PTC’s Newberry Campus Opens for Spring Classes
The new, state-of-the-art, LEED-certified facility in Newberry is open for business.
“We are so excited with the campus,” said Marilyn Sease, director of the Newberry Campus. “Every student and visitor who has come in has been in awe of the new building.”
“All of us at Piedmont Technical College would like to thank the citizens of Newberry County for their support of this project,” said Jennifer Wilbanks, dean of county campuses at PTC. “I think everyone will be very happy with the campus when they see it.”
Faculty and staff relocated to the new facility over the Christmas break from the old National Guard Armory and opened to the public January 2. Spring classes began January 16 with more than 650 students enrolled.
The Newberry County Campus is second only to the Greenwood campus for enrollment, and since the distance involved in commuting to the original campus in Greenwood can be prohibitive for some students, the college opened the current Newberry County Campus in order to bring the college’s offerings closer to Newberry residents.
“Our enrollment at our county campuses has increased by 13 percent,” said Wilbanks. “And I believe we will continue to show even more growth.”
The new campus is 53,000 square feet, an increase from the 30,340 square feet of the old facility, and includes a larger library, a student canteen, two biology labs, four PEN rooms, two computer labs, 15 classrooms, a patient care technology lab and classroom and the veterinary technology wing that includes classroom, lab and kennel space. An additional 20,000 square feet remains for potential expansion.
Offerings in Newberry currently include associate degrees in business, education, administrative office technology, criminal justice, human services, and veterinary technology, along with a range of certificate offerings for quick training. The veterinary technology program is the only one of its kind in the midlands region of South Carolina.
The dedication ceremony will be Thursday, February 28 beginning at 5:30 p.m. Refreshments and tours of the facility will be provided following a ribbon cutting ceremony. The public is invited to attend.