Savannah Tech is named one of four finalists for 2014 TCSG College of the Year

ATLANTA – The State Board of the Technical College System of Georgia has selected Lanier Technical College in Oakwood, Georgia as this year’s recipient of their Perdue Award for the TCSG Technical College of the Year.

Each December, the board chooses the award winner from among the system’s 23 technical colleges. The top college is named after a review of almost two dozen performance categories covering technical education, adult education, economic development, resource development, and administration.

TCSG State Board Chairman Joe Yarbrough made the announcement during the board’s monthly meeting in Atlanta on December 4.

“The State Board of the Technical College System of Georgia is pleased to present Lanier Technical College with the Perdue Award for the 2014 TCSG Technical College of the Year,” said Yarbrough.  “We congratulate President Ray Perren and his faculty and staff for their excellent record of high educational achievement and strong commitment to student success in the classroom and on the job.  We’re proud of the outstanding work of each of the 23 TCSG colleges, but the record shows that Lanier Technical College has clearly earned our respect and commendation as this year’s top college.”

President Perren accepted the award for his college. “On behalf of the faculty, staff, students and all of the supporters of Lanier Technical College, I want to thank the TCSG State Board for this great honor.  It’s a testament to the tremendous work that the people of our college put forth every day to ensure that students learn the skills they need to succeed in Georgia’s workforce.”

TCSG Commissioner Ron Jackson thanked the board for recognizing the college’s accomplishments. “This is a well-deserved honor for Lanier Technical College, and I thank President Perren for his strong and effective leadership. I’m also very grateful to the college’s faculty and staff whose steadfast commitment to technical and adult education ensures that their students are equipped with the skills that they need for solid careers with great companies,” said Jackson.

The award benchmarks include enrollment growth; graduation rate; student job placement and graduate licensure rates; adult education and GED success rates; corporate contract training; college fundraising; and the result of an administrative audit.

Lanier Technical College serves Banks, Barrow, Dawson, Forsyth, Hall, Jackson, and Lumpkin counties.

The TCSG college of the year award was created in 2011 and named in honor of former Georgia Governor Sonny Perdue, who was a strong supporter of the TCSG colleges and their mission to develop the state’s workforce through technical and adult education.

The three other finalists for the award were Albany Technical College, Moultrie Technical College, and Savannah Technical College.

Previous Perdue Award winners include Ogeechee Technical College (2011), Atlanta Technical College (2012), and Savannah Technical College (2013).

About the TCSG: The 23 colleges of the Technical College System of Georgia offer affordable education and excellent training in more than 600 certificate, diploma and two-year associate degree programs. Students of all ages take advantage of low tuition, outstanding instructors, hands-on learning and state-of-the-art equipment to gain the skills needed for today’s in-demand jobs.

In academic year 2014, the TCSG colleges delivered 2.3 million credit hours of instruction to more than 141,000 students. The TCSG is online, too, serving 70,000 students through the system’s Georgia Virtual Technical Connection. TCSG students enjoy the benefits of Georgia’s HOPE grant and scholarship and the federal Pell grant, which will pay for a significant portion of a TCSG education.

Last year, the TCSG Office of Adult Education delivered programs to 61,000 adult learners, including GED preparation and testing services that enabled almost 15,000 men and women to earn their GED credential. The TCSG Quick Start program has provided customized workforce training in 2014 to almost 56,000 employees of new and expanding companies in Georgia.

For more information about the TCSG and links to all of the TCSG colleges, go to www.tcsg.edu

Thursday, December 4, 2014
Contact:  Mike Light
TCSG Executive Director of Communications
404-327-6913