In 2025, significant milestones are reached by TCC and UTA, with their leaders emphasizing the substantial influence and achievements of their respective institutions.
Rewritten Article:
Step into a bustling room packed with influential business leaders and higher education gurus - the stage is set for a striking conversation. The leaders of University of Texas at Arlington (UTA) and Tarrant County College (TCC) are ready to dish out some impressive numbers and history.
Together, they're a power duo impacting over 100,000 students annually, as a business leader puts it. Both institutions are basking in their banner years, and it's clear they're leading the charge in higher education.
"Our mission is to shine as a beacon of accessible, high-quality educational experiences that make a lasting impact," says TCC Chancellor Elva LeBlanc. "It inspires us to offer free tuition to dual credit students, responsibly manage state and local funding, and to reflect on our TCC values every morning," she adds.
UTA President Jennifer Cowley and TCC Chancellor Elva LeBlanc graced the Greater Arlington Chamber of Commerce's third annual State of Higher Education event, held on May 15 at UTA's College Park Center. Their discussion tackled the critical question of how these institutions are preparing students for today's job market and how they’re navigating their histories to clear a path forward.
UTA is getting ready to celebrate its 130th anniversary in 2025, while TCC celebrates its 60th. TCC's first campus opened in 1967 - now TCC South - with just 4,200 students. Fast forward to today, and TCC has blossomed into a six-campus system serving more than 47,000 students.
LeBlanc emphasizes that TCC is tailoring its programs to meet the demands of the Tarrant County economy, aiming to equip students with the skills they need to land good jobs right from day one. She cites programs like aviation, computer science, and nanotechnology as examples of TCC's forward-thinking approach.
LeBlanc takes us on a journey through TCC's transformation since its humble beginnings, starting from its Northwest Campus that began with rodeo and agriculture. Today, the campus boasts a variety of courses such as aerospace, logistics, public service, and cybersecurity. "It's been one wild ride," she admits with a grin.
UTA, too, has undergone a remarkable transformation, starting as a private university in a wooden building with no plumbing. Cowley tells us that it has metamorphosed into a Tier 1 public university with a student body of over 40,000.
From building and flying crop dusters in the 1930s to now creating software for lunar excavation robots, UTA students have been part of an incredible journey. "This university has consistently chased opportunities and innovation," says Cowley.
Both leaders underscore the transformative power of education. If the founders of what was once Arlington College could see where UTA stands today, Cowley believes it would exceed their wildest dreams.
Shomial Ahmad is a tenacious journalist with a knack for higher education reporting. You can reach her at [email protected].
This article is republished here under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. The publication it first appeared on is Fort Worth Report.
The Fort Worth Report's higher education coverage is generously supported by several key institutions within Tarrant County, including Tarleton State University, Tarrant County College, Texas A&M-Fort Worth, Texas Christian University, Texas Wesleyan University, the University of Texas at Arlington, and UNT Health Science Center.
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- The power duo of the University of Texas at Arlington (UTA) and Tarrant County College (TCC), with a combined annual impact on over 100,000 students, are not just shaping the future of higher education but also aligning their programs with the demands of the local economy, as showcased by TCC's focus on fields like aviation, computer science, and nanotechnology.
- As part of their discussion at the Greater Arlington Chamber of Commerce's third annual State of Higher Education event, TCC Chancellor Elva LeBlanc and UTA President Jennifer Cowley highlighted how education plays a transformative role, leading one to speculate if the founders of what was once Arlington College could ever have envisioned UTA's evolution into a Tier 1 public university.
- The intersection of education, technology, science, and self-development is a critical news topic in today's general news landscape, and the advances made by institutions like UTA and TCC showcase their significant contributions to this discourse annually, offering free tuition, responsibly managing state and local funding, and shaping programs to meet the demands of the evolving job market and the Tarrant County economy.
