SAVANNAH, Ga. ~ Savannah Technical College has created a virtual admissions process for Adult Education including high school equivalency (GED) and English as a second language (ESL). As the first technical college in Georgia approved to offer this service, STC’s plan is being shared throughout the state as a model.

“I am so proud of my team for making this possible for the community,” said Dr. Thomas Bullock, STC’s dean of adult education. “We have already been helping hundreds of students since this pandemic started. Now we can register and serve new students with the need and time right now

Previously, the state of Georgia required in-person, notarized registration for adult education admissions. The College has been unable to register new adult education students since it closed to the public for COVID-19 social distancing.

The College continues to offer live instructor-led classes and self-paced online learning for both high school equivalency (GED) and ESL students.

New adult education students may now register online at https://www.savannahtech.edu/ged-esl/. There is a video explaining the registration process, links to submit new applications and an appointment with an advisor to confirm their registration. A state-issued ID is required to apply for adult education.

In Academic Year 2019 (July 1, 2018 – June 30, 2019), Savannah Technical College yielded 486 GED graduates. One of those graduates, Victoria “Ida” Nelson, was named STC’s Exceptional Adult Georgian in Literacy Education (EAGLE) student of the year. Also, she was selected as the runner up for TCSG – Technical College System of Georgia EAGLE student of the year. Nelson earned her GED in October 2019 and is now enrolled in STC’s Emergency Medical Services diploma program. Her goal is to become a coroner. Currently, she works in the food and beverage industry.

Savannah Tech’s Adult Education Program serves those who need to improve their basic literacy and math skills, improve their oral and written English, practice for the GED^® test to attain a high school equivalency degree, and prepare for college. Instructors also help students with science and social studies test preparation for GED^® testing. Adult education classes for GED^®-prep are currently free for all U.S. citizens. To register for free GED^® classes, call 912.443.5446 or visit www.savannahtech.edu/FreeGEDClasses.

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# 2029 | April 27, 2020

 Adult Education Information: 912.443.5446
www.savannahtech.edu/FreeGEDClasses

Media Contact: Amy Shaffer, APR
912.443.5512 or ashaffer@savannahtech.edu

 

RINCON, Ga. – Savannah Technical College has selected Dr. Tristam Aldridge as its Dean of Effingham Campus. Dr. Aldridge was most recently the special projects assistant at Georgia Southwestern State University. During his three year tenure, he served in the president’s office, and supervised the division of student affairs and auxiliary services. He will be responsible for the administration and operation of STC’s Effingham Campus in Rincon, Ga.  He will also oversee academic programs, courses, and instruction services including college, community and high school programs, as well as promote the college to public and private organizations.

Dr. Aldridge has earned a bachelor of science with majors in psychology/counseling skills from Toccoa Falls College in Toccoa Falls, Ga., a master of education and a doctor of philosophy with a focus on educational leadership and higher education administration from Clemson University, in Clemson, S.C.  

Aldridge has worked in higher education with leadership positions for the past two decades. Before his three years at Georgia Southwestern State University, he was the director of graduate admissions at Georgia Southern University and was the director of graduate admissions/recruitment at Clemson University. He began his higher education career at Toccoa Falls College in the admission department.

STC’s Effingham Campus is located at 2890 Highway 21 South in Rincon, Ga. The campus offers quality instructional programs, economic and workforce development services, adult education and more. Current programs include: Commercial Truck Driving, Construction Management, Cosmetology, Criminal Justice, Culinary Arts, Electrical Technology, Health Sciences programs, Precision Machining & Manufacturing, Welding & Joining, and general core courses.

Effingham Campus is hosting a Fall 2020 Dual Enrollment Preview/Open House from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, December 14. All are encouraged to attend to speak with instructors and learn more about programs. College enrollment is open for Spring 2020 with a priority admissions/financial aid deadline of December 15. Visit www.savannahtech.edu/apply to apply online.

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2020 | November 27, 2019

Effingham Campus Dual Enrollment: Patricia Boyles
pboyles@savannahtech.edu

Media Contact: Amy Shaffer, APR
912.443.5512 or ashaffer@savannahtech.edu

SAVANNAH – Savannah Technical College and its Foundation received three awards when the Technical College System of Georgia (TCSG) gathered for its annual leadership conference in Savannah, October 28-29, 2019.

