From the commissioner, Vol. 2, no. 1 (Winter 2003)

TECHNICAL COLLEGES
Albany Technical College Albany, Georgia Altamaha Technical College Jesup, Georgia Appalachian Technical College Jasper, Georgia Athens Technical College Athens, Georgia Atlanta Technical College Atlanta, Georgia Augusta Technical College Augusta, Georgia Central Georgia Technical College Macon, Georgia Chattahoochee Technical College Marietta, Georgia Columbus Technical College Columbus, Georgia Coosa Valley Technical College Rome, Georgia DeKalb Technical College Clarkston, Georgia East Central Technical College Fitzgerald, Georgia Flint River Technical College Thomaston, Georgia Georgia Aviation Technical College Eastman, Georgia Griffin Technical College Griffin, Georgia Gwinnett Technical College Lawrenceville, Georgia Heart of Georgia Technical College Dublin, Georgia Lanier Technical College Oakwood, Georgia Middle Georgia Technical College Warner Robins, Georgia Moultrie Technical College Moultrie, Georgia North Georgia Technical College Clarkesville, Georgia North Metro Technical College Acworth, Georgia Northwestern Technical College Rock Spring, Georgia Ogeechee Technical College Statesboro, Georgia Okefenokee Technical College Waycross, Georgia Sandersville Technical College Sandersville, Georgia Savannah Technical College Savannah, Georgia

South Georgia Technical College Americus, Georgia Southeastern Technical College Vidalia, Georgia Southwest Georgia Technical College Thomasville, Georgia Swainsboro Technical College Swainsboro, Georgia Valdosta Technical College Valdosta, Georgia West Central Technical College Carrollton, Georgia West Georgia Technical College LaGrange, Georgia
TECHNICAL DIVISIONS
Bainbridge College Bainbridge, Georgia Clayton College and State University Morrow, Georgia Coastal Georgia Community College Brunswick, Georgia Dalton State College Dalton, Georgia
Web-based courses of Georgia's technical colleges are accessed through Georgia Virtual Technical College (GVTC), http://www.gvtc.org.
From the Commissioner Winter 2003 Vol. 2, No. 1 Published quarterly by the Georgia Department of Technical and Adult Education 1800 Century Place, Atlanta, GA 30045 Kenneth H. Breeden, Commissioner Editor: Donna Maddock-Cowart dm-c@mindspring.com View From the Commissioner online at http://www.dtae.org/fromthecommissioner

COMING NEXT ISSUE:
Why Manufacturing Matters: Our spring issue features important information on manufacturing in Georgia and how our system supports this vital sector.

St. Gobain's new Hancock County
plant.

C FROM

THE

OMMISSIONER

A QUARTERLY PUBLICATION FROM GEORGIA'S COMMISSIONER OF TECHNICAL AND ADULT EDUCATION
VOL. 2, NO. 1 WINTER 2003

We d eli ver r esults: We tra i n p eo p le fo r wo r k a nd care e rs.

A CYCLE OF EVALUATION Provided by the Carl Vinson Institute of Government:
Annual Follow-Up ...One year after
graduation; conducted every year
Four-Year Follow-Up ...Four years after
graduation; conducted every three years
Ten-Year Follow-Up ...Ten years after
graduation; conducted every five years
Employer Satisfaction ...Measures employers'
attitudes about Quick Start programs, custom-designed programs, and employees who are graduates of Georgia's technical colleges; conducted every five years
Survey results are used for individual technical college improvement and/or statewide policy modifications.
INSIDE
2-3 Latest Survey Results
PROFILE:
5 Carl Vinson Institute of Government Celebrates 75 Years
6 Around the State

Most of us have stories

that help us make our way as we move

through life, confront and deal with situa-

tions, live day-to-day. Some of the corner-

stone stories for organizations come from

times when foundations are being built,

when everything is new and nobody

knows what to expect. In essence, situa-

tions and our reactions to them become stories that help encour-

age us and support us later on when new challenges arise. Our

nation and the world have lately been in times that seem newly

perilous. Of course, there are always dangers and problems, but

for a long time, events seemed to be moving forward smoothly,

our challenges were familiar and manageable. Prosperity appeared

to be increasingly available or at least on the horizon for more

and more people.We had become somewhat convinced that we were safe, that all was well and would remain so. But then, of course, September 11, 2001 came along. Now, as I write this, the news is full of the rush to buy duct tape and plastic; fear has replaced complacency and budgets are being cut as a result of the economic downturn.
I'd like to share, again, with you a

