Dalton State College (DSC) received the Seal of Excelencia, a data-driven designation recognizing its commitment to serving Latino, and all students.

"We have a large Hispanic population here in the Dalton area," said Kate Maine, vice president for marketing at DSC. "But importantly, this work does benefit all students, so we're very excited about the recognition."

More than a third of DSC's 5,600 students are Hispanic or Latino.

It is the first school in Georgia to earn the seal, awarded by Excelencia in Education . Institutions must re-certify every three years.

Less than 50 schools hold the designation, which focuses on student achievement, retention, and preparing the next generation's workforce.

Maine said DSC's retention rate climbed 11% in the past two years.

"We’ve had

See Full Page