Aiken Technical College

Background

Aiken Technical College, in Aiken County, S.C., has served the communities of the Central Savannah River Area since 1972. ATC is a public, open-door, comprehensive two-year institution offering associate degrees, diplomas, certificates and noncredit classes in more than 80 areas, including health, public service, business, industrial engineering and computer technology. Many of the credits earned at ATC transfer to other South Carolina colleges. More than 3,400 students enroll in credit courses annually, and ATC’s non-credit offerings reach over 10,000 people each year.

ATC’s Workforce and Business Development Division provides customized corporate and industry training, as well as professional development and community interest courses. WBD has partnered with dozens of the area’s major employers including Westinghouse, Bridgestone-Firestone, BAE Systems, SCE&G, Hubbell Power Systems and many others.

Achieving the Dream Goals

ATC is fully committed to helping more students achieve their educational goals, particularly underprepared and low-income students. The college has identified the following goals:

• Improve student retention and persistence from semester to semester
• Increase enrollment in, and successful completion of, gatekeeper courses
• Increase successful completion of developmental courses and progression to credit coursework
• Increase completion rates for degrees and certificates, particularly among students of color

ATC’s participation in Achieving the Dream allows the college to move to a more coordinated, student-focused and comprehensive approach to data collection and planning.