Tarrant County College Southeast outlines expansion, dual-credit growth and $185 million renovation

Dr. Andy Bone, representing Tarrant County College, told the Arlington City Council on April 22 that the TCC Southeast campus is expanding program offerings and space as enrollment and dual-credit participation climb.

TCC’s Southeast campus lists flagship programs that include culinary arts, hospitality management, nutrition and dietetics, information technology (cybersecurity), engineering transfer pathways and the First Choice program serving adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Bone said the campus is transfer-oriented, with roughly 70% of students following transfer pathways.

The update included enrollment figures and program partnerships: TCC expects to serve about 12,000 students districtwide across the year; fall headcount at the Southeast campus was just under 9,500 at census. Districtwide fall headcount totals were presented as roughly 48,000. Bone said the Southeast campus served about 3,900 students last year; University of Texas at Arlington, the top transfer destination, received the largest share, followed by the University of North Texas (about 950 students) and Texas Wesleyan (about 163 students).

Bone emphasized the college’s dual-credit relationship with Arlington ISD. He said the Southeast campus and AISD serve more than 1,900 students through dual-credit arrangements and that roughly 52% of participating high school students earn 15 or more college credits before leaving high school — a threshold that matters under the state’s outcomes-driven performance funding model. "We charge $0 for tuition for Tarrant County residents, to take high school courses through TCC," Bone said, explaining how the college funds dual-credit access.

On facilities, Bone outlined a campus renovation program with a budget of about $185,000,000. He described the Student Experience Building as a new front door that consolidates student services, and noted the culinary and science building opened just over a year ago. The central portion of campus has been gutted and is under renovation; Bone said the college expects a certificate of temporary occupancy in June, with instruction phased in during the second half of the fall semester and the renovated space fully functional by January. He estimated the renovation will increase campus capacity roughly 10–15%.

Council members asked questions about enrollment capacity, workforce alignment and community partnerships. Bone said the college has hired or repositioned staff specifically focused on workforce development on each campus and that deans and faculty engage employers to align curricula with local demand. He described continuing education and lifelong learning programming, led by Dr. Terry Tunson, that serves seniors and offers industry-recognized certifications that may factor into the state's funding model. Bone also noted a focus on serving part-time students, who make up about 63% of the campus population.

Council members proposed local partnerships: Council Member Bridal asked about a potential connection between the campus culinary program and the recently opened farmers market; Bone said he would explore that. Council Member Hogg and others discussed how early college success and workforce training could contribute to local economic outcomes.

The presentation contained no formal council actions; Bone offered to follow up on a small number of information requests raised during Q&A, including the campus’s international student counts and details on employer engagement.