MTC nursing instructor
and daughter help save neighbor's life
Five days after passing her
boards, a December 2007 graduate of Clemson
University’s College of Health, Education, and
Human Development School of Nursing put her
skills to work to save the life of her neighbor.
Taking advantage of her
post-graduation freedom to visit her
grandparents in Florida, Angela Ciuca, her
mother and sister climbed into the car during
the second week of February and set out south
for a much-deserved break.
They didn’t get too far
before “divine intervention,” as Ciuca explains
it, seemingly forced the family to turn back
home so that they could ensure that the oven was
off.
Their home secure, the trio
again set sail again. Cruising out of the
neighborhood, they noticed an ambulance marked
with the words “Fire Safety” sitting outside the
home of an elderly neighbor.
“Not knowing the full
capability of a fire rescue worker, Mom, who is
also a nurse, and I entered the house to make
sure everything was OK,” said Ciuca. “The two
firemen looked terrified holding up the two pads
of an AED (Automated External Defibrillator)
machine.”
The mother and daughter
team quickly learned from the rescue workers
that the neighbor had collapsed in his bedroom
and had no pulse.
“The two men asked who we
were, and at first I wanted to respond, ‘I'm the
neighbor,’ but realized this was the first time
I could announce myself as being a nurse,” said
Ciuca. “Mom and I did CPR side by side and had
to shock the man three times.”
By the time paramedics
arrived, Ciuca and her mother, Geniene Ciuca, a
nursing instructor at Midlands Technical
College, had helped the neighbor regain a steady
pulse and a heart rhythm safe enough that an AED
was no longer necessary.
“I even had to start an IV
on him. I had only ever done two in school,”
said the recent graduate. “It was a surreal
moment where the world stopped and something
within took over. We did CPR for 30 minutes. (It
was) like I had been doing it my whole life.”
The paramedics further
stabilized the neighbor and transported him to
the hospital. The Ciuca family made their way to
Florida with an inspirational story to tell of
education and life.
“No matter what statistics
say or grades that I received in school, I know
I had a good education because the knowledge I
came up with that day came from inside,” said
Ciuca. It felt good to save a life and a moment
I'm not soon to forget.”
Midlands Technical College receives $2.6 million
to support community-based job training
Federal funds and local support assist in
addressing the critical shortage in area health
care professionals
Midlands Technical College
will receive $1,964,563 from the US Department
of Labor to support the college’s
Community-Based Job Training program, Creating
Capacity in Health Services. MTC’s partners
from the private and public sector, healthcare
and education, will provide an additional
$634,500 in in-kind services and matching
funding in support of the initiative. The
college’s partners include the Midlands
Workforce Development Board, the Midlands
Education and Business Alliance (MEBA), the
Central SC Alliance, Doctors Care, South
Carolina OB/GYN, Palmetto Health, and the South
Carolina Midlands Emergency Medical Service
Management Association.
Community-Based Job
Training programs support career education for
high growth industries through the nation's
community and technical colleges. Of the nearly
400 proposals submitted to the US Department of
Labor, Midlands Technical College is the only
South Carolina college to receive this
competitive federal assistance.
Commitments made through a
robust community support system were critical in
leveraging the receipt of competitive federal
dollars. The partnership is indicative of the
collaboration between Midlands Technical
College, the healthcare community and the
region’s community-based health organizations.
The program will strengthen
MTC’s ability to respond to the critical
healthcare employee shortage facing the region.
Through Creating Capacity in Health Services,
Midlands Technical College will connect
potential health science students to targeted
counseling and assessment services giving them a
broad understanding of the spectrum of career
possibilities within the healthcare field. The
program provides a progressive career track for
entry-level students to include incremental
credential upgrading, clinical experiences,
tutoring and participant tracking.
“It is vitally important to
the economy and well-being of this region that
we promote interest in high-demand healthcare
fields,” said Dr. Barry Russell, MTC President.
“This is not just a problem for our region; it
is a critical concern for healthcare providers
nationally.”
A unique component of MTC’s
Creating Capacity program is the development of
a health services career ladder. Through it,
Midlands Technical College will provide
solutions to the tactical problems faced in
introducing more individuals into the health
professions pipeline.
“We did a critical
evaluation of the needs of local healthcare
providers and realized the college could guide
students into a variety of health related
professions,” said Dr. Gina Mounfield, MTC Vice
President for Career Programs. “We expect this
program to play a significant role in ensuring a
continuity of qualified employees for the
comprehensive healthcare industry.”
“We value the caliber and
skill level of graduates of Midlands Technical
College’s varied health sciences programs,” said
Willis Gregory, Senior Vice President for Human
Resources at Palmetto Health. “We welcome the
opportunity to be able to hire additional staff
from the pool that will be trained under this
new program.” Willis said the Creating Capacity
in Health Services program is “a sound, logical
method to systematically and strategically
address the challenges faced by our industry.”
Mike Briggs, Executive
Director of the Central SC Alliance, pledged his
organization’s support in implementing the
Creating Capacity initiative. “We are helping to
guide the implementation of this aggressive,
dynamic program that will address the critical
skill needs in what is the largest labor market
segment in the Midlands,” said Briggs.
Creating Capacity in Health
Services participants will receive interventions
that will significantly reduce the rate of
attrition, and subsequently advance completion
rates and provide additional workers to the
regional health services system.
