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Piedmont Technical College

Founded in 1966 and accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Piedmont Technical College is a comprehensive two-year college offering university-level education and hands-on career training.

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At Piedmont Technical College, we believe it's your right to succeed. We believe that you deserve an education that's driven by your goals: an education designed from the ground up to prepare you for success, that you don't have to take out a second mortgage to afford. We teach skills you can put to work on day one -- knowledge you'll use for the rest of your life.

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Piedmont Technical College (PTC) began its partnership with CCURI in 2012.  Research projects in water quality analysis have been created and were implemented through a series of labs in Fall 2013 the College Chemistry I (CHM 110) course.  Currently we are working to expand undergraduate research into the labs for the entire semester.  We will also be working toward embedding the water quality research projects in all chemistry classes at PTC.

 

Students venture out to Rocky Creek in Greenwood, SC to conduct research.  Water quality studies are currently focused on examining parameters such as pH, temperature, dissolved oxygen, nitrates, phosphates, total dissolved solids, turbidity, biological oxygen demand, and coliform levels.  Students are able to obtain water quality index values to determine the overall health of the water.

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Vision and Change Implementation

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Integrate Core Concepts and Competencies throughout the Curriculum​​

  • Introduce the scientific process to students early, and integrate it into all undergraduate chemistry courses

  • Define learning goals so that they focus on teaching students the core concepts, and align assessments so that they assess the students’ understanding of these concepts

  • Relate abstract concepts in biology to real­world examples on a regular basis, and make biology content relevant by presenting problems in a real­life context

  • Demonstrate both the passion scientists have for their discipline and their delight in sharing their understanding of the world with students

 

Focus on Student ­Centered Learning

  • Use multiple modes of instruction in addition to the traditional lecture

  • Integrate multiple forms of assessment to track student learning

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Promote a Campuswide Commitment to Change​

  • Advocate for increased status, recognition, and rewards for innovation in teaching, student success, and other educational outcomes

  • Provide teaching support and training for all faculty, but especially postdoctoral fellows and early­career faculty, who are in their formative years as teachers 

High Impact Practices Implementation

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Collaborative Assignments and Projects

Undergraduate Research

Internships

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