▁were ▁partners ▁for ▁much ▁of ▁their ▁histor ies ▁– ▁both ▁provided ▁the ▁same ▁service ▁to ▁heavily ▁industrial ▁cities ▁in ▁sout he astern ▁Wisconsin , ▁both ▁were ▁operated ▁by ▁the ▁state ▁of ▁Wisconsin . ▁T ogether , ▁they ▁became ▁the ▁first ▁voc ational ▁schools ▁to ▁offer ▁n urs ing ▁courses ▁in ▁ 1 9 4 9 , ▁and ▁both ▁began ▁offering ▁two - year ▁associate ▁degrees ▁in ▁ 1 9 5 9 . ▁In ▁ 1 9 7 1 , ▁the ▁Wisconsin ▁Techn ical ▁College ▁System ▁merged ▁these ▁school ▁systems ▁together ▁to ▁form ▁what ▁was ▁designated ▁District ▁ 6 . ▁The ▁newly ▁formed ▁system ▁was ▁named ▁the ▁Tri - Count y ▁Techn ical ▁Institute . ▁It ▁became ▁Gate way ▁Techn ical ▁Institute ▁the ▁following ▁year . ▁The ▁current ▁name , ▁Gate way ▁Techn ical ▁College , ▁was ▁given ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 7 , ▁as ▁part ▁of ▁a ▁state wide ▁change . ▁Since ▁the ▁ 1 9 9 0 s , ▁Gate way ▁has ▁contin ually ▁expanded ▁both ▁its ▁en roll ment ▁and ▁facilities , ▁and ▁has ▁placed ▁a ▁focus ▁on ▁smaller ▁educational ▁cent ers ▁that ▁are ▁separate ▁from ▁the ▁major ▁camp uses . ▁Today , ▁Gate way ▁has ▁over ▁ 2 5 , 0 0 0 ▁students , ▁ 6 , 0 0 0 ▁of ▁whom ▁attend ▁school ▁full - time . ▁ ▁Camp uses ▁ ▁El kh orn ▁campus ▁ ▁The ▁El kh orn ▁Camp us , ▁which ▁opened ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 1 , ▁is ▁the ▁primary ▁Gate way