"Regional unemployment is
very high, so it seems illogical that there is
such a health services labor shortage. MTC’s
health sciences programs are essential to
meeting the employment needs of Doctors Care,"
said Jerry Wells, Executive Vice President and
Chief Financial Officer, Doctors Care.
“Therefore, finding a way to increase MTC’s
capacity to meet our staffing needs is essential
to providing the community with the best in
emergency medical care,” said Wells.
At least 429 area
participants will be served in the first year.
Midlands
Technical College Recognized One of the Nation’s
50 Fastest-Growing Two-Year Colleges
Midlands Technical College
ranks among the nation’s top 50 fastest-growing
public two-year colleges.
In a recent study published in Community
College Week, MTC ranked 35 nationally among
peer colleges with enrollments larger than 10,000
students.
The article compared U.S.
Department of Education data on student enrollment
between fall 2002 and fall 2003, during which time
period Midlands Technical College showed a 6
percent increase.
The college enrolled nearly 11,000 credit
students in fall 2004.
“We are excited about the
growth of Midlands Technical College because it
demonstrates the impact being made by the college
in higher education for the region,” said MTC
President Barry Russell. “With a superb faculty,
excellent classroom technology and a supportive
learning environment, the college provides
affordable, accessible higher education relevant
to knowledge economy careers. Midlands
Technical College prides itself on its service to
our students and the region.”
Midlands Technical College
offers approximately 100 Associate Degree, diploma
and certificate programs of study. About 70
percent of studies are in the Career Programs
area. A
strong college transfer program allows students
the opportunity to take the first two years of a
baccalaureate degree and transfer to one of the
state’s four-year institutions.
Midlands Technical College is currently the
largest source of transfer students to Columbia
College and the University of South
Carolina-Columbia.
 MTC’s Dianne
Luce selected as 2004 Governor’s Professor of the Year
Governor Mark Sanford announced this
year’s Professors of the Year during a press conference
today at the SC State House.
Midlands Technical College’s English instructor Dr.
Dianne Luce was named the award recipient for two-year
colleges.
The S.C. Commission on Higher Education
selects recipients annually to recognize excellence in
teaching in the state's institutions of higher education. This
is the third time in the past four years that a Midlands
Technical College instructor has been selected to receive this
honor. Last year
Dr. Martha Hanks was the recipient.
Dr. Dianne Luce has been an educator for
22 years, 20 of which have been spent at Midlands Technical
College. During those years she has served as instructor, coordinator
of transfer programs, associate dean and department chair.
In each of these capacities, Dr. Luce has sought what
best contributes to student success and has worked with
students, other faculty and administrators to accomplish this. She employs multiple teaching strategies including class
discussion, conferencing, small group work, peer review,
workshops, mini-lectures and guided in-class work.
Current chair of the MTC English
department, Diane Carr, assesses her teaching. “In observing
Dianne’s class, I was struck by her clear instruction and
advice on the research process, the attention she paid to the
skills students were learning and the good rapport she had
established with and among her students.”
Dr. Luce has received numerous
prestigious teaching honors at local, national and
international levels:
-
1992 Hayes-Crolley Distinguished
Lecturer in Arts & Sciences, Midlands Technical
College
-
1992 NISOD (National Institute for
Staff and Organizational Development) Award for Excellence
in Teaching
-
1996 Visiting Fellow, Department of
English, Australian National University, Canberra,
Australia
“While serving as department chair, she
kept faculty and staff focused on student needs as they
revised curriculum and integrated technology,” said Dr. Ron
Drayton, MTC Vice President of Arts and Sciences. “Dianne
constantly reminded her colleagues about the importance of
focusing on learning and learning outcomes as they considered
new and innovative educational approaches.”
Dr. Luce is also active in various
professional organizations helping her to stay current with
the latest research in her field. These professional
memberships also allow her to share her expertise with the
scholarly community. Some
of her memberships include:
-
President, Cormac McCarthy Society,
1998-present
-
Editorial Advisory Board, Cormac
McCarthy Journal, 1997 – present
-
Vice President, Cormac McCarthy
Society, 1995-1998
-
President, South Carolina Association
of Departments of English, 2002-2003
-
President, South Atlantic Association
of Departments of English, 2000-2001
-
Vice President, South Atlantic
Association of Departments of English, 1999-2000
-
Administrative Committee, South
Atlantic Association of Departments of English, 1998-2000
Dr. Luce received her Bachelor of Science
degree in English from the University of Minnesota-Duluth in
1969. She later received her Master of Arts degree in English from
University of Chicago in 1973.
In 1980, she earned her Doctor of Philosophy degree
from University of South Carolina.
The Commission on Higher Education has
selected twenty-two faculty members as recipients for the
Governor's Professor of the Year from 1988 to 2002, 11 from
public senior institutions, four from private senior
institutions and seven from public two-year institutions.
