Dr. James Hudgins to be Speaker at Tri-County
Technical College's Spring Commencement
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 4/14/2005
CONTACT: LISA GARRETT, 646-1506
(By Lisa Garrett)
PENDLETON --- Dr. James Hudgins, nationally acclaimed president of
the S.C. Technical College System, will address the graduating class
of 2005 at Tri-County Technical College's 42nd annual commencement at
the Civic Center in Anderson.
 Approximately
400 graduates will be recognized at the annual spring commencement scheduled
for Monday, May 9, at 7:30 p.m. In addition to families and guests of
the graduates, alumni and friends of the College are invited to attend
the ceremony.
As president of the South Carolina Technical College System, Dr. Hudgins
is committed to fulfilling the System’s commitment to business and industry
to provide the workforce of the future that our State’s employers demand.
During his six-year tenure, he has worked with the System’s sixteen
college presidents to build a strong coalition committed to enhancing
higher education opportunities for the people of South Carolina and
to support the State’s economic development efforts.
Dr. Hudgins is an active participant in the ongoing activities of the
South Carolina Association of Colleges and Universities and is leading
the S.C. Technical College System into a new era of effectiveness by
working with the System’s partners to develop new education and training
paradigms.
On the national/regional level, Dr. Hudgins has enhanced the regional
awareness of the South Carolina Technical College System by his service
as chairman of the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association
of Colleges and Schools (SACS). He has chaired more than 30 accreditation
committees for the Commission on Colleges and is the only two-year college
president to chair the Commission on Colleges of SACS.
He also has served as a board member of the American Association of
Community Colleges and as the vice chair of the Board of the Community
College of the Air Force.
At the state and local level, Dr. Hudgins currently serves on the Governor’s
Workforce Investment Board, the Palmetto Richland Hospital Board of
Trustees, the Board of the South Carolina Economic Developers Association
and the Board of Governors of the Capital City Club. He also served
on the Governor’s Workforce Development Task Force that developed the
strategies embraced by the proposed Education and Economic Development
Act (Pathways).
Prior to his current role in the S.C. Technical College System, Dr.
Hudgins served for 13 years as president of Midlands Technical College
in Columbia. During his presidency, Midlands doubled its enrollment
to become the largest technical college in South Carolina and the third
largest college in the State.
He also previously served as president of Central Carolina Technical
College (CCTC) in Sumter. During his tenure, Dr. Hudgins organized the
college's foundation and introduced new educational programs designed
to meet the needs of local businesses and industries. Prior to working
at CCTC, he was vice president for educational affairs at Piedmont Tech.
He began his technical college career at Greenville Technical College,
where he served as a counselor to students.
Among his most recent accolades are the 1997 National Leadership award
from the National Council for Organizational and Staff Development and
the 1998 Distinguished Service Award from the S.C. Commission on Higher
Education.
He holds A.B., M.A., and Ph.D. degrees from Bob Jones University and
has an M. A. degree in Educational Administration from Furman University.
|
Oconee