Surry Community College: An Overview

Surry Community College, established in 1964, stands as a public, comprehensive community college. It is a member institution of the North Carolina Community College System. The college is located in Dobson, North Carolina.

General Information

Surry Community College operates on a semester-based academic calendar. The college has an open admissions policy. Surry Community College is a small school located in a rural setting.

Size and Setting

The campus is situated in a rural environment. The college is located on 100 acres in Surry County.

Enrollment and Faculty

Surry Community College had a total enrollment of 3,103 students. In 2023, the total enrollment was 2,758 students, with 790 full-time and 1,968 part-time students, indicating that 28.6% of students are enrolled full-time. The student-faculty ratio is 14-to-1.

Degrees Offered

The highest degree offered at Surry Community College is an associate degree. Surry Community College offers thirty-six areas of study, many of which have options for an associate degree, diploma, or certificate, as well as online degrees. In 2023, 861 degrees were awarded across all undergraduate and graduate programs.

Read also: About Grossmont Community College

Academics

At Surry Community College, education isn't a one size fits all approach. The faculty seek to improve the thinking skills of learners through activities and assignments that require intellectual engagement and higher-order thinking. The College has adopted the Paul and Elder model of critical thinking, a model that gives students tools to think effectively about any subject. The Elements of Thought represent the essential components of reasoning. All reasoning has a purpose, is an attempt to figure something out or solve some problem, is done from a point of view, is based on information, is expressed through concepts and ideas, is based on assumptions, contains inferences and conclusions, and leads somewhere or has implications and consequences. The Intellectual Standards are applied to thinking to ensure its quality. Good reasoning is clear, accurate, precise, relevant, with the appropriate amount of depth and breadth, and is logical, focused on significant issues, and fair. The Intellectual Traits exemplify the attitudes or values of critical thinkers. Skilled thinkers are ethical thinkers, are confident that they can think their way to a reasonable answer, and do not claim to know more than they actually do.

Fields of Study

Students can earn degrees and certificates in 34 different fields. Surry offers degrees, diplomas or certificate programs in Advanced Manufacturing; Agricultural Science; Arts and Design; Business and Computer Technologies; College Transfer; Construction Technologies; Emergency Medical; Fire and Rescue; Health Sciences; Law Enforcement; Public Service; and Transportation System Technologies areas along with hundreds of workforce training courses in a variety of fields.

Popular Programs

Popular programs include: Liberal Arts and Sciences/Liberal Studies, Registered Nursing/Registered Nurse, and Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities, Other.

Special Programs

The following special programs are offered: External Degree Program, English as a Second Language program, Academic remediation, Distance learning program, Double major option, Independent study, Learning disabilities services, Advanced Placement credit, Cooperative (work-study) program, Internships, Off-campus study, Summer session for credit, Part-time undergraduate degree programs.

Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP)

The goal of SCC’s QEP is to improve advising across the campus. Advising is integral to multiple areas across campus. The college will be moving from transactional advising to a proactive advising approach. The first goal of the new QEP will be to change campus culture from one of advising for registration to one that is about establishing a relationship with each student. Students will continue to be advised by Student Services when they enroll at SCC. After that onboarding process, students will be assigned to a Faculty Advisor in their area if they are in a vocational area.

Performance Measures for Student Success

The Performance Measures for Student Success Report is the North Carolina Community College System’s major accountability document. In 2010, a review process was established to ensure the measures and methods for evaluating colleges were current and remained focused on improving student success. Every three years, a committee that is inclusive of college leaders; subject matter experts; and research and assessment professionals are appointed to review the measures and recommend modifications. The system consists of seven performance measures. While these measures do not reflect all aspects of Surry Community College’s mission, they do reflect many of the key elements of our mission.

Student Body

The enrolled student population at Surry Community College, both undergraduate and graduate, is 69.8% White, 19.9% Hispanic or Latino, 2.43% Black or African American, 2.1% Two or More Races, 0.471% Asian, 0.218% American Indian or Alaska Native, and 0.0363% Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islanders.

Gender Distribution

In 2023, 55.4% of the degrees were awarded to women, and 44.6% were awarded to men.

Age Distribution

The age distribution of students is as follows:

Under 18: 29%
18-24: 51%
25-64: 20%
Over 65: 0%

Campus Life and Services

At least one staffed computer lab is available to students. A wireless computer network is available throughout the campus. The number of computers available is 200.

Campus Info and Services

Employment services for students: Yes
Credit for life experiences: N/A
Academic/career counseling service: Yes
Placement services for completers: Yes
On-campus day care for students' children: N/A

Costs and Financial Aid

In 2023, the median undergraduate tuition at Surry Community College is $2,432, which is $5,821 less than the national average for Associates Colleges ($8,253). The cost of tuition at Surry Community College is $−5,821 less than than the overall (public and private) national average for Associates Colleges ($8,253).

Tuition and Fees

In-state tuition and fees for 2020-2021 were $2,663, and out-of-state tuition and fees were $8,807.

Financial Aid

At Surry Community College, 51% of undergraduate students received financial aid through grants or loans in 2023. After taking grants and loans into account, the average net price for students is $8,470. The average scholarship or grant award is $3,883.

Student Loan Default Rate

In 2020, the default rate for borrower's at Surry Community College was 0%, corresponding to 0 out of the 1 total borrowers.

Graduates

In 2023, 93 more women than men received degrees from Surry Community College. The most common race/ethnicity group of degree recipients at Surry Community College is white (622 degrees awarded). There were 3.96 times more white recipients than the next closest race/ethnicity group, hispanic or latino (157 degrees).

Time to Complete

In 2023, 15% of students graduating from Surry Community College completed their program within 100% "normal time". Comparatively, 28% completed their degrees within 150% of the normal time, and 36% within 200%.

Operations and Finances

Surry Community College has an endowment valued at about $15.1M, as of the end of the 2023 fiscal year. In 2023, Surry Community College paid a median of $10.7M in salaries, which represents 32.9% of their overall expenditure ($32.6M) and a 13.4% growth from the previous year.

Locations

Surry Community College serves Surry and Yadkin counties through five locations. In addition to its main campus, the College operates the Public Safety Complex in Mount Airy, the Yadkin Center in Yadkinville, and the Elkin Center in Elkin. These strategically located centers offer student access to a variety of educational opportunities including basic skills in reading, math and English, workforce and core curriculum classes, as well as providing support for the respective business and civic communities.

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