Summer Semester 2018 Catalog

General Information

Augusta Technical College Timeline

1961 Augusta Area Vocational-Technical School was established by the Georgia State Board of Education in conjunction with the Richmond County Board of Education.
1963 The Richmond Area Vocational School was established.
1966 The two schools were combined to form Augusta Area Technical School.
1981 With the exception of the health occupations programs, which remained in a facility on Walton Way, the programs offered by Augusta Area Technical School were moved to one campus located off Deans Bridge Road.
1984 The first students graduated with an Associate of Applied Technology Degree (AAT).
1987 Augusta Area Technical School became a state school operated by the Georgia State Board of Technical and Adult Education. The State Board changed the school name to Augusta Technical Institute. The Augusta Technical Institute Foundation was founded to promote higher education by acquiring and administering cash, grants, and other funds to support scholarships, building projects, and other programs at Augusta Technical Institute.
1990 Augusta Technical Institute became Augusta’s leading provider of literacy education when the school accepted responsibility for the Office of Adult Education.
1991 Allied Health programs moved to the Deans Bridge Road campus when construction was completed on a new Health Sciences building.
1995 The Augusta Technical Institute Foundation launched The Power To Be Campaign, a major gifts campaign to provide furnishings and equipment for Augusta Technical Institute’s Thomson/McDuffie and Waynesboro/Burke Campuses, technology support, and funds for future land acquisition and capital construction.
1997 Plans were announced for the Waynesboro/Burke Campus. The Office of Adult Education was moved to the Augusta Campus. The Thomson/McDuffie Campus opened.
1999 Construction began on the Waynesboro/Burke Campus of Augusta Technical Institute. Plans for the Student Services/Classroom Building were announced for the Augusta Campus.
2000 Augusta Technical Institute’s name became Augusta Technical College. The Waynesboro/Burke Campus of Augusta Technical College opened.
2001 Groundbreaking for the Student Services/Classroom Building was held on December 4, 2001.
2002 The 900 building was dedicated to Thelma “T” Ray Allgood.
2003 The Student Services/Classroom Building opened.
2004 The dedication of the Student Services/Classroom Building was held on April 29, 2004.
2005 Funds were appropriated for Columbia County Center.
2011 Columbia County Center opened.

Mission

Augusta Technical College, a unit of the Technical College System of Georgia, is a public postsecondary institution that provides academic and technical education, customized business and industry training, continuing education, student support, economic development, and adult education services to its service area (Burke, Columbia, Lincoln, McDuffie, and Richmond Counties) at a competitive financial value. Associate of Science Degrees, Associate of Applied Science Degrees, diplomas, and technical certificates of credit are provided through traditional and distance delivery methods.

Reviewed by Augusta Technical College Board of Directors, April 2016. Approved by Technical College System of Georgia State Board, June 2016.

Goals

  1. To provide competency-based associate degree, diploma, and technical certificate of credit programs to prepare students for employment.
  2. To provide adult education services which prepares students for access to postsecondary education.
  3. To contribute to the development of business, industry, and the community through customized education, continuing education, job training, and retraining.
  4. To provide services and activities to support students in achieving student success as they pursue their educational, personal, and career goals.
  5. To increase community awareness through marketing and public relations activities.

Objectives

1.1 Develop sustainable program offerings to meet service area employment demands.
1.2 Improve program quality through ongoing review, assessment and revision.
1.3 Improve student success outcomes (retention and completion rates) through course design enhancements, use of innovative resources, and advanced technology.
2.1 Provide pathways that encourage qualified adult education students to be dually enrolled.
2.2 Develop strategies to transition students from adult education into post-secondary programs.
3.1 Provide customized training programs and continuing education programs that meet the needs and interests of the local industry.
3.2 Support the economic development activities and initiatives of local and regional communities, the Technical College System of Georgia, and the State of Georgia.
3.3 Promote industry and community awareness of the services available through the Economic Development Division.
4.1 Increase awareness of student support services, policies, and student activities.
4.2 Foster and promote student responsibility and engagement in his/her education, policies, and student activities.
5.1 Develop a comprehensive awareness strategy to promote the College mission.

