General Information

Governance

Forsyth Technical Community College is one of 58 institutions operating in the North Carolina Community College System, a statewide organization of public, two-year and post-secondary educational institutions. The statutes of the state of North Carolina provide for the organization and administration of a community college system under the direction of the state board of community colleges. This 20-member board has full authority to adopt all policies, regulations and standards it deems necessary for the operation of the system. The governor and the General Assembly appoint members of the state board. The state board has three major functions: equitable distribution of funds and fiscal accountability, establishing and maintaining state priorities, and educational program approval and accountability.
Forsyth Technical Community College is governed by a 15-member board of trustees - four appointed by the governor of North Carolina, four appointed by the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Board of Education and four appointed by the Forsyth County Board of Commissioners. The Student Government Association president serves as a nonvoting member. Trustees are appointed to four-year terms and set local policy for the College.

Accreditation

Forsyth Technical Community College is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges to award associate degrees, diplomas and certificates. Contact the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges at 1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, Georgia 30033-4097 or call 404-679-4500 for questions about the accreditation of Forsyth Technical Community College.

The Commission can be contacted to file a third-party comment during the time of the College’s decennial review or to file a complaint if there is evidence appearing to support the College’s non-compliance with a requirement or standard. All other inquiries about the College should be addressed directly to the College.

The College is a member in good standing of the American Association of Community Colleges.

Specialized Program Accrediting and Approval Agencies

• Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP), 25400 US Highway 19 North, Suite 158, Clearwater, FL 33763, 727.210.2350, www.caahep.org
• Joint Review Committee on Educational Programs in Diagnostic Medical Sonography (JRCEDMS), 6021 University Boulevard, Suite 500, Ellicott City, MD 21043, 443-973-3251, www.jrcdms.org
  On the new chart, Medical Sonography is accredited by CAAHEP and JRCEDMS isn’t listed.
• Joint Review Committee on Educational Programs in Nuclear Medicine Technology (JRCNMT), 820 West Danforth Road, #B1, Edmond, OK 73003, 405.285.0546, www.jrcnmt.org
• Joint Review Committee on Education in Radiologic Technology (JRCERT), 20 North Wacker Drive, Suite 2850, Chicago, IL 60606-3182, 312.704.5300,www.jrcert.org
• National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), Early Childhood Associate Degree Accreditation, 1313 L Street, NW, Suite 500, Washington, DC 20005-4101, 800.424.2460, www.naeyc.org/
• National Automotive Technicians Education Foundation (NATEF), 101 Blue Seal Drive, Suite 101, 1503 Edwards Ferry Rd., NE, Suite 401 Leesburg, VA 20176, 703.669.6650, http://www.aseeducationfoundation.org 
• North Carolina Board of Nursing (NCBON), P. O. Box 2129, Raleigh, NC 27602, 919.782.3211, www.ncbon.com
• The Electronics Engineering Technology and Computer Engineering Technology programs are accredited by the Engineering Technology Accreditation Commission of ABET, www.abet.org
  • North Carolina Board of Massage and Bodywork Therapy (NCBMBT), 150 Fayetteville Street, Suite 1910, Raleigh, NC 27601, 919.546.0050, www.bmbt.org
• American Society of Health-Systems Pharmacist (ASHP), 7272 Wisconsin Avenue, Bethesda, MD 20814, 1-866-279-0681
  • The Forsyth Technical Community College Medical Assisting Program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP), on recommendation of the Curriculum Review Board of the American Association of Medical Assistants Endowment (AAMAE). Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs, 20 North Wacker Drive, Suite 1575, Chicago, IL 60606, 312.899.1500 www.aama-ntl.org/about/endowment
  • The Respiratory Therapy program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care (CoARC), P. O. Box 54876, Hurst TX 76054-4876,  817.283.2835, www.coarc.com
• American Dental Association Commission on Dental Accreditation
• Criminal Justice Education and Training Standards Commission
• North Carolina Community College Performance Measures

History

For more than 60 years, Forsyth Technical Community College ideals have remained the same: to provide quality education and training for the citizens of Forsyth and Stokes Counties.

The college opened in the fall of 1960 as the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Industrial Education Center. Automotive mechanics, machine shop, electronics and practical nursing were among the first course offerings. In 1963, the North Carolina Department of Community Colleges was established and the school became part of the new community college system. In 1964, the name was changed to Forsyth Technical Institute, and new programs and courses were added. The 70’s and 80’s brought more change and expansion, including the addition of a West Campus site. The school’s name was changed again in 1985, as it became Forsyth Technical College, and then, in 1987, it acquired its current name, Forsyth Technical Community College.

