Tri-County Technical College Receives SCATCC’s 2022 Equity Award
Press Release
Date: February 1, 2023
Contact: Lisa Garrett, lgarrett@tctc.edu
Tri-County Technical College Receives SCATCC’s 2022 Equity Award
Pendleton, SC – The SC Association of Technical College Commissioners (SCATCC) awarded Tri-County Technical College (TCTC) the 2022 Equity Award February 1 for the collaborative and intentional work achieved by its Men of Color (MOC) committee.
Recipients were recognized and awarded in person at the SCATCC Annual Commissioners’ Academy in Columbia.
The Men of Color committee, comprised of administrators, faculty and staff, was created in January 2019. The goal is to educate, motivate, inspire, and empower minority students and to let them know they have a place at Tri-County Technical College. The committee works intentionally to create an inclusive learning environment that fosters success where young men and women of color feel safe, welcomed and valued.
“I am very proud of the work that led to this state award, Tri-County’s first-ever Equity Award,” said TCTC President Dr. Galen DeHay. “More importantly, I am grateful for our faculty and staff and their commitment to closing achievement gaps and improving outcomes for our students of color. There is more work to be done, but this award is an indication that our efforts are making a difference.”
Throughout the year the Men of Color Committee hosts events designed to connect students with the people and resources they may need to help them to be successful students. Participants also have the chance to meet with their peers and instructors/mentors and start those relationships.
“It is our goal to have a continuing relationship with the students beyond their time here at Tri-County,” said Dr. Brian Smith, assistant dean of humanities who serves on the Men of Color committee. “Mentoring doesn’t stop because they’ve graduated from Tri-County. By providing a sense of belonging, along with mentorship and extracurricular activities, the MOC Initiative serves as a catalyst for recruitment, retention, and completion,” he said.
Another outreach event hosted by MOC committee is a luncheon that allows middle school, high school, and college students to come together with community leaders to build their social capital by networking and learning from one another. The luncheon also serves to educate and empower young men of color to expand their endless possibilities in life. Motivational speakers headline the event and panel discussions with area leaders are part of the program. The luncheon has continuously grown in number with 250 attendees in November.
The goal of the luncheon is two-fold: to raise money for the recently-established MOC scholarship and to raise awareness and serve as a recruiting tool for the high school students who attend the event. The mentoring program is a huge part of the luncheon as it is a way to connect with middle and high school students.
For the first time in Tri-County’s history, a scholarship was established specifically for men of color matriculating at TCTC. The initial funding for the scholarship was spearheaded by the committee as they sponsored bake sales with all of the products donated by members of the committee and other volunteers from the College. In 2022, the MOC scholarship was awarded to three deserving male students of color who may struggle with barriers to education.
The TCTC inaugural MOC golf tournament held April 7, 2022, netted more than $10,000 for the scholarship. One of the tournament sponsors, PGA Tour’s Korn Ferry Tour sponsored a student team. The Korn Ferry Charities also invited these students to join them for a few hours at the BMW Charity Pro Am held in early June.
In addition, for several years the TCTC Men of Color students have had the opportunity to attend the two-day National Men of Color Summit hosted each year by Clemson University.
The goal of the MOC initiative is to grow to include other underrepresented populations on campus.
“The MOC initiative has been very successful by providing workshops, mentor sessions and enrichment opportunities for all students of color. As a committee, we have grown and learned from these experiences as well,” said Dr. Jackie Blakley, dean of the Business and Public Services Division at TCTC and MOC committee member. “We plan to continue to provide enriching, educational programs and events for our students to help them develop socially, academically and professionally.”
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About Tri-County Technical College
Tri-County Technical College, a public two-year community and technical college serving Anderson, Oconee and Pickens Counties in South Carolina, enrolls more than 9,000 students annually and offers more than 70 major fields of study, including computer technology, industrial electronics, mechatronics, nursing, and university transfer programs. Tri-County boasts the highest student success rate among two-year colleges in the state and ranks in the top one percent nationally for successful student transfers to four-year colleges and universities. To learn more, visit tctc.edu.
