SPCC Snapshot - Advancing Our Community Together: Fall 2021

THE SOUTH PIEDMONT COMMUNITY COLLEGE

SNAPSHOT $9 Million in Upgrades for Our Anson County Campus Our LL Polk Campus and Lockhart-Taylor Center are integral partners in the Anson County community, providing free college education to students high schoolaged and older. Along with job training and skills development, we enable residents with the flexibility and affordability for career growth.

In 2017, we began a planned

investment of $9 million for our Anson County campuses resulting in upgrades to facilities, programs, and infrastructure to better accommodate how our students learn. This better prepared them for good-paying jobs that are increasingly in demand.

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New Spaces and Technologies Enhance Student Experience More than 3,500 students enrolled for the fall semester and this number is only expected to rise in the spring.

Bar Owner Garrett Snuggs & General Manager Amanda Lambert stand behind their new bar construction.

SPCC’s Small Business Center Helps to Expand Local Entrepreneurial Endeavors If you’re at the corner of Martin and Rutherford Streets in Uptown Wadesboro you might see local business owner Garrett Snuggs.

He owns the whole corner with his barbershop and soon-to-be bar and grill next door.

Enrollment at SPCC got an extra boost through additional local, state and federal funds we received to make financial assistance even more readily available to students.

These funds support the “South Piedmont Advantage,” which covers the tuition and fees not supported by existing financial assistance programs. These dollars are not loans and do not need to be paid back, eliminating financial barriers for our students.

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Thanks to support and guidance from our Small Business Center, Bank Shots and Grill is set to open later this year offering casual eats in a friendly bar atmosphere.

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SPCC SNAPSHOT – ADVANCING OUR COMMUNITY TOGETHER.

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HIGHER EDUCATION IS WITHIN REACH The South Piedmont Advantages offers FREE tuition to ALL students in all programs through 2023.

$4.3

MILLION

Grant Received to Cover Financial Aid

66%

Of First-Time, Full-Time Students Receive Financial Aid in 2021

46%

Of Financial Aid Students Received Federal Pell Grants

No, this is not a gimmick. We offer courses completely free of charge and with flexible schedule options, so your life doesn’t have to stop to pursue higher education.

Scan the QR code for more information or to begin filling out your college application.

$9 Million in Upgrades cont’d.

One of the biggest improvements we made was expanding college credit options to students with sights set on a bachelor’s degree.

We did this by expanding our education technology to focus on security and user experience to save time and money, allowing students to use their resources on what matters most, their goals.

“My high school junior started taking classes at SPCC this semester,” said Michelle Brock, Anson County resident, “He’s on

track to complete an associate’s degree by graduation, for free!

This is saving us and other families literally thousands every year.”

Through a wide range of college credit courses and degree options, a two-year degree, valuable certification, or a seamless transfer to a 4-year college are available to everyone at little to no cost.

A huge part of what makes this possible is our nationallyrecognized Hy-Flex classrooms.

HOW STUDENTS CAN BENEFIT FROM A HY-FLEX CLASSROOM: Hy-flex learning is unique because it allows our students to choose when they can attend class in-person and when they need to opt for attending class online.

Students who typically find outside help for childcare or transportation in order to attend class now have the flexibility from class to class to attend in-person or virtually so they do not have to miss a day of learning.

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@southpiedmontcc |

We allow students to meet faceto-face, virtually, or a mix of the two. This format is ideal when having to balance a job, family, and education. To offer this, we’re investing in state-of-theart technology and upgrading infrastructure – projects currently underway not only on our campuses, but at Anson High School. We’re also hard at work with county officials to bring broadband internet to areas without access.

“With IT and internet connectivity at the forefront of most businesses, tackling this digital divide is key for economic growth,” said @SouthPiedmontCC |

https://spcc.edu

Karla Shields, our Associate VP for Economic and Workforce Development.

These improvements not only impact learning, but will allow us to update our safety and security system. We plan to equip campuses with contactless entry for buildings, new surveillance software, provide online appointments, schedule tutoring, mobile class registration, and other services. Funding is already underway for this next phase, serving our mission to create a high-tech, modern educational experience for all.

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Working Smart – Soft Skills for Workplace Success Employers are looking for the technical skills and experience to do the job, plus, the “soft skills” that lead to success: communication, problem solving, time management, accountability, and more. Working Smart provides the tools to help you keep a job, excel at your job, and be more productive.