MTC has had four of the seven from the public two-year
college sector. Recipients are selected from written
nomination forms and supporting materials and are also
interviewed by the selection committee.
 |
|
Pictured
in the photo from left to right:
Front row: Judy Long, Tamara Holmes; 2nd
row: Paula Rauch; 3rd row: Kathy Harrison,
Kathryne Gardner; 4th row: Jon Curry,
Becky Kukla. (Not pictured: Kameisha
Foster, Crystal Michael, and Michele
Moscato) |
Midlands Technical
College Inducts Students into National Technical
Honor Society
Midlands Technical College
recently inducted 10 new members into the National
Technical Honor Society at the college’s Airport
Campus. MTC’s
chapter of NTHS is open to eligible Career
Programs students who achieve and maintain a 3.0
GPA in majors from Health Sciences, Nursing,
Industrial Technology, Engineering Technology,
Business Technology and Information Systems
Technology. Family
and friends of the honorees as well as college
faculty and administrators attended the ceremony
in support of Midlands Technical College’s
outstanding Career Programs students.
Governor
Signs Midlands Technical College’s Enterprise
Campus Bill
Economy to Benefit From
New Business Growth
Governor Mark Sanford signed
legislation this week that gives Midlands
Technical College the green light to work with
private businesses to develop the college’s
Enterprise Campus in Northeast Columbia.
The college is setting aside 100 acres
adjacent to the MTC Center of Excellence for
Technology for development through public-private
partnerships. The area is considered a prime location for entrepreneurs
because of its proximity to the Carolina Research
Park and I-77.
Sites on the campus will be leased and
developed through the Midlands Technical College
Enterprise Authority.
“Not only will the
Enterprise Campus present an innovative
opportunity to create new businesses for the
region’s economy, but it will provide
opportunities for our students to learn in a
business setting and to position themselves to
move into careers within the knowledge economy,”
said MTC President Barry Russell.
The Enterprise Campus will
provide a physical, in-state location for
commercialization of research and serve as a
second-tier incubator for companies who can derive
benefit from a close proximity to technical
college students and facilities. Discussions have
begun with private firms to assess the next phase
of the campus development.
The MTC Center of Excellence
for Technology is the anchor facility on the
Enterprise Campus. Its 50,000 square feet of
innovative learning space includes a full scale
manufacturing floor, metrology lab, IT classrooms
and an auditorium that offers full connectivity
for meetings and conferencing.
Mathematics
Professor Receives NISOD Award
John Long, math instructor at Midlands
Technical College, recently received the esteemed National
Institute for Staff and Organizational Development (NISOD)
Award at the organization’s 26th annual
conference held in Austin, Texas.
Since joining MTC more than 30 years ago,
Long has played many significant roles including serving as a
math mentor to many students and working with the annual
Midlands Math Meet.
Long’s nominator said, “John has a
long history of exceptional service to Midlands Technical
College. His student evaluations of instruction are always
outstanding.”
The NISOD Awards were started to
reinforce the primacy of teaching and to celebrate both
instructors and programs that make good on the promise of the
open door.
During the past two years Long’s focus
has been to incorporate resources in the media-equipped
classrooms into instruction.
This has included use of publisher-supplied materials,
Internet resources and materials developed by Long.
The content has been for use in courses including
Calculus and Differential Equations.
Long also teaches math courses via the
college’s telecast system.
The result of these efforts has led to the project goal
of having a package of instructional materials for Calculus I,
II and III and Differential Equations. The package includes 50
hours of video lecture, class notes, sample tests with
solutions and laboratory demonstrations of applications.
“Seeing students develop career goals
and learn how mathematics enhances goal achievement is
exciting. I serve as a role model that is excited about mathematical
problem solving, cares about students, always strives for
excellence and always eager to learn,” commented Long.
Long graduated from Appalachian State
University where he earned both his Master of Art degree and
Bachelor of Science degree.
“The greatest rewards in teaching come
from the successful experiences of our students.
My students are so very interesting; they have so much
they can teach me. By listening to them, their vast
experiences become my experiences,” said Long.
Since its beginning in 1978, the National
Institute for Staff and Organizational Development has
emphasized the importance of teaching excellence in open-door
settings. NISOD conferences and publications endeavor to
reinforce the primacy of teaching and to celebrate instructors
programs that make good on the promise of the open door.
 Midlands Technical College Receives Highest Ranking from CHE
First and only two-year college in eight-year performance funding history to achieve Substantially Exceeds category
The SC Commission on Higher Education (CHE) announced today that
Midlands Technical obtained a Substantially Exceeds ranking on its Performance Funding evaluation. Of the 16
technical colleges in the SC Technical College System, MTC is the first and only two-year college to ever
receive this ranking in the eight-year history of the Commission's Performance Funding evaluation process.
Performance funding is a system for evaluating educational quality of the 33 higher education institutions in the state based on their institutional performance. Two other higher education institutions received the Substantially Exceeds ranking in this cycle. They are the University of South Carolina-Columbia and Winthrop University.
On a scale of 3.0, Midlands Technical College recorded a Performance Year 8 Score of 2.9, with an average overall performance rating of 97 percent. This score was based on the college’s performance on the following indicators: adoption of strategic plan and attainment of goals, academic and other credentials of faculty, compensation of faculty, accreditation of degree granting programs, cooperation and collaboration, graduation rate, results of graduates on professional examinations and accessibility of the institution to all citizens of the state.
