VALDOSTA —
Last month, the Technical College System of Georgia released a list of 18 campuses being considered for closure due to low attendance.
The Wiregrass Georgia Technical College Cook County Workforce Development Center made the list.
TCSG is making cuts with an eye toward maintaining quality education at a time of budget constraints. While the Cook County campus is on the list, it does not automatically mean the campus will close. Campuses are being evaluated for cost savings, but that evaluation may not lead to a permanent closing.
“We do not anticipate closing the Cook Center,” said Wiregrass President Dr. Ray Perren.
Several factors make the closing of the Cook County campus unlikely, Perren said.
“It is, by far, the largest center on the list,” said Perren.
The FTE (Full-Time Equivalency) for fiscal year 2011 was 189. The FTE for the average campus on the list is 69. The Cook Center served 539 unduplicated students in FY 2011.
The center is also seeing significant growth.
“Campus enrollment is currently 29.4 percent greater than at this time one year ago,” said Perren.
Business and industry training as well as adult-education GED programs are thriving as well.
A big point that must be taken into consideration by the TCSG is that the Cook County facility is owned by the people of Cook County.
“The Cook County Commission is currently making application for state and federal grants to expand the size of the campus,” said Perren.
The Technical College System of Georgia will make no decision about any campus on the list until the legislature finalizes the FY 2013 budget. Decisions on the closings will be considered if the system sustains additional budget cuts in its FY 2013 appropriation. The decision on the 18 sites will be made site by site as college presidents make a case either for or against closing each site.
“Although the final decision remains with the commissioner and the TCSG board, we do not anticipate having to appear before a panel,” said Perren. “We are planning to show other cost savings to meet our budgetary requirements for FY 2013 in lieu of having to close the Cook Center.”
Perren said the presence of Wiregrass in Cook County is vital and important.
“Our campus employees are deeply ingrained in the Cook County community,” said Perren. “We are committed to growing the Cook campus and provide the residents of Cook and surrounding counties even more educational opportunities.”
Perren stands with the outlook of being deeply committed to the Cook campus and having the physical presence in Cook County for many years to come.
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