Great presentation from club member and Southwestern Community College President Dr. Don Tomas at our meeting this week. Dr. Tomas spoke about the growth of SCC, their strategic partnerships, the SCC Foundation, student success, and other “Points of Pride.” Our club appreciates SCC as they continue to enrich lives and strengthen our community. #PeopleofAction Rotary District 7670

1. A Comprehensive Community College

2. College Vision
Southwestern Community College will be an educational gateway for
enriching lives and strengthening our community.
Our business is changing lives.
My goal today is for you to have learned something new about SCC
that you didn’t know before.
About Us

3. SCC Service Area
About Us

4. SCC Locations
About Us
Jackson Campus
Macon Campus

5. SCC Locations
About Us
Public Safety Training Center
Swain Center

6. SCC Programs of Study
More than 40 programs
More than 90 credential options
Divisions:
Health Sciences Public Safety & Training
Career Technologies Workforce Continuing Education
Arts & Sciences/College Transfer
About Us

7. Strategic Partnerships
1. Student Nursing Apprenticeship Program (SNAP) - Harris Regional and Swain
Medical Center
2. Highlands Cashiers CNA Partnership - onsite training and student sponsorship
3. Carolina Student Transfer Excellence Program (C-STEP)
4. Establishing first BLET program for permanent ranger positions with National
Park Service
5. Received Finish Line Grant with Southwestern Workforce Development Board to
assist students near program completion
About Us

8. Strategic Partnerships
6. Smoky Mountains STEM Collaborative with NASA Science Mission Directorate
7. Table Gaming Dealer Training – Harrah’s Cherokee Resort and Casino
8. Job Corps Partnership
9. Public Schools Partnerships
10.WCU Collaborations
11.Honors Programs
About Us

9. Workforce Continuing Education
Committed to economic, workforce, and personal development through:
● Small Business Center
● Customized Industry Training
● Workforce Education (short-term training programs)
● Professional Licensure & Continuing Education
● Personal Enrichment
● Defensive Driving
About Us

10. SCC Instructional Points of Pride
About Us

11. Student Success at SCC
Licensure success
● 89.4% of our graduates pass licensing exams on their
first attempt
● SCC ranks 8th out of the state’s 58 community colleges
in this area.
Source: NCCCS Performance Measures

12. Student Success at SCC
Partnering with Universities for Transfer Options
• SCC has 50 program transfer (articulation) agreements to
ensure our graduates can apply maximum course credits
toward completing bachelor’s degrees.
• Number of agreements has more than doubled since 2011.
• Agreements with 21 North Carolina colleges and
universities, including 20 agreements with WCU.

13. Student Success at SCC
• Agreements with 14 NC Universities to accept Honors College Credits.
(13 new agreements since 2011)
• Serve as model for the state - more agreements than any other college.

14. Small Business Center Success
Small Business start-ups – 241 jobs created in 2016-17
0 50 100 150 200 250 300
2007-2008
2008-2009
2009-2010
2010-2011
2011-2012
2012-2013
2013-2014
2014-2015
2015-2016
2016-2017
Jobs Created Start-up

15. Instructional Points of Pride
• Later this month, we will graduate
our 100th class.
• This is the 40th year we’ve offered
this FLETC-certified training.
• We are one of seven sites
nationwide to offer NPS-SLET.
National Park Service
Seasonal Law Enforcement Training

16. Instructional Points of Pride
• In 2017, we opened a Health
Sciences Simulation Lab.
• Features state-of-the-art simulation
mannequins.
• Enables students to complete more
of their clinical education on
campus.

17. Instructional Points of Pride
In 2017, Mechatronics students built &
donated a SWAT robot to the Macon County
Sheriff’s Department, and in 2018, current
students built & donated one to the Jackson
County Sheriff’s Office.

18. Instructional Points of Pride
Southwestern is the nation’s only
community college to have a
scientific partnership with NASA.

19. SCC Foundation
Points of Pride

20. SCC Foundation
Recently established the first
million-dollar scholarship endowment
in SCC’s 53-year history.

21. SCC Foundation
• The SCC Foundation’s total value has
more than doubled since 2011.
• Current value is more than $5.5 million.

22. SCC Foundation
More than a dozen new endowed
scholarships created since 2014.

23. SCC Foundation
Gifts are coming into the foundation
in a variety of ways, including:
• Planned/Estate Gifts (2 in past year)
• Gifts of Property
• Gifts of Cash
• Credit card/online gifts

24. SCC Foundation
More than 90 scholarships (valued in excess of $132,000)
were awarded in 2018-19.

25. SCC Foundation
We’re making great progress,
but there’s still much more to do …

26. SCC Foundation

27. SCC Foundation

28. Ongoing/Upcoming
Construction projects

29. • New Parking Lot
• Summit Building Renovation
Ongoing Renovations

30. Facility Services Building

31. Fire/Rescue Training Facility (Current)
These photos show the current structure
shortly after flooding in 2016.

32. Fire/Rescue Training Facility (2019)

33. Site of future Health Sciences Building

34. New Health Sciences Building (2020)

35. New Health Sciences Building (2020)

36. New Health Sciences Building (2020)
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
12% 13% 13%
15% 15% 15% 16%
24%
28% 29%
18%
Job Growth vs. All Sectors
Health Science Programs All Occupations