ROCK HILL—On Wednesday, April 13, York Technical College will announce being named the number one digital-savvy college among the nation's large and urban community colleges by the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) and the Center for Digital Education. The award recognizes York Technical College's ability to use information technology to both enhance its learning environment and to deliver state-of-the-art campus services, such as online access to admission material, registration, and grades.   

Wednesday's press conference will begin at 10:00 a.m. in the college's Science and Technology Building, Room 238. 

Faculty and staff will be on hand to demonstrate the kinds of technologies used by students that helped earn York Technical College the top ranking in its category.

The college's ranking was determined by a survey that was completed by community colleges across the country. The participating colleges were grouped into three categories based on city and student population. In the large/urban category, York Technical College shared the top honor with St. Petersburg College. Another Florida college, Miami Dade Community College, which serves 160,000 students annually, was ranked  number four. By comparison, York Technical College serves approximately 12,000 students per year. The survey results reinforce the idea that being the biggest does not always translate into being the best. 

 A list of the top ten colleges in each category is attached.

"We are extremely honored to be ranked number one among our sector of the nation’s community colleges," said York Technical College President Dr. Dennis  F. Merrell. He attributes the college's success largely to its focus on student needs in both learning and in accessing services, and for letting these needs drive technology, rather than the other way around.  A college committee of personnel from academic and business areas prioritizes the deployment of information technologies throughout the institution. By remaining focused on students, technology serves the priorities of the college," said Merrell.

Another key to the college's success is how efficiently IT resources are allocated.  The strategy the college follows is straightforward: First, support student learning needs — and second, provide faculty and staff the technology they need to do their jobs. The college has adhered to this approach for the past 20 years. 

Typically, the most advanced equipment, including computers and other technology, goes to classrooms and labs first. Then, as more sophisticated technologies come along, the equipment is "recycled" to meet the needs of faculty and staff and applied to tasks which may not require the newest technology. This approach allows equipment to remain useful longer and ensures that resources are deployed in the most efficient way possible. "It's all about how you use your resources, rather than the amount you have," said Merrell.

Also, the college recognized early on that strong partnerships—especially those that support infrastructure and critical services—are vital to the overall mission of the institution and the success of our students. The so-called "must have partnerships," with Digital Equipment Corporation in the ’80s to Comporium Communications in the ’90s, and in recent years, Datatel, WebCT, and CampusCruiser, have transformed York Technical College into a 21st century digital college.

"Together, we have created a premier learning environment," said Merrell.

For more information about Wednesday's announcement, contact Joe Polinski at (803) 981-7161.

York Technical College . 452 S. Anderson Road . Rock Hill, SC 29730