"We are proud of the Commission on Higher Education’s acknowledgment of our high quality programs, services, faculty and staff," said Barry Russell, President of Midlands Technical College. At
MTC, we work diligently to create a model curriculum for our students allowing them to gain quality education related to Knowledge Economy careers through collaborative efforts with public and private industries,"
"The CHE ranking will help the college continue positioning itself to improve economic development and create a competitive workforce in the Midlands," continued Dr. Russell.
Performance Funding began as part of an educational initiative began by the SC Legislature that called for changes in higher education. According to the Commission on Higher Education, in the past seven years, performance funding rankings in South Carolina have focused the attention of state leaders on the value of a college education as related to the state’s economic development and quality of life.
A leader in creating an innovative learning environment, Midlands Technical College is a comprehensive, public, two-year college serving Richland, Lexington and Fairfield counties of South Carolina. With more than 90 programs of study, the college serves approximately 11,000 credit students through courses leading to associate degrees, diplomas and certificates. Additionally, through MTC Continuing Education the college provides professional and career training and development through open enrollment and customized courses to approximately 30,000 individuals from area businesses, industries, and governmental and health agencies.
To learn more about Midlands Technical College visit www.midlandstech.edu
For additional information on Performance Funding visit www.che400.state.sc.us
Martha
Hanks Named Governor’s Professor of the Year
Governor
Mark Sanford announced today that Martha Hanks,
Midlands Technical College Program Director of Allied
Dental Education, is the 2003 Governor’s
Professor of the Year for two-year colleges. The
S.C. Commission on Higher Education selects
recipients annually to recognize excellence in
teaching in the state's institutions of higher
education.
Martha
has served as an educator for 19 years, devoting
14 of those years to MTC.
“Dr.
Hanks exemplifies service and dedication to the
teaching profession.
She is a creative and inquisitive leader.
This leadership has led to an outstanding
dental program where the students consistently
perform above the national average,” said Gina
Mounfield, MTC Vice President for Career Programs.
Her
love and respect for the field of dentistry is
exemplified through her commitment to community
service and volunteerism. Dr. Hanks has served as the President of the SC Biology
Teachers Association; the SC Hygiene Educator
Liaison for Southern Regional Testing Agency; and
is a member of the Children’s Dental Clinic
Advisory Board.
Additionally, she is a member of the
American Association of Dental Educators, and the
author of Nitrous Oxide Video and Infiltration
Anesthesia Courses, which are currently used in
two-year colleges throughout the state.
In
addition to being admired and respected by her
colleagues, Dr. Hanks is regarded as a wonderful
mentor and educator by many of her students.
“Dr. Martha Hanks is one of the most
respected women I know in the dental field.
She has a great ability to teach, touch her
students and [can] maintain the curriculum of the
dental programs at the same time. She also instilled the importance of community service and
giving back to others,” said Dawn Wright, RDH,
former student.
Dr.
Martha Hanks has received numerous awards for her
diligence in the field of dentistry including the
2000-01 Teacher of the Year Award from the
National Institute for Staff and Organizational
Development.
“Midlands
Technical College is an institution that prides
itself on teaching and academic excellence,”
said Dr. Barry Russell, MTC President. “It is an honor to have Dr. Hanks recognized by Gov.
Sanford for her excellence in teaching, but it is
also an honor to have her as a part of the MTC
faculty,” said Dr. Russell.
Dr.
Hanks is the third member of the Midlands
Technical College faculty to be selected as
Governor’s Professor of the Year.
Alumni Professor Peggy McClure, chemistry
instructor at MTC, received the award in 1998, and
Alumni Professor Dixon Durham, history instructor,
was the recipient in 2001.
The
Commission on Higher Education has selected
twenty-two faculty members as recipients for the
Governor's Professor of the Year from 1988 to
2002, 11 from public senior institutions, four
from private senior institutions and seven from
public two-year institutions.
Recipients are selected from written
nomination forms and supporting materials and are
also interviewed by the selection committee.
As
a graduate of Brookland-Cayce High School as
valedictorian in 1970, Dr. Hanks, director of
Midlands Technical College’s Allied Dental
Education Program, received her Bachelor of
Science degree in Biology from the University of
South Carolina in 1972.
She later received her Master of Arts in
Teaching from USC in 1974. Because Hanks’ father was a military veteran, she was able
to continue her education at the University of
North Carolina through a Health Professions
scholarship provided through the armed forces.
In 1980, Hanks obtained her Doctor of
Dental Surgery degree from UNC.
S.C.
Physicians Care Charity Pledges $675,000 to the
Midlands Technical College Foundation’s Investing
in the Future Campaign
South Carolina Physicians
Care Charity, Inc., a non-profit foundation,
committed to funding initiatives to improve the
health and wellness of the citizens of South
Carolina has pledged $675,000 to the Midlands
Technical College Foundation.
This is the largest gift received from a
single entity by the MTC Foundation in its
history. The
donation was given to help the college increase
the number of qualified graduates heading into
healthcare professions in the region.
The gift by South Carolina
Physicians Care Charity, Inc. will make it
possible for the MTC Radiologic Technology and the
Surgical Technology Programs to increase their
class size by funding an additional full-time
faculty position in each program.
MTC President Barry Russell said the Charity’s pledge will have a tremendous impact because it
directly increases the number of available
graduates in these two critical health areas and
allows the college to continue to build on the
strengths of both the Radiologic Technology and
Surgical Technology Programs.
