A Brief History of Oconee Fall Line Technical College

  • 2023 – November – OFTC celebrates record high enrollment with 2,035 students.
  • 2022 – OFTC Adult Education student Rochelle White won the 2022 Dinah Culbreath Wayne Exceptional Adult Georgian in Literacy Education (EAGLE) Award winner for outstanding achievement in the state’s adult education program by the Technical College System of Georgia (TCSG). 
  • 2021 – OFTC celebrates its 10th anniversary (2011-2021).
  • 2021 – OFTC discontinued credit program offerings at the Hancock County Center but continues to offer Adult Education and Business & Industry training, as needed.
  • 2020 – OFTC Instructor Kelley Braxton was the state runner up for the Technical College System of Georgia’s Rick Perkins Award (RPA).
  • 2019 – OFTC Instructor Lecresicia Marion was a state top 9 finalist for the Technical College System of Georgia’s Rick Perkins Award (RPA).
  • 2019 – February 1 – Ms. Erica Godbee Harden becomes President of OFTC, appointed by Commissioner Matt Arthur.
  • 2018 – August – First Cohort for Associate Degree in Nursing Bridge (ADN)
  • 2017 – OFTC student Nathanael Williams was a state top 9 finalist for the Technical College System of Georgia’s Georgia Occupational Award of Leadership (GOAL).
  • 2017 – February – SACSCOC approval of new Associate Degree in Nursing Bridge (ADN)
  • 2016 – January 1- OFTC was awarded accreditation with the Southern Association of College and Schools Commission on Colleges.
  • 2013 – June 27 – Ribbon cutting is held for North Campus Health Sciences and Business Development Center. The center was dedicated as the “Ben J. Tarbutton, Jr. Business  Development Center”.
  • 2012 – OFTC Instructor Joyce Davis was a state top 9 finalist for the Technical College System of Georgia’s Rick Perkins Award (RPA).
  • 2011 – July 1 – Oconee Fall Line Technical College opens its doors.
  • 2010 – Georgia’s legislature announced merger of Sandersville Technical College with Heart of Georgia Technical College.

A brief history of Sandersville Technical College.

  • 1993 – Georgia’s legislature authorized construction of Sandersville Regional Technical Institute (SRTI).
  • 1994 – April – Official groundbreaking was held to begin construction of SRTI.
  • 1995 – April – SRTI’s official instruction to students began with Commercial Truck Driving (CTD). This program was moved to Sandersville from Swainsboro Technical College.
  • 1996 – July – SRTI’s Adult Literacy service area was formed to include the counties SRTI would serve.
  • 1996 – December 5 – SRTI held its ribbon cutting ceremony for the new Sandersville facility.
  • 1998 – June – SRTI holds its first formal graduation.
  • 2000 – October With the passage of House Bill 1187 by the State of Georgia Legislature, SRTI was officially renamed Sandersville Technical College (STC).
  • 2000 – December – STC begins awarding Associate of Applied Technology Degrees. STC also opens the Warrenton Learning Center.
  • 2001 – Governor Roy Barnes approves an STC center in Sparta, Georgia.
  • 2001 – The Sandersville CTD Range was dedicated as “The Jack R. English CTD Range.”
  • 2002 – Groundbreaking is held for the STC Jefferson County Center in Louisville. The Center opened in 2003.
  • 2003 – The auditorium at the STC Sandersville campus was dedicated as “The Robert W. and Inez Franks–Thiele Auditorium.”
  • 2004 – The STC Hancock County Center opens in Sparta, Georgia.
  • 2005 – Commissioner Michael Vollmer names Dr. Lloyd Horadan President of STC.
  • 2010 – Georgia’s legislature announced merger of Sandersville Technical College with Heart of Georgia Technical College.

A brief history of Heart of Georgia Technical College.

  • 1980 – Georgia’s legislature authorized construction of Heart of Georgia Area Vocational Technical School.
  • 1982 – November – Official groundbreaking was held to begin construction of Heart of Georgia Area Vocational Technical School.
  • 1983 – W. R. Stewart was chosen to serve as Heart of Georgia Area Vocational Technical School’s first director.
  • 1984 – March – Classes begin at Heart of Georgia Area Vocational Technical School.
  • 1985 – Heart of Georgia Area Vocational Technical School graduated its first students at the end of winter quarter.
  • 1987 – Heart of Georgia Area Vocational Technical Institute opened an off–campus division for aircraft sheet metal technology in Eastman, Georgia.
  • 1988 – The Board of Postsecondary Vocational Education became the Department of Technical and Adult Education (DTAE). This new department was created by a legislative act and the State Board of Technical and Adult Education was created to govern the area vocational technical schools. At the time of the change in governance, Heart of Georgia Area Vocational Technical School changed names to Heart of Georgia Technical Institute (HGTI).
  • 1990 – December – A new facility for Adult Education was added to the HGTI campus.
  • 1995 – October – HGTI opened a new facility for allied health programs.
  • 2000 – January – HGTI’s DuBose Porter Business and Industry Training Center opened.
  • 2000 – October With the passage of House Bill 1187 by the State of Georgia Legislature, HGTI was officially renamed Heart of Georgia Technical College (HGTC).
  • 2001 – July – HGTC’s Eastman facility became the Georgia Aviation Technical College, the 34th college in the Department of Technical and Adult Education. With the re–alignment of the service delivery areas, Telfair County was added to the service area of HGTC.
  • 2003 – July – HGTC purchased an additional 50 acres of land for future expansion on the main campus in Dublin, Georgia.
  • 2005 – HGTC’s Telfair County Instructional Center’s named was changed to the Little Ocmulgee Instructional Center.
  • 2008 – September – HGTC opened Louie Livingston Hall on the Dublin campus.
  • 2009 – HGTC celebrates its 25th anniversary of the college.
  • 2010 – Georgia’s legislature announced merger of Sandersville Technical College with Heart of Georgia Technical College.