Tech schools consolidate to save money - WALB.com, Albany News, Weather, Sports

Tech schools consolidate to save money

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Albany Tech President Dr. Anthony Parker Albany Tech President Dr. Anthony Parker

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By Delivrine Registre - bio | email

September 23, 2008

ALBANY, GA (WALB) - Hundreds of Albany Technical students enrolled for their fall semester Tuesday. Some forced to make changes because of the eight-percent cuts. 

"The computer electronics program was closed, and we had a few students. And they were able to move into the micro-technology computer repair program," said President, Dr. Anthony Parker.

$800,000 had to be trimmed, and every department was effected in some way.  "Currently because of budget cuts we have three individuals that unfortunately will not be with us during the fall term," said Parker.

"There are going to be some faculty members that will pick up some extra courses. So rather than teaching four or five courses. They may have to teach five or six." One of the biggest cuts was to the Christian Construction Academy.

"We were going to bring in four or five new faculty members and programs like civil engineering and construction management that were going to help fill shortages in this area," said Parker.

And all of these changes are considered minor in comparison with what is happening in 14 other technical schools. "By merging 14 into seven, we are going to have to save three and a half-million dollars state wide. And that will be achieved by the elimination of some duplicated administrative positions," said Technical College System of Georgia spokesperson, Mark Light.

By doing this none of the buildings or facilities will close. And all of the teachers will be able to keep their jobs. But lay-offs are still a possibility. "Currently all of the colleges are meeting to see with positions may be redundant and my be eliminated," said Light.

Schools planned to merge won't know what positions will disappear until later in the fall. But the Technical College System of Georgia said they will try to save as many of these jobs as possible by reassigning lost positions.

The colleges set to merge are :

* Swainsboro Technical and Southeastern Technical in Vidalia.

* Valdosta Technical and East Central Technical in Fitzgerald.

* Northwestern Technical in Rock Spring and Coosa Valley Technical in Rome.

* Appalachian Technical in Jasper and North Georgia Technical in Clarkesville.

* Chattahoochee Technical in Marietta and North Metro Technical in Acworth.

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