Hocking College began fulltime programming in New Lexington during the summer of 1990 with 52 students and today more than 400 students benefit from classes closer to home. Before the campus opened, Hocking College offered individual courses that were generally evening offerings. Perry County is one of the three original three counties in the geographic service area established by the state for Hocking College to the needs for postsecondary educational opportunities in the area that were not being met.
In 1990, with the assistance of the Perry County Agricultural Society and the Board of Perry County Commissioners, a space lease agreement in the Peabody Coliseum building at the fairgrounds was negotiated. Classes down during the annual Perry County Fair and then were quickly re-established the following week.
Site construction activities began in the latter part of calendar 1995 on land ceded by the Perry County Board of Commissioners. Building construction began in early 1996 with the first floor slab poured on May 24 and the second floor pour was accomplished just a few days after the Fair, in late July. Construction was completed by early December and over break, employees moved office files, supplies and documents in their own vehicles - usually in conjunction with lunch hours, across the highway to the new campus. New furnishings and classroom equipment deliveries arrived daily and by the start of winter quarter in January 1997 all staff and equipment were in place and classes began on time.
A public dedication ceremony was held on January 27, 1997 with Dr. John Light, the Hocking College president, giving the welcoming address. Several hundred community members attended and area news media covered the event catered by the college’s Culinary Arts students and chefs. Distinguished visitors included Dr. Elaine Hairston, Chancellor of the Ohio Board of Regents; Ohio Senator Nancy Chiles-Dix, the Board of Perry County Commissioners, the New Lexington Mayor and members of Council, as well as many township trustees and local business owners and managers and alumni of the college. Members of the Hocking College Board of Trustees in attendance included J. Thomas Hill and Robert Sullivan, both Perry County residents, who were significantly involved in the planning of the new campus.
The two-story 20,000 sq. ft. building was constructed and equipped at a cost of $2.5 million and features six general classrooms, five specialized learning labs including a state-of-the art interactive video distance learning (IVDL) laboratory.
Today, Hocking College Perry Campus has an enrollment of 400 plus students and six of the nearly 40 associate degree and certificate programs offered by Hocking College can be completed on the New Lex Campus. A portion of other degree program courses are offered at the local campus, including curriculum requirements in Mathematics, English and the Social Sciences. A student may also complete an Associate of Technical Studies, or Associate of Individualized Studies, or the state-approved transfer module at Hocking College Perry Campus.
With the exception of one academic quarter, in its first 12 years, Hocking College Perry Campus showed a steady enrollment increase over the same quarter of the prior year. The campus has a staff of five, supporting eight full time and 20 adjunct faculty.
Hocking College Perry Campus participates in honors programs with Phi Theta Kappa, the international honor society of two-year colleges. Since 2003 several students have been named to the All-Ohio Academic First and Second teams.
President Ron Erickson began his tenure with Hocking College in July 2009. The Perry Campus is managed by Dean Charles Taylor, dean who is part of Academic and Student Affairs unit that is overseen by Dr. Molly Weiland, vice president and provost.
Hocking College Perry Campus looks forward to continued success!
