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History

1980s

The NTCC campus continued to expand in its second decade. In 1980, credit enrollment at Northeast Technical Community College reached an all-time high of 1,554 students and rose steadily through the 1980s. The College also continued to address the needs of its growth with new construction and new housing.

Students had a new place to gather on campus when the Student Center opened in 1984. The 28,000-square-foot building created a welcoming atmosphere for clubs and organizations to meet and students to study, play games or hang out. To address housing issues, the Board of Governors approved the construction of two, 8,800-square-foot apartment buildings. They were built by NTCC Building Construction students.

In 1985, Northeast Technical Community College purchased 533 acres of farmland from the State of Nebraska for use in the College's Agriculture Programs. The former Norfolk Regional Center property sits just east of the main campus.

New programming at NTCC during the 1980s included Fire Science, Utility Line, Welding, Veterinary Care, Food Service and Dietary Management, and Theatre, among others.

The Northeast Career Planning Center, a multi-faceted program with the purpose of serving Vocational Special Needs students, was implemented in 1980. The Center was designed to assist students who were unsure of their chosen vocational goal or who were having problems with courses in pursuit of their chosen vocational goal.

In April 1985, the Office of Vocational and Adult Education of the U.S. Department of Education announced that NTCC's Adult Basic Education (ABE) program was one of two Nebraska ABE programs nominated for the Secretary's Award for Outstanding Adult Basic Education Programs. The Nebraska Department of Education commended the NTCC staff for its dedication and quality.