The Carl Vinson Institute of Government an organization whose service to Georgia spanned most of the last century and is even stronger in this one has worked with us to design a cycle of evaluation that is the

story that I have repeated, sometimes in cornerstone of our

its full version, but more often in a short continuous-improvement

form over the years since we first became achievements.

continued on page 2

FROM THE
COMMISSIONER

2

continued from cover

a system. I consider this one we could put in a time capsule with copies of our important documents and historical artifacts.This story describes in narrative form the principle that most closely expresses the underlying theme of the beginnings, development, and success of our agency. It is a story, I think, that holds truths that may help sustain all of us in the difficult times we face in our world today. At the very least, it may help us keep our focus. I was put onto this story by Larry Comer, a brilliant businessman

who was one of our original State Board chairmen and someone whose wisdom and integrity have been extremely important to the leadership of this system. Over fifteen years ago, during some conflicts that arose when our agency was newly formed, Larry said to me, "There are some really good management lessons in the Bible. I'm going to recommend to you that you go home and read Nehemiah."
When I got home, I read Nehemiah and also sought help from a Bible handbook. Here's

Strength in Numbers
The results of the recently released 2001 Annual Graduate Follow-Up Survey performed as part of the technical-college system evaluation cycle by the Carl Vinson Institute of Government reveal alumni in the workforce satisfied with their preparation--and moving forward successfully in their careers.The full-time employed grads gave high ratings to the technical, verbal, and math/analytical aspects of their training. After only one year, over three-quarters of them have positions in or related to their field of training, and...
97% 83% 86%

ANNUAL SALARIES:
56% $20,000 - $39,999 12% $40,000 - $59,999 3% $60,000 and up

...an impressive majority, would recommend attending one of Georgia's technical colleges.

...plan to continue their education, indicating that a technical college graduation is an important part of a lifelong, seamless education.

...of those whose job situation has improved say their technical-college experience contributed to the improvement.

Terri Nuckles (above) recently graduated with a degree in Nursing from Lanier Technical College, and is employed at Northeast Georgia Medical Center in Gainesville.

what I learned. Nehemiah was the cup-bearer for the

Emperor of Rome who was appointed the Civilian

Governor of Jerusalem. At the time, the people in

Jerusalem had been trying to build, or rebuild, the

temple and a protecting wall around it.They had been

trying to do this for hundreds of years. Every time

they'd make some progress and it might take forty

or fifty years to accomplish such a task, even in the

best of times their enemies would come and pick a

fight with them. So, they'd all put down their tools

and get their weapons and off they'd go to their war.

And they might be at war for fif-

teen or even twenty years, and

then they'd come back and the

wall would be torn down and

they'd start working on it again.

And then again before they'd

finish it, a war would come

along, and off they'd go.

Well, this had gone on for

88%

hundreds of years. And one of Nehemiah's major goals was completing that wall. So, he said

that what we're going to do is

we're going to go out there and

we're going to focus on building

a wall.We're going to take all our

construction tools, and we're also

going to take our swords and

...work within 50 miles of the technical college they attended.

shields.We're going to lay our weapons down, and we're going to build a wall. If the enemies come and attack us, we're going

to put our tools down, and we're

going to pick up our weapons

and we're going to fight them

off.Then we're going to put our weapons down and go back to work on the wall.The wall was completed in 50 years, a remarkable accomplishment for those times.
Now, even though the story mentions war, that's not what it is about.The message it has for us is about staying focused on our work and our goals. Every organization needs a plan, and our system has always had one, but the important issue is that you stay focused and you work your plan. And that's my message to you. It is my belief, that in the face of uncertainty, a weak economy, a troubled world, reducing budgets, you tighten your belt, stand up straight, and focus on the day-to-day work that you know supports your plan.When the tough times are over, when the troubled waters turn smooth, you find you have survived and the plan is advanced the structure is higher and stronger and noticeably improved, in spite of the difficulties you have experienced.
With Nehemiah's approach in mind, in this issue we consider an important feature of how we improve the system and verify our accomplishments. The Carl Vinson Institute of Government an organization whose service to Georgia spanned most of the last century and is even stronger in this one has worked with us to design a cycle of evaluation that is the cornerstone of our continuous-improvement achievements. I hope you will take the time to review what they do for us, and to see just where your particular efforts fit into our results.
Thank you for all you do to help us keep our focus and to help your college and our system continue to deliver important results for Georgia.

