2026 State of the College Address: ‘Currents of Opportunity’

College marks five consecutive semesters of enrollment growth, debuts 2027–2031 Strategic Plan, and accelerates training for high-demand careers across Coastal Georgia.

Highlighting historic momentum and surging workforce alignment, Savannah Technical College President Ryan W. Foley, Ed.D., shared the stage with the College’s Senior Leadership Council to deliver the 2026 State of the College Address before an audience of business leaders, board trustees, faculty, staff, and students at the Eckburg Auditorium.

Departing from a traditional solo address, Dr. Foley brought the college’s vice presidents and division leaders to the podium to present a unified, collaborative vision. Under the theme “Currents of Opportunity,” the leadership team outlined how Savannah Tech is actively steering Coastal Georgia’s economic engine amid an unprecedented influx of advanced manufacturing, logistics, healthcare, and technology industries across the region.

“A current is a force that creates movement and carries something from where it is to where it can become,” said Dr. Foley. “Savannah Tech has momentum right now and there is no stopping our team.”

Led by the Student Affairs division, the college reported serving more than 14,000 credit and non-credit individuals throughout Chatham, Effingham, Liberty, and Bryan counties over the past year. Key highlights include:

Record-Breaking Enrollment: Total credit enrollment surged to 5,901 students, an 11.77% increase, representing 88,589 credit hours and marking the college’s fifth consecutive semester of enrollment growth.

Career Placement Excellence: 99.7% of Savannah Tech graduates are either employed or continuing their education within one year, with 95.4% working directly in their field of study.

#1 in Military-Affiliated Enrollment: Savannah Tech officially leads the entire Technical College System of Georgia (TCSG) in total armed forces service members and overall military-affiliated enrollment, with 854 students receiving veteran education benefits in Fall 2025 alone.

Dual Enrollment Growth: Dual enrollment participation has surged by 54.2% since Academic Year 2022, feeding high school students directly into high-demand workforce tracks.

Presenting on academic innovations and economic impact, college leaders detailed how they are meeting critical labor market shortages. The college approved or advanced seven new and expanded academic credentials this past year: Surveying Field Technician, Applied Robotics & Manufacturing Technology, Associate of Science in Education, Associate of Science in Aviation, Esthetics, Diesel Equipment Technology, and the Associate of Science in Nursing (ASN).

The address spotlighted signature programmatic wins, including an exceptional 93.75% first-time NCLEX-RN pass rate from the inaugural ASN cohort at the Effingham Campus, a 100% pass rate for Aviation Maintenance Cohort 12 on the FAA General exam, and a 100% first time pass rate for the summer Commercial Truck Driving (CDL) cohort in Liberty County.

In Continuing Education, the Economic Development team conducted 322 customized training courses, upskilling 3,398 workers and delivering over 44,000 instructional hours to regional employers.

Culminating the collaborative presentation, the leadership team unveiled the college’s new five-year roadmap developed in partnership with the University of Georgia’s Carl Vinson Institute of Government. Grounded in extensive regional data and stakeholder listening sessions, the plan centers on four strategic priorities: (1) Develop effective people, places and processes, (2) Enable sustainable growth by expanding access, (3) Advance the college’s student success ecosystem, (4) Deliver market-driven programming that meets workforce needs and drives economic advancement.

The event also showcased the college’s newly launched podcast, The Student Storyline.

In his closing challenge to the college and community partners, Dr. Foley urged: “Create one ripple that outlasts you. Whether mentoring a student, adopting a new technology, or building an employer partnership, your individual ripple joins this current to become an unstoppable wave of opportunity across Coastal Georgia.”

Click here to read the full 2027–2031 Strategic Plan.