Janet Spriggs: Access, Success, and Student-Centered Leadership

Why it matters

Forsyth Tech President Janet Spriggs brings a unique perspective to higher education leadership: she started as a community college student herself. That experience shapes her belief that access, student success, and economic mobility must remain at the heart of community colleges.

The big picture

Spriggs’ leadership philosophy is grounded in leading from within—working alongside faculty, staff, and students to co-design systems that truly serve learners. Under her guidance, Forsyth Tech has focused on three priorities:

• Access: Ensuring higher education is available to every student within reach.
• Success: Supporting students beyond enrollment—making sure they persist, complete, and thrive.
• Outcomes: Connecting credentials to meaningful careers that provide family-sustaining wages.

How they’re doing it

• Building strong partnerships with K–12 schools, universities, and employers.
• Co-developing workforce programs with industry leaders to ensure graduates have in-demand skills.
• Embedding human-centered design to shape schedules, services, and supports around today’s students.

The bottom line

Spriggs believes higher ed should change lives, families, and communities, not just grant credentials.