Sandhills Community College has scored big again.

The college met all performance measures established by the State Board of Community Colleges and the General Assembly, according to data released by the state in July. The college also earned “exceptional institutional performance” status.

“Everybody knows about our national championship in basketball, and we’re extremely proud of that, but these indicators measure how effective we are in dealing with the thousands of students who come to Sandhills Community College,” said college President John R. Dempsey.

The scores of all 58 community colleges in the state are given in a “Critical Success Factors Report,” the N.C. Community College System’s major accountability document. This annual performance report serves to inform colleges and the public on the performance of the state’s community colleges.

“Because Sandhills scored so high on two very important categories — the success rates of developmental course completers and how well our students subsequently perform at a four-year university — we are among only a handful of community colleges in the state who received the designation of ‘exceptional institutional performance,’” said Dr. Kristie Sullivan, Sandhills’ dean of planning and research.

In fact, Sullivan said, statistics show that students from Sandhills who transfer to any of the 16 University of North Carolina (UNC) public institutions outperform students who started as freshmen at a UNC school.

“That’s very impressive data, important news for anyone considering starting their bachelor degree work at Sandhills,” she said.

Demspey added, “Our job is to serve our students and the people of this community. If we can do it with this level of excellence, that’s something of which we can be really proud.”   

This year, the performance measures were:

• Passing rates for those taking licensure and certification examinations.

• How well the college students who then transfer to a four-year university perform.

• How many developmental course completers in English, reading or mathematics earn a grade of C or better.

• Success rates of developmental students in subsequent college‐level courses.

• How satisfied with the college are those who complete programs and those who don’t.

• How many of credential‐seeking students have graduated, transferred to another postsecondary institution or were still enrolled at Sandhills.

• Satisfaction of clients who use the college’s customized training services.

“With each of the performance measures, Sandhills exceeded the standard for the state,” Dr. Sullivan said.

News of the achievement was shared at a recent meeting of the Sandhills Community College Board of Trustees.

“The college is to be commended for the results,” Trustee Raymond G. Washington Sr said.

Dempsey called the accomplishment a collegewide achievement.

“There’s not a professor or a staff member who hasn’t had a hand in it,” he says. “I am grateful to everyone at Sandhills and am exceptionally proud of what they have accomplished.” 

The fall semester begins Aug. 20. New students can apply online or in person. High school and any college transcripts must be requested from the issuing institutions.

New students need to take an assessment test to determine correct class placement. After testing, preadvisement is held to review the scores and discuss the intended program of study.

On July 24 and Aug. 16, new students can register for classes. Current and returning students can register July 23-26 and Aug. 16.

Karen Manning is director public relations and marketing for Sandhills Community College.