Creative Inquiry (CI) at Greenville Technical College gives students an outlet in which to think critically and develop skills such as problem solving, teamwork, media literacy, and effective communication, that will help them in their chosen career field or prepare them for their university transfer destination. Creative Inquiry supports scholarly and creative activities by students in all academic disciplines. Examples of topics could include the history of graphic novels, fish population evaluation in a small pond, complete repair of a totaled automobile, self-published original written prose, social movements and political protests, business ethics, and gender bias in the art world.

Greenville Technical College offers several options for students to get involved in the creative inquiry process. One model for students includes collaborative research with a faculty member with like research interests. Students can use the research experience to set them apart from other individuals applying for the same position or as an addition to their transcript. Participants in a collaborative research experience will have spent at least one semester (in some cases, they may extend their experience beyond one semester) in intense study, gaining experience in research methods, earning college credit, and producing a body of work for publication and or presentation on or off campus.

Alternatively, participation in Creative Inquiry can occur as part of the classroom or program curriculum. Some courses include capstone projects that may result in the construction of a product or reach out into the community as service learning. Various programs at GTC include a capstone project that must be completed in order to graduate.

No matter whether a student chooses collaborative research or takes part in course projects or program capstone projects, the student will benefit from the experience by building relationships with faculty members and fellow students, as well as individuals outside the college.