25 Years & Growing: 1980s
With a record enrollment of 1,473 during the winter semester of 1980, Bay College entered the decade with much enthusiasm. The college added a RN program to the already exisiting LPN program and graduated its first 22 students in the ADN program in December 1981.
With the dawn of the computer age came easier and more proficient ways of conducting business at Bay College. Among those was the ability to simply student registration. In late 1982, two rooms in the HATC building (Practical & Fine Arts) were remodeled to become the first computer lab. The college began to offer four new computer courses and the computer lab was equipped with 14 computers.
In 1983, a Title III grant was approved to begin infusing technology use and education into the college. Among some of the highlights of this grant, Bay College installed a satellite dish, developed its first computer programming curriculum and purchased educational technology equipment. The grant also helped in the design and planning of the Learning Resource Center. The LRC was the first to implement a closed walkway system between buildings. It also housed the library, which up to now was in the CB building, TRiO, the first interactive classroom (ITV) and a computing lab. The LRC groundbreaking was held in the spring of 1985 and was occupied during the first week of September 1986. The dedication coincided with the 25th anniversary of Bay College.
In 1985, President Wuehle retired and was succeeded by Dwight Link. During the remainder of the decade, thre was the development of a stronger YMCA relationship and the beginnings of fund raising for a community pool, the evolution of student aid at Bay College (federal grants, student loans, work-study programs) and a new spacious location for the bookstore.