Williamsburg Technical College nursing instructor Michelle Jones (left) speaks with technical college system president Dr. Barry Russell after his presentation to faculty and staff at the College.

SC Technical College System President Speaks at Williamsburg Technical College

Dr. Barry Russell, president of the South Carolina Technical College System, visited Williamsburg County recently and addressed groups at the Kingstree Rotary Club meeting and at Williamsburg Technical College.  His main topics of discussion included the new bridge program between the technical college system and the University of South Carolina (USC), the successes of the system and of Williamsburg Technical College (WTC), and the system’s 2008-2009 legislative priorities.

The bridge agreement between USC in Columbia and the technical college system will serve students by providing program support and services which facilitate the transfer process and prepare and acclimate students desiring to matriculate at USC.

According to Russell, students can begin their academic studies at Williamsburg Technical College and carry at least 30 semester hours of transferable work when they enter USC.  While it is anticipated that students will spend at least a full year at WTC, students meeting the University’s freshman admission requirements may transfer after one semester. The program is intended for first-time college attendees who are recent high school graduates.  Participation in the program is determined by the student’s express desire to eventually matriculate at USC’s Columbia campus.

He pointed out the fact that the technical college system serves more students – nearly a quarter of a million – than all four-year institutions combined in the state.  He also said that, unlike four-year institutions, technical college students are usually South Carolina residents who end up getting the skills and training necessary to become gainfully employed or improve their employment while remaining as tax-paying residents of the state.

Russell discussed the systems Center for Accelerated Technology Training program (CATT) and its component, readySC. He said there were many ways this facet of the technical college system assists in economic development both by providing much-needed training for start-up businesses and by ensuring excellent relationships between area technical colleges and the business and industry communities they serve.

He told those in attendance at the College about a recent trip to Bejing, China, that he took with other community and technical college presidents from across the nation. A statement by one of the Chinese college presidents changed his view of the need to prepare our system’s students to make a difference in our national economy.  “He said, ‘We want to make a difference in the world economy, not just our own country’s’,” Russell recalled, adding that we need to think more globally in order to offer our students and our nation the best opportunities possible.

Priorities for the 2008-2009 academic year Russell and other state tech officials have presented to state legislators include a requests for the $58 million in lottery tuition assistance; $28 million in recurring base operating funding to bring the system’s allotment to the same level as other institutions of higher education across the state; $15 million in recurring allied healthcare monies; $5 million in recurring funds for accelerated job readiness programs; developing and maintaining a statewide enterprise campus model to provide necessary skills and knowledge to commercialize intellectual breakthroughs essential to SC’s full participation in innovative research; $4 million in nonrecurring funds to sustain CATT and readySC workforce enhancement programs; $5 million for technical colleges to maintain technology-intensive areas of study; and $4 million recurring campus emergency preparedness and security funds.