CONSISTS OF FIVE MODULES: 1 2 3 4 5

Self-Awareness Self-Management Work Ethics Communications Skills Problem Solving Skills

During Working Smart training, you will master the skills that employers believe are critical to job success. If you are interested in increasing your chances for employment and promotion, contact Kristi Phifer at 704-290-5216 or kphifer@spcc.edu for enrollment information.

Classes are tuition-waived for individuals that are unemployed, underemployed or have been given notice of a layoff.

Earn Your High School Diploma at SPCC Earning your high school diploma can help you earn an additional $8,000 or more per year than those who do not have their diploma.

We offer classes to help adult students earn a high school equivalency credential. These classes are selfpaced with in-person and online options to provide flexibility for your busy schedule.

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Community Member Making Her Mark Tanya Chance spent a decade teaching history at Anson County high schools. This past year she decided to make her own history by joining us as a student recruiter.

“The needs are great in our community,” said Tanya. “Some people don’t have hope and we have to reshape their thinking.” She believes that education is one of the best ways to change someone’s life.

“When I was in high school, the message was ‘graduate and get a job’, but no one told me that the job wouldn’t pay enough for me to live,” she explained. Tanya grew up in Georgia in a family with limited means.

Wadesboro Police Department and her 18-year-old son is enrolled in our Industrial Technology program. Tanya now works as a recruiter at South Piedmont. She attends community gatherings, business meetings, churches, and civic organizations to share her message on the importance of education.

In years to come, when the events of today are being taught in class, she wants the residents of Anson County to be remembered for what they accomplished not for what they didn’t.

“We were so ‘po’, we couldn’t afford the ‘or’ in ‘poor’”, she jokes with a big smile. Still, Tanya was able to graduate high school and get a job to make ends meet for her family.

One day, a friend asked her about the kind of example she wanted to set for her kids.

Because of that conversation, Tanya made a commitment to become their role model by going to college and becoming the best version of her best self.

Today, Tanya holds a master’s degree in education and has turned her life into a success story that her four children and three grandchildren can be proud of.

Her oldest daughter is a Sergeant in the

If you’d like to chat with Tanya Chance, about her story or the future of yours, email chance@spcc.edu or call 704-272-5462.

HIGH SCHOOL EQUIVALENCY PROGRAM Orientation Session January 18 at 4:30 pm.

Classes will begin the same week – Tuesday & Thursday afternoon from 4:30 -7:30 pm.

Reading, writing, mathematics, critical thinking, and communication instruction to prepare learners to successfully pass the GED or HiSET.

Scan the QR code or call 704-290-5243 for additional information.

I was nervous about coming back to school, but now I feel good because I see that I have the intelligence to go to college and be what I really want to be. I would recommend SPCC to anyone who didn’t graduate high school.

SPCC SNAPSHOT – ADVANCING OUR COMMUNITY TOGETHER.

JASON

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SPCC’s Small Business Center Helps to Expand cont’d.

General Manager Amanda Lambert pointed out how overwhelming it can be to start a business.

“I had so many doubts if I was on the right track,” said Amanda. “When I connected with Renee at the Small Business Center, the process was clearly outlined and I was able to get so much done in a few weeks.” Together, Garrett and Amanda also operate a barber school and livestock farm. They’re also considering opening a halfway house.

“The community has been good to me for 22 years and I want to give back,” said Snuggs.

Like many people, Garrett’s first job was at a restaurant. As he got older, he realized he wanted to work for himself, so he enrolled in barber school and eventually opened up his current shop.

Wadesboro is seeing several new businesses open, a bounce back from

FREE COUNSELING + COURSES FOR ENTREPRENEURS

the pandemic. This might include more barbershops; Snugg’s school’s inaugural year included 40 students, as he works to help others make a living for themselves.

“When Garrett gets something in his mind, he does it,” says Amanda. “That’s why I’ve stuck with him. He does what he says he’s going to do.”

Did you know that hundreds of incredible resources are available to you, FREE, through SPCC’s Small Business Center? These offerings are available online, and are designed to fit your busy schedule and help you bolster your business knowledge.

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Helping small business owners like Garrett Snuggs to succeed is a win for all of us at South Piedmont.

“It’s wonderful to help entrepreneurs achieve their dream of starting a business because those businesses create jobs and have a significant impact in our community,” said Renee Hode, Director of the Small Business Center at SPCC. For more information about our Small Business Center, contact Renee Hode, Director at 704-993-2424 or email rhode@spcc.edu.

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Most courses offered virtually Links to hundreds of helpful websites No-cost seminars and special events Confidential counseling

If you need confidential counseling with business ideas, planning, growth, or problem solving, we can help you!

