Fletcher Celebrates 60th, continues taking shape

To talk about buildings and name changes alone limits the story behind L.E. Fletcher Technical Community College as it prepares to celebrate its 60 anniversary since a first course was offered in July 1951 as the South Louisiana Trade School.

Sure, there have been additions to the original structure and seven-acre site at 310 St. Charles St. The latest real estate and physical plant expansion is an 89,000 square foot multi-use state-of-art technological center under construction on La. Highway 311 at Weatherford Road.

Certainly, courses and curriculum options have advanced from the original classes in carpentry and diesel mechanics to today offering advanced high-tech training in marine operations and integrated petroleum production technology with Fletcher’s Louisiana Marine and Petroleum Institute at 331 Dickson Road.

The Fletcher story, in its fullest form involves innovation and opportunity.

During the past six decades, the administration at Fletcher has endeavored to be responsive to the requirement of skilled training in emerging occupations by evaluating employment needs.

Today, they see education as being invested in the interests and needs of the community they call home.

Under the directorship of Harrell P. Willis, the South Louisiana Trade School entered the second half of the 20th century by offering full-time blue-collar trade training from its facility on Houma. Classes were aimed at job placement and gained immediate acceptance. It was not long before 883 students had enrolled during the school’s first year of operation.

In 1966, training opportunities expanded with the addition of programs in licensed practical nursing, drafting and electronics. Extension classes were also offered both on-campus and off-campus to include Lafourche, Assumption and St. Charles parishes, giving residents of those areas access to skilled training.

By the 1970s the school census had outgrown its facilities. In 1973, the Louisiana legislature passed Act 208, and the Louisiana Trade School received $2.1 million to expand its facilities with 40,000 square feet of classroom and lab space. An additional $750,000 was provided for equipment and furniture.

In 1977, the Louisiana Trade School underwent a name change to become the South Louisiana Vocational Technical Institute. By 1979 a new set of renovations had been completed on the Main Campus and a grand opening was celebrated.

F. Travis Lavigne Jr. became director in 1984. Between 1984 and 1986, more campuses were extended with the LaMPI facility and a vocational training location in Golden Meadow.

Program offerings expanded to include radar classes, deckhand training, and occupational preparation for captains and mates. Even now, LaMPI is one of only five locations for offshore radar simulators in the United States.

Budget cuts forced the closing of LaMPI and the Golden Meadow Branch Vocational Technical School in 1988. LaMPI would re-emerge in 2000 to eventually become a predominant training center of its kind.

A second name change came to the school in 1990 as it became known as the South Louisiana Regional Technical Institute. SLRTI housed one of eight regional management centers formed by the Louisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary Education. BESE Region 3 composed campuses in Terrebonne, Lafourche, St. John and St. Mary parishes.

In 1995 the Louisiana legislature eliminated regional management centers and SLRTI became known as the Louisiana Technical College-South Louisiana Campus. The following year, Lavigne assumed the position of director for LTC-SLC and three years later the technical college’s main campus underwent another name change to pay tribute to former director, L.E. Fletcher. By 2003, the entire institution had been designated as a technical community college and renamed L.E. Fletcher Technical Community College. Lavigne was selected to serve as chancellor of the new school.

In 2005, the college purchased the Allied Health Building at 5396 La. Highway 311, and the degrees of associate of science and nautical science were added to what Fletcher offered.

In 2005, Fletcher was named the fastest growing public institution in the nation by Community College Week as the school increased enrollment by 100.54 percent to 809 students. Two years later, a full mission bridge simulator was added at LaMPI and the Louisiana Legislature approved financing 23 capital outlay programs at 14 community and technical colleges around the state.

An associate of science in nursing program was added to Fletcher in 2008, and in 2009 the Fletcher Foundation Inc. was established.

Also in 2009, the Colleges and Schools Accreditation Colleges Southern Association commissioned L.E. Fletcher Technical Community College.

It was in 2009 that Fletcher received $5.1 million from surplus state funds for higher education and dedicated it toward constructing its campus expansion on La. Highway 311. Later that year Gov. Bobby Jindal committed $2.7 million in Community Development Block Grants and Fletcher was able to begin purchasing land for constructing a building for the future.

In 2010, Fletcher reached a record fall enrollment of 2,395 and added to its programs the Associate in Science in Integrated Production Technologies, Cardiopulmonary Care Science and Criminal Justice. By fall 2011, enrollment increased to 2,522.

“We went from being a technical community college to a full community college service,” Lavigne said. “But no one ever understood that until we started building a building.”

As a new structure expands near Schriever, Fletcher grows in reputation and respect as an institution of learning.

An added plus for the region came when Fletcher joined with Nicholls state University in a cross-enrollment program. With this students enrolled primarily at one or the other institution may take classes at the other school and have transferable credits.

“This builds a closer relationship between technical schools and four year colleges,” Lavigne said.

Lavigne said that a shift in academic training has taken on a more practical application in recent years. “Those in education finally began to realize that there is more than just liberal arts education,” he said. “Education [needs to be] practical and financially rewarding. That’s been true in our area. At the same time, the reason we have the designation of a technical community college is because now we can offer the academic classes that really compliment the technical programs.”

The Fletcher chancellor said that with a focus on the deepwater petroleum industry, his school has been able to capitalize on what is available in the region while providing a service of training needed by the companies that work there. This trend is also new among technical community colleges and offers an idea of future designs with post-secondary education.

“It’s about providing opportunities,” Lavigne said as he predicted Fletcher would grow to be an even more significant contributor to the region in the future.

The Fletcher Foundation will observe the institution’s 60th anniversary at the Cypress Columns on Nov. 3. Ticket and sponsorship purchases can be made by calling (985) 858-2978 or by email at foundation@ftcc.edu.

Fletcher Technical Community College welding student Kenric Ware, left, receives personal guidance from instructor Tony Callais on the school’s new Prepzilla Millhog tool. CASEY GISCLAIR