Sam McCachern honored as STC’s Volunteer of the Year
Samuel G. McCachern is the epitome of a volunteer leader and all the organizations in our community know it. Sam gives of his time, expertise, energy and financial resources to his many volunteer efforts, all while serving as President/CEO of Thomas & Hutton, an engineering firm with eleven offices across the southeast.

Savannah Technical College Foundation is fortunate to have had Sam as chair of its Board of Trustees, a position he has held for three years.

During his time as Board Chair, Sam personally led the STC Foundation to the finish line on an important project – buying a historic building in the heart of downtown to house the College’s award-winning culinary/baking arts programs, including a student-run bakery/restaurant. Sam’s leadership was instrumental in moving the project forward. With other leaders in place, the College was unable to bring our vision to reality, over a frustrating four-year period. At the annual strategic planning retreat for the Foundation Board, in front of his peers, he personally committed to making the building purchase happen within the year and he delivered. He connected the Foundation to the best local corporate real estate agent and led it through the diligence process –finding partners who would work alongside the Foundation with good will and humor, mostly donating their time and expertise to the project. 

With Sam at the helm, the STC Foundation has been recognized for best practices by the Technical College System of Georgia, having been named a Role Model Board in 2016-19. This designation signifies that the organization adheres to industry-standard policies/procedures, staff participates in professional development and all Board members (20) demonstrate personal commitment to engagement and support of the college. Sam so strongly believes in this process that he has encouraged other groups he volunteers with to adopt a similar methodology.

STC Board of Trustees earns Role Model Board designation
The Savannah Technical College Foundation Board of Trustees earned the designation of Technical College Foundation Association (TCFA) 2019 Role Model Foundation Board Certification for the fourth consecutive year at TCSG’s Fall Leadership Conference earlier this month.

The TCFA Role Model Foundation Board Certification is an annual certification process sponsored by the TCFA of Georgia, a membership organization that represents the 22 Technical College System of Georgia foundations and more than 600 trustees statewide.

The TCFA Delegate Council presents this award to encourage and recognize foundation boards that engage in outstanding business practices and demonstrate the highest level of commitment. In order to obtain the certification, not only does the board as a whole have to meet certain requirements, but each individual board member must meet specific requirements.

To be eligible to receive the certification a foundation must engage in best practices in nonprofit governance, board management, and operations; have policies in place to ensure compliance with state and federal regulations, especially in financial matters; be led by a Board of Trustees whose members are actively engaged in the foundation’s development activities; and support the professional development and state-level participation of their Trustees, Executive Director and college advancement personnel.

All trustees must demonstrate active engagement in the work of the board through regular attendance at board and committee meetings and college and foundation events, participation in leadership activities and personal professional development, and fundraising on behalf of the board.

The STC Foundation Board of Trustees 2019-20 membership includes: Gary Sanchez, Chair; Brynn Grant, Vice Chair; Stewart Bromley, Treasurer; Lynne Marini, At Large; Stan Sparks, At Large; Bertice Berry; David Burkoff; Scott Center; Loretta Cockrum; John Coleman; Patrick Connell; Bill Dickinson; Franklin Goldwire; Brynn Grant; Robyn Iannone; Mary Morrison; Alfonso Ribot; Michael Traynor; Cecilia Russo Turner.

Founded in 1984, the Savannah Technical College Foundation is a private, nonprofit organization that exists to raise and disburse funds to support the College’s efforts to enhance learning, workforce training and economic development in Bryan, Chatham, Effingham and Liberty counties. The STC Foundation recently helped the College purchase 7 West Bay Street as the new location for an expansion of STC’s Culinary Arts program.

Local Board earns TCDA of Georgia, Inc. board certification for all members
All local board members become members of the Technical College Directors’ Association (TCDA of Georgia, Inc.) when they join their respective local board. TCDA provides the training necessary to become a certified board member. To achieve the status of “certified board member,” board members are required to attend a series of professional development classes consisting of: new board orientation/governance; building relationships with elected officials; community advocacy; understanding the legislative budgeting process and financial management of technical colleges and an elective workshop.

