Tri-County Kicks Off First-Ever Capital Campaign
CONTACT: DR. RONNIE BOOTH, 646-1774
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 11/10/2009
(By Lisa Garrett)
PENDLETON --- Tri-County Technical College today kicked off its first-ever capital campaign aimed at moving the College toward achieving role-model status among community colleges in the United States.
The announcement was made by President Ronnie Booth at the College’s annual report luncheon, which attracts approximately 250 community, business, industrial, government and political leaders from Anderson, Oconee and Pickens counties. Guests received a 50-page annual report, whose theme is “More Valuable than Ever,” and highlights the major College and Foundation accomplishments of 2008 - 2009.
“The demand for community colleges has never been greater,” said Dr. Booth. “Conversely, the cuts in our traditional sources of funding have never been more significant. Therefore, we must look beyond these traditional sources of funding to remain viable. We owe it to this community to find alternative ways to thrive. For this reason, we have embarked upon a journey to seek private funding through our $9-million Golden Opportunities Campaign,” he said.
Tri-County will observe its 50th anniversary in 2012. In celebration of this golden anniversary, and in recognition of the financial needs of the College, the Tri-County Technical College Foundation Board voted in 2007 to conduct its first-ever major gifts campaign. Over the last year and a half, the College conducted the ‘quiet’ or internal phase of the campaign with faculty and staff participation reaching 99 percent, the highest level of employee giving in the history of the College. In addition, Dr. Booth met with business and industry leaders and discussed what the College offers the community and how it can help them to meet their training needs.
Over the next five years, the College is working toward a goal of $9 million and developed four initiatives to address community demands. They include: expanding educational opportunities, improving technology and equipment, enhancing opportunities for student success, and promoting economic and community development.
“Your gift may directly or indirectly provide funding for a scholarship, change a life for the better, strengthen a business or industry, provide better local health care or ensure a safer community. The choice of how your gift can make a difference is up to you. But one thing is certain. An educated community is the primary resource necessary to create and maintain a healthy, productive and prosperous community,” Booth said.
This fall Tri-County welcomed its largest class – 6,758 students - in its 47-year history. This double-digit enrollment translates into an 18% jump over last fall’s then-record-breaking enrollment of 5,730. Yet at the same time that enrollment is rising, the College has seen significant cuts in state funding. In 2001, Tri-County’s state funding level was at 54 percent, and today the College is funded at 21 percent. “We look toward the Foundation dollars to provide students with scholarship, travel abroad and service learning opportunities, to keep faulty current in their fields and to help keep pace with technology at all of our campuses,” said Dr. Booth.
“As we approach the 50th anniversary, we reflect on our accomplishments, but as we move toward the next 50 years, we see improvements that we must make if we are to achieve role-model status,” he said.
“We want to be the best community college in the nation and to do that we need additional resources,” said Dr. Booth. “An investment in Tri-County is an investment in the community – and that results in a stronger economic base due to a trained workforce. To be successful, we need the community’s support in reaching our goals.”
For more information, contact John Lummus, vice president for Economic and Institutional advancement, at 646-1548 or jlummus@tctc.edu.
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Oconee