“I am pleased South
Carolina Physicians Care Charity, Inc. has donated
these funds in support of the college’s mission
to attract and retain highly qualified faculty to
assure the highest quality education in the health
sciences for our students,” Russell said. “Without adequate faculty, our ability to meet the acute
shortages we now face is limited.”
South Carolina Physicians
Care Charity’s executive director, Gene Beckman,
said the Charity is vitally interested in making a
difference for the people of this region.
Members of the Charity include:
Rice R. Holcombe, M.D., Chair of the Board
of Directors; Harold A. Moore, M.D.; Randall B.
Neil; Herbert B. Niestat, M.D.; Paul R. Oken; and
John C. Rawl, M.D.
Midlands Technical College
enrolls approximately 11,000 credit students each
fall; the college has a thirty percent student
concentration in Nursing and Health Science
programs. The MTC Foundation’s Investing in the Future Campaign
has raised $4.2 million of its five year $5
million goal in the first 18 months of the
campaign.
Other significant initiatives
funded by South Carolina Physicians Care Charity,
Inc. include the Juvenile Diabetes Research
Foundation, the American Lung Association of South
Carolina and funding research through the
Alzheimer’s Association-Palmetto Chapter.
The Charity directly assists
individuals through grants to Make-A-Wish
Foundation, Sister Care, the Assessment and
Resource Center of Columbia and the Durant Home of
the Pee Dee Coalition in Florence.
Last year, South Carolina Physicians Care
Charity, Inc. provided personal protective
equipment to more than 50 South Carolina fire
departments.
In addition to the
Charity’s five-year funding commitment in
support of MTC’s Radiologic Technology and
Surgical Technology Programs, current projects
include the purchase of state-of-the-art research
equipment for use at the Cystic Fibrosis Center at
the Medical University of South Carolina and
funding support for South Carolina State
University nursing students to attend a
professional development conference.
South Carolina Physicians
Care Charity, Inc. is a non-profit affiliate of
Carolina Care Plan, Inc.
 Midlands
Technical College Announces Major Initiatives to
Support the Region’s Advanced Manufacturing
Industry
Plans endorsed by S.C. Secretary of Commerce
Bob Faith
In conjunction with South
Carolina Industry Appreciation Week, the S.C.
Department of Commerce and Midlands Technical
College (MTC) announced today key MTC initiatives
to enhance and promote advanced manufacturing in
the Central Midlands region.
The 11:30 a.m. press
conference at the Embassy Suites Hotel in Columbia
was held in conjunction with the Department of
Commerce’s S.C. Ambassadors for Economic
Development presentations honoring business and
industry leaders from throughout the state.
The announcement reflected the college’s
commitment to collaboration with government,
business and other sectors of higher education in
economic development and fostering a
knowledge-based workforce.
S.C. Secretary of Commerce
Bob Faith was joined by MTC President Barry
Russell as both recognized that the Department of
Commerce and the college are supportive of the
research universities’ economic plans to propel
the economy forward by the establishment of
endowed chairs, and affirmed that university
research will be the engine that drives the new
economy in the state.
Russell and Faith then strongly stated that
MTC and the state’s other two-year colleges must
be positioned to provide the technically skilled
workforce needed to operationalize any prospective
research-driven businesses and to create
opportunity for widespread job growth.
“The state’s economic
engine will not be successful without the fuel to
propel it,” said Commerce Secretary Bob Faith.
“In our state, that essential fuel is the
educated, technically skilled workforce that will
attract and retain knowledge-based business.”
In response to the region’s
critical need for employees skilled in advanced
manufacturing, MTC announced the A&E phase of
construction has begun on a new 16,000 square-foot
multi-million dollar Precision Machining facility
on the college’s Beltline Campus. Russell also
commented that the college has inaugurated
TurningPoint, a program combining high school
participation with nationally certified machining
courses at MTC.
These measures follow last April’s grand
opening of the college’s Center of Excellence
for manufacturing located adjacent to the Carolina
Research Park in Northeast Columbia.
The new state-of-the-art
Precision Machining facility will be equipped to
teach students how to develop working prototypes
of any machined product.
This facility and its equipment will expose
students to the best practices available in the
precision machining industry.
MTC will use the facility to further
improve flow of technical employees to the
advanced manufacturing industry in the region.
“The
new Precision Machining facility will offer an
essential element in the economic growth formula
for the region by blending research-based job
skill training with the exploration of emerging
business needs,” stated Russell.
Illustrating
the college’s commitment to the success of
students and its support for economic growth of
the region, Midlands Technical College is
partnering with area high schools to develop
TurningPoint, a program designed to expand the
manufacturing workforce by providing a seamless
stream of skilled employees into the advanced
manufacturing sector.
TurningPoint prepares
students in area high schools to take the National
Institute for Metalworking Skills (NIMS)
certification exam and to receive credit for
college-level coursework.
The effort also supports faculty becoming
NIMS certified.
This designation is recognized nationwide
as standard of excellence in the profession.
According to MTC president Barry Russell,
by building a curriculum ladder between high
schools and the college, TurningPoint presents
students with the opportunity to secure the
education necessary to enter the lucrative careers
available in the advanced manufacturing industry.