Learn More: spcc.edu/small-business-center/

SPCC’S MEDICAL-FOCUSED CAREER PATH PROGRAMS

Medical Assisting

Nurse Assistant (CNA)

A Medical Assistant works alongside physicians, mainly in outpatient or ambulatory care facilities. They help in taking medical histories, explaining treatments, collecting lab specimens, drawing blood, and other duties to help the physician. This is one of the fastest growing careers in the country and our program is rated one of the best in the state.

Nursing Assistants or CNAs provide personal care and perform basic nursing skills for patients of all ages. If you enjoy helping people, this career may be for you. You can also build on these skills later if you decide to go into Medical Assisting or Nursing.

Earning: $15–18/hr

Earning: $12–15/hr

EMS Do you want to be able to help your community, even during an emergency? Your knowledge and skills learned through this program can be a matter of life and death.

Earning: $15–40/hr

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New Spaces cont’d.

Our fall semester classes began on August 9 at all SPCC campuses.

With in-person, online, and hybrid offerings, enrollment headcount increased by over four percent compared to 2020.

“We are thrilled to have students back on campus this semester.

They represent the soul of the college, and seeing them enjoy our new and renovated spaces has been a highlight of this new academic year,” said Dr. Maria Pharr, president.

Our students returned to campus just in time to celebrate the opening of our newest academic building on the Old Charlotte Highway Campus in Monroe.

The 75,000 square foot building brought needed classrooms, lab spaces, and student commons areas. A Ribbon Cutting Ceremony

and Open House was held for our new Main Building in collaboration with the Union County Chamber of Commerce on August 31.

“We have unveiled several new technologies which help new and existing students experience college in a more personal and adaptive way, and we have several new, enhanced, and existing programs and partnerships to help more students experience the high-quality education for which South Piedmont is known,” said Dr. Pharr.

We are continuing to remove barriers for students in other ways as well. SPCC has established new transfer partnerships with Appalachian State University, East Carolina University, North Carolina A&T, St. Andrews

Ribbon Cutting Ceremony for the Old Charlotte Highway Campus’ new main building.

University-Charlotte, UNCWilmington, Winston-Salem State University, and we continue to strengthen our ongoing partnership with Wingate.

This year we also launched our new mobile app, SPCC Navigate, which is designed to provide students better access to classwork, appointments with financial aid or advising, and even payment options, directly from their Apple or Android phones.

“Our app was designed in response to our students’ requests for clear and immediate access to all things SPCC,” explained Dr. Malinda Daniel, project manager for the app. “Now when students need to know their schedule, what assignments they have due, access emails, schedule appointments with various departments on campus, or receive critical information, the answer is simply Navigate.”

Download Navigate in Your Phone’s Mobile App Store to Experience the Difference for Yourself:

APPLE APP STORE

SPCC’s new NAVIGATE mobile app.

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ANDROID APP STORE

With the new SPCC Navigate mobile app you can make an appointment with one click and wait in

line virtually. The makers of this app know we’re busy college students and that means everything.

CAROLINE

SPCC SNAPSHOT – ADVANCING OUR COMMUNITY TOGETHER.

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SPCC’S ACADEMIC PROGRAMS SPOTLIGHT:

Partners with Colombus Mckinnon

SPCC Recruits Machining Apprentices South Piedmont has partnered with Columbus McKinnon in Wadesboro to recruit 20 machining apprentices who will be full-time employees earning $17 an hour while they are being trained.

will require high-quality credentials/ postsecondary degrees by 2030, and only 49% of 25-49 year-olds have completed such education.

“We see SPCC as the main talent supply Our new partnership is addressing the channel for our businesses,” said Karla skilled labor shortages in North Carolina. Shields, AVP at South Piedmont. “This We are taking an employer-led approach is a great opportunity for students to be to build talent pipelines aligned to full-time employees with benefits while business and industry needs by working they are learning at South Piedmont.” with over 300 different companies across The year-long apprenticeship will begin many industries, including aerospace, on January 4 and our first 8-week advanced manufacturing, and heavy boot camp will start on January 10. equipment. Columbus McKinnon machines and assembles industrial cranes Information sessions are underway and will be offered through December. for a variety of top brands.

“We are fortunate to have a partnership with great trainers and educators from South Piedmont,” said HR Talent Advisor at Columbus McKinnon, Madeline Mullins. “South Piedmont’s training facility is world class. The apprenticeship model developed to help with our talent challenges is absolutely phenomenal and will produce some of the best, welleducated machinists who will help us sustain and grow our operations in the future.”