FROM THE
COMMISSIONER

4

Teaching Success in Service
At 75, CVIOG has a global impact

Left: A session for incumbent legislators at the Biennial Conference for Georgia Legislators focused on policy implications of the Study on Persistent Poverty in the South. From left: Art Dunning, UGA; Michael Thurmond, Department of Labor; Ken Breeden, DTAE; Representative Alan Powell; Bonnie Yegidis, UGA; and Jim Ledbetter, Carl Vinson Institute of Government.
Below Left: The exhibit area at the Biennial Conference for Georgia Legislators.

"Our surveys continue to reveal that Georgia's technical colleges provide their graduates with a competitive advantage."
DR. RICHARD L. MILFORD
Dr. Richard L. Milford Assistant Director CVIOG

THE CARL VINSON INSTITUTE
OF GOVERNMENT'S rich history of public service began in 1927 with the establishment of the University of Georgia's Institute of Public Affairs, whose mission was to study public issues and help improve democratic government in Georgia. Since then it has functioned under a number of different names, serving the people of Georgia and the administrations of many governors, including Ellis Arnall, Ernest Vandiver, Carl Sanders, Jimmy Carter, Zell Miller, Roy Barnes, and now Sonny Perdue. (Former director Hank Huckabee is serving as Governor Perdue's budget director.)
Its mission remains public service and outreach; as the research capabilities of the University of Georgia have grown tremendously over the seven decades of the Institute's history, so have the breadth and depth of the Institute's

ability to design and deliver services. Today, the Institute's divisions include Community and Regional Development; Governmental Services; Governmental Training, Education, and Development; Research and Policy Analysis; and the Office of Publications and Communications.
In the 1990s, existing technical assistance and continuing education efforts with governments, nongovernmental organizations, and higher education institutions here and abroad coalesced to form another program, the International Center for Democratic Governance, the
scope of which includes China, Ukraine, Croatia, Russia, and the Dominican Republic.
Current projects run the gamut from the Peach State
Poll, a quarterly

public-opinion survey of Georgians on topics related to social, economic, and political life in the state, to a national study of county fiscal resources, to the recently published Study on Persistent Poverty in the South, to international partnerships.Whether it be assistance provided to help a government measure the scope of its resources or the effectiveness of services, or the training provided to state, local, and community officials the work of the Carl Vinson Institute of Government touches, in some way, the life of every Georgian. FTC

Dr. James G. Ledbetter, Director, CVIOG

How the CVIOG Technical College Survey Cycle Reaches Its Vital Conclusions

Each survey in the cycle begins with analysis by the steering

committee representatives from the Carl Vinson Institute of

Government (CVIOG), technical college presidents, and DTAE state staff.

The committee reviews the existing survey instrument for relevance and

currency of questions and procedures. Once approved, the new survey

instrument is published. (Graduates CVIOG SURVEY CYCLE are surveyed at 1, 4, and 10 years

after graduation. Employer satis-

faction is measured every 5

years.)

1*

Then the surveys with 4*

5

a cover letter from Dr. Breeden

10*

are mailed to the target group.

As the completed surveys arrive at CVIOG, the data is entered into a database.

*GEmrapdluoayteer

follow-up surveys satisfaction surveys

and analyzed by CVIOG researchers.Then, a preliminary report is devel-

oped. After multiple reviews at CVIOG, a final report is published.This

report is presented to Dr. Breeden and the state board, then to the presi-

dents of the technical colleges.

The report is studied at the state level for purposes of modifying

policy as necessary. Additional review of anecdotal comments from sur-

veys survey reports usually include hundreds of individual comments

from those surveyed provides further valuable information.

To view the survey instrument from the most recent Annual Follow-

Up Survey, go to www.fromthecommissioner.org/classof2002surveyinstru-

ment.

To view a timeline, read more about all aspects of the Institute, including its history, a list of current projects, and information about its many publications, visit www.vinsoninstitute.org .

