2007-2008 Catalog and Student Handbook

Post Office Box 4305 (27893-0305)

902 Herring Avenue

Wilson, NC 27893-3310

Telephone (252) 291-1195 (Voice/TDD)

Fax (252) 243-7148

www.wilsontech.edu

Published June 2007

Wilson Technical Community College

This catalog is printed on 100% post consumer recycled paper using vegetable inks.

6,000 copies of this public document were printed at a cost of $10,911.21 or $1.82 per copy

Equal opportunity institution

A Message from Our President

Welcome to a uniquely American place, a community college. Originally conceptualized by Thomas Jefferson at the time of the birth of our country, the community college has for over 100 years been a very important link to education and a vital point of service for members of its community. Wilson Technical Community College is a dynamic member of the over 1,100 community colleges serving the United States and proud to be one of the 58 community colleges serving the State of North Carolina.

It is our purpose at Wilson Technical Community College to be a partner with you in seeking and accomplishing your training, learning, and educational goals. The College is here to assist you in defining and refining those goals, finding pathways and providing tools to meet them, and to ultimately help you discover what is already there inside you.

This catalog will provide you with information on how to access and request these services, as well as details on current curriculum offerings, course descriptions, financial aid and many, many other services and programs designed by Wilson Technical Community College in response to the needs of members of our community.

Rusty Stephens, Ed. D.

President, Wilson Technical Community College

Introduction

This catalog/student handbook is designed to serve primarily as a reference guide to Wilson Technical Community College. It describes educational programs, admissions requirements and procedures, facilities, student activities, student services, and College personnel.

Material contained herein is subject to change without notice and should not be regarded as a binding obligation on the College or State. Changes in the policy of the North Carolina State Board of Community Colleges, the North Carolina Community College System, or in local conditions may make some alterations necessary in curricula, fees, and other areas. Every effort will be made to minimize the inconveniences such changes might create for students.

Affirmative Action Statement

The College affirms its commitment to a policy of equal opportunity and to direct good faith efforts toward the provision of equal rights and privileges for all individuals involved in the educational community. The College will not discriminate in any way because of race, color, sex, national origin, religion, age, disability, political affiliation, or belief.

Location

The main campus of Wilson Technical Community College is located at 902 Herring Avenue, Wilson, North Carolina. It is just off U.S. Highway 301 and is easily accessible from N.C. Highway 58, U.S. Highway 264, and I-95. Maps are provided at the back of this catalog/student handbook for your convenience.

Accreditations

Wilson Technical Community College is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) to award the associate degree. Contact the Commission on Colleges at 1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, GA 30033-4097 or call (404) 679-4500 for questions about the accreditation of Wilson Technical Community College.

Wilson Technical Community College is approved by the North Carolina Board of Nursing.

The Surgical Technology Program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) through the Accreditation Review Committee in Surgical Technology (ARC-ST).

Governance

Board of Trustees Wilson Technical Community College

Mr. E. Bruce Beasley III

Mr. Randall H. Boykin

Mr. Jerry W. Dorsey, Chair

Ms. Alice B. Freeman

Mr. James M. Johnson III

Ms. Doris H. Jones

Mr. George D. Leach

Mr. Steven R. Leder, Vice Chair

Ms. Betty P. Putney

Mr. Grady M. "Bucky" Robbins

Ms. Page T. Smith

Mr. Bobby R. Williamson

SGA Representative

Board of County Commissioners Wilson County

Mr. R.S. "Sid" Boyette, Vice-Chair

Ms. Josephine F. Edwards

Mr. Frank E. Emory, Chair

Ms. Bobbie D. Jones

Mr. Roger Lucas

Mr. Grady M. "Bucky" Robbins

Mr. Tim Williford

Mr. Ellis C. Williford, County Manager

North Carolina State Board of Community Colleges

Ms. Nancy Margulies Brenner

Mr. James W. Daniels

Mr. Jimmie E. Ford

Dr. Stuart B. Fountain

Ms. Raichelle Glover

Dr. Bob H. Greene

Mr. G. Gordon "Buddy" Greenwood

Ms. Sandra L. Hayes

Ms. Anne-Marie Knighton

Ms. Estell C. Lee

Mr. Chester Middlesworth

The Honorable Richard H. Moore, Ex Officio

Mr. Thomas Norman

The Honorable Beverly E. Perdue, Ex Officio

Dr. Linwood Powell, Vice Chair

Ms. Hilda Pinnix-Ragland, Chair

Mr. John A. Shaw, Jr.

