans to raise $20 million in private funds to support student scholarships, academic advisers, Student Success Centers, science lab renovations and diversity and inclusion outreach methods.
“With 88 percent of our goal and $17.6M pledged for the Campaign for Completion, our students are already seeing positive change. One of our priorities, academic advising, has dramatically improved now that all degree-seeking students are required to see an academic adviser,” said Goodson. “Plus, we awarded Completion Grants or scholarships to eight students who were in danger of dropping out just shy of graduation. They are now back on track to graduate this spring or next fall.”
