Moultrie Tech's Fall Semester Switchover Complete
When Moultrie Technical College (MTC) opened its doors to students on August 22 for Fall Term 2011, the school began counting instructional days on a semester system calendar instead of the quarterly calendar system it had followed since the college was created in 1964.
MTC joined its 24 sister schools in Georgia’s Technical College System (TCSG) in the transition. With the change, Moultrie Tech joins 80 percent of colleges and universities in the U.S. that follow a semester calendar.
“The quarter system divides the academic year into four, 10-week periods. The semester system divides the year into fall and spring terms, each 15 weeks long. There is also a summer session with 10 weeks of instruction,” said Jim Glass, MTC’s executive vice president for academic affairs.
Groups comprised of TCSG system staff and Moultrie Tech administrators have been at work for two years to address all necessary curriculum, scheduling, financial aid, information technology and operational aspects of the conversion.
MTC President Tina Anderson said of the conversion, “Two of the benefits to students are academic calendar alignment within all three of Georgia’s major educational systems of K-12, the University System and the TCSG as well as extended instructional time for greater mastery of program content and necessary job skills.”
The TCSG cites other benefits as ease of scheduling for high school dual and joint enrollment students, extended learning opportunities for students completing a clinical rotation or internship, and fewer entry points and disruptions for clinical partners and internship hosts.
The conversion also had the support of the Governor’s Office as well as key stakeholders like the Commission on Colleges accrediting agency.
Starting in July 2010, Moultrie Tech faculty and staff members began in-person student advising, so that each transitional student was well-informed about the change and had specific program questions and needs addressed. All students who began their TCSG education under the quarter system received a one-on-one advisement session to create an individual academic plan to complete their program on semesters.
Because each program’s curriculum and individual courses have been adapted for a semester calendar, MTC and TCSG officials anticipate that the total completion time for most programs will not increase.
One of the biggest concerns for students is money and how to pay for tuition. Moultrie Tech’s staff members have worked actively to inform students of what’s available in terms of financial aid under semesters.
MTC Vice President of Student Affairs Leigh Wallace said, “Tuition is roughly the same annually with semesters. It is simply paying three times per year instead of four times as with quarters. Education at Georgia’s technical colleges is still the most affordable tuition per credit hour in the state.”
Wallace adds that student access to federal and state financial aid should not be affected by the change to semesters.