Ms. B. Joanne Steiner

Ms. Norma Bulluck Turnage

Mr. Herbert L. Watkins

NCCCS Student Representative
Mr. H. Martin Lancaster, President, North Carolina Community College System

History

Wilson Technical Community College is a member of the North Carolina Community College System. Established in 1958 as Wilson Industrial Education Center, it is one of the system's oldest institutions. From its inception, it has offered quality education to those who have enrolled in its programs. The first classes began September 29, 1958 in the Coon High School Annex. Construction began on the first building on the current site in 1958. In 1964, the State Board of Education granted authority to award the Associate in Applied Science Degree and the school name was changed to Wilson County Technical Institute.

As enrollment increased, alterations were made and an automotive shop and a welding classroom-laboratory building were completed. In 1969, both enrollment and staff increased as the Institute responded to the demand for technical education. During the same year, the Institute was accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. Grants totaling $1 million were received and Buildings J and D were occupied in 1970. In 1971, following the death of the Institute's first president, Salvatore DelMastro, Dr. Ernest B. Parry was appointed president. He served until his retirement in July 1982 when Dr. Frank L. Eagles was appointed president. Dr. Eagles served as president until his retirement in September 2003 when Dr. Rusty Stephens became the fourth president of the College.

From 1971 to the present, Wilson Technical Community College has received federal and state grants enabling it to provide additional services such as a program for counseling and tutoring disadvantaged and academically deprived students, a program for the "hardcore" unemployed, classroom training in Adult Basic Education, and a method of upgrading the Heavy Equipment program.

During the period 1977-78, Buildings G and L were built. Building G made possible significant improvements in both student life and the educational program. Included in the structure are a student lounge complex, bookstore, classrooms, labs and faculty offices. Building L provides an environment for instruction in the repair of diesel powered vehicles. An administrative and classroom building, Building B, connecting existing Buildings A and C, was built in the spring of 1986. Building K, which contains sewing and crafts and facilities for the pottery/ceramics classes, was opened in 1989. In 1997, the Salvatore DelMastro auditorium was completed (Building E) allowing the old auditorium to be converted to additional library facilities. Building M, completed in 2000, is a welding facility, and in 2003 the new Frank L. Eagles Community Business Center addition to Building G was completed, adding much needed meeting rooms and classrooms to the College facilities.

The name was officially changed to Wilson Technical Community College in 1989. In 1993, the Department of Community Colleges granted the College the authority to award the Associate in Arts degree. The courses required for this degree parallel the first two years of those offered by four-year colleges and universities. In 1997, the College converted from the quarter system to the semester system. This change was made in the entire North Carolina Community College System to enhance the transferability of students to four-year institutions.

Since 1997, the College has experienced extraordinary student growth and continues to serve as a major source of education and training for the workforce in Wilson County. As the College reaches its 50th year of serving the Wilson community, a new student center is being planned that will be built using innovative sustainable technology. This new building will set the pace for a new direction for the College as it strives to be a leader in the use of environmentally friendly technologies and sustainable programs.

Teaching and Staff Awards

Teacher of the Year

Staff Person of the Year

Open Door Policy

The College adheres to the OPEN DOOR POLICY of the North Carolina Community College System. Any person, whether a high school graduate, or non-graduate who is eighteen years old or older, and who is able to profit from further formal education, will be served by the institution. The OPEN DOOR POLICY does not mean that there are no restrictions on admission to specified curricula. Students are assisted in selecting programs that serve their needs and objectives in life, consistent with their background, aptitudes, and interests. The restrictions on admission are flexible enough to allow students opportunities to improve their educational status. Preparatory studies are provided for students who lack skills necessary for admission to their chosen programs.

Mission Statement

The mission of Wilson Technical Community College, a public post-secondary comprehensive educational institution, is to provide accessible, student-centered academic and personal enrichment opportunities to enhance lifelong learning through college transfer, technical, vocational, and adult education programs. The College embraces and is committed to the values of lifelong learning; community; sustainability; leadership; scholarship; accessibility and affordability; diversity and inclusiveness; research, assessment, and collaboration; and technology.

(approved by the Board of Trustees August 28, 2006)