Reviewed by Augusta Technical College Board of Directors, April 2016. Approved by Technical College System of Georgia Board of Directors, May 2016.

Guarantee

The Technical College System of Georgia has developed curriculum standards with the direct involvement of business and industry. These standards serve as the industry-validated specifications for each program of study and allow Augusta Technical College to offer its business partners this guarantee:

“If one of our graduates, who was educated under a standard program, and his or her employer agrees that the employee is deficient in one or more competencies as defined in the standards, Augusta Technical College will retrain that employee at no instructional cost to employee or employer.”

This guarantee applies to graduates who are employed in their fields of training. It is in effect for a period of two years after graduation and includes those graduates who have failed to pass a State of Georgia required licensing examination within two years after graduation.

To inquire or to file a claim under this warranty, the employer in conjunction with the graduate should contact the Vice President for Academic Affairs at (706) 771-4020 to discuss the need for retraining. A letter from the employer on company letterhead must be submitted to the Vice President for Academic Affairs noting that the graduate is deficient in one or more areas as defined by the Technical College System of Georgia.

Accreditation

Augusta Technical College is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges to award Associate of Science Degrees, Associate of Applied Science Degrees, Diplomas, and Technical Certificates of Credit. Contact the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges at 1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, Georgia 30033-4097, telephone 404-679-4500, http://www.sacscoc.org for questions about the accreditation of Augusta Technical College.

Interested constituents should contact the Commission on Colleges (1) to learn about the accreditation status of the institution, (2) to file a third-party comment at the time of the institution’s decennial review, or (3) to file a complaint against the institution for alleged non-compliance with a standard or requirement. Normal inquiries about the College, such as admission requirements, financial aid, educational programs, etc., should be addressed directly to Augusta Technical College and not to the Commission’s office.

Certain programs have also achieved special professional accreditation as listed below:

PROGRAM YEAR ACCREDITED/APPROVED ACCREDITING/APPROVING AGENCY
Associate Degree Nursing 2012 Georgia Board of Nursing
Automotive Technology 2001 National Automotive Technical Education Foundation (NATEF)
Cardiovascular Technology 1994 The Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs - Joint Review Committee on Education in Cardiovascular Technology, 25400 US Highway 19 N., Suite 158, Clearwater, FL 33763, 727-210-2350, www.caahep.org.
Dental Assisting 1971 Commission on Dental Accreditation of the American Dental Association, 211 East Chicago Avenue, Chicago, Illinois 60611, P. 312-440-4653, www.ada.org
Electrical and Computer EngineeringTechnology 2001 Accredited by the Engineering Technology Accreditation Commission of ABET, http://www.abet.org
Echocardiography 1994 The Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs - Joint Review Committee on Education in Cardiovascular Technology, 25400 US Highway 19 N., Suite 158, Clearwater, FL 33763, 727-210-2350, www.caahep.org
Mechanical Engineering Technology 1991 Accredited by the Engineering Technology Accreditation Commission of ABET, http://www.abet.org
Medical Assisting 1975 Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Programs upon the recommendation of the Medical Assisting Education Review Board (MAERB), 25400 US Highway 19 N., Suite 158, Clearwater, FL 33763, Phone 727-210-2350. www.caahep.org
Occupational Therapy Assistant 2000 The Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education of the American Occupational Therapy Association, 4720 Montgomery Lane, Suite 200, Bethesda, MD 20814-3449. ACOTE’s phone number c/o AOTA is (301) 652-2682-P, (301) 652-1417-F, accred@aota.org
Nurse Aide 1994 Georgia Medical Care Foundation, State of Georgia Department of Medical Assistance
Pharmacy Technology 2013 American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP), 7272 Wisconsin Avenue, Bethesda, Maryland 20814, Phone: (866) 279-0681, www.ashp.org
Practical Nursing 1961 Georgia Board of Nursing
1988 Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing, Inc. (formerly NLNAC/National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission, Inc.) 3343 Peachtree Road NE, Suite 850, Atlanta, Georgia 30326, P. 404-975-5000; F. 404-975-5020, www.acenursing.org.
Radiologic Technology 2016 Joint Review Committee on Education in Radiologic Technology (JRCERT), 20 N. Wacker Drive, Suite 2850, Chicago, IL 60606-3182, 312-704-5300, www.jrcert.org
Respiratory Care 1981 The Respiratory Care Program on the Augusta Campus is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care (www.coarc.com), Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care, 1248 Harwood Road, Bedford, Texas 76021-4244, (817) 283-2835
Surgical Technology 1993 Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs, 25400 US Highway 19 N., Suite 158, Clearwater, FL 33763, Phone 727-210-2350, www.caahep.org, Accreditation Review Committee for Educational Programs in Surgical Technology and Surgical Assisting (ARCSTA) located at 6 W. Day Street Circle, Suite #110, Littleton, CO 80120, Phone 303-694-9262, www.arcsta.org.
Vascular Technology 2001 The Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs - Joint Review Committee on Education in Cardiovascular Technology, 25400 US Highway 19 N., Suite 158, Clearwater, FL 33763, 727-210-2350, www.caahep.org

