School History

Classes for what is now Aiken Technical College began in temporary facilities in Aiken in the fall of 1972. One hundred and seventy-seven students enrolled in the first class of what was then the Aiken Technical Education Center. The current campus opened in the winter of 1973.

The original ATC campus consisted of three buildings constructed at a cost of $2.3 million — $80,000 provided by Aiken County and the remainder from federal education grants.

Dr. Susan A. Winsor became ATC’s fourth president in September 1999. She oversaw the construction of the Dale Phelon Information Technology Center that opened for classes in the fall of 2000. She also oversaw the construction of the $3 million, 30,000-square-foot CSRA Manufacturing and Technology Training Center that came on-line in the summer of 2001.

Under Dr. Winsor’s tenure the $7.6 million, 52,000-square-foot Health and Science Building was constructed with classes beginning in fall 2003. The addition of this building allowed the College to offer Radiologic Technology, Surgical Technology, and the Medical Coding programs. The Associate Degree in Nursing program became available there in fall 2005. With the completion of the Health and Science Building, a student commons was created and dedicated to Senator Thomas L. Moore in 2004.

The 700-800 Building was renovated in 2003-2004 and opened for classes in 2005. The renovation created multi-media classrooms, a state-of-the-art Testing Center, and an inviting and well-equipped Academic Success Center.

ATC launched a women’s fast pitch softball team in the 2004-2005 academic year. The team participates as a division one team of the National Junior College Athletic Association. A softball field was completed on the College campus in 2005 for the team’s inaugural season.

While the ATC campus has grown, so has its enrollment. More than 3,400 students enroll in credit courses annually, and ATC’s non-credit offerings reach over10,000 people each year.

Nearly three decades after its founding, ATC has grown into a multi-service, two-year comprehensive college offering numerous educational opportunities in college transfer credit and noncredit health, public service, business, industrial engineering and computer technology programs.