Join over 6,000 students who participate in career-focused programs with us each year and become a key component of economic recovery and growth for Union and Anson Counties. You can serve as a direct workforce pipeline for business and industry.

Scan to learn more

and to register for an

information session.

Machinists are skilled in cutting and shaping items with precision machine tools. Topics they study include safety, measuring tools, milling, lathes, drilling machines, saws, and other tools. Our courses are aligned with the NIMS Machining Curriculum Standard.

Earning: $17–25/hr

Welding Welders are in-demand! If you like working with your hands and making things from metal then welding is for you. Most industries need welders and the pay is excellent.

Earning: $19–30/hr

Half of North Carolina’s employers need more skilled employees, 67% of jobs facebook.com/SouthPiedmontCC |

Machining Technology

@southpiedmontcc |

@SouthPiedmontCC |

https://spcc.edu

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SPCC’S ACADEMIC PROGRAMS SPOTLIGHT:

Community Corner – We Want to Hear Your Feedback Our goal is for South Piedmont Community College to really make an impact with each and every one of our readers. We hope “Snapshot” becomes a great resource for families, educators, entrepreneurs, students, and all of our community.

Truck Driving Truck driving is one of the fastest growing careers in the county and an American way of life. Earning a license doesn’t take long and in a few months you will be enjoying the freedom of the highway with a high-paying career.

Earning: $35–91k/yr

In order to ensure that we are advancing our community together, our team has created an online questionnaire to hear how you want our presence and our community as a whole to grow in the next year. We have made a commitment to take all feedback we receive into serious consideration and to take visible, tangible action in response to your requests.

Please scan the QR code at the end of this article to share your answers to the following questions:

SPCC NAMED AS A FINALIST FOR TWO BELLWETHER AWARDS

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What would you like to see in our next newsletter?

What would you like to know more about?

What do you love about SPCC? What would you like for us to be doing in the community?

We look forward to hearing your feedback and thank you in advance for your participation!

Scan to submit your feedback and share what you think about our new newsletter and SPCC.

College and Career Readiness FIREARMS SIMULATOR Our Correctional Education’s In-Service/Basic team has the opportunity to use a simulated experience to train with handguns, shotguns, flashlights, pepper spray, and taser trainers. The training scenarios involve targets and situational awareness involving de-escalating tactics with less than lethal weapons.

The Bellwether College Consortium selected just 30 community colleges from across the nation as 2022 finalists for the highly coveted Bellwether Awards in the first round of competition.

SPCC is honored to be named in both the Planning, Governance, & Finance and Workforce Development Categories for outstanding and innovative programs. All finalists will undergo a rigorous second and final round of review at the 28th Annual Community College Futures Assembly in January.

SPCC SNAPSHOT – ADVANCING OUR COMMUNITY TOGETHER.

Through this training our students have seen an increase in firearm scores and less re-shoots which aids in the reduction of ammunition cost and use.

This tool will be used in a rotation of classes we offer with our NC DPS partners.

Scan to view all of SPCC’s Academic Programs.

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NOV

Registration for Spring & Summer Semesters Opens

DEC

College Closes for Winter Break through January 3rd

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7-13 MAY

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REGISTRATION FOR SPRING AND SUMMER CLASSES IS NOW OPEN!

First Day of Classes (16 weeks) First Day of Classes (12 weeks)

Interested in Attending SPCC?

Spring Break for Students (No Classes)

Registration for Spring and Summer 2022 classes is open now. We recommend registering early! For detailed instructions on how to register, you can look through the Helpful Registration Tools and Guides on our website – spcc.edu.

Spring Semester Ends

Spring Graduation

Scan the QR code to view instructions and to begin your admissions process.

Get an Associate’s Degree in 1 Year!

Veterans Coffee House every second Tuesday of the month at the OCH Campus in Monroe, Building A, Salon A at 8:30 am.

Information Session December 8th

Visit https://spcc.edu/associate-in-a-year/ to learn more.

SPCC ENROLLMENT BY THE NUMBERS Over 300 high school students from Anson County and over 1,300 high school students from Union County are dually enrolled with us at South Piedmont.

9,482 TOTAL STUDENTS

75%

21%

Full-Time Students

FROM ANSON & UNION

STUDENT PROFILE: AVG. AGE 30 YEARS OLD

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@southpiedmontcc |

Primary Location Attended: 46% Online

30% Old Charlotte Hwy

10% Off-Campus

5% Tyson Family Center

3% Lockhart-Taylor Center

3% LL Polk Campus

@SouthPiedmontCC |

https://spcc.edu

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