Administrative Organization

Augusta Technical College is under the policy and administrative control of the State Board of the Technical College System of Georgia. This Board provides overall policies for the management of the College to ensure that the needs of the citizenry, business, and industry are met to the highest possible degree and in the most cost-effective and efficient manner. The Board shall provide overall policy guidance to the Commissioner of the Technical College S ystem of Georgia, which is responsible for the day-to-day operations on behalf of the Board.

State Board of the Technical College System of Georgia
Matt Arthur Commissioner
Mary Flanders First District
Richard Porter Second District
Frank S. “Chuck” Newman Third District
Baoky N. Vu Fourth District
Vacant Fifth District
Lynn Cornett Sixth District
Michael L. “Sully” Sullivan Seventh District
Ben I. Copeland, Sr. Eighth District
Dinah C. Wayne Ninth District
Trey Sheppard Tenth District
Jay Cunningham Eleventh District
Tommy David Twelfth District
Tim Williams Thirteenth District
Joe W. Yarbrough Fourteenth District
Ben Bryant Member-at-Large
Doug Carter Member-at-Large
Shan Cooper Member-at-Large
Randall Fox Member-at-Large
Anne Kaiser Member-at-Large
Robert “Buzz” Law Member-at-Large
Sylvia E. Russell Member-at-Large
Shirley Smith Member-at-Large
Phil Sutton Member-at-Large
Augusta Technical College is governed by a nine member Board of Directors. The board members are nominated for their positions by area industry and educational officials and approved by the State Board of the Technical College System of Georgia. The Board of Directors meets monthly to interpret the State Board policies and provide supplemental policies to ensure that the needs of the CSRA are met. Responsibilities include reviewing and approving goals and objectives, short-range and long-range plans, facilities expansion, program additions and changes, and the annual budget before submission for approval by the State Board.
Augusta Technical College Board of Directors
Linda Bailey, Vice Chairman Burke County
Peggy Barmore McDuffie County
Alana Burke Lincoln County
James Heffner Richmond County
Robert C. Osborne, Jr. Richmond County
Velvet Perry, Chairman Richmond County
Myra Phillips Columbia County
Dennis Skelley Columbia County
Harold Wright Richmond County

Locations

The Augusta campus of Augusta Technical College is located at 3200 Augusta Tech Drive, Augusta. The Thomson/McDuffie Campus is located at 388 Tech Drive N.W., Thomson. The Waynesboro/Burke County Campus facility is located at 216 Highway 24 South, Waynesboro. The Columbia County Center is located at 3500 John Huffman Way, Grovetown.

Campus Tours

Visitors are welcome and are invited to visit Augusta Technical College when classes are in session. Each visitor is requested to check with the Admissions Office before touring the campus or visiting classes. Groups wishing to tour the Augusta campus should contact Admissions Office at (706) 771-4028 to arrange a convenient date and time. Campus tours of the Waynesboro and Thomson campuses may be arranged by contacting Student Services at the Waynesboro campus at (706) 437-6801 or at the Thomson campus at (706) 595-0166. Campus tours of the Columbia County Center may be arranged by calling (706) 651-7368.

