Greenville Technical College

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Greenville Technical College is a community college located in the city of Greenville, South Carolina. Greenville Tech is the oldest and largest of 16 colleges in the South Carolina Technical College System and the third largest post-secondary institution in the state, behind the University of South Carolina and Clemson University.

As of the fall semester 2006, over 14,000 full-time students were enrolled at Greenville Tech in over 130 academic programs. Greenville Tech's alliance with local companies has been credited as a major factor in the growth of business and industry in the Upstate of South Carolina. Mutiple corporate centers and engineering firms in the area partnered with the college to create up-to-date training. The abundance of technical and health science graduates in turn attracted more businesses such as BMW, Siemens, JEC, and Hitachi.

Although only a two-year college, it has received numerous recognitions. Technical and health science graduates have abnormally high job placement. The instructional content is guided by local businesses, and classes are often taught by practicing professionals. The college commission consists of industry leaders, and it is partnered with 130 different corporations, hospitals, colleges, and universities. Although admission to the college is open, the individual majors have weighted admission requirements. The weighted admission, combined with mandatory professional certification, means that only a minority of applicants graduate. The competition is an anomaly among community colleges, but the other 15 state technical colleges are following the pattern. The majority of associate degree graduates complete their bachelor's degree at the University of South Carolina, Clemson University, or the Medical University of South Carolina.

[edit] Campuses

Greenville Tech currently has six satellite locations in Greenville County:

Additionally, Greenville Tech offers continuing education and health training through the Buck Mickel Center. The Admissions and Registration Center is housed at McAlister Square in Greenville.

As of March 2006, new facilities were under construction for the North West Campus as well as student dormitories at the Barton Campus.

[edit] History

In early 1960, Governor Ernest F. Hollings felt that South Carolina could attract more business and industry if it had a well-trained work force. A state technical education system, consisting of 13 technical centers (16 technical colleges today), was formed to provide training.

In September 1962, Greenville Technical Education Center began training students. In the beginning, the college consisted of one building, eight acres, and 800 full-time and part-time students. The Technical, Industrial, and Extension Divisions were the first three major areas of study, with twelve full-time staff, twenty part-time instructors, and three full-time administrators. By November 1965, the college had grown to encompass an additional 122 acres of land that surrounded the original property. In April of 2000, the main campus was named after Dr. Thomas E. Barton, Jr., who is the longest serving president of a two-year college in the United States.

[edit] External links