Tri-County Technical College

Tri-County Technical College (TCTC) is a public community college that focuses on teaching, learning, and helping students reach their goals. The College supports economic development for Anderson, Oconee, and Pickens counties in South Carolina by preparing a highly-skilled workforce.

TCTC is an open-door institution of higher education that offers affordable, accessible, collaborative, and learner-centered instruction. Offerings include university transfer associate degree programs and applied technical associate degrees, diplomas, and certificates in more than 70 majors associated with business, health, public service, and industrial and engineering technologies. The College also offers developmental courses for students who need to improve their basic academic skills.

Tri-County’s WIDS story began when it was found out of compliance by SACSCOC on an accreditation standard related to the assessment of student learning outcomes. It was through the use of WIDS that the College was able to develop quality program learning outcomes and means by which to assess the outcomes and then implement tasks to improve student learning. WIDS was the tool that helped the College become compliant and attain full accreditation status. For example:

• All college courses were created in WIDS and all syllabi distributed were from WIDS
• Course outcomes are linked to the program outcomes in WIDS
• Program outcomes are mapped to the courses where the outcomes are introduced, practiced, and assessed
• All program outcomes have Performance Assessment Tasks (PATs)
• All programs have outcome assessment plans, and all outcome results are documented.

It’s been over 10 years since the transition to this full-service curriculum management system began, and TCTC is still finding new ways to make use of the functionality.

• One of the most recent projects has been the development of High Impact Practices (HIPs) in all the programs offered. WIDS allows instructors to document the learning plans associated with the HIPs so that the practices can be reproduced by others
• Additionally, non-academic departments are now creating outcomes, PATS, and outcome assessment plans within WIDS, following the lead of academic programs.

TCTC truly values the long-standing partnership with WIDS that has resulted in success for both entities.