South Piedmont Community College
With two campuses and an auxiliary location in south-central North Carolina, South Piedmont Community College is the newest community college in the state, and a part of the North Carolina Community College System. The college was created in 1999 replacing Anson Community College and Union Technical Education Center. South Piedmont Community College is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.
Aside from the institutional accreditation, many of the programs at South Piedmont Community College are also approved and recognized by other agencies, including the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction, Division of Vocational Rehabilitation, North Carolina State Board of Nursing, and the North Carolina State Board of Community Colleges.
A wide range of associate degree, certificate, and diploma programs are offered at South Piedmont Community College. Areas of study include Advertising and Graphic Design, Air Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Technology, Associate in Arts, Basic Law Enforcement Training, Biology Education, Business Administration, Communication, Computer Information Technology, Criminal Justice, Early Childhood Education, Engineering, Entrepreneurship, Human Services Technology, Infant and Toddler Care Certificate, Journalism, Mass Communication, Medical Office Administration, Music, Nursing, Paralegal Technology, Psychology, Simulation and Game Development, Social Work, Surgical Technology, Therapeutic Massage, Visual Art, Web Technologies, and many more.
Aside from the college credit courses offered at South Piedmont Community College, the Career Development and Continuing Education division caters to the learning and development needs of professionals and entrepreneurs. Various training programs, classes, conferences, and seminars are customized and delivered in various platforms to individuals who want to develop their skills and become more competitive in the marketplace. Classes include Vehicle Safety Inspection, Masonry, MS Office Overview, Introduction to Quickbooks 2013, CPR and First Aid, Automation Technician, Medication Aide, Medical Coding and Billing, Notary Public Education, Digital Photography, Gardening and others.
To assist students of South Piedmont Community College and ensure that they achieve academic success, Academic Support Centers are provided on-campus and online offering different programs, tools, and resources. The Virtual Academic Support Center gives students access to different online resources on everything from learning styles, enhancing study skills, workshops and seminars, and references.
Tutoring services are also offered by the Academic Support Center. Both skills tutoring (in areas such as written and oral communication, reading comprehension, study skills, etc.) and course tutoring are offered. Students can sign up for face-to-face or drop-in tutoring sessions. Also provided is the Writing Commons, where experienced tutors can assist students in developing and organizing ideas, editing and researching topics, and the other aspects of the writing process.
South Piedmont Community College also offers Career Services to students to prepare them for success in the workforce. Services offered include career counseling and planning, assessments, workshops on cover letter and resume writing, job search skills, business networking, and yearly Career Connections Fairs. Also, students can make use of libraries and computers for career exploration tools, and the Virtual Career Library online. The online resource also allows prospective employers to connect with potential employees, while job seekers can also post their information or search job listings.