About Southern Crescent Technical College
Equal Opportunity Statement
The Technical College System of Georgia and its constituent Technical Colleges do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, creed, national or ethnic origin, sex, religion, disability, age, political affiliation or belief, genetic information, disabled veteran, veteran of the Vietnam Era, spouse of military member or citizenship status (except in those special circumstances permitted or mandated by law). This nondiscrimination policy encompasses the operation of all technical college-administered programs, programs financed by the federal government including any Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) Title I financed programs, educational programs and activities, including admissions, scholarships and loans, student life, and athletics. It also encompasses the recruitment and employment of personnel and contracting for goods and services.
The Technical College System of Georgia and Technical Colleges shall promote the realization of equal opportunity through a positive continuing program of specific practices designed to ensure the full realization of equal opportunity. The following persons have been designated to handle inquiries regarding the nondiscrimination policies: Title IX/Equity Coordinator (Griffin Campus, Butts County Center, Henry County Center, Fayette County Center, and Jasper County Center) Eben Risper, Assistant Director of Student Support Services, eben.risper@sctech.edu, 501 Varsity Road, Building 100, Room 102, Griffin, GA 30223, 770-228-7382; ADA/Section 504 Coordinator (Griffin Campus, Butts County Center, Henry County Center, Fayette County Center, and Jasper County Center) Teresa Brooks, Special Services Coordinator, teresa.brooks@sctech.edu, 501 Varsity Road, Building 100 Room 103, Griffin, GA 30223, 770-228-7258; Title IX/Equity and ADA/Section 504 Coordinator (Flint River Campus) Mary Jackson, Special Services Coordinator, mary.jackson@sctech.edu, 1533 Highway 19 South, Room A-252, Thomaston, GA 30286, 706-646-6224; Title IX/Equity and ADA/Section 504, (Employee complaints) Beth Burns, Director of Human Resources, beth.burns@sctech.edu, Human Resources, 501 Varsity Road, Building 100, Room 131, Griffin, GA 30223, 770-229-3454. Any complaints filed against the Title IX/Equity Coordinator or ADA/Section 504 Coordinator on any campus/center shall be handled by Dr. Xenia Johns, Vice President for Student Affairs, xenia.johns@sctech.edu, 501 Varsity Road, Dundee Education Technology Center, Room 115, Griffin, GA 30223, 770-228-7348.
Southern Crescent Technical College (SCTC) adheres fully to the requirements of Title IX in both policies and procedures. It is the policy of Southern Crescent Technical College that all students shall be provided an environment free of unlawful harassment (including sexual harassment and sexual violence), discrimination, and retaliation.
All students and employees are expressly prohibited from engaging in any form of harassing, discriminating, intimidating or retaliatory behavior or conduct in all interactions with each other, whether or not the interaction occurs during class or on or off campus. Visitors to campuses shall not engage in prohibited conduct and may be barred for such conduct if other corrective measures are ineffective. Allegations of unlawful harassment occurring at clinical sites to which students are assigned shall be investigated in accordance with this procedure. Any individual who has engaged in prohibited behavior or conduct will be subject to disciplinary action up to and including expulsion or dismissal. All students are encouraged to report any act of unlawful harassment, discrimination, retaliation and/or intimidation. Reports will be treated in an expeditious and confidential manner. SCTC will not tolerate retaliation for having filed a good faith harassment and/or discrimination complaint for having provided any information in an investigation. Any individual who retaliates against a complainant or witness in an investigation will be subject to disciplinary action, up to and including expulsion or dismissal. Any individual who knowingly makes a false charge of harassment/-discrimination or retaliation, or who is untruthful during an investigation may be subject to disciplinary action, up to and including expulsion or dismissal.
Therefore, Southern Crescent Technical College will not tolerate sexual harassment by anyone, in any form, at any time or location, served by or used by members of the college community. If any member of the SCTC community believes they have been subjected to sexual harassment, they should immediately make that fact known by the most expeditious means to the appropriate school official. In the case of employees, that person is Title IX/Equity and ADA/Section 504 Beth Burns, Director of Human Resources, beth.burns@sctech.edu, Human Resources, 501 Varsity Road, Building 100, Room 131, Griffin, GA 30223, 770-229-3454.
In the case of students, that person is Title IX/Equity Coordinator (Griffin Campus, Butts County Center, Henry County Center, and Jasper County Center) Eben Risper, Assistant Director of Student Support Services, eben.risper@sctech.edu, 501 Varsity Road, Building 100, Room 102, Griffin, GA 30223, 770-228-7382 or Title IX/Equity and ADA/Section 504 Coordinator (Flint River Campus) Mary Jackson, Flint River Campus, Room 252A, 1533 Highway 19 South, Thomaston, GA 30286, 706-646-6224, mary.jackson@sctech.edu.
For students in clinical placements at hospitals and clinics or other locations around the state, it is essential that you report incidents of sexual harassment to the College, directly to the coordinator listed above, as well as to the designated official at your place of assignment. For supervisors of students in clinical placements especially, but for every supervisor at every level in the organization, it is your duty to be certain that allegations of sexual harassment that come to your attention are reported immediately. If the student or employee being harassed does not report it, you are required to do so.
General Information
This Southern Crescent Technical College Student Handbook describes the expectations for behavior and conduct in the Southern Crescent Technical College community. The handbook also outlines information that is crucial to student success. Each student is responsible for reading and understanding the handbook. Questions and concerns regarding the handbook should be directed to Student Affairs at 770-228-7348 or 706-646-6148.
The statements set forth in this handbook are for informational purposes only and should not be construed as the basis of a contract between a student and this institution. While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the material stated herein, the college reserves the right to change any provision listed in the handbook, including, but not limited to, entrance requirements and admission procedures, academic requirements for graduation, and various fees and charges without actual notice to individual students. Every effort will be made to keep students advised of such changes. Changes/addendums to the student handbook can be found at the Southern Crescent Technical College website http://www.sctech.edu. The web version supersedes all other forms of publications in terms of revisions.
Board of Directors
Members of the Board of Directors are selected for their knowledge of and affiliations with local business and industry. It is the role of the board members to maintain awareness of local industry and community needs and to communicate those needs to the president and administrative staff.
The Board of Directors reviews and approves, based on community priorities, technical college programs, the College’s annual and long-range goals and objectives, and the annual budget projections and improvement plans. The board also evaluates institutional effectiveness, policy development and implementation, and promotes community advocacy.
History of the College
Southern Crescent Technical College was formed in July of 2010 as a result of a merger between Flint River Technical College and Griffin Technical College. The College serves the workforce and community needs of the citizens in the eight counties of the South Atlanta region including Butts, Fayette, Henry, Jasper, Lamar, Pike, Spalding, and Upson counties. Southern Crescent Technical College students are served at the Flint River Campus in Thomaston, the Griffin Campus in Griffin or at one of the centers in Butts, Fayette, Henry, or Jasper counties. In addition, the College provides Adult Education services and Economic Development opportunities in each of the eight counties in the service area.
In both equipment and in facilities, Southern Crescent Technical College is constantly working to provide the most current, hands-on training to help stimulate the economic growth and development of this community. The tradition of academic excellence continues as the College expands and updates its facilities to help prepare today’s students for tomorrow’s workforce.
Flint River Technical College and Griffin Technical College had a rich legacy for the communities and the students that they served. The following historical background information on both of the colleges highlights the significant impact of the colleges and illustrates the importance of the educational and training opportunities of Flint River Technical College and Griffin Technical College.
Flint River Technical College
The history of Flint River Technical College began in April of 1961. At that time, an agreement between Upson County and the City of Thomaston created the Upson County Area Vocational-Technical School. Upson Tech was the seventh vocational-technical school established in Georgia. After two years of planning and organizing, the school began classes in September of 1963 in a temporary building in north Thomaston. The school offered four programs of study.
In September 1964, a new facility was completed on U.S. Highway 19 South that was considered the main campus. The new facility allowed for programs of instruction to increase to eleven as the school served an eight-county area. Additional facilities were added in 1975, 1978, 1991, 1996, and 2007.
Flint River Technical College had five leaders to serve as the President of the College from 1961-2008. The leaders included the following: Mr. E.G. McCants, 1961-1972; Mr. Clarence R. Tunmer, 1972-1975; Mr. Leon L. Barnes, 1975-1987; Dr. Carlos R. Schmitt, 1988-2001; and Dr. Kathy S. Love, 2001-2008.
Griffin Technical College
The history of Griffin Technical College began in September of 1963 when the first students began classes in temporary quarters. Since that time, Griffin Technical College, serving a seven-county service area, expanded its facilities and program offerings. Originally named the Griffin-Spalding County Area Vocational Technical School, the school operated under the supervision of the Georgia Department of Education.
The first 48,000 square foot building was completed in 1966, and the first expansion of the school was completed in 1978 with the addition of 18,748 square feet of classroom space. Additional facilities were added in 1990, 1995, 1997, 2001, 2003, and 2008.
Griffin Technical College had five leaders to serve as the President of the College from 1963-2010. The leaders included the following: Mr. Edwin V. Langford, Sr., 1963-1979; Mr. John V. Hooper, 1979-1981; Dr. Coy L. Hodges, 1981-2002; Wayne Brown, Interim 2002; and Dr. Robert H. Arnold, 2002-2010.
Southern Crescent Technical College
Flint River Technical College and Griffin Technical College merged in 2010 to become Southern Crescent Technical College. Since then, the College has continued the commitment of serving the workforce and educational needs of its eight county service area and expanding the facilities and resources on its campuses and centers. Southern Crescent Technical College has had four leaders serving as President. Dr. Ivan Allen served as Interim President in 2010, Dr. Randall L. Peters served as President of Southern Crescent Technical College from 2010-2016, and Dr. Alvetta Peterman Thomas served as President of Southern Crescent Technical College from December 2016 - 2021 and Dr. Irvin T. Clark, III has served as President since April 2022.
