A Nationally Ranked Top Ten College 447 College Drive • Sylva, N.C. 28779 www.southwesterncc.edu 828.339.4000 • 800.447.4091 Southwestern Community College is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) to award associate degrees, diplomas, and certificates. Contact the Commission on Colleges at 1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, Ga. 30033-4097 or call 404.679.4500 or see www.sacscoc. org for questions about the accreditation of Southwestern Community College. Inquiries regarding programs and services of Southwestern Community College should be directed to the College; the Commission on Colleges should be contacted only for questions relating to the College’s accreditation. Southwestern Community College issues this catalog to furnish prospective students and other interested people with information about the College and its programs. Announcements contained herein are subject to change without notice and may not be regarded as binding obligations to the College or the State of North Carolina. Class offerings are subject to sufficient enrollment, and not all courses listed in this catalog are offered each semester. Throughout the year, course schedules are available on the College’s website. This catalog should not be considered a contract between Southwestern Community College and any prospective student. All charges for tuition and fees are subject to change as required by the North Carolina General Assembly and the Southwestern Community College Board of Trustees. Course listings within specific academic programs may be altered to meet the needs of the individual program or academic division. Policy and procedural changes approved by the Board of Trustees during the inclusive dates of the catalog will be considered as official addenda to the publication. An Equal Opportunity Institution Printed March 2020. 3,000 copies of this public document were printed at a cost of $1.78 each. Jackson Campus 447 College Drive • Sylva, N.C. 28779 828.339.4000, 800.447.4091 Macon Campus 44 Siler Farm Road • Franklin, N.C. 28734 828.306.7001 Jerry Sutton Public Safety Training Center 225 Industrial Park Loop • Franklin, N.C. 28734 828.306.7041 Swain Center 60 Almond School Road • Bryson City, N.C. 28713 828.366.2000 MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT i Congratulations! 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. This in turn will better your future and grow your intellectual and em- ployability 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, Swain counties and the Qualla Boundary. 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 more than 100 credential options in more than 40 programs of study 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. If you need to enhance your career skills, we’ve got the program for you, offered in conjunc- tion with the North Carolina JobLink Career Centers located throughout our service area. 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 Career 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 a citizen of this great region and state, you are a leader of tomorrow. You may be a leader 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 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. Thank you for trusting us to be a part of your significant and successful life journey. Sincerely, Don Tomas, Ed.D. President 2020-21 Catalog ii COLLEGE CALENDAR 2020 FALL SEMESTER *All college dates/events subject to change based on COVID-19 Fall Kick-Off ............................................................................................................Tuesday, August 11 Faculty and Staff Semester Prep Day ......................................................... Wednesday, August 12 Orientation/Registration ...................................................................................Thursday, August 13 Final Registration ...................................................................................................... Friday, August 14 Classes Begin, Full and First Sessions ................................................................Monday, August 17 Schedule Adjustment – First Session .................................... Monday & Tuesday, August 17 - 18 Schedule Adjustment – Full Session ...........................................Monday - Friday, August 17 - 21 Labor Day Holiday – College Closed ............................................................Monday, September 7 Professional Development Day .......................................................................Friday, September 11 Citizenship/Constitution Day ....................................................................Thursday, September 17 Last Day to Withdraw, First Session ....................................................Wednesday, September 23 End of First Session Classes ....................................................................................Friday, October 9 Fall Break – No Classes ............................................................ Monday – Sunday, October 12 - 18 Second Session Classes Begin ..........................................................................Monday, October 19 Schedule Adjustment – Second Session ........................... Monday & Tuesday, October 19 - 20 Advising Day/Registration Begins for Spring 2021/No classes .................Tuesday, October 27 Commencement Applications Due.................................................................... Friday, October 30 Last Day to Withdraw, Full Session ............................................................Thursday, November 5 Last day to Withdraw, Second Session & Last Day for Faculty-Initiated Withdrawal .................................................................................................. Tuesday, November 24 Thanksgiving Break – No Classes ........................................................ Wednesday, November 25 Thanksgiving Holiday – College Closed .........................Thursday - Sunday, November 26 - 29 Fall Semester Ends, Full and Second Sessions (last day of classes) ....Thursday, December 17 Grades Due/Commencement.......................................................................... Friday, December 18 Winter Break - College Closed .. Wednesday, December 23, 2020 - Sunday, January 3, 2021 2021 SPRING SEMESTER *All college dates/events subject to change based on COVID-19 College Reopens .................................................................................................... Monday, January 4 Faculty and Staff Semester Prep Day .......................................................... Wednesday, January 6 Orientation/Registration Day ............................................................................Thursday, January 7 Final Registration ....................................................................................................... Friday, January 8 Classes Begin, Full and First Sessions ............................................................... Monday, January 11 Schedule Adjustment – First Session ....................................Monday & Tuesday, January