Liberty and Effingham campuses now enrolling

#1216

For Release: September 7, 2011

Contact: Gail Eubanks

912.443.3022

geubanks@savannahtech.edu

SAVANNAH – Savannah Technical College will offer seven-week, daytime instruction in Commercial Truck Driving with classes beginning October 24 at both the Effingham and Liberty campus locations. Classes are limited to 12 students each; financial aid is available to qualified students.

Prospective students are encouraged to stop by the nearest campus for additional information. To enroll, students will need to successfully complete entry testing, pass a drug screen, provide a 7-year Motor Vehicle Record and be able to pass a DOT physical.

The Effingham Campus is located on Hwy 21 between Rincon and Springfield; the Liberty Campus is located on Airport Road in Hinesville. For information, contact Melanie Smith msmith@savannahtech.edu or 912.443.5859.

 

Sept. 10 event will bring 175 guests to campus

For Release: September 1, 2011

Contact: Gail Eubanks     912.443.3022

geubanks@savannahtech.edu

SAVANNAH – Savannah Technical College will host the Georgia State Assembly of the Association of Surgical Technologists on Saturday, September 10 at 8 AM in the college’s Eckburg Auditorium, 5717 White Bluff Road. The event will bring together surgical professionals for a day of workshops and lectures around a variety of topics.

The Association of Surgical Technologists brings together surgical technologists and other healthcare professionals and organizations to promote quality patient care by developing educational programs, promoting professional standards and credentials, providing a forum for the exchange of ideas, monitoring the changing healthcare environment, and fostering other opportunities for the personal and professional growth of all surgical technologists and surgical assistants.

Sessions will include:

Recommended Practices for Electrosurgery presented by Matt Albert,CovidienEnergy Expert

 

Head and Neck Surgery presented by Dr. Robert E.Johnson, M.D., F.A.C.S

 

RF Assure Sponge Detection presented by Brent Speak, RF Surgical Area Manager

 

Laparoscopic ANTIREFLUX Surgery presented by Dr. Jeffrey S. Mandel, M.D.,F.A.C.S

 

Urogynecology in 2011 presented by Dr. Joseph T. Stubbs, M.D.

 

Missions – Reaching Out presented by Elizabeth Pascual, R.N

 

Laparoscopic Colon and Single Incision Laparoscopic Surgery presented by Dr. Edward F. Stringer IV, M.D

 

Anorectal Surgery presented by Dr. Mark Blankenship, M.D.

 

The Surgical Technology program at Savannah Technical College is accredited by the Accreditation Review Council on Education in Surgical Technology and Surgical Assisting ARC/STSA and by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP). The College offers the associate degree and professional diploma in Surgical Technology as well as a certificate program in Central Sterile Processing. For information, contact Jimmy Sather jsather@savannahtech.edu or 912.443.5819.

#1214

For Release: August 30, 2011

Contact: Gail Eubanks

912.443.3022

geubanks@savannahtech.edu

 

SAVANNAH – Savannah Technical College is offering the EPA 608 Refresher Course and computerized certification testing October 14 at the Crossroads Technology Campus in the Crossroads Business Park near the airport. The course is offered to technicians wishing to gain certification that enables the purchase of refrigerants.

The refresher course will begin at 10 AM; testing at 1:30 PM. Advance registration is required by September 30. The cost is $85 (non-refundable).

To register, contact Lisa Kuyk at 912.443.3013. Credit/debit payments will be accepted by phone; money order or checks made payable to Savannah Technical College will be accepted.

Additional dates: all with 10 AM refresher course, 1:30 PM test

December 2, 2011 (Deadline to Register: 11/18/11)

February 10, 2012 (Deadline to Register: 1/27/12)

April 13, 2012 (Deadline to Register: 3/30/12)

June 15, 2012 (Deadline to Register: 6/1/12)

August 17, 2012 (Deadline to Register: 8/3/12)

 

Questions about registration:    Lisa Kuyk 912.443.3013 lkuyk@savannahtech.edu

 

Questions about refresher course:  Bob Barringer 912.443.5866 or rbarringer@savannahtech.edu

 

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Atlanta – The leadership of the Technical College System of Georgia and Mercer University have signed an articulation agreement that creates new education opportunities for TCSG students who graduate with an associate’s degree from any of the 19 TCSG colleges that are accredited by the Southern Association of College and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC).

Under the agreement, which was signed on August 18, students who complete their associate’s degree from a SACSCOC-accredited TCSG college can transfer their college credits toward a bachelor’s degree in one of the following nine programs offered by Mercer’s College of Continuing and Professional Studies or Tift College of Education:

General Education

Human Resources Administration and Development

Human Services

Informatics

Organizational Leadership

Public Safety

Early Childhood Special Education

Middle Level Education

Early Care and Education

“We’re grateful to Mercer University Provost Wallace Daniel and his faculty and staff for their desire to partner with the TCSG on this articulation agreement and open new doors of opportunity for our students. It creates a seamless pathway for eligible TCSG graduates who want to continue their higher education and earn a bachelor’s degree from one of Georgia’s great private universities,” said TCSG Commissioner Ron Jackson.