The expansion of facilities and programs has continued to be a priority for the leadership of the College. On June 16, 2011, the Flint River Campus opened the 32,000 square foot Industrial Training Facility - Building E. This facility has nine classrooms, five training laboratories, nine faculty offices, and one administrative office area with an adjacent meeting site and houses various technical programs.
Groundbreaking for the 85,000 square foot Medical Technology Building on the Griffin Campus was held July 28, 2011. This three-story building houses the medical programs and has 12 classrooms, two biology labs, and a chemistry lab to support the allied health programs.
Fall of 2011 marked a noted change in the operations of Southern Crescent Technical College as the college transitioned from the quarter to the semester system.
Construction of the 35,700 square foot, $7.5 million Henry County Center Building A was completed in 2014. Located in McDonough, Georgia, this building sits adjacent to Henry County High School on 25 acres of land generously donated by the Henry County Board of Education.
At the September 27, 2016, meeting of the Southern Crescent Technical College Foundation, Trustee Tom Gardner, Chair of the Dundee Community Association, announced that a donation of $1 million would be made by the Dundee Community Association to the Southern Crescent Technical College Foundation. As a result of this gift, the State Technical College Board of Directors approved renaming Building 200 on the Griffin Campus as the Dundee Education Technology Center.
The Education and Training Complex at Ellis Crossing, located adjacent to the Griffin Campus, was opened in January of 2018. This 65,000 square foot property was purchased and redesigned with funds raised from the 2008 Spalding County SPLOST (Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax). This space is an extension of the Griffin Campus and has been retrofitted to house the Film Technology program.
The second building located at the Henry County Center was opened in 2019. Building B is an 82,500 square foot multi-level, state-of-the-art training facility that houses various medical programs, including the Associate of Science in Nursing program, an impressive Automotive Technology and Auto Collision Lab, as well as multiple computer and industrial training programs designed to meet the immediate workforce needs of the area.
As the future unfolds, Southern Crescent Technical College will continue to offer the latest certificate, diploma, and associate degrees designed to prepare students to enter the work force immediately upon graduation. The formation of Southern Crescent Technical College as a flagship technical college in the state provides students with expanded educational programs, greater access to college resources and technology, and enhanced opportunities for career success. In addition, business and industry now benefit from a larger pool of qualified, skilled graduates and expanded access to state-of-the-art facilities and equipment.
Mission Statement
Southern Crescent Technical College, a unit of the Technical College System of Georgia, located south of Atlanta, delivers relevant technical education, adult education, and learning opportunities via various instructional modalities at the associate degree, diploma, and certificate levels to promote service, workforce development, and economic development.
Vision Statement
Southern Crescent Technical College will emerge as the preeminent technical college that prepares students to become globally work-ready.
Core Values
- Academic Excellence
- Student Success
- Integrity
Technical Education Warranty
In collaboration with the Technical College System of Georgia and other technical colleges in the state, Southern Crescent Technical College has established curriculum standards with the direct involvement of business and industry. These standards serve as the industry-validated specifications, which allow Georgia’s technical colleges to provide a Technical Education Warranty. The Technical Education Warranty states:
"If one of our graduates educated under a standard program or his/her employer finds that the graduate is deficient in one or more competencies contained in the industry-validated Standard or Program Guide, including failure to pass a State of Georgia required licensing examination or national licensing examination, the technical college will retrain the employee at no instructional cost to the employee or the employer."
The Technical Education Warranty applies to any Southern Crescent Technical College graduate who is employed in the field of his/her training and is in effect for a period of two years after graduation. Southern Crescent Technical College graduates or their employers who see a need to inquire or to file a claim under this Warranty should submit to the Office of the Vice President for Academic Affairs/Designee a written request citing the graduate’s name, student identification number, program of study, and dates of attendance along with a description of the deficiency. The Office of the Vice President for Academic Affairs/Designee will review the claim and take appropriate action.
Open Record Requests
Access to public records is encouraged to foster confidence in government, to provide the public the opportunity to evaluate the expenditure of public funds, and for the efficient and proper functioning of its institutions. Georgia's Open Records Act, O.C.G.A. 50-18-70 et seq., provides that all public records of an agency must be made available for inspection or copying unless they are specifically exempt by law. Generally, these records must be made available within three business days of the receipt of request. It is the policy of the Southern Crescent Technical College to provide access to all public records in accordance with the law.
As designated by the President of Southern Crescent Technical College, the Open Records Act Officer is the Director of Human Resources.
All Open Records Requests should be sent to:
Beth Burns, Director of Human Resources
Southern Crescent Technical College
501 Varsity Road
Griffin, Georgia 30223
Email: beth.burns@sctech.edu
Reciprocity Agreements
Southern Crescent Technical College has been approved by the State of Georgia to participate in the National Council for State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements. NC-SARA is a voluntary, regional approach to state oversight of post-secondary distance education.