Community college enables students to continue their education in challenging times

“Spectrum Enterprise is a great partner. Everything they said they could do, they made happen. It’s been a terrific relationship.”—Dr. Kyle Wagner, president

Northeastern Technical College (NETC) serves a rural region of South Carolina where 93 percent of residents don’t have degrees. Many of them face barriers to obtaining an education which include economic status, transportation and childcare. NETC president Dr. Kyle Wagner believes the solution to overcoming these barriers is enabling off-campus learning with reliable technology.

Wagner had already been planning to expand the school’s existing remote learning program when the pandemic hit in March 2020. When the directive was issued to close college campuses, Internet access for every single student became an urgent need. Wagner tapped the school’s longtime consultant, Mamie Harris, for help.

As a plan forms, a partner is needed

The school surveyed its students and found only 30 percent of them had access to high-speed Internet in their homes or the means to pay for it. After mapping out Internet provider service areas, Wagner and Harris found that Spectrum Enterprise could deliver connectivity to many NETC students through its existing service area. Wagner brought in a local Spectrum Enterprise team, and communicated his vision for a connectivity program provided at no cost to students through a grant, donations and other sources.

A program that sets NETC and its students up for success

NETC and Spectrum Enterprise designed a program where each participating student is provided with 200 Mbps broadband Internet, and access to 24/7/365 technical support. Tight collaboration between NETC and Spectrum Enterprise enabled it to launch in just three weeks.

Today, students virtually attend classes, collaborate on projects and meet with tutors. Many have also significantly reduced textbook costs by using free open educational resources.

NETC plans to make the program a permanent offering. Wagner notes, “If we want to address poverty, if we want to help people improve their lives, that access to education is key.”