NORTHEAST HOUSTON A milestone was reached last Tuesday, as the Houston Community College-Northeast, opened their new building and inaugurated their new campus at 8001 Fulton Street at Lyerly, next to the Northline Mall.
Many dignitaries were on hand for the 10 a.m. ceremony, but what was even more striking was hundreds of students lining the halls, and preparing to sign up for classes in this new first class facility.
The speakers included HCC Chancelor Mary Spangler, and HCC-NE President Margaret Ford Fisher, Trustee Chairwoman Yolanda Navarro Flores, Trustees Bruce Austin and Diane Olmos Guzman, County Judge Ed Emmett, Commissioner El Franco Lee, Councilman Ronald Green, and Marina Mendoza, president of the Sam Houston Parents Club, and Shavonne Gibbs, president of the HCC Student Government Association.
The new four-story academic building, totalling about 116,500 square feet in size, is the first facility for the new state-of-the-art 21-acre campus. Eventually, other facilities will become a part of the master plan to complete the campus.
There are 25 classrooms for instruction, that are designed to transform teaching and learning by using smart technology.
The Northline Campus is equipped with two math computer labs, two biology labs, one chemistry lab, one business technology lab, a cosmetology lab, a computer drafting lab, and a 10,000 square foot library. Also included is an Art Gallery with two adjacent drawing studios, and a Community Room.
The Northline Campus has a one-stop shop for registration and admissions, a bookstore, student life center, and job placement center. Northline campus also provides counseling, financial aid, tutoring, assessment testing and a cashiers office.
HCC Northeast was established in July 1991, when the HCC Board of Trustees reorganized the System into regional colleges designed to put education back into the neighborhoods. The former Northline Mall Center opened for classes in Spring 1993, with approximately 50 students.
The mall location introduced a new educational concept, becoming the first Campus in a Mall in the greater Houston area to become a full-service community college. Over the years, Northline Center increased enrollment, and currently serves over 3,500 students per semester.
Through a partnership with HISD, Northline Campus will have an Early College High School adjacent to the building on Lyerly Street, where high school students will attend and receive college credit while still in high school.
Northline Campus also offers Adult Education and Continuing Education courses.