Atlanta Technical College's International Exchange Program is in the sixth year of its partnership with Felix Fechenbach, a college located near Frankfurt, Germany. For two weeks in early February of this year, 12 German exchange students and 4 instructors were on campus, attending classes and participating in business-and-industry learning opportunities. Last year, Felix Fechenbach hosted Atlanta Tech students and faculty.
Another partnership for Atlanta Tech was formed when the Atlanta Fire Department turned to Atlanta Tech for help with ideas for marketing disaster-preparedness training to city residents.With a $60,000 grant from PriceWaterhouseCoopers, the Atlanta Fire Department will implement strategies developed by Atlanta Tech marketing students and faculty.
Griffin Technical College, in partnership with area companies Caterpillar and NACOM, has made it easier for some
area employees to continue their education efforts. Fiftythree Caterpillar employees completed requirements for a Technical Certificate of Credit, with 38 completing the Certified Manufacturing Specialist program, and 15 completing the Certified Warehousing and Distribution Specialist pro-
gram. Twenty-eight NACOM employees earned a Supervisory Management Specialist certificate and ten completed the Industrial Maintenance Technician certificate program.To show NACOM's commitment to education and company growth, each NACOM employee completing the course received a monetary award and a Palm Pilot.
Gwinnett Technical College has two new programs designed to prepare students for careers currently in high-growth mode: childcare services and sport management. For the years 2000

AROUND
The State
through 2010, jobs in childcare services are projected to grow 42%, and jobs in the recreation industry are projected to grow 36 percent.The early childhood care and education offering is an associate degree to prepare students to become K-3 paraprofessionals, preschool teachers, early childhood program directors and childcare workers.The associate degree in sport and recreation management will prepare students for a variety of careers, including parks and recreation manager, recreational leader, sports marketing director, collegiate and professional sports operations jobs, sports facility manager, grounds manager, and sport and recreation administrative assistant.
The Heart of Georgia Technical College Tools for Success program initiated by Miller Brewing Company at Albany Technical College last year awarded tools to nineteen students.The Louie and Evelyn Livingston Family Foundation and Morris State Bank are new sponsors.They will underwrite the 2003 program and have pledged their continuing support.
Heart of Georgia Tech's Adult Literacy Department recently held a resource fair for the Hispanic community.This fair, the first of its kind in the area, drew participation from area businesses and community and governmental organizations. Bilingual volunteers served as interpreters and an English literacy instructor translated informational brochures and fliers into Spanish for the event.

Middle Georgia Technical College and Houston County Career Technology Center (HCCTC) won the Georgia Economic Developers' Association TERRIFIC Education Award. HCCTC is a career and technical high school which shares a campus with Middle Georgia Tech at Corder Road.This initiative utilizes joint funding, facilities, instructors, equipment and supplies to provide classroom and lab space and has resulted in dual-enrollment opportunities for high school students. HCCTC provides an alternative high school setting that gives students special opportunities, including these: to earn, simultaneously, a high school diploma and technical college credit; support for a smooth transition into the workforce or a postsecondary educational institution; and a chance to take vocational courses not typically available in the traditional high school setting.

"purchase and maintenance of state-of-the-art equipment for South Georgia Technical College." Southwest Georgia Technical College celebrated enrollment growth of 156% over a ten-year period with state officials, area legislators, community members, faculty, staff, and students at a groundbreaking ceremony for the $11.75 million two-story building the first multi-level teaching facility that will house classrooms, student services, and administration when it is
complete. Southwest Georgia Tech currently serves over 3,000 annually; enrollment is predicted to reach 5,000 in the next several years.

South Georgia Technical College has received a $5,000 grant from the Weyerhaeuser Company Foundation to support the South Georgia Tech's Foundation annual drive seeking resources to upgrade instructional equipment and training aids.Weyerhaeuser
is one of the world's largest integrated forest products companies, with offices or operations in 18 countries. Anna Skrobecki,Vice President and Mill Manager for Weyerhaeuser's Flint River Operations in Oglethorpe, who presented the check to President Jon Johnson, noted, as she said that Weyerhaeuser "applauds" South Georgia Tech's efforts, that the technical college provides area students the opportunity to gain "skills valued in today's demanding work environment," and that the company was pleased to be able to contribute to the

West Central Technical College, specifically the Central Educational Center (CEC), won the Georgia Economic Developers' Association TERRIFIC Award in the Technical College category. It was announced that the CEC won the award because it uses technical-college resources to educate high-school students, connects secondary and post-secondary education seamlessly, and because CEC was planned with the assistance of local business leaders. As such, CEC represents just the sort of high quality, exemplary program TERRIFIC was developed to recognize. FTC

7

AROUND THE STATE

FROM THE
COMMISSIONER