A house RESOLUTION

TO RECOGNIZE AND COMMEND MIDLANDS TECHNICAL COLLEGE FOR THE TRANSFORMATIVE IMPACT THE INSTITUTION HAS HAD ON LEGIONS OF STUDENTS AND ALUMNI, THE COMMUNITY, THE STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA, AND BEYOND FOR A HALF-CENTURY AND TO CONGRATULATE MIDLANDS TECH AS THE SCHOOL CELEBRATES ITS SEMICENTENNIAL ANNIVERSARY.

Whereas, July 1, 2024, will mark an important milestone in Midlands Technical College's already distinguished history: the fiftieth anniversary of the institution's July 1, 1974, founding and of its service to the Central Midlands of South Carolina; and

Whereas, throughout 2024, various events will celebrate Midlands Technical College's educational legacy. The calendar of events begins at the Midlands Tech faculty and staff in-service on January 3 and concludes with a homecoming festivity for graduates in the fall; and

Whereas, the present-day Midlands Technical College (MTC) is the product of a rich and unique history. On March 21, 1973, the Columbia Technical Education Center, Midlands Technical Education Center, and Palmer College in Columbia merged to form a single multicampus college. This new college operated as three separate entities governed by one local commission through June 1974. On July 1 of that year, the three separate institutions merged to form Midlands Technical College under the guidance of the Richland-Lexington Counties Commission for Technical Education. Never before had a public trade school, a public technical education center, and a private junior college merged to form a comprehensive two-year technical/community college in South Carolina; and

Whereas, accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Midlands Technical College provides a variety of educational opportunities that support its mission of human resource development in support of economic development; and

Whereas, further, MTC offers more than one hundred credit programs of study and has an estimated annual economic impact in excess of one billion dollars. A strong college-transfer program allows students the opportunity to take the first two years of a baccalaureate degree and then transfer to one of the state's four-year institutions; and

Whereas, Midlands Technical College also provides corporate and continuing-education opportunities; records more than twenty-five thousand enrollments annually; and is one of the largest institutions of higher learning in the State, with six campuses in three counties. Off-campus sites provide classes for many residents; and

Whereas, more than 80% of MTC graduates who do not continue their education after graduation are employed in jobs related to their field of study. State-of-the-art equipment, well-qualified faculty and staff, and hands-on experience give MTC's students the high-quality education and training they need to compete successfully in the marketplace; and

Whereas, Midlands Technical College's solid foundation in the past and its vision for excellence in the future together ensure that citizens and students alike will be proud to call MTC their college; and

Whereas, grateful for Midlands Technical College's fifty years of distinguished service, the members of the South Carolina House extend to this fine institution best wishes for many more years of serving the people of this great State. Now, therefore,

Be it resolved by the House of Representatives:

That the members of the South Carolina House of Representatives, by this resolution, recognize and commend Midlands Technical College for the transformative impact the institution has had on legions of students and alumni, the community, the State of South Carolina, and beyond for a half-century and congratulate Midlands Tech as the school celebrates its semicentennial anniversary.

Be it further resolved that a copy of this resolution be presented to Dr. Ronald L. Rhames, president of Midlands Technical College, on behalf of the college.

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