Date Posted: May 6, 2021
Southern Crescent Technical College hosted a Ribbon Cutting and Open House for the Associate of Science in Nursing lab on the Flint River Campus in Thomaston on May 5, 2021. With nearly 75 supporters in attendance, this long-awaited celebration showcased the expansion of the Registered Nursing Program to the Flint River Campus.
Dr. Alvetta P. Thomas, President of Southern Crescent Technical College welcomed the crowd and stated, “What a lovely day to celebrate technical education! The opening of this lab and the expansion of the Registered Nursing Program to the Flint River Campus are exciting accomplishments for Southern Crescent Technical College. The efforts of this community are shining examples of teamwork with all key stakeholders coming together for a common good. Upson County’s citizens and businesses played a vital part in the vision for an Associate of Science in Nursing program on the Flint River Campus, and the unwavering support from our community partners helped to make this vision possible. Together, we are building strong students, strong careers, and strong communities”
The 4,547 square foot remodeled area for the Associate of Science in Nursing Lab involved remodeling three classrooms, one ASN Lab, six faculty offices, one debriefing room, along with several storage/equipment rooms. The architect for the renovation was 2WR Architecture, and the contractor for the renovation was Tommy Gibson Builders.
Christine Moss, SCTC Registered Nursing student at the Flint River Campus, gave a student’s perspective about her experience at SCTC and her journey toward reaching her goal of becoming a nurse. Moss indicated that these partnerships, both with her faculty and local healthcare providers, have been crucial to her educational success. Moss stated, “I know that I will reap the benefits of my newfound knowledge and connections throughout my entire career and I am proud to say that I have Southern Crescent Technical College to thank for that.”
Jeff Tarrant, CEO of Upson Regional Medical Center and Kyle Fletcher, Executive Director of the Thomaston-Upson Industrial Development Authority both spoke of the importance of the partnerships in place with Southern Crescent Technical College in the community. State Representatives Robert Dickey and Beth Camp also spoke to those in attendance to offer a legislative perspective on the role of Southern Crescent Technical College to the workforce development of this region.
Jeff Stribling, member of the SCTC Board of Directors presented, a special thank you to those individuals, businesses, and organizations that made donations in support of this special project. Those community partners include: Community Enterprises, Flint Energies, Quad Graphics, Southern Crescent Technical College Foundation, Southern Rivers Energy, Standard Textile, United States Department of Agriculture, Upson EMC, and Upson Regional Medical Center.
The Southern Crescent Technical College Registered Nursing Program admitted its inaugural cohort in the Spring of 2017 at the Griffin Campus. Shortly thereafter, the program relocated to the Henry County Center. Three cohorts have graduated since then, with the last cohort having a 95% NCLEX-RN pass rate. In the spring of 2020, the inaugural cohort of 21 students was admitted to the Flint River Campus. Thirteen of these students have progressed through the rigorous curriculum and are set to graduate in just a few days. Most of them already have accepted job offers at hospitals within SCTC’s service area, while some are continuing their education.
The event culminated with an official ribbon cutting and tour of the Associate of Science In Nursing lab.