The institution has degree-granting authority from the appropriate government agency or agencies. (Degree-Granting Authority)

     X    Compliance         Partial Compliance         Non-Compliance

Narrative: The State Board for Technical and Comprehensive Education (SBTCE) was created and given jurisdiction over state-supported technical institutions and programs in coordination with South Carolina’s Commission on Higher Education (CHE) for coordination of programs and associate degrees.  The SBTCE has established criteria for the awarding of certificates, diplomas, and associate degrees. Orangeburg-Calhoun Technical College (OCtech) also has degree-granting authority through the Orangeburg-Calhoun Area Technical Education Commission. In 1966 the South Carolina General Assembly passed legislation creating the Orangeburg-Calhoun Area Commission for Technical Education. The Commission was charged with the responsibility for developing and implementing an adequate post-secondary program. On September 16, 1968, OCtech registered its first students, becoming the eleventh South Carolina SBTCE institution in operation. Since that time the College has grown from an initial Spring 1968 enrollment of 147 students to over 2500 credit students in Spring 2004 term. On December 2, 1970, the College became fully accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS), marking the first time that a technical college had received accreditation in its first two years of operation. Since that time, OCtech has maintained its accredited status with the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools and continues to grant degrees using SACS criteria. OCtech’s accreditation was most recently reaffirmed in 1995.

Evidence of Support: