A statue of a coal miner, representing the work ethic and spirit of Western Pennsylvania, sits in the green space in front of the building.

[8] In 2007, a statue of a coal miner sculpted by local artist Alan Cottrill was erected outside the Technology Center.

[9] It is intended to represent the work ethic and spirit of Western Pennsylvania, as well as the dream that an education can allow people a chance to escape the coal mines.

[10] Students in this program take a standard curriculum, augmented with focused study in one of 4 possible fields: computer science, data discovery, information systems, and new media technologies.

[11] In 2002, Pennsylvania Congressman and former student John Murtha, who was a long-time chair of the House Appropriations Defense Subcommittee, procured a $2.7 million defense appropriation for the Information Technology Leadership program to develop a remote educational program to would train members of the National Guard in technology skills, ranging from basic computer literacy to advanced applications.

[12][13] In 1999, the college announced that it would build a new building, to be called the Vilar Technology Center, named after billionaire alum and well-known opera philanthropist Alberto Vilar, who had pledged $15 million to the project, a pledge that would have been the largest in the college's history.