About Us
Historical Timeline
Augusta Tech began in 1961 as Augusta Area Vocational-Technical School. Two separate campuses were led by two directors, George Hardy and Raymond McKinley. In 1966 the school merged with Richmond Area Vocational School, and the name changed to Augusta Area Technical School. Jack Patrick became president in 1977, and the school moved to its current location in 1981. By this time Augusta Tech was offering more than thirty diploma programs. The school converted from local to state governance in 1987 and came under the direction of the newly formed Department of Technical and Adult Education (DTAE) in 1988, at which time its name changed to Augusta Technical Institute.In the 1990s, under the direction of Patrick and his successor, Terry D. Elam, Augusta Tech expanded its programs by building a new health sciences building on its main campus; constructing two new campuses in neighboring Thomson, in McDuffie County, and Waynesboro, in Burke County; and assuming responsibility for Augusta’s office of adult literacy. The Thomson campus opened in 1997 with 184 students in 10 credit programs. Terry Elam, the current president of Augusta Tech, assumed the position in 1997. The Waynesboro campus opened in 2000. That same year, due to legislation (Georgia House Bill 1187) that allowed technical institutes offering associate degrees to be called colleges, Augusta Technical Institute became Augusta Technical College.
Augusta Tech’s commitment to the technology industry is demonstrated by the college’s operation of the Augusta–Richmond County Small Business Incubator. Opened near the Augusta campus in 1999, this particular small business incubator was created to foster entrepreneurs and small businesses by providing managerial and technical assistance, low office rental rates, and shared access to office services and equipment. The program was originally envisioned as a high-tech incubator and continues to target high-tech organizations.
Expansion continued with the addition of a new student services and classroom building on the Augusta campus in 2003. In September 2007 the college broke ground for a new campus in Columbia County, near Grovetown and opened in 2011. In 2018 in partnership with Augusta University, the institution began offering information technology classes in the Georgia Cyber Center.
Koon, Mary. "Augusta Technical College." New Georgia Encyclopedia, last modified Jul 13, 2022. http://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/articles/education/augusta-technical-college/
1961
- Augusta Area Vocational-Technical School is founded.
1963
- Richmond Area Vocational School is formed.
1966
- The two schools combine to form Augusta Area Technical School.
1981
- The current site near Deans Bridge Road becomes the Augusta campus.
1984
- The first students graduate with an Associate Degree of Applied Technology.
1985
- The Automotive Mechanics Program receives the Secretary of Education’s Award of Excellence.
1987
- Augusta Area Technical School becomes a state school operated by the Georgia Board of Technical and Adult Education, and the name is changed to Augusta Technical Institute.
- The Augusta Technical Institute Foundation is formed.
1988
- Credit enrollment exceeds 2,000.
1990
- Augusta Technical Institute accepts the responsibility for the Office of Adult Literacy on Broad Street.
1991
- Allied Health programs move to the Augusta campus.
1995
- The Jack B. Patrick Information Technology Center opens.
- The Augusta Technical Institute Foundation launches a major gift campaign entitled The Power To Be, encompassing the Augusta campus and the projected Thomson/McDuffie and Waynesboro/Burke Campuses.
1996
- Construction is completed on the Center for Advanced Technology.
- The Jack B. Patrick Information Technology Center is dedicated.
- Construction begins on the Thomson/McDuffie Campus.
1997
- Credit enrollment exceeds 4,000.
- The Office of Adult Literacy moves to the Augusta campus.
- The Thomson/McDuffie Campus opens.
2000
- Classes begin at the Waynesboro/Burke campus.
- Augusta Technical Institute’s name changes to Augusta Technical College.
2001
- Groundbreaking for new Student Services Building on December 4, 2001
2002
- The 900 building was dedicated to Thelma “T” Ray Allgood.
2003
- The Student Services/Classroom Building opened.
2004
- The dedication of the Student Services/Classroom Building held (April 29).
2005
- Funds were appropriated for the Columbia County Center.
2006
- First planned gift established with the Augusta Technical College Foundation.
2007
- Groundbreaking for Columbia County Center
2008
-
Ribbon cutting ceremony for the Emergency Medical Services Building
2009
- Columbia County Center building construction begins.
2010
- Augusta Tech launches Nuclear Engineering Technology Program in partnership with Southern Company and Georgia Power.
2011
- The Columbia County Center in Grovetown officially opens its doors to students.
2012
- Augusta Technical College is named an "Achieving the Dream College".
- Augusta Technical College establishes Campus Police Department.
2018
- Augusta Technical College is named a National Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense Two-Year Education (CAE2Y), designated by the National Security Agency and Department of Homeland Security.
2020
-
First cohort of Operation Double Eagle was established in partnership with the Warrior Alliance organization.
2021
- Established Advanced Manufacturing and Engineering Technology Night with the Augusta Greenjackets
- Established the Den of Distinction Alumni Hall of Fame, Convocation, Founder’s Week and State of the College Address
- First institution in Augusta to offer the Georgia Film Academy certificate program through the economic development division
- Established an MOU Partnership with Augusta United Graduate Academy to offer academics to their program athletes
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Established the A.A.S. Culinary Arts Degree
2022
- Institution completed first comprehensive rebrand.
- Rebranded academic divisions to academic schools.
- College received three $1 million gifts from Augusta National, Knox Foundation, and Jim Hudson Automotive Group.
- $2.3 million congressional dollars were awarded to college to establish an incubator/microenterprise center with the Downtown Development Authority of Augusta.
- The inaugural class of the President's Leadership Institute commenced.
2023
- School of Health Sciences Campus at Piedmont Summerville Established
- Co-established the $1 million Piedmont Promise Nursing Scholarship program with Piedmont Augusta
- Opened TCSG's first student operated Security Operations Center (SOC) at the Georgia Cyber Center
- Established Cougar Camps (institution's first middle and high school summer camps)
- Augusta Technical College served as an anchor institution for the Biden-Harris Administration Workforce Hub.
- Dr. Jill Biden, First Lady of the United States, visited the Augusta Campus.
- Established the Paw Pantry Food Bank on Campus
- The T.R. Reddy School of Advanced Manufacturing and Engineering Technology School was established after $1 million gift.
- Adult Education Program was relocated to building 200 and Arts and Sciences was relocated to Building 900.
2024
- Opened the College's Welcome Center on the Augusta Campus
- Groundbreaking for Accelerate Augusta Microenterprise/Entrepreneurship Center
- Awarded $4.4 million from State of Georgia to establish a CDL Training Range in McDuffie County
- Augusta Tech, Augusta National and First Tee of Augusta establish the Patch Project LLC to operate the Patch Golf Course.
- Augusta Technical College's Foundation held a record-breaking year: over $2.7 million raised for non-capital projects.
- Established the college's first Nuclear Apprenticeship program with Savannah River Nuclear School (SRNS)
- Held the state's first Global Cyber Summit
- Established the second institutional institute: Greater Augusta Banking and Finance Institute
- Established a ten-year sponsored program for Accelerate Augusta and ATC Financial Literacy with SRP Federal Credit Union
- Obtained the college's decennial reaffirmation with SACSCOC
- Launched the institution's first LPN to RN Cohort
- Augusta Technical College hosted the Tri-College MLK Celebration on its campus for the first time.
- The college's commencement ceremony was the last official event held in the old James Brown Arena.