Photo by Chris Bombardo, PTC graduate.
Pittsburgh Technical
Institute Rebrands
Formerly Pittsburgh Technical Institute,
Pittsburgh Technical College (PTC) now
offers bachelor’s degrees.
By Paul Glasser
T
he recent name change won’t alter
the school’s focus on providing a
practical approach to teaching and
learning, says Pittsburgh Technical College
President Gregory DeFeo: “We want our
students to be able to think but also do.”
Formerly Pittsburgh Technical Institute,
the college announced the change in June.
The new name reflects the college’s broader
academic offerings and expanded student
services, but also enhances the school’s
prestige and status, DeFeo explains.
“The overwhelming drive to change
the name is to reflect who we are today,”
he says. “It better reflects our graduates
and their credentials. It was a natural
progression.”
PTC has a close relationship with its
alumni and DeFeo says the leadership
wanted to make sure the new name retained
the pride the past graduates felt for their
alma mater. He feels that the transition will
be smooth because the new name preserves
the college’s emphasis on preparing students
for specific careers.
PTC was founded in 1946 and since then
it has grown to include 23 associate degree
programs and eight certificate programs.
About 2,000 students attend classes at
PTC President Gregory DeFeo (right) and
Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald.
the 130-acre campus in North Fayette as
well as online. Gary Lasser, a supervisor
at Westinghouse Nuclear, spoke at the
renaming ceremony and recalled that, when
he graduated in 1977, there were only 80
students and two majors they could select.
A number of state and local officials
also attended the renaming ceremony,
including Allegheny County Executive
Rich Fitzgerald. He issued a proclamation
praising PTC as an integral part of the
region’s education system. The college will
help provide trained graduates who are
attractive to local employers, Fitzgerald said.
PTC will also offer students the ability
to enroll in two bachelor’s degree programs
starting this fall—business administration
and information systems and technology.
DeFeo says PTC decided to offer the
programs because students, alumni and
employers had all requested them. The
announcement has already generated a lot
of interest from alumni who are eager to
enroll. DeFeo says the first cohort will enter
the programs this fall and the first degrees
could be awarded within the next 15 to 18
months.
It took about a year to complete the
necessary paperwork for establishing the
new bachelor’s degree programs. PTC hired
additional faculty because about 25 new
classes will be offered as part of the business
administration and information systems
degrees.
DeFeo says PTC hopes to offer additional
bachelor’s degrees in the next five years,
including nursing. The college’s strategic
plan also includes provisions for additional
residence halls and a gymnasium. PTC
currently has housing for about 900
students, and will consider adding more
extracurricular activities and sports. It
already offers several intramural sports
clubs, including softball and a flag football
league.
However, according to DeFeo, PTC’s
leaders will only do what they can afford to
accomplish without major tuition increases.
He adds, “The transition from a
commuter campus to a residential campus
seven years ago was one of our biggest
institutional changes. It provided a lot of
opportunities for students to gain social
skills and leadership opportunities they
didn’t have before.”
If growth continues, PTC could even
become a technology-oriented university
at some point, although it would be after
DeFeo’s tenure.
“We are happy where we are today,” he
says. n
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