“Through the opening of
MTC’s new Precision Machining facility and the
development of the TurningPoint program, MTC is
demonstrating its proactive approach to economic
development through preparation of the
workforce.” Russell stated.
“In the past 10 years, new
or expanded manufacturing facilities in the
Palmetto state provided capital investments of
more than $25 billion, creating nearly 153,000
additional jobs,” said Faith. “Without
programs like those provided by Midlands Technical
College, the people of South Carolina will not be
able to take full advantage of the coming
potential for prosperity to be found in these new
careers.”
Drawings of the proposed
Beltline facility and a detailed scale model were
on display at the press conference. Construction will begin in early spring 2004 with an expected
completion date of May 2005.
Classes are scheduled to begin in the new
facility in Fall 2005.
First
Citizens Bank Pledges $100,000 Unrestricted Gift
To MTC Foundation’s First Major Gifts Campaign
First Citizens Bank has
pledged an unrestricted $100,000 gift to the
Midlands Technical College Foundation’s major
gifts campaign, Investing
in the Future.
Investing in the Future
assists the college in providing relevant
education that is highly accessible, flexible, and
capable of meeting the changing technological
needs of the marketplace. The campaign supports
teaching excellence and educational options, as
well as provides access for the emerging
workforce, workers in transition and the existing
workforce.
First Citizens Chairman and
CEO Jim Apple expressed the sentiment of his bank
in making this contribution: "It is our
sincere belief that investing in education has the
greatest potential for benefit in terms of the
workforce and quality of life here in the
Midlands. We are delighted to play a role in
shaping the economic futures for so many potential
students."
“We are very pleased to
accept this investment from First Citizens
Bank,” said MTC President Barry Russell. “This generous donation will allow us to continue providing
a pathway to success for both students and their
employers.”
 SCANA
Pledges $100,000 to MTC Foundation’s First Major Gifts
Campaign, Investing in
the Future
SCANA Corporation is pledging $100,000 to
the Midlands Technical College Foundation’s Investing
in the Future major gifts campaign.
This pledge will support the campaign’s Endowment for
Excellence in Technology.
The endowment will assist the college in providing
innovative solutions for regional economic development and a
technically skilled workforce. Investing
in the Future has received more than $3 million in gifts
and pledges during the first year of a 5-year campaign.
By establishing the Endowment for
Excellence in Technology, MTC benefits from private support to
maintain college wide technological excellence in its
state-of-the-art training laboratories.
This endowment also supports the college’s new Center
of Excellence for Technology, an outstanding interactive
training site equipped to handle the high volume, high skills
and flexible education necessary to advance the careers of
individuals and meet the demands of business and industry.
Additionally, the Endowment for Excellence in
Technology will enhance the region’s ability to train the
skilled high-technology workers needed by area employers.
SCANA Chairman and CEO Bill Timmerman
said, “We are pleased to be part of Investing in the
Future, which will help attract high tech businesses to
the region by training the highly skilled workers they
require. Midlands Technical College always plays an integral
role in economic development for the Midlands area by working
closely with employers and prospective employers to meet their
workforce needs.”
Investing in the Future is the MTC
Foundation Board initiative to provide private support for the
college. The
campaign will enhance the college’s ability to deliver
relevant education that is highly accessible, flexible and
able to meet the changing technological needs of the
marketplace. The
campaign supports teaching excellence and educational options
for the emerging workforce, workers in transition and the
existing workforce.
“We are very pleased to accept this
gift from SCANA,” said MTC president Barry Russell.
“This investment will assist us in providing a
pathway to success for both students and their employers.
Additionally, the gift will aid the college in meeting
the challenges of the expanding economy and is a model for the
collaborative partnerships MTC must continue to forge.”
 Sercer Elected
Chair of MTC Commission
Dr. Pete E. Sercer was elected to serve a
two-year term as the next chair of the Midlands Technical
College (MTC) Commission at the June 18, 2003 meeting.
Sercer represents Richland County and has served 13
years on the MTC Commission.
The MTC Commission is comprised of 12 leading citizens
who are appointed by the governor, upon the recommendation of
their respective legislative delegations, to serve as trustees
for the college.
Prior to being elected chair, Sercer
served as vice chair of the Commission.
Serving more than 20 years in the U.S. Air Force,
Sercer concluded his service with five years as Director of
Intelligence, Headquarters 9th Air Force at Shaw
Air Force Base.
In 1984, Sercer retired from the Air
Force as a colonel and became the Senior Aerospace Science
Instructor of the Irmo High School Air Force Junior ROTC Unit,
a position he still holds. A graduate of the University of South Carolina, Sercer serves
as president of the South Carolina Association of Technical
College Commissioners and is extensively involved in Rotary
Club, which he served as Assistant District Governor for three
years. Sercer has
received a variety of awards and held numerous leadership
positions including being a multiple Paul Harris fellow and a
past president of the Rotary Club.
Sercer, and his wife Lesley, reside in
Columbia and have two sons.
He succeeds Robert C. Lentz, President of the Lentz
Group, Inc., who has served as MTC Commission chair for the
past two years.
Midlands
Technical College First in U.S. to Receive On-line
Transcript Evaluation
Midlands Technical College
became the first institution of higher education
in the United States to receive an on-line
transcript evaluation of international student
credentials from World Education Services (WES), a
major international credential evaluation service.
