In 1994, 25 years after its founding, Cincinnati Technical College was approved to be a state community college. This would make the college, renamed Cincinnati State, the first 2-year community college in Cincinnati. According to the article, Cincinnati was the last large city in Ohio without a 2-year community college.
2-year colleges in the United States have been supplying the nation with educated, skilled workers for about 100 years. The earliest junior colleges, as they were known, mostly educated women wanting to become teachers. During the depression, they provided training in skilled trades and, after WWII, with the help of the GI Bill, afforded educational opportunities to those who had served their country. The 1960’s and 70’s saw tremendous growth thanks to baby-boomers coming of age. They have proven, decade after decade, to be especially vital in times of economic crisis in this country.
It is exciting to take part in preserving the long, rich history of community college education.
I wondered what happened to the idea of UC and Cincinnati State planning and creating a downtown academic center. I’ve been saying we need a presence downtown for the last year.