The 1990’s and 2000’s saw more expansion. The Main Campus added several new buildings and in 1998 two new off-campus centers were added: the Mazie S. Woodruff Center in Northeast Winston-Salem and the Grady P. Swisher Center in Kernersville. In 2008, the school opened a third off-campus building, the Northwest Forsyth Center in King which houses all of our emergency service programs (Fire Protection Technology, BLET, Criminal Justice Technology, etc.). In 2012, the school opened a fourth off-campus building The College grew again in the early 2010’s as the Transportation Technology Center in Winston-Salem, a fourth off-campus building, which houses all the school’s automotive offerings, including the Richard Childress Race Car Technology program was opened. A few years later, the Business & Industry Services division moved to Innovation Quarter in downtown Winston-Salem to accelerate the immersion in business and industry. Services include businesses and industry corporate training, the Small Business Center and opportunities for bio and nanotechnology with the National Center for the Biotechnology Workforce.

In 2015, the Business & Industry Services division moved to Innovation Quarter in downtown Winston-Salem to accelerate the immersion in business and industry. Services include businesses and industry corporate training, the Small Business Center and opportunities for bio and nanotechnology with the National Center for the Biotechnology Workforce. 

In 2016, Forsyth Tech opened the Stokes Center, a 20,000-square foot building in Walnut Cove in Stokes County which was designed to meet the educational needs of Stokes County’s growing population. It is home to Stokes Early College and a variety of educational programs for adults.

In 2017, the Center for Advanced Manufacturing, a 30,000-square foot, renovated building which houses eight labs and five classrooms for advanced manufacturing training was opened on the Main Campus.  

In 2021, the Mazie S. Woodruff Aviation Technology Lab opened at Smith Reynolds Airport to train students in aviation maintenance.

Planned updates in the future include the expansion of the Main Campus with renovations to the 300,000-square foot facility known as the Robert L. Strickland Center. The center was named in honor of the late Robert Strickland when he and his wife, Betty, made a gift $2.8 million to the College. 

Now in its sixth decade, the College can boast in having the state’s largest Allied Health and Biotechnology degree programs; the state’s only two-year nanotechnology program; has been designated as one of only six community colleges in the country as a Center for Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense Education by the National Security Agency and Department of Homeland Security and named a Cybersecurity Regional Resource Center; joined WheelTime Connection, (the first community college in North America to join); became the first community college in the Carolinas and one of only 40 other centers around the United States to receive Toyota’s T-Ten certification for is automotive systems technology program and the oldest and largest Race Car Technology program in the state.

The Foundation of Forsyth Tech

The Forsyth Tech Foundation is dedicated to raising funds to support the advancement and achievement of the students, faculty, and staff of Forsyth Technical Community College. The Forsyth Tech Foundation has established three fund-raising priorities:

• Student support. The Foundation provides scholarships and other support to help students address and overcome barriers to their education. Most Forsyth Tech students work at least part time. Others are out of work or stuck in low-skilled, low-paying jobs. While tuition at Forsyth Tech is affordable compared to four-year colleges and universities, it is beyond reach of some of our students.

For more information about scholarships or to apply, please visit http://www.forsythtech.edu/apply/financial-aid/scholarships. To create or give to a scholarship please contact Angela Cook, Director of Donor Relations, at 336-734-7618 or acook@forsythtech.edu.  

• Technology. The Foundation funds technology that gives students relevant hands-on experience in their programs. From machines that simulate cancer-radiation treatment to 3D printers that manufacture parts, technology is advancing faster than the College can keep pace. Students and instructors need access to state-of-the-art instruments and equipment found in the workplace. The Foundation cultivates investments for technology purchases to ensure students are trained on current devices.

• Professional development. Just as technology is advancing, our employees need to continually learn new skills and broaden their knowledge base to ensure that the college offers a high-quality education to students.  The Foundation invests in faculty and staff by funding professional development grants to attend workshops, seminars, tuition reimbursement, training and emerging classroom technologies.

To request support for professional development opportunities, please contact Angela Cook, Director of Donor Relations, at 336-734-7618 or acook@forsythtech.edu.  

The Forsyth Tech Foundation’s goal is to build upon the strengths of the College and support the mission of providing students with guided educational pathways into a competitive workforce for the community and global economy. In our view, the greatest strengths of the College are our students, faculty/staff, and the technology on which our programs rely. Our strategy is to grow these assets as much as possible through securing community investments for student scholarships and support, professional development grants and technology purchases. 

The Foundation is designated as a public non-profit corporation under the General Statues of North Carolina and has authority independent of the College. It is governed by an autonomous board of directors composed of community leaders.  The Foundation oversees management of funds belonging to the Foundation and prudently applies amounts derived from such investments to support the College. Donations to the Forsyth Tech Foundation are typically tax deductible.  To learn more or make a gift please visit www.forsythtech.edu/giving.