In order to become TCDA Certified, a local board member must complete the four required workshops, one elective workshop plus two required and eight selected activities. Selective activities include attending 80% of local board meetings, going on a tour of the technical college, attending a TCSG State Board meeting or TCSG Leadership Conference, etc.

The STC Local Board of Directors 2019-20 membership includes: Mary Warnell, Chairman (Bryan); Todd Hoffman (Effingham); Brandt Herndon (Effingham); Terry Lemmons (Bryan); Donald Lovette (Liberty); Tom Ratcliffe (Liberty); James Williams (Chatham); James Williams (Chatham).

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#2018 | November 14, 2019

STC Foundation: Gail Eubanks
912.443.3022 or geubanks@savannahtech.edu

Media Contact: Amy Shaffer, APR
912.443.5512 or ashaffer@savannahtech.edu

SAVANNAH, GA – Students will be able to train for a career in cybersecurity by earning a new Cybersecurity degree at Savannah Technical College beginning January 2020. The College has hired Scott C. Scheidt to lead the new Cybersecurity program. Scheidt has more than 27 years of experience in business and military communities related to intelligence and cyber operations retiring as a Lieutenant Colonel in the Georgia Army National Guard Cyber Mission Forces in 2019. He was most recently the Executive Director of the Center of Applied Cyber Education at Georgia Southern University (GSU) where he also taught courses in Computer Concepts and Application as well as Cyber Warfare.

The Cybersecurity associate of applied science degree program is a sequence of courses designed to provide students with an understanding of the concepts, principles, and techniques required in computer information processing. The associate of applied science degree has 60 total credit hours and may be completed in two years. The degree includes 15 hours of general education core requirements in language arts/communication, social/behavioral sciences, natural sciences/mathematics and humanities/fine arts that transfer to any University System of Georgia (UGS) institution.

The program also includes 45 credit hours of computer science/cybersecurity courses. Graduates will be competent in the technical areas of computer terminology and concepts, security policy design and development and cyber defense methodologies.  New courses in this program include: Implementing Operating Systems Security, Network Defense and Countermeasures, Network Security, Computer Forensics, and Ethical Hacking and Penetration Testing. Program graduates are qualified for employment as Cybersecurity Specialists, Exploitation Analysts, or Information Security Analysts among other possibilities. For a complete list of courses in the program visit: www.savannahtech.edu/Cybersecurity.

Information security analysts plan and carry out security measures to protect an organization’s computer networks and systems. Their responsibilities are continually expanding as the number of cyberattacks increases. IT security analysts are heavily involved with creating their organization’s disaster recovery plan, a procedure that IT employees follow in case of emergency. These plans allow for the continued operation of an organization’s IT department. The recovery plan includes preventative measures such as regularly copying and transferring data to an offsite location. It also involves plans to restore proper IT functioning after a disaster. Analysts continually test the steps in their recovery plans.

Employment of information security analysts is projected to grow 28 percent through 2026. Demand for information security analysts is expected to be very high, as these analysts will be needed to create innovative solutions to prevent hackers from stealing critical information or causing problems for computer networks.

Scheidt has completed graduate level cybersecurity technology training through a Master of Science program with the University of Maryland Global Campus, an MBA from Touro University International, and a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from GSU. His military training relevant to this new position includes Port Operations and Security Manager through the Merchant Marine Academy, Army Cyber Operations Planner, Information Operations and Electronic Warfare Planner, and Space Cadre qualification which focused on integrating the use of enablement systems such as UAS’s and satellite capabilities to deliver cyberspace based effects. Scheidt’s intelligence and cyber operations experience includes: senior instructor and curriculum manager for threat doctrine operations at Fort Stewart; senior intelligence analyst/consultant and senior operations integrator for Infinity Systems Engineering, Inc. in Iraq; senior intelligence analyst for Imagery and Intelligence Solutions, Inc.; intelligence analysis/shift team lead for L3 Communications in Baghdad, Iraq. His most recent professional military experience includes: Branch Chief for IT Services and Support for Join Forces Headquarters in Georgia at the Clay National Guard Center; Chief, Defensive Cyberspace Operations Element attached to the 170^th Cyber Protection Team of the Georgia Army National Guard; Commander of the Georgia Garrison Training Center at Fort Stewart along with 20 years of military service with duties related to all-source intelligence and cyber operation leadership.   

