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President's Office

Welcome

The fact that you are exploring Southwestern Community College’s academic programs and services tells me a lot about you.  For instance, I know you have made a decision to make postsecondary education a part of your life, which in turn will better your future and grow your intellectual and employability skills.  We are honored that you are considering or have chosen SCC as your postsecondary educational provider. 

You may be considering an associate degree, diploma, certificate, or just choosing to get your feet wet by taking a course or two.  Whatever your goal at this stage in your life, we are ready to walk the path of success with you. 

No matter how busy your schedule may be or whatever your interests, we are committed to you and your educational pursuits, and have a class for you here at SCC.  Flexibility is a high value for us, as evidenced by our variety of online classes and programs.  SCC has many course offerings at our different locations in Jackson, Macon and Swain Counties.  We truly believe in the “College Your Way” philosophy of giving you as many choices as possible for your education.

As an SCC student, you can select from a variety of degree, diploma and certificate programs.  We offer 56 associate degree programs, 11 diploma programs and 30 certificate programs that can provide you with the education and skills needed to enter the workforce immediately upon graduation.  Or, you can enroll in our associate in arts degree program which parallels the first two years of a bachelor’s degree and then transfer your credits to a four-year university.  Our articulation agreements with numerous colleges and universities will help to ease the transfer process and save you time and money on the cost of your bachelor's degree. 

If you need to enhance your career skills, we’ve got the program for you, offered in conjunction with the North Carolina JobLink Career Centers located in Jackson, Macon and Swain counties.  We provide one-on-one individualized assistance to evaluate and enhance your workforce readiness skills or retrain you for a new career, while giving you the opportunity to earn valuable college credits.  From basic skills such as how to search for a job, write your resume or dress for interviews to completing your high school diploma, we are able to help you in obtaining a career.  We can also prepare you for your Workforce Readiness Certification, which enables new and existing employers to identify you as a potential employee with valuable skills.

Postsecondary education is not easy, nor should it be.  As citizens of this great region and state, you are the leaders of tomorrow.  Some of you are leaders of today.  Leadership and citizenship are the cornerstones of our great country and we are all faced with living in an increasingly complex and complicated technological world.  The challenges to our globe are significant and call for our very best thinking and problem-solving capabilities. 

At SCC we are committed to providing a curriculum, be it a course, program, or degree that will challenge you intellectually and cultivate your problem-solving skills.  We want you to learn how to learn, to investigate problems and reach viable solutions.  This process calls for hard work and commitment.  We are committed to modeling these attributes as we work with you.  We are confident that you will challenge yourself, grow in substantial ways and become all that you can be. 

Our website provides you with an array of information on SCC programs and services available to you as a student.  We invite you to explore our website, or visit our Jackson campus, Macon campus, Cashiers, Swain and Cherokee centers, and the SCC Public Safety Training Complex for additional information.

Thank you for trusting us to be a part of your significant and successful life journey.

 

Sincerely, 

Don Tomas, Ed.D.

President

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