Instructional Programs

Associate Degree, Diploma, and Technical Certificate of Credit Programs: The associate degree, diploma, and technical certificate of credit programs offered at Augusta Technical College provide instruction that develops the necessary knowledge, skills, and attitudes required for employment in career occupations. Programs are offered in Allied Health, Business, Industrial Technology, Information and Engineering Technology, and Personal Services. All programs are offered on a full-time basis, ranging from one term to two years. Many of the courses in these programs are also offered in the evening. Since the demand for most programs is heavy, prospective students should apply well ahead of desired entry dates. Applicants are admitted in the order of successful completion of entrance requirements or on a competitive basis for the program desired.

Continuing Education: Continuing education non-credit courses, seminars, workshops, and customized courses are designed to be responsive to life-long learning needs. While courses are offered on a term basis, courses can begin on request. Courses are offered day and evening at the Augusta, Thomson, and Waynesboro campuses as well as other community locations.

The Continuing Education Office publishes a term flyer that includes a list of courses, course descriptions, and fees. This information is available on each campus and at the College website at www.augustatech.edu. Students are required to complete a registration form for courses. Senior citizen fee waivers are not applicable for continuing education non-credit courses, seminars, workshops, and customized courses.

Some of the continuing education courses receive CEUs (Continuing Education Units). CEUs are internationally recognized units of credit and represent ten hours of non-transferable credit. Transcripts of completed courses are available from the Student Records Office.

Learning Support Classes: Learning Support classes provide instruction to develop mathematics, language, and reading skills. Development of these skills allows students to reach levels recommended for entry into their chosen courses or programs of study.

CADTEC: The Center for Advanced Technology (CADTEC) was founded for the purpose of delivering innovative technologies to area industry. CADTEC offers customized training for business and industry using state-of-the-art training devices and techniques. Customized training can be arranged to meet the customer’s needs. From job analysis and skill assessment through training on industrial level hardware and software, CADTEC offers businesses the ability to train all or a portion of their workforce at a reasonable cost. For more information about CADTEC, call (706) 771-4089.

Quick Start Training: Quick Start is the Technical College System of Georgia’s statewide training program for new and expanding industries in Georgia. Developed as an incentive for companies to locate in Georgia, the Quick Start program is 100 percent state funded. All training services are available at no cost to client companies. Created by state statute in 1967 to provide job-specific training for Georgians to enter the workforce in the state's new and expanding industries, Quick Start has trained over 877,000 new workers for over 6000 Georgia businesses and industries. For more information about Quick Start, call (706) 771-4089.

Off-Campus Instruction: Non-credit, short-term, job-oriented courses are conducted by Augusta Technical College at the request of and in accordance with the needs of area business and industry. For more information about Off-Campus Instruction, call (706) 771-4089.

Distance Education: Augusta Technical College offers a wide variety of Distance Education courses. Available courses and registration information for Distance Education can be found at www.augustatech.edu or call (706) 771-5700 for additional information.

Advisory Committees

Instructional standards are maintained through the assistance of the College Board of Directors and program advisory committees. The Board of Directors assists and advises the President in the planning, implementation, and evaluation of the College mission and goals. Occupational program advisory committees work closely with their respective programs and provide advice as to the adequacy of equipment, instruction, and graduates' job performance capabilities.

Academic Calendar

Associate degree, diploma, and technical certificate of credit programs are offered beginning in August (Fall Term), January (Spring Term), and May (Summer Term). Fall and Spring terms consist of 75 class days or the equivalent. Because entrance dates vary with programs, see Programs of Study section of this catalog for program entrance dates. Evening and off-campus courses are offered and scheduled as needed. Contact the Augusta Campus Admissions Office (706-771-4028), the Thomson Campus Student Services Office (706-595-0166), the Waynesboro Campus Student Services Office (706-437-6801), or the Columbia County Center (706-651-7368) for details.

Daily Schedule

Classes are scheduled Monday through Thursday from 7:00 a.m. to 10:50 p.m. and Friday from 7:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Weekend classes are also scheduled as needed.