Tri-County Technical College Celebrates Re-Opening of Newly-Renovated Oconee Hall
Press Release
Date: November 20, 2024
Contact: lgarrett@tctc.edu
By Lisa Garrett
Tri-County Technical College Celebrates
Re-Opening of Newly-Renovated Oconee Hall
PENDLETON --- Tri-County Technical College (TCTC) re-opened the doors to a newly renovated academic building, Oconee Hall, today (November 20) as College leaders, commissioners, faculty, staff, students and community partners gathered for a celebratory ribbon cutting ceremony and a tour of the fully updated facility.
Faculty will move into Oconee Hall in December with students attending classes in spring 2025.
When Oconee Hall opened in 1980, it was the first multi-level structure on the College’s Pendleton Campus. The 36,000-square-foot building housed some of the most modern classrooms and laboratories and virtually every student in every program received training in general education courses in the building.
Forty-four years later, with TCTC’s enrollment topping 5,800, Oconee Hall is still the busiest building on the Pendleton Campus with roughly 80% of students taking at least one class in this building. Over the past 20 months, Oconee Hall underwent a complete renovation which increased the building’s size by 44% while retaining 87% of the original structure steel.
Oconee Hall was remodeled with the student in mind. It features expanded classroom sizes and three new classrooms, a courtyard, student collaborative spaces, and an outdoor terrace. The new building has 20 total classrooms between the second and third floors. The first floor houses a new faculty neighborhood concept which enables students to easily find and connect with their instructors and academic advisors. Also, there is a 3,400 sq. ft outdoor terrace with additional collaboration spaces. This renovation increases student capacity by 60%.
In addition, the building was constructed using green building standards and is fully accessible.
“This investment will help continue to deliver on our mission of providing students an exceptional and affordable learning experience that improves their quality of life while advancing economic development in the region by preparing a highly skilled workforce,” said Dr. Galen DeHay, president of Tri-County Technical College.
He thanked the TCTC Commission for “recognizing the need to renovate this building and supporting the renovation project from start to finish,” along with the Anderson, Oconee and Pickens County Legislative Delegations, for securing $5 million in state capital appropriations in support of this renovation project.
The $22 million renovation project includes professional fees, construction, IT infrastructure and furniture, fixtures and equipment.
DP3 Architects is the architectural firm, and the contractor is Harper General Contractors.
Dr. DeHay also thanked the Cannon Charitable Trust for their donation of $285,000, which was used to purchase and install the building’s elevator.
Dr. Mandy Elmore, TCTC vice president of academic affairs and workforce development, recognized the College’s Arts and Sciences faculty and staff, adding that their “dedication and commitment to our students is what will make this newly transformed teaching and learning environment thrive.”
Dr. Elmore said, “But more than these physical spaces, this building is a place for you to learn, grow and challenge yourself. It is a place where ideas can come to life. It is a hub for creativity, learning and personal transformation.”
The newly renovated Oconee Hall building showcases the skills of Welding students, their faculty and staff, who fabricated the fully-customized TCTC letters that are stationed at the plaza entrance.
Faculty incorporated this project for second-year Welding students in the summer 2025 session C, morning, and evening courses. Welding Department Head Matt Woodall said the letters were customized with no material specifications or fabrication methods included by the architects or engineers. TCTC’s CNC program also assisted with editing the CAD drawings provided to produce the “wave” that runs in between the letters, said Woodall.
“It was truly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for these students to work on something of this magnitude that will be appreciated by all for years to come. It’s opportunities like these that showcase the true talent of the programs we have at TCTC,” said Woodall.
About Tri-County Technical College
Tri-County Technical College, a public two-year community and technical college serving Anderson, Oconee and Pickens Counties in South Carolina, enrolls more than 9,000 students annually and offers more than 70 major fields of study, including computer technology, business administration, mechatronics, nursing, and university transfer programs. Tri-County boasts the highest student success rate among two-year colleges in the state and ranks in the top one percent nationally for successful student transfers to four-year colleges and universities. To learn more, visit tctc.edu.
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