Candidates must meet all requirements for admission to Mercer University and the appropriate degree program. For more information about Mercer, go to www.mercer.edu

Nineteen of the 25 TCSG colleges are accredited by SACSCOC. Those colleges are: Albany Technical College, Athens Technical College, Atlanta Technical College, Augusta Technical College, Central Georgia Technical College, Chattahoochee Technical College, Columbus Technical College, DeKalb Technical College, Georgia Northwestern Technical College, Gwinnett Technical College, Middle Georgia Technical College, North Georgia Technical College, Okefenokee Technical College, Savannah Technical College, Southeastern Technical College, Southern Crescent Technical College, Southwest Georgia Technical College, West Georgia Technical College and Wiregrass Georgia Technical College.

The remaining six TCSG colleges are accredited by the separate Council on Occupational Education, although each is currently involved in the process to also earn its SACSCOC accreditation. Those six colleges are: Altamaha Technical College, Lanier Technical College, Moultrie Technical College, Oconee Fall Line Technical College, Ogeechee Technical College and South Georgia Technical College.

Prepares technicians to work in power generating and transmission

SAVANNAH – This fall Savannah Technical College will begin enrolling students in a specialized program that prepares skilled technicians to work in the fast-paced world of power generation and transmission. The Electrical Utility Technology (EUT) programs will include an associate degree, diploma and certificate option and will incorporate a range of new technologies.

“All of industry is pressured to move toward leaner organizational structures; couple that with a maturing workforce and the rapid pace of technological change and the result is constant change and adaptation. The energy field is no different, ” says EUT Department Head Stephen Hopkins, a thirty-year veteran in the electric utility and telecommunications industries. “This program will prepare students to work in areas where the demand for new ideas to provide energy is great.”

The College will partner with area companies, including Georgia Power and the area cooperatives to bring workers skilled in smart grid technology that will affect every aspect of the industry from generation at power plants, through transmission, substations and distribution across the region.

“This is an emerging field,” says Hopkins.”People who learn these skills will be able to build and sustain successful careers in the industry.”

Stephen Hopkins has wind ranging industry experience in engineering and project management as well as in executive and leadership positions with AT&T, Georgia Power, Nebraska Public Power District and Clarksville Department of Electricity. Among other things, he led a project in Clarksville, Tennessee that introduced new electronic meter reading and smart grid services along with digital television, internet and IP telephony to a Top 100 Public Utility. He holds a BSIE with emphasis on Information and control Systems Design from Georgia Tech and an MBA from Valdosta State University.

SAVANNAH – Lahoma Patton, who graduated in May after completing an associate degree in Management and Supervisory Development and a Human Resource certificate, participated in the International Scholar Laureate Program, as a member of the Australian delegation on business. They met with business leaders in fields from economics to healthcare, attended a meeting at the Melbourne Business School and conducted site visits in Sydney to meet with different business owners. She was one of only two students from Georgia in the business delegation, joining a young woman from the University of Georgia.

“This experience was unforgettable”, says Patton. “It was very rewarding to see first- hand that the education I received at Savannah Technical College prepared me to compete with graduates from more prestigious colleges and universities.”

The International Scholar Laureate Program was founded more than 25 years ago, to educate, motivate, and inspire accomplished students through interactive, experiential and engaging programs that encourage high-achievers to reach higher and achieve more in their lives and careers. The intent is to create a culturally-immersive experience that combines select career-focused site visits with unique cultural exchanges, topical lectures and discussions with host nation students and professors to foster in each participant a new sense of possibility and a renewed drive to succeed.

Patton received the invitation because of her membership in the college’s Beta Xi Tau chapter of Phi Theta Kappa (PTK), the national honor society of the two year college.  More than 200 current students and alumni are members of PTK at Savannah Technical College.

SAVANNAH – Joe Haddad, (center right) Branch Manager for Grainger, Inc., presents a $10,000 check to Savannah Technical College President Dr. Kathy Love (center left). The Grainger Foundation funding will be used to support scholarships for industrial technology students. Two current Grainger Scholarship recipients joined in the check presentation. Left is Arthur Green, a student in the college’s Air Conditioning Technology program; right is Kathryn Hardigan, a student in the Electrical Construction and Maintenance Technology program.

Grainger has been serving Georgia businesses for more than 75 years, providing supplies and equipment needed to keep their facilities running. The company has 11 locations across the state, including its Savannah location. For more information about Grainger’s support of local communities, please visit http://savannahnow.com/west-chatham/2011-08-17/grainger-funds-stc-scholarships.

$150 registration required by noon, September 9

SAVANNAH – Savannah Technical College will offer NABCEP (North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners) testing for solar installers at the Savannah Campus, 5717 White Bluff Road on Friday, September 16. Eligibility must be verified and the $150 non-refundable registration fee paid by September 9.

Those interested in testing should contact Lester Wiggins at 912.443.5862 or lwiggins@savannahtech.edu to arrange for a consultation and to determine eligibility.