WES is the first foreign
credential evaluation service to make the results
of its international credential evaluations
available to U.S. colleges on-line. This
state-of-the-art service has significant
advantages. For
the applicant, the time from application to
availability of the completed evaluation at the
college is compressed, speeding the admissions
decision. More immediate access to applicants’
evaluations also allows the college to quickly
determine the application of transfer credit,
enhancing student service.
Among the numerous advantages
of this system from the college’s standpoint are
enhanced documentation security, reduced potential
for fraudulent documentation, and the ability to
download the electronic evaluation and distribute
it electronically within the college. Additionally, colleges and universities can go into their WES
web account and retrieve current and archived
evaluation reports relevant to those applicants
who have applied to their institutions.
WES selected Midlands
Technical College as the first pilot site to test
its new on-line credentials evaluation process due
to MTC’s national reputation as a leader in the
on-line processing of international students. The
new WES web based delivery service and online
application offer a win - win process for our
valued international applicants and for Midlands
Technical College.
 MTC
Center of Excellence for
Technology Opens Doors to the Community
Approximately 500 people attended the
grand opening of the College's Center
of Excellence for Technology April 2, giving students,
educators and the business community access to a
state-of-the-art facility committed to enhancing learning and
economic collaboration. MTC
president Barry Russell was joined by USC president Andrew
Sorensen and NASA Shuttle Astronaut Hoot Gibson in cutting the
ribbon to officially open the building.
Approximately
500 business, education and community leaders were invited
guests. More than a new teaching site, the Center offers the
community a forum for exploring emerging technologies through
symposia focusing on key development trends.
It provides access for business, education and
government to work together to build the technical workforce
that is essential to the area's success.
Located adjacent to the Carolina Research
Park in Northeast Columbia- this 50,000 square-foot facility
marks the first building of the college’s new Campus for
Enterprise Development. The Center is one of the Southeast's largest and most
advanced metalworking training facilities. The New MTC Campus
offers an essential element in the economic growth formula for
the region by blending research-based job skill training with
the exploration of emerging business needs.
The campus will compliment the programs and strategies
developed at the state’s universities.
Dr. Andrew Sorensen, USC president, spoke at the 10
a.m. ribbon cutting and underscored the advantages of
collaboration between the two institutions.
The Center’s 100-seat auditorium, as
well as its classrooms, is outfitted with world-class
capabilities for distance learning activity.
The courses provided at the Center of
Excellence for Technology will include the highest levels of
advanced manufacturing and information technology education
available in two-year colleges.
In addition to the information technology
classrooms and a large auditorium/lecture complex, the Center
houses an expansive manufacturing training floor and one of
the most advanced precision-measuring training labs in the
Southeast. The
precision measuring training lab is equipped with instruments
that allow students to measure the tolerance of machined parts
down to one micron. There
is also a rapid prototyping module in the Center.
 “The Center of Excellence for
Technology, along with the college’s renewed dedication to
economic development through relevant education and training,
has ushered in a new era of interaction with area employers.
Only through hands-on experience can students make the
theories they discuss in the classroom come alive,” said
Barry Russell, president of Midlands Technical College.
Illustrating the college’s commitment
to applied learning, the success of students and support for
economic growth of the region, Midlands Technical College
entered into a partnership with Haas Automation, Inc., which
designated the advanced manufacturing education floor of the
MTC Technology Center as the first Haas Technical Center (HTC)
in South Carolina.
Haas Automation, Inc., the largest
manufacturer of computer numeric controlled (CNC) machine
tools in the United States, is providing the MTC Technology
Center with a cost-free consignment of CNC machines valued at
$.5 million. This
equipment, combined with the machines purchased by the
college, will provide local industry and students with the
finest and most high-tech equipment available in the
metalworking industry. Additionally, the new Haas Training
Center will allow MTC to offer special training on advanced
CNC machines to employers and their employees of manufacturing
and machining companies.
The Haas equipment will rotate through
the Center as newer models come onto the market, ensuring a
proactive approach to offering cutting edge technology skills
to MTC students. The college and HTC will utilize the center
to further improve the manufacturing industry in the Midlands
and throughout the state.
In the past 10 years, new or expanded manufacturing
facilities in the Palmetto state provided capital investments
of over $25 billion, creating nearly 153,000 additional jobs.
“The Center of Excellence for
Technology is designed to the highest standards of
interactivity and technology, and it represents a tangible
commentary about how the future of education will evolve,”
said Russell.
Initially, the MTC Technology Center will
concentrate on the highest levels of applied information
technology and advanced manufacturing.
The college is also committed to the future development
of programs addressing additional sectors of the economy such
as biotechnology, nanotechnology and photonics.
 MTC’s
Nursing and Health Sciences Programs Receive Continuing Accreditation
The National League for Nursing
Accreditation Commission (NLNAC), Inc. approved Midlands
Technical College’s associate degree program and the
practical nursing program for continuing accreditation through
Fall 2010-when the next evaluation visit is scheduled. NLNAC, a nationally recognized specialized accrediting agency
for all types of nursing programs, is
responsible for the specialized accreditation of nursing
education schools and programs, both post-secondary and higher
degree.
MTC offers eight associate degrees, four
diplomas and 13 certificate programs in Nursing and Health
Sciences. Nursing and Health Sciences programs have the mission of
educating students to work in the fields of patient care,
public health and health research.
