Savannah Technical College awarded $250,000 in Federal Title III funds

Grant will support instruction and advisement for Industrial Technology

#1225

For Release: October 4, 2011

Contact: Gail Eubanks

912.443.3022

SAVANNAH – Savannah Technical College has been awarded $250,000 for this year from the U.S. Department of Education Title III funds for Predominantly Black Institutions (PBI).This award is a part of a five-year formula funding cycle in which Savannah Tech is slated to receive a total of $1.25M.

“The goal is to help students succeed academically, enabling more of them graduate,” says College President Dr. Kathy Love. “This grant will allow us to develop a multi-disciplinary approach with students in Industrial Technology so that we can learn from our efforts and expand into other academic areas in the future.”

The grant will focus on establishing a learning community among students enrolled in Electrical Systems Technology, Historic Preservation and Restoration, Construction Technology, Drafting, Air Conditioning Technology and Electrical Utility Technology. Students and faculty in these areas share the same instructional space and frequently collaborate in shared learning experiences, according to Dean of Industrial Technology Tal Loos. For example, students are working together now to construct a residential energy audit training facility on campus. “Because faculty and students already collaborate on teaching and learning projects, moving toward a learning community was a natural next step,” says Loos.

Savannah Technical College is establishing itself as a leader in sustainability among Georgia’s Technical Colleges, offering the first solar energy installation and repair program as well as the only hands-on historic preservation program in the state. In this grant, the focus on sustainability provides a common mindset that helps shape instructional delivery, choice and use of tools and equipment, and can become the conceptual construct that informs all learning activities for students. Part of the instructional focus will include new 3-D training technology with customized applications.

Title III PBI formula funds are awarded to institutions that are at least 40% minority and at least 50% low-income or first-generation college students. This is the first time Savannah Technical College has received Title III formula funding.

###

A unit of the Technical College System of Georgia, Savannah Technical College (Savannah Tech) is the premier provider of career-ready technical education in Coastal Georgia, offering a comprehensive range of nearly 150 market-driven programs, preparing students for high-demand careers including Aviation Technology, Cybersecurity, Health Sciences, Logistics & Supply Chain Management, Automation & Robotics, Information Technology, Culinary Arts, Public Services and more. With campuses in Chatham, Effingham, and Liberty Counties, Savannah Tech serves more than 13,000 credit and non-credit students with a variety of pathways to success, including dual enrollment programs for high school students and specialized support services for military veterans and their families. Beyond academics, Savannah Tech is an economic and community development partner, collaborating with industry leaders to provide customized training programs, assessment services, and continuing education opportunities. For more information, visit www.savannahtech.edu.

Savannah Technical College is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) to award associate degrees, diplomas and technical certificates of credit. Questions about the accreditation of Savannah Technical College may be directed in writing to the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges at 1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, GA 30033-4097, by calling (404) 679-4500, or by using information available on SACSCOC’s website (www.sacscoc.org).

Savannah Technical College complies with the Technical College System of Georgia (TCSG). The TCSG State Board prohibits discrimination on the basis of an individual’s age, color, disability, genetic information, national origin, race, religion, sex, or veteran status (“protected status”). No individual shall be excluded from participation in, denied the benefits of, or otherwise subjected to unlawful discrimination, harassment, or retaliation under, any TCSG program or activity because of the individual’s protected status; nor shall any individual be given preferential treatment because of the individual’s protected status, except the preferential treatment may be given on the basis of veteran status when appropriate under federal or state law.