By Karen Manning

Special to The Pilot

A general rule of thumb in higher education is when the economy goes down, college enrollment goes up.

This continues to be true at Sandhills Community College, where fall semester promises to see close to 4,500 students enrolled in college-credit courses.

A slow economy often forces individuals to reevaluate their careers and many choose a new path. Those laid-off tend to return to college for further training to enhance skills. Others who are just beginning a college education weigh the high cost of a four-year university and choose to begin at a community college and transfer to earn a bachelor's degree or decide to earn one of the 80 technical degrees, diplomas or certificates offered.

"We have seen a steady enrollment growth of three percent for the three years leading up to 2009," says Dr. Susanne Adams, vice president of student services. "In 2009, we experienced a 7 percent increase. We are currently very busy processing new applicants and could experience a record enrollment for the fall semester. Projections indicate that we may a least see another 7 percent increase this year."

Those who plan to attend Sandhills Community College during the fall semester should apply online or come to the campus. New students will need to take a few placement tests that ensure proper class placement, have their transcripts sent to the college, and meet with a pre-adviser. These steps must be completed by Tuesday, Aug. 10.

Thursday, Aug. 12, will be the day to return to the campus to register for classes and the semester begins on Monday, Aug. 16.

College Transfer Is a Popular Option

The cost savings resulting from lower tuition and fees, reduced living expenses and smaller class sizes with more personal attention are very good reasons many students begin at Sandhills Community College and transfer to a four-year college.

Sandhills was the first comprehensive community college in North Carolina to offer a college transfer program. All professors who teach courses that transfer are fully accredited and hold at least a master's degree.

One program seeing enhancements in the transfer arena will be engineering. Required pre-engineering mathematics and physics courses have long been offered at Sandhills. Two new gateway engineering courses required for an engineering major can now be found in the class schedule. These courses are fully transferrable into the engineering programs at N.C. State University, University of N.C. Charlotte, N.C. A&T and East Carolina University.

One of the new courses is an introduction to the engineering career and the other is a prerequisite course for junior-level courses that students would normally take at an engineering university. The universities want their rising juniors to have both of these courses.

For more information about how to begin at Sandhills Community College and transfer into an engineering program as a junior, or for information about these engineering courses, contact Rick Swanson at (910) 695-4951 or e-mail swansonr@sandhills.edu.

Technical Programs at the College

Sandhills Community College has a wide variety of technical program options. Degrees, certificates and diplomas can be earned in automotive technologies, computer technologies, cosmetology and esthetics, education, engineering technologies, golf course management, health sciences, hospitality and culinary arts, landscape gardening, management and business technologies, nursing and public services.

Programs Help People Succeed

The JobsNOW program combines occupational training, employability skills training and Career Readiness Certification to individuals who are experiencing unemployment due to the current economic recession. The college has pathways to quickly train and match individuals with employment vacancies in the community.

A four-part JobsNOW class, in partnership with the Sandhills Association of Electrical Contractors, will be offered to prepare students for entry into the electrician field as an apprentice electrician working for licensed electricians in residential and commercial facilities. All classes will be taught to the standards and specifications of the National Center for Construction Education and Research (NCCER). It can lead to certification as an electrician level one in the NCCER National Craft Assessment and Certification Program and a subsequent listing on the NCCER national registry for electricians. The program will be taught and overseen by certified facilitators of the NCCER.

This course will meet Tuesdays and Thursdays from Sept. 7 through Dec. 9, from 6 to 9 p.m. The registration fee is $180 plus the cost of the required textbook. It will be limited to 25 students and registration will begin on Aug. 9.

For more information, contact Alan Duncan at (910) 695-3769.

Continuing Education

Sandhills Community College has another 4,000 students who take Continuing Education classes each semester. These are non-credit courses for personal and professional development.

Classes begin all semester and students can enroll a few weeks prior to the beginning of a class.

A schedule of classes with in-depth descriptions is mailed to each household prior to the beginning of each semester and can also be viewed on the college website at www.sandhills.edu in the Continuing Education section, where the schedule can be downloaded or viewed on the calendar.

The Professional Development area offers certification and recertification courses, construction and trades, medical courses, notary public classes, real estate review and post-licensing courses.

The Center for Creative Retirement offers courses in financial planning, academics, healthy living, master gardening and even has a book club. Hundreds of online courses can be taken through the Ed2Go and Gatlin Online Certificate programs.

Community Enrichment classes include arts, hobbies, crafts and academic classes. Computer classes are for beginners to advanced users. In-service training and state certification classes for fire, rescue, police and medical personnel are taught in the Emergency Services/Fire and Rescue Training division of Continuing Education.

The Basic Skills division of Sandhills Community College offers GED, English as a Second Language, and a program for mentally-challenged adults.

Classes in Human Resources Development help develop job skills for those experiencing difficulty obtaining employment.

Construction Project

Groundbreaking of a new building on campus will be held in October. This new, two-story, 39,500-square-foot structure will house classrooms for English and mathematics, as well as the Kelly Tutoring Center and faculty offices.

The building will be named Logan Hall, in honor of Robert Emmet Logan. Logan is former chairman of the SCC Foundation Board of Directors and a generous benefactor to Sandhills. He and his wife, Dr. Mary Logan, have provided support to many Sandhills students, enabling students in need to stay in school and finish their programs of study.

Karen Manning is director of marketing and public relations for Sandhills Community College. Contact her at manningk@sandhills.edu.