U.S. Department of Education renews grant funding for SCC's Student Support Services program

SYLVA - Recently, the Student Support Services program at SCC was re-funded through a grant from the U.S. Department of Education. The renewed grant funding, which is valued at approximately $1 million, provides financial means for SCC to house the program through the 2005-2006 academic year, at which time another application will be submitted to request additional years of program service to SCC.

Student Support Services (SSS), a TRIO program, has been available for faculty, staff and students at SCC since 1990. Now housed on the bottom floor of Oaks Hall on Southwestern's Jackson Campus, the program serves students with a need for academic support. Specifically, SSS identifies students who are low-income or first-generation college, or students who have a documented disability.

Cheryl Contino-Conner, Director of Southwestern’s SSS program, said that approximately 75% of SCC students fit eligibility criteria. Throughout her tenure, she has taken all necessary steps to ensure that all faculty and staff members have all the information they need about the services the program provides.

Among these services are:

• Co-advising
  
• Transfer Initiatives
  
• Career exploration
  
• Friday Flicks and Forum
  
• Test taking /academic preparation
  
• Tutoring and academic support groups
  
• Cultural enrichment
  
• Counseling
  
• Educational support plans (for students with documented disabilities)
  
  

The SSS program is also teaming up with the Learning Assistance Center and HRD to provide a series of workshops throughout the current academic year.

The overall goal of such efforts is to help each student succeed academically, personally and professionally. SSS is here to assist faculty members in retaining their program students.

Spring classes at SCC begin Jan. 9, and open registration is Jan. 8.