60 for 60: With Orange County Campus, Durham Tech centralized training hub for residents

In celebration of Durham Technical Community College’s 60th anniversary, the College is publishing 60 for 60 – a storytelling campaign that highlights the people, places, and events that have progressed and shaped the College’s six decades of impact. To view more 60 for 60 stories, visit www.durhamtech.edu/60for60. 

When former Durham Technical Community College President Bill Ingram cut the ribbon at the grand opening of the Orange County Campus in May 2008, a new pathway to academic and career successes was created for Orange County residents, but it was a long road to get there.

Prior to the Orange County Campus, Durham Tech had offered credit and Continuing Education courses in more than 40 Orange County locations since 1999. Classes were taught in high schools, community centers, churches, the Orange County Skills Development Center, and several other locations throughout the county.

But in the late ‘90s and early ‘00s, Durham Tech began plans to build a campus for the residents of Orange County. In 2002, the College set aside $4 million from a statewide bond referendum to build the Orange County Campus and Orange County Commissioners matched those funds.

“By the early 2000’s it became increasingly evident that there was a significant demand to provide not just courses, but programs and support services leading to completion of certificates and credentials,” said Penny Gluck, Executive Director of Orange County Campus from 2011 to 2020. “They recognized that a dedicated space to address this demand and expand offerings was needed. During my tenure, it was exciting to watch OCC grow from a first Durham Tech facility in Orange County to a fully functioning second campus for the College.”

Durham Tech also established a partnership with the Orange County Skills Development Center to help students secure jobs in the area.

The College then established an Orange County Advisory Committee to help with logistics, research, and to review possible locations for the campus. The Waterstone development was chosen over 13 other potential sites, and Corley Redfoot Zack was chosen as the designer and architectural firm.

The College broke ground on the two-story 40,000 square-foot building in 2006.

The facility was built to have various energy-saving features such as a rainwater collection system, solar panels, aluminum light shelves, reflective window ledges, and automatic flush toilets.

“Adding a campus location in Orange County will not only increase service to the existing student population but also allow other interested members of the community easier access to education and training opportunities,” said Dina Logan, former director of Orange County Centers, at the time.

On May 2, 2008, the new 20-acre campus opened – offering a wealth of continuing education courses and credit offerings.

"In the 12 years I have worked at the Orange County Campus I have seen the offerings and community engagement evolve with the region,” said Jaclyn Krohn, current Executive Director of Orange County Services. “Initially, we had a small audience, but as the region has grown, we have offered a larger selection of University Transfer curriculum courses and serve more dual-enrolled high school students.”

Today, the campus offers a comprehensive set of health and safety courses from Basic Law Enforcement Training to Emergency Medicine and Anesthesia Technology, in addition to courses such as Notary Public, photography, and upholstery.

“The College continues to work with local employers and county partners to identify needed skillsets and career pathways,” Krohn said. “This allows us to offer the right mix of hands-on training along with in-person or virtual instruction for students who come here seeking a learning experience that will deliver not only a better economic outcome but also personal pride and a sense of fulfillment."

In 2021, the Orange County Board of Commissioners announced a plan to expand the Orange County Campus in the next five years.
_______________________________
For more information, contact Desiree Towson, M.S., Communications and Public Relations Coordinator, at allisontowsond@durhamtech.edu.