Florence-Darlington Technical College (FDTC) has achieved incredible success through their partnership with ACUE—including the first ACUE certification of a college president.
As a newly appointed president, Jermaine Ford, EdD, walked the halls of Florence-Darlington Technical College (FDTC) and found a campus that pulsed with purpose. Faculty saw their classrooms as gateways to transformation. Staff carried deep pride in serving the region. And students—many juggling work, family, and other life commitments—showed up determined to build something better for themselves and their communities.
What FDTC needed was a spark capable of unlocking the full power of its campus community. That inflection point came in 2024, when FDTC made instructional excellence its top institutional priority.
When FDTC partnered with ACUE to elevate evidence-based teaching across every discipline, what followed was a sweeping transformation. Within a year, the college achieved significant milestones, including 95% of full-time faculty and 43% of instructional staff earning ACUE certification. When accounting for normal turnover, FDTC achieved a 100% cohort completion rate, one of the highest in ACUE’s 10-year history.
It’s not surprising that FDTC was recognized as a 2025 ACUE Movement Maker, joining a select cohort of institutions redefining what student success can look like through the power of great teaching.
Fueling Workforce and Economic Development
Since 1963, FDTC has been a community resource for South Carolina, graduating career-ready professionals in more than 60 areas of study—including welding, dentistry, nursing, engineering, and more. The college works closely with employers to understand the real-world skills and competencies needed in a rapidly changing workforce, and faculty bring those insights directly into the classroom.
“We partnered hand-in-hand with local businesses,” says Renata Samuel, PRC, CCSR, ACIR, Director of Access to Completing Education at FDTC. “When students receive high-quality instruction aligned to workforce needs, they enter the job market prepared, confident, and ready to contribute to the economic sustainability of this region.”
Committed to Teaching Excellence
Strong teaching leads to skilled graduates, leading to improved community impact. “Our faculty are exceptional professionals,” Samuel says. “They invest in themselves, apply what they learn, and create a better, more engaging classroom experience for every student.”
Early in his tenure, Dr. Ford witnessed the passion that faculty and staff shared for the success of students. Driven to amplify their ability to support students, Dr. Ford explored many options before finding ACUE’s Certification in Effective Teaching. Impressed with the results that other institutions found with ACUE training, Dr. Ford was intrigued by its evidence-based approach—with research that showed improved student engagement and faculty satisfaction.
“The lightbulb just immediately came on,” Dr. Ford says. “Phase two of FDTC’s reimagining plan was leadership and talent development. And phase three was effective teaching and learning. So, the faculty were able to connect because it tied back to our strategic priorities.”
Faculty embraced the opportunity to enhance their teaching skills to elevate the student experience.
Leading by Example
The remarkable adoption by faculty was no accident. At the heart of FDTC’s success was that faculty were joined in the ACUE course by senior leaders and staff at the college. Dr. Ford details how he helped secure buy-in from the faculty—he let them know he would be joining them in the program. “I told my faculty, ‘I would never ask you to do something that I’m not willing to do with you.’” In fact, Dr. Ford became the first college president in the U.S. to complete ACUE’s Certification in Effective Teaching.
The success of the partnership between FDTC and ACUE extends beyond the classroom. “We, as an institution, were all in,” says Samuel. “Florence-Darlington Technical College was the first college to certify top leadership.”
At FDTC, the mission to transform diverse lives through excellence and innovation starts with the example set by leadership. “When we learn evidence-based teaching practices alongside our faculty, excellence becomes contagious and our students, community, and entire institution benefit,” Dr. Ford says. “We’re using it in our meetings. We’re using it in our classroom. We have made this a foundation of all our professional development for faculty and adjuncts, both in the in-person class and online.”
A Campus Culture Where Teaching Excellence Thrives
Faculty enthusiasm was evident in their feedback—97% reported that the ACUE experience was relevant and impactful, and many immediately implemented new practices that improved student learning. “It makes me more confident as an instructor,” says Alison Salley, Instructor of Mathematics. “I have more tools in my belt to help my students.”
Student engagement techniques were some of the elements of ACUE’s Certification in Effective Teaching that resonated with Willis Ford, Department Chair of the Welding Department at FDTC. “Welding students are hands on. So, keeping them engaged for two hours is a task,” Ford says. “The techniques I learned from ACUE have really helped.”
“ACUE strategies help prepare students to learn,” Samuel says. “They give them the structure they need to engage fully with the material.”
A Model for the Nation
The partnership between FDTC and ACUE shows what is possible when an institution places teaching excellence at the center of its mission. FDTC’s all-in approach coupled with ACUE’s evidence-based faculty training has led to transformative results that support student success. Great teaching is the catalyst for great outcomes. And at FDTC, that movement is just getting started. “I do feel there’s a mission and a purpose to my work,” Salley says. “If the students have success, their lives are going to be better. And that’s my ultimate goal.”