Educational enrichment, professional training and
personal development are the primary concerns of Nursing and
Health Sciences faculty and staff.
Congratulations on this outstanding
achievement.
 Wachovia
Pledges $100,000 Unrestricted Gift To MTC Foundation’s First
Major Gifts Campaign
Wachovia is pledging an unrestricted
$100,000 gift to Midlands Technical College Foundation’s
major gifts campaign, Investing in the Future. This
campaign promises to develop the regional economy and improve
the quality of life in the Midlands.
Investing in the Future will assist the
college in providing relevant education that is highly
accessible, flexible and able to meet the changing
technological needs of the marketplace, support of teaching
excellence and support educational options and access for the
emerging workforce, workers in transition and the existing
workforce.
“At Wachovia, education
is our top community commitment.
Programs that enhance student achievement through
systematic improvement of academic standards, curriculum,
student services, teacher quality and availability of
educational resources are important to us,” said Charlie
Cole, regional president of Wachovia.
“Midlands Technical College delivers these programs
in an excellent manner. Wachovia
is proud to participate in Investing in the Future.”
“We are very pleased to accept this
gift from Wachovia,” said MTC president Barry Russell.
“This generous donation will allow us to continue
providing a pathway to success for both students and their
employers. Additionally,
the gift will aid the college in meeting the continuing
challenges of the expanding economy through educational
excellence and collaborative partnerships.”
MTC
Receives First Place Award for Building a Village
of Hope
Midlands Technical College is
the 2003 first place award recipient of the South
Carolina Technical Education Association’s (SCTEA)
student community involvement competition.
SCTEA recognizes the college’s Village of
Hope Family Support Center for helping to improve
the quality of life for the residents of the
Roosevelt Village community.
The student community
involvement competition was established to
encourage student groups in the technical college
system to get involved with community
organizations and individuals to help meet some of
the special needs of the college and local
community. Community involvement projects were judged on project
planning and implementation, achievements, public
awareness and future services.
After need-based surveys were
distributed to residents of Roosevelt Village, MTC
and various community leaders, spent the next
several years building a Village of Hope Family
Support Center for the residents of the Roosevelt
Village neighborhood.
Five years in the making, the center now
provides after school programs, GED classes for
adults, an emergency food bank and a recently
built playground.
“Much of the success in
this project is a direct result of the
participation from MTC students, faculty and staff
as well as collaborative community
partnerships,” said Mary Rawls, MTC’s director
of Human Services.
The Village of Hope Community
Development Corporation was formed with the goal
of continuing to improve the quality of life for
the citizens of Roosevelt Village and surrounding
areas.
Last year, the Village of
Hope received the United Way’s Community Impact
award.
 Midlands
Technical College provides site for first-ever
annual ‘Give Kids A Smile’ campaign Targeting
improved dental access for needy children
In conjunction with the
American Dental Association (ADA) national ‘Give
Kids a Smile’ campaign, the South Carolina
Dental Association (SCDA) brings the campaign
closer to home.
Dentists, dental hygienists and dental
assistants from across the Palmetto State will
take time from their practices to provide free
dental services to children who would not
otherwise receive dental care.
‘Give Kids a Smile’ is a
one-day volunteer access-to-dental care initiative
setup in response to the growing epidemic of oral
disease among low-income families.
On Saturday, February 15, 2003 from 8
a.m. to 4 p.m., oral healthcare providers
will be at MTC’s Dental Clinic on the
Airport Campus located in the Academic Center Rm.
321 providing needy children with free
cleaning, restorative and extraction services at
no charge.
This first-ever annual
campaign is an effort to improve access to dental
care for low-income families, but is also intended
to educate parents/guardians on how important it
is to maintain good oral health.
‘Give Kids a Smile’ comes in the
absence of effective public health financing
programs and the ongoing crisis in children’s
dental health.
The initiative focuses the attention on the
epidemic of oral disease among low-income families
and delivers the message that in order to see
improvement there must be a real commitment from
government and society.
“Although the ‘Give Kids
a Smile’ project will help thousands of
children, our larger purpose will be to deliver
the message…that for every child we care for on
that day, hundreds, even thousands more will
continue suffering until the nation gets serious
about oral health,” said former ADA President D.
Gregory Chadwick.
For additional information
regarding ‘Give Kids a Smile’ day please
contact Magan Lyons at (803) 750-2277 or lyonsm@scda.org.
For all media inquiries, please use contact
information listed above.
Black
History Month Activities At Midlands Technical
College
MTC is celebrating Black
History Month by exploring black history and
applying it to the present.
In commemoration of Black History Month,
below is a listing of activities that will take
place throughout February.
For additional information concerning
activities, please contact Thomasina
Hughey, program director for Student
Activities at (803) 738-7860 or Vanessa Brown,
program coordinator for Student Activities at
(803) 822-3650.
Events are free and open to the public.
-
Feb. 5 & 6 –
Discussion:
“Black not Blind” Lecture by
nationally known conversationalist, Bryant K.
Smith, director of multicultural affairs and
international services at Millikin University
in Illinois.
This thought-provoking lecture will
offer insightful information on race relations
in America. “Black not Blind” will be held in the Airport Student
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