Tyler Junior College is a two-year community college in Tyler, Texas, United States. TJC is one of the largest community colleges in Texas, with an enrollment of more than 12,000 credit students each year with an additional 20,000 continuing education enrollments annually. Its West Campus includes continuing education and workforce training programs. The College also operates satellite centers in Jacksonville and Lindale. TJC offers Associate in Arts, Associate in Applied Science and Associate of Arts in Teaching degrees, as well as tech prep and certificate programs.
History
The college operated as part of the Tyler public school system from its inception in 1926 until 1945, when voters supported the creation of an independent Tyler Junior College District. The junior college district now includes the Tyler, Chapel Hill, Grand Saline, Lindale, Van, and Winona school districts.
TJC today
During the 2016-2017 schoolyear, TJC offered a bachelor's degree in dental hygiene and four associate degrees in various fields.
Students can choose from approximately fifty groups to join, including a marching band, drill team, and drumline.
The school competes in the National Junior College Athletic Association's Region XIV with soccer, football, basketball, baseball, tennis, and golf teams (men) and volleyball, soccer, basketball, tennis, and golf teams (women). The school won national junior college championships in women's basketball in 2000, men's baseball in 2007, men's golf 2008, men's soccer 2009, 2010, 2012, and 2014, women's soccer in 2009 and men's tennis in 2010 and women's tennis in 2010 and 2011.
Campus
The independently operated Tyler Museum of Art is located on the school's main campus. The Center for Earth and Space Science Education has a planetarium and exhibit hall offering public shows in its state-of-the-art, 40-foot (12Â m)-diameter domed theater every day except Mondays, and sponsors a monthly astronomy lecture series. Additionally, Wagstaff Gymnasium is home to the TJC Apache volleyball and basketball teams.
Co-ed dorms include Louise H. & Joseph Z. Ornelas Residential Complex, Wesley House, and Bateman Hall. Vaughn Hall and Hudnall Hall house women (Hudnall houses members of athletic teams). Halls for men include Holley Hall, Lewis Hall, Sledge Hall, Claridge Hall, and West Hall. Claridge and Sledge Hall houses members of athletic teams.
Notable alumni
- Shea Whigham, actor: portrayed Elias "Eli" Thompson in the HBO drama series Boardwalk Empire.
- Derick Armstrong, Canadian football wide receiver who plays for the Edmonton Eskimos of the Canadian Football League
- John Harvey - award-winning Canadian Football League player.
- Bryan Hughes - Republican member of the Texas House of Representatives from Wood County since 2003.
- Charles R. Moore (minister) - Methodist minister and civil rights advocate.
- Allen R. Morris - Emmy Award winning producer/director/writer; formerly with KLTV; frequent actor at Tyler Civic Theatre from 1979 to 1990.
- Craig Tiley, CEO of Tennis Australia and Director of the Australian Open
- Byron M. Tunnel, Texas politician.
- Mike Easterner, General Manager, Fueled By Ramen/Roadrunner Records, Atlantic Recording Corp., New York City, (1986)
- Jimmy Butler, NBA Player for the Chicago Bulls
- Dom Dwyer, Soccer Player for Sporting Kansas City
- Chris Tomlin, Christian Singer
- Robert Pack, Denver Nuggets
- Daniel E. Garcia, Auxiliary Bishop of the Diocese of Austin
References
External links
- Tyler Junior College homepage
- Center for Earth and Space Science Education (planetarium) homepage
- Sports Circle of Honor
- Apache Athletics
- Tyler Junior College from the Handbook of Texas Online
- The DrumBeat, The Independent Student Media Source for Tyler Junior College