Trinity Valley Community College (TVCC) is a community college

Community college

A community college is a type of educational institution. The term can have different meanings in different countries.-Australia:Community colleges carry on the tradition of adult education, which was established in Australia around mid 19th century when evening classes were held to help adults...

 in the state of Texas

Texas

Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...

.

TVCC operates four campuses serving the Texas counties of Anderson

Anderson County, Texas

Anderson County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. As of 2000, the population was 55,109. Its county seat is Palestine. Anderson county was organized in 1846, and is named in honor of Kenneth L. Anderson who had been Vice President of the Republic of Texas.-Geography:According to the...

, Henderson

Henderson County, Texas

As of the census of 2000, there were 73,277 people, 28,804 households, and 20,969 families residing in the county. The population density was 84 people per square mile . There were 35,935 housing units at an average density of 41 per square mile...

, and Kaufman

Kaufman County, Texas

As of the census of 2000, there were 71,313 people, 24,367 households, and 19,225 families residing in the county. The population density was 91/sq mi . There were 26,133 housing units at an average density of 33/sq mi...

, southeast of the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex:

• The Henderson County Campus, which also serves as TVCC's headquarters, is in Athens
  Athens, Texas
  Athens is a city in Henderson County, Texas, in the United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 12,710. It is the county seat of Henderson County. According to the Texas Legislature, Athens is the "Original Home of the Hamburger"...
  
  .
• The Anderson County Campus is in Palestine
  Palestine, Texas
  Palestine is a city in Anderson County, Texas, in the United States. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 17,598, and 18,458 in the 2009 estimate. It is the county seat of Anderson County and is situated in East Texas...
  
  . Texas Commissioner of Agriculture Todd Staples
  Todd Staples
  Douglas Todd Staples is the current Republican Commissioner of the Texas Department of Agriculture. Prior to his election in 2006 as Agriculture Commissioner, he had been a member of both houses of the Texas State Legislature and formerly served on the city council in Palestine, Texas.Staples was...
  
   is a former faculty member at the Anderson campus.
• The Kaufman County Campus is in Terrell
  Terrell, Texas
  Terrell is a city in Kaufman County, Texas, United States, and a southeastern suburb of Dallas. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 13,606...
  
  .
• The TVCC Health Science Center is in Kaufman
  Kaufman, Texas
  Kaufman is a city in Kaufman County, Texas, United States. The population was 6,490 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Kaufman County.-Geography:Kaufman is located at ....
  
  . This campus (adjacent to Presbyterian Hospital of Kaufman) is dedicated specifically to healthcare courses (general courses must be taken at one of the other campuses in the TVCC system), and operates a distance learning program for the University of Texas at Arlington
  University of Texas at Arlington
  The University of Texas at Arlington is a public research university located in Arlington, Texas, United States. The campus is situated southwest of downtown Arlington, and is located in the Dallas–Fort Worth metropolitan area. The university was founded in 1895 and served primarily a military...
  
  's RN
  Registered nurse
  A registered nurse is a nurse who has graduated from a nursing program at a university or college and has passed a national licensing exam. A registered nurse helps individuals, families, and groups to achieve health and prevent disease...
  
   to BSN
  Bachelor of Science in Nursing
  The Bachelor of Science in Nursing is an American four year academic degree in the science and principles of nursing, granted by a tertiary education university or similarly accredited school...
  
   program.

History

TVCC was founded in 1946 as Henderson County Junior College in Athens, the county seat, and adopted its current name in September 1986, which was taken from the Trinity River

Trinity River (Texas)

The Trinity River is a long river that flows entirely within the U.S. state of Texas. It rises in extreme north Texas, a few miles south of the Red River. The headwaters are separated by the high bluffs on the south side of the Red River....

 which bisects the region.

TVCC would begin its expansion to a multi-site campus in 1969 when it began to offer courses at a nearby Texas Department of Criminal Justice

Texas Department of Criminal Justice

The Texas Department of Criminal Justice is a department of the government of the state of Texas. The TDCJ is responsible for statewide criminal justice for adult offenders, including managing offenders in state prisons, state jails and private correctional facilities, funding and certain...

unit. In 1972 TVCC started offering courses in Palestine (the Anderson County seat), and in 1975 would open a separate campus facility three miles north of town. In 1973 TVCC started offering courses in Terrell (its first expansion into neighboring Kaufman County) and would open a separate campus facility there in 1986. Finally, in 1983 TVCC would open its first specialized campus, the TVCC Health Science Center in Kaufman (the Kaufman County seat).