South Georgia Technical College and Macon County Schools’ working together to provide greater access to higher education in Macon County
Macon County Schools Superintendent Dr. Ray Hill and members of his administrative team visited South Georgia Technical College (SGTC) recently to discuss expanding the partnership between SGTC and the Macon County School System. “We appreciate Dr. Hill and his administrators visiting South Georgia Technical College,” said SGTC President Dr. John Watford. “South Georgia Technical College is constantly looking for new ways to provide services to the individuals within our six county service area and I appreciate Dr. Hill and his team meeting with us to look at ways we can expand our existing efforts to help not only the high school students but also the other residents of Macon County.” Macon County Schools Superintendent Dr. Hill, Leadership Training Consultant Dr. Kevin Harris, Macon County High School Principal Nakia Parks, Macon County High School Lead Counselor James Brown, and Macon County Schools Intervention Specialist Deborah Green met with SGTC President Dr. John Watford, Vice President of Academic Affairs David Kuipers, Vice President of Student Affairs, IE, and Support Services Karen Werling, Vice President of Administrative Services Lea Coe, and Vice President of Institutional Advancement Su Ann Bird to discuss ways to expand the offerings available to Macon County High School students and other individuals in Macon County. Dr. Watford gave the Macon County Schools delegation a tour of the South Georgia Tech campus and talked with them about the successful Move on When Ready Program that the college has been implementing in all six counties within its service area. “The Move on When Ready program is an excellent way for high school students to get a jump start on their college education while they are still in high school,” said Dr. Watford. “It is a great program and it is free to the high school students and their parents. High school students can receive a college diploma or technical certificate of credit at the same time that they graduate from high school. And it does not count against a student’s HOPE hours. This is a great opportunity to these students.” Dr. Hill praised South Georgia Technical College for working with the Macon County High School students and also asked if the college would pilot some online college core classes as well as other short-term training opportunities for the students that are interested. “South Georgia Technical College is a wonderful college and our students and our citizens need to take advantage of this opportunity. I am pledging my support to help make this happen. We need a trained educated workforce in Macon County and I believe that if we all work together we can make this happen.” Dr. Watford agreed and added, “We have over 200 different programs of study at South Georgia Technical College. Macon County is one of the six counties in our service area and we want a larger presence in Marion County. We are pleased to be able to partner with Dr. Hill and the Macon County School System. This expanded partnership can help high school students and other residents of Macon County sharpen their workforce skills and earn a technical certificate of credit, diploma, or associate degree in a field that will allow them to provide for themselves and their families.” South Georgia Technical College is currently accepting applications and registering students for Fall Semester. Classes start August 15th. The next registration day is Thursday, July 14th and students can apply, register, and attend orientation sessions all in one day. For more information about South Georgia Technical College contact the admissions office in Americus at 229-931-2394 or in Cordele at 229-271-4040.