To register for the test, contact Lisa Kuyk at 912.443.3013 or lkuyk@savannahtech.edu . Debit/credit payments may be made via phone; checks or money orders will be accepted at the Crossroads Technology Campus, 190 Crossroads Parkway in the Crossroads Business Park near the Savannah Hilton Head National Airport.

Test takers should report on September 16 to the Savannah Campus Industrial Technology Center Room 106 by 8 AM; testing will begin promptly at 9 AM.

Savannah Technical College is a Certified Testing Agency for the North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners (NABCEP) http://www.nabcep.org and was the first technical college in Georgia to offer a solar energy installation program. Since its inception, more than 45 graduates have completed the program.

SAVANNAH – Mary B. Chatman, senior vice president and chief nursing officer at Memorial University Medical Center, has joined the Savannah Technical College Local Board of Directors and was sworn in at the Board’s July meeting.

Chatman has more than 21 years of progressive experience in Academic Medical Centers working in a variety of setting including inpatient, support services, wellness and home care. During her career, she has served as staff nurse, in nursing management, as wellness director and in a number of senior leadership positions. Chatman came to Memorial in 2009 from Pitt County Memorial Hospital in Greenville, NC.

“We are delighted to welcome Ms. Chatman to our Local Board,” says College President Dr. Kathy Love. “I’m confident that her experiences and insight will be invaluable.”

She is a Doctoral Candidate in Nursing at the College of Nursing at East Carolina University, from which she earned BSN and MSN degrees. Chatman is a member of the American College of Healthcare Executives, the American Nurses Association, the Georgia Nurses Association and the Georgia Association of Nurse Leaders among her many affiliations.

The Savannah Technical College Local Board of Directors is comprised of business and community leaders from Bryan, Chatman, Effingham, and Liberty counties. Jimmy Burnsed of Bryan County is the chair; Donald Lovette of Liberty County is the vice-chair.

New instructional programs, expanded class schedules, easier transferability and the debut of low-cost student loans

SAVANNAH – When classes begin this August, students at Savannah Technical College will find many new opportunities available to them including:

· New instructional programs in Dental Hygiene (Savannah Campus) and Fire Science (Crossroads Campus); expanded program offerings at Effingham and Liberty campuses

· Semester scheduling

· New ease of transferability for core courses to University System of Georgia schools

· A new state-funded student loan program

“Taken together, these changes can really make a difference for someone considering which college to attend this fall,” says College President Kathy Love. “Technical colleges always provide great value because of our focus on workforce development. Now, with our calendar meshing more closely with high schools and universities, expanded curriculum choices, smoother transfers for college core classes, low tuition costs and state assisted loans, we offer greater appeal to a wider audience.”

The College will enroll its first co-hort of Dental Hygiene students this fall, as the program completes its transition from Armstrong Atlantic State University to STC. The program includes 18 semester hours of core classes and 65 semester hours of fundamental and occupational courses and clinical labs, operating from a lab at Savannah Mall for this year. The College is in the process of equipping a dental hygiene lab on campus for next year.

A full slate of Fire Science programs will begin at the Crossroads Technology Campus including:

· Fire Fighter I & II Certification Training: Basic firefighting instruction designed to prepare the student to earn state firefighter certification.

· Fire Officer I & II Certification Training: Comprehensive supervisor and officer development program with credit toward earning a diploma and associate degree.

· Fire Science Diploma: Academic and leadership development program.

· Fire Science Associate Degree: Comprehensive academic and leadership development degree program.

Classes will be offered that are convenient to firefighter work schedules with daytime, evening, online and hybrid classes with practical hands-on training occurring at various fire departments. “We are partnering with the state firefighting certifying agency and area departments to offer this training,” says Tony Faust, lead instructor and retired Savannah Fire Battalion Chief.

The Effingham Campus will offer expanded programming in Machine Tool Technology and the Liberty Campus will offer expanded programming in Automotive Technology.

For the first time, Savannah Technical College will offer classes on a semester calendar, featuring two 16-week semesters and a shorter summer term. The state-wide initiative will bring the Technical College System of Georgia (TCSG) calendar into alignment with public schools and University System of Georgia (USG) institutions, making for a more seamless delivery of education. At the same time, TSCG and USG have inked an agreement that guarantees transferability for 10 college core courses between the two systems, making it easier for students seeking to enroll in different institutions. Until now, credits in five core courses – mathematics, algebra, pre-calculus and two courses in English composition – were transferrable. The new agreement allows the transfer of five additional TCSG courses in American literature, psychology, economics, sociology and public speaking.

Earlier this month, the State approved a new low interest loan program from students graduating high school with at least a 2.5 GPA and maintain at least a 2.0 in college. Savannah Technical College students would be eligible to receive these loan funds in they meet the eligibility requirements. “Even though our tuition and fees are the lowest to be found, we know that some of our students need financial assistance to continue their education,” says Love. “This program gives those students an opportunity to complete their students and graduate without a tremendous debt load.” Savannah Technical College has been approved to offer Federal Student Loans possibly as early as fall semester.

Fall semester starts August 24.