Instruction will be delivered at the Savannah Campus (5717 White Bluff Road, Savannah, GA 31406). For information about STC’s Cybersecurity degree and cyber-related programs, please contact Academic Advisor Amber Robinson at 912.443.5719 or arobinson@savannahtech.edu.

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#2014 | October 24, 2019

STC Cybersecurity Academic Advisor: Amber Robinson
912.443.5719 or arobinson@savannahtech.edu

Media Contact: Amy Shaffer, APR
912.443.5512 or ashaffer@savannahtech.edu

One lucky graduate has two big dates on the calendar for this month: her graduation and her due date. Her husband made a surprise visit home for both.

Savannah Technical College Cosmetology graduate Yadimar Otero thought the walk across the stage would be the just the beginning of her new career, but her husband’s surprise celebrates another beginning.

Otero was one of 265 graduates celebrated at the College’s 2019 Commencement ceremony. Savannah Tech has awarded more than 400 degrees and diplomas for students that completed coursework from fall 2018 through spring 2019. Also, more than 460 GED diplomas have been earned during that time. 

SAVANNAH, Ga. – Savannah Technical College has selected Ashley Morris, Ed.D., as its dean for the Business and Professional Services Division. She manages initiatives related to all divisional programs, courses, and instructional services including community, high school, and college programs, as well as promote the College to public and private organizations. 

Prior to coming to Savannah Tech, Morris worked as the Dean of Academic Affairs and Quality Enhancement Plan Director for Albany Technical College.  She also was the Chief Executive Officer for Reaching for Stars Tutoring Services in Hinesville, Ga. She gained teaching experience as an English instructor for Albany Technical College and Savannah Technical College. She has also worked as an academic advisor.

She has a Doctorate of Education in Higher Education Leadership and a Master of Arts in English from Georgia Southern University, and a Bachelor of Arts in English with a minor in Education from Mercer University.  Morris has also earned Lean Six Sigma Green Belt Certification.

Among many notable awards and accolades, she was named one of Southwest Georgia’s 40 under 40 in 2017. She also serves as an Itinerant Deacon in the African Methodist Episcopal Church.

The Business and Professional Services division offers programs that prepare students for careers in fields like accounting, barbering/cosmetology, basic law enforcement, business management, business technology, criminal justice, culinary arts/baking & pastry arts, cyber and related, early childhood care and education, fire science, hotel/restaurant/tourism management, logistics management, marketing management and paralegal studies.

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#1926 | February 11, 2019
Media Contact: Amy Shaffer, APR
912.443.5512 or ashaffer@savannahtech.edu

SAVANNAH, Ga. – Savannah Technical College has selected Tiffany Donald as its Admissions Director. She is responsible for planning and managing admissions activities of new and re-entering students. She manages the financial/budget operation of the department, monitors activities of personnel, develops a comprehensive recruitment plan and directs processing of student applications for acceptance.

Prior to coming to Savannah Tech, Donald was Associate Director of Admissions at Savannah State University and Associate Director of Undergraduate Recruitment at Armstrong State University. She has more than 15 years of experience working in higher education for admissions, recruitment and enrollment.

Donald served as Online Program Recruitment Coordinator for Georgia Southern University, Enrollment Counselor for University of Phoenix, Field Representative for Walden University and coordinator for donor relations and annual fund for Savannah State University.

Donald has a Master of Arts in Religion with a concentration in leadership from Liberty University (2013), a Master of Education with a specialization in curriculum and instruction from University of Phoenix (2008), and a Bachelor of Liberal Arts double major in sociology and African American studies (2002). She is also a Registered Enrollment Professional certified by the Georgia Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admission Officers. She is the Mentorship Coordinator for the Southern Association for College Admission Counseling (SACAC) and has served on the SACAC scholarship review committee and as a conference session co-presenter.

Donald is a native of Savannah where she was educated in the Savannah-Chatham County Public School System. When away from STC, Donald is an active mother and godmother. She is a member of several national and international civic and professional organizations where she dedicates her time to service. She is a member of Happy Home Missionary Baptist Church where she serves in the Children Church Ministry and is an accomplished vocalist and songwriter.

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#1922 | December 13, 2018

Media Contact: Amy Shaffer, APR
912.443.5512 or ashaffer@savannahtech.edu