Progressive programming combined with good locations, recruitment efforts, and strong community support from business and industry have been the keys to success for booming satellite enrollment. The only problem now is meeting the demand and finding the space to do so.

"We're growing every year and we're about maxed out on space," says Central Georgia Technical College President Mel Palmer of the Milledgeville satellite campus. It's a refrain heard again and again around the state.

"Since the opening of the Milledgeville satellite campus in 1997, enrollment has more than doubled from 400 students to 875," according to Palmer. "The technical college training in the Milledgeville area is filling an unmet demand for jobs at the two-year level. We have excellent support from the community and offer quality programming that people need, such as computer information systems, health programs, air conditioning, and marine engineering," he says. "With our customized training for business and continuing education offerings, we are now operating a full-service program for this community." Palmer says plans are underway to add more buildings and programs on the school's 70-acre site.

The Lanier Tech satellite campus in Forsyth County opened in 1998 with 179 students, making it one of the largest sites in the state. However, this state-of-the-art facility that was designed to accommodate 750 to 800 students is now past capacity, with a full enrollment of nearly 1,000 students. "It's a potpourri of efforts that makes the Forsyth County campus successful," says Lanier Tech President Joe Hill. Hill adds that the campus works hard to meet the demands from students and business and industry for CIS courses, applied manufacturing, industrial maintenance, and other technical programs — a good fit for an area that is attracting new, highly technical businesses and manufacturing.

Paul Starnes, president of DeKalb Technical College, says the Covington satellite campus has helped to alleviate some of the overcrowding at the main Clarkston campus. And, enrollment and programs at the Covington location continue to expand to meet the needs of the community.

"We had 300 students the first day we opened, and today we're at near capacity. It's virtually a technical institute unto itself," he says. The Covington campus also is located in an area where business is booming and the demand for skilled workers is high. "We're here and successful because of a tremendous amount of community support and a demand for technical education services," Starnes says.

Like other technical colleges and institutes and the seventeen satellites across the state, the Coffee County campus of East Central Tech has contributed greatly to the economy by helping to increase the number of skilled workers available to the area for manufacturing operations and maintenance, service industries, health-related employers, and other businesses.

"Most graduates of the satellite campus remain in the community and contribute greatly to local businesses there," says East Central Tech President Diane Harper.

Results have been similar at Moultrie Tech's Tift County satellite, which has been a boost for a community in need of a full range of educational services.

"By the second quarter, we had to lease modular units to keep up with demand for space," Moultrie Tech President Mike Moye says. "We knew it would be a very popular educational resource for Tifton, and the response has been phenomenal."

The Tifton satellite, with nearly 500 for-credit students, offers a wide variety of programs to meet the diverse needs of the community, from adult literacy classes to CIS courses to continuing education. A Phase II for more buildings for the campus is now in the planning stages to meet the demand for space.

"I've had countless numbers of people come up and tell me how much they appreciate having the campus there and having the needs of local business and industry met," Moye says. "It makes me proud that we are able to help the community."