Trident Technical College officially opens new Mount Pleasant Campus

MOUNT PLEASANT, SC – September 16, 2011 – Mount Pleasant and Trident Technical College officials, state legislators and community leaders gathered Sept. 14 for a ribbon-cutting ceremony and tour of TTC’s new Mount Pleasant Campus, which is located on Hungryneck Boulevard near the intersection with U.S. Highway 17.

“It is with great pleasure that we welcome Trident Technical College to Mount Pleasant,” said Mayor Billy Swails. “TTC will bring easily accessible and affordable educational opportunities to our residents and facilitate the retention of graduates. As the population of Mount Pleasant ages, we must look at ways to retain and boost our youth demographics. By addressing the specific requirements of local businesses, we can develop a work force best suited to their needs and keep our young professionals in Mount Pleasant. I am particularly encouraged by the courses that will be offered on the Mount Pleasant Campus. The study of new and emerging technologies will provide our residents with a solid professional platform to build upon.”

Above photo: Trident Technical Collegeofficially opened its new Mount Pleasant Campus on Hungryneck BoulevardSept. 14 with a ribbon-cutting ceremony and campus tour. Standing are(from left) TTC Area Commissioner Baird Mallory, state Rep. MikeSotille, state Rep. Chip Limehouse, TTC President Mary Thornley, MountPleasant Mayor Billy Swails, and TTC Area Commissioner Jack Harrison.Seated are (from left): Mount Pleasant Campus Dean Mike Patterson, andMount Pleasant Town Council members Thomasena Stokes-Marshall, EltonCarrier and John Burn.

The new campus, located in the heart of Mount Pleasant with easy access to Interstate 526, will provide TTC with an estimated 24,000 square feet of space once renovations are complete. Phase One renovations were completed before classes began in August and included a Learning Center, a computer classroom, general classroom space, and student services such as admissions, placement testing, registration and financial aid assistance. Phase Two, scheduled to be completed in 2012, will provide additional classroom and laboratory space.

“We are a community college, and the heart of our mission is to make affordable higher education accessible to the community. This facility is allowing us to do just that,” said TTC President Mary Thornley. “The campus is already a success ─ 350 students are enrolled in 57 different classes this fall. We are thrilled to be in Mount Pleasant and appreciate all the support we have received from the mayor, town council and the community.”

The campus sits at the edge of new construction for a mixed-use development of retail, office and residential space. General academic courses, such as English and math, are being offered at the campus this fall, along with classes in business, computer graphics, digital photography and engineering design graphics. Classes and training programs complement TTC’s offerings at Wando High School in northern Mount Pleasant, rather than replace them.

In recent years, the two-year college has helped to boost economic development by offering education and training at convenient locations through an increased number of programs and sites, often in partnership with already existing schools or centers.

The new Mount Pleasant facility is TTC’s fourth campus. The others are Main Campus in North Charleston, Palmer Campus in downtown Charleston and Berkeley Campus in Moncks Corner. The college also offers classes at the Dorchester County QuickJobs Training Center in St. George, the college’s St. Paul’s Parish site in Hollywood, and the Summerville Site at Trolley Road. The college offers classes at several local high schools, as well.

TTC enrollment grew to over 16,000 academic students this fall with the number of academic programs topping 150.