Chattahoochee Technical College

Eight Campuses, Six Counties, One Vision

By Kathleen Boehmig

Dr. Ron Newcomb, President of Chattahoochee Technical College, is excited about the reopening of the Woodstock campus, their eighth location, this October. A community-centered campus such as Woodstock is the on-ramp to the interstate of college, he declares.

Chattahoochee Techical College is the largest technical college in Georgia, and the only public post-secondary higher education institution in Cherokee County. It was founded on July 1, 2009, from the merger of three previously independent units of the Technical College System of Georgia Appalachian Technical College, Chattahoochee Technical College, and North Metro Technical College. Now, with a combined service area of six counties (Bartow, Cherokee, Cobb, Gilmer, Paulding, and Pickens) and with eight campuses and online offerings, Chattahoochee Technical College serves over 15,000 credit students annually. They offer 45 programs, for students who range from recent high school graduates to seasoned workers who are pursuing new careers.

The newly-renovated Woodstock campus is a stellar example of recycled space. Formerly Woodstock Elementary School, the property was leased from the Cherokee County board of education in 2004, then deeded by Cherokee County to the state in 2013 for use by Chattahoochee Technical College. Over the past year, its been closed for extensive renovations.

David Simmons, Vice President for Facilities, says, The original structure was built in the 1930s. The biggest challenge was working through government regulations, but it was amazing how everyone cooperated. Woodstock has a strong sense of civic pride, and we wanted to re-claim the beauty and history of the original school building. So many people who still live here have ties to the elementary schoolthe community has been incredibly supportive throughout the whole renovation process.

Jennifer Nelson, Vice President for External Affairs, agrees. We had to replace roofs, upgrade the HVAC system, replace windows and kid-size bathrooms. Its come together beautifully. We are so grateful to the school board for making it possible.

The campus will not only be used for classes, but will also be available for business meetings and conferences, since downtown Woodstock has limited space for such functions.

Nelson adds, Our three-pronged purpose of the campus is advantageous for Woodstock: as public space, continuing education development training, and training space for local industry. Our colleges education mission is to be a great citizen in the communities we serve, Dr. Newcomb says.

The location of this campus is so impactful for the community, Dr. Newcomb continued. In terms of a public college in the county, were it. That coupled with the fact that the population of Cherokee County is roughly a quarter of a million, and the fact that we already had 1,800 Cherokee residents taking one or more classes this past Spring well, were going to take off! One strategic emphasis of the State, the College, and Cherokee County Schools is to enroll many more high school students in college. We expect this reopened campus to double our enrollment from Cherokee High Schools.

Chattahoochee Tech has a great transfer relationship with Reinhardt and Kennesaw State University. Reinhardt takes most of our courses, and in fact, many of our students and even some of our staff take courses from Reinhardt, Dr. Newcomb says. We actually provide them space to teach a few of their graduate courses. As for KSU, weve had a strong relationship with them, they accept roughly 60 to 70 of our courses, and weve just completed an articulated Associate of Science degree in Culinary Arts with them with more to come, we believe.

At Chattahoochee Tech, you will find a collegiate atmosphere that fosters learning, creative thinking, and personal character development. You will also find, in the staff, executive administrators and faculty, a group of people dedicated to improving the lives of individuals and the communities where they live. Woodstock is the latest community to be served in such a positive way. The ribbon-cutting ceremony is scheduled for October 22, 2015. This promises to be a long-lived, mutually beneficial relationshipfor the community, and for the people who live there.

Woodstock Campus Renovation
Square Footage Renovated: 46,011 gross square feet
Total Cost: $5,304,822.00
Architect: CGLS Architects
Contractor: New South Construction, Inc.
Areas Renovated: 13 classrooms, library, student success center, student center,  faculty offices, office space, restrooms, and plaza area.

Chattahoochee Technical College
Woodstock Campus
8371 Main Street
Woodstock, GA 30188
Classroom-Only Location
ChattahoocheeTech.edu