The Augusta Press sat down with newly-appointed president of Augusta Technical College, Jermaine Whirl. We asked about his background and his vision for the college’s role going forward in a rapidly-changing CSRA.
Jermaine Whirl has been connected to technical colleges longer than most. Whirl’s parents both attended Trident Technical College in Charleston. His mother was the first of nine children to graduate from college, which led on to a long career in the medical field. Whirl’s father studied accounting and became a successful business owner.
“Fundamentally, education was always important,” Whirl said. “Technical education was accessible and affordable for my parents, as they couldn’t go right into a four-year institution.”
Whirl acquired a Bachelor’s in Economics from Winthrop in Rock Hill, SC., as well as an MBA from Charleston Southern University and a Master’s in Adult Education and Community Leadership at Georgia Southern University in Statesboro, GA.
From then, Whirl held numerous university leadership jobs across the Southeast, and when former Augusta Tech president Terry Elam retired, Whirl was encouraged to throw his hat into the ring for the job.
“The employees that were here were outstanding,” Whirl said of the staff of Augusta Tech. “There was a lot of great activity happening in the region specifically around cyber and economic development.” That statement is echoed in the Georgia Cyber Center’s development just a few miles from Augusta Tech. “I wanted to be a part of that, be a part of that ecosystem.”
We asked Whirl how he thinks the college has fared in combatting COVID-19-related issues. “The kudos really go to our interim president, Sheila Hill, the vice presidents and deans. We’ve only had about 83 cases total at the college, employees and students combined,” Whirl said. “That is incredible, compared to what’s happening within our region.” The college was early into mask-wearing, distancing, and shifting classes to online whenever possible, according to Whirl.
Looking ahead, Whirl said a brand new strategic plan for the future of Augusta Tech will be released this summer. “We want to be a first-choice institute in this region,” he said. “When you look at this community, and the high poverty rate in this community, accessibility and affordability are monikers that we do well.”
Much of what Whirl touched on related to Augusta Tech being clearly connected to the community both personally and corporately, playing an active role in increasing the social mobility of its graduates. “We deal with a lot of poverty, that’s a reality in this area,” Whirl said. “We want to ensure if people come here, their life is transformed and they are better for the education being provided here.”
Whirl made clear his desire for the college to be a nationally-recognized institution, and more on their plan to accomplish that goal will be laid out in the new plan this summer.
“This year is our 60th anniversary. Uniquely, the 60th anniversary is known as the diamond year,” Whirl said with pride. “I’ve been telling people that we’re the hidden gem in South Augusta but we will not be hidden anymore.”
Tyler Strong is the Business Editor for The Augusta Press. Reach him at tyler@theaugustapress.com
