• Chartered in 1963, Sandhills Community College officially opened October 1, 1965. It was the first comprehensive community college (i.e., offering a college transfer degree) in North Carolina.
• The college was originally located in downtown Southern Pines. It moved to its present location in March 1966.
• July 1964 saw the official naming of the college.
• The first Board of Trustees meeting occurred December 4, 1963. Later that month, Dr. Raymond Stone was named the first president of the college.
• Dr. John Dempsey assumed the presidency of Sandhills in 1989.
• Thanks to a generous donation of 240 acres from Mary Luman Meyer, Sandhills' main campus is comprised of 8 instructional buildings, a student center, a visitors' center for the horticultural gardens, a maintenance facility, an auditorium, and a library.
• The present Hoke Center campus was established in 2001 after Sandhills received a gift of 10 acres from Wyatt and Mary Upchurch.

• Continuing education enrollment brings more than 15,000 students to campus annually. Almost 4000 students enroll in curriculum classes each year.
• The current student body is comprised of approximately two-thirds Caucasian students and one-third minorities, including Black, Indian, Hispanic, and Asian students.
• The average age of Sandhills' curriculum students in fall 2007 was 26.4.

• Sandhills offers three college transfer degrees, including an Associate in Arts, Associate in Science, and Associate in Fine Arts. More than 69 technical programs leading to an Associate in Applied Science degree, diploma, or certificate are available.
• The college has a student-faculty ratio of 1:13 for technical programs. For college transfer programs, the ratio is 1:26.
• Sandhills ranks 11th in the community college system for students who transfer to four-year colleges and universities in NC
• The 2005-2006 graduation/retention rate at Sandhills was 67%.

• Sandhills' Division of Continuing Education offers classes in areas such as computers, community enrichment, small business, public services (i.e., fire, law enforcement, and rescue), and occupational Spanish. Basic skills education courses include Adult High School, English as a Second Language, and GED.
• Of the eligible 266 GED graduates from the academic reporting year of 2006-2007, approximately 19% continued their education and enrolled in curriculum courses for the fall 2007 semester.

• The Hoke Center in Raeford provides a variety of classes in continuing education, including Adult High School, GED, ESL, computers, and real estate electives. Curriculum courses are also available at this campus.
• The Westmoore Center opened in January 2004 expanding the educational opportunities available to the people of Moore County, and the region. Located at 2332 NC Highway 705 in Robbins, the Westmoore Center offers small business center classes, curriculum courses, human resources development computer classes for the unemployed or underemployed, and basic skills courses.
• The SandHoke Early High School program provides first-generation college students a tuition-free opportunity to earn a high school diploma, as well as a two-year Associate in Arts degree.
• Sandhills has a strong presence in the community, where it offers continuing education and curriculum courses in community centers, businesses, prisons, churches, plants, and schools.

• The current purpose and mission statement were adopted by the Board of Trustees in February 2006.
• SCC graduated 352 students (107 male and 245 female) in May 2007. Of those graduates, approximately 85% received Associates degrees.
• An online catalog in the Katherine L. Boyd Library serves the student body and community with 84,000 volumes and 175 periodical subscriptions. Patrons who visited the library in 2006 numbered 101,000. In 2005-06, the library had the second largest total circulation of all community college libraries that share the SIRSI on-line card catalogue.
• Approximately 50% of Sandhills students enrolled in curriculum courses will require some sort of financial aid.
• Residents of the Sandhills may pursue bachelor's and master's degrees from the college's partnerships with Franklin University, St., Andrews College, and UNC-Pembroke.
• Sandhills students have 24-hour access to any of the 98 databases provided through the Boyd Library, either on campus or from a remote location.
• Sandhills currently employs approximately 290 full-time employees.
• Since 1993, curriculum faculty salaries at Sandhills have ranked among the top five for community colleges in NC
• Approximately 200 community volunteers contribute their time and talents to Sandhills, working in the horticultural gardens, the Visitors' Center, and Boyd Library, and as tutors in curriculum or Continuing Education programs.
• The Sandhills Community College Foundation raised over $5 million for the college in fiscal year 2007 and awarded 461 Foundation Scholarships totaling over $356,000 in the 2006-2007 academic year.
• Sandhills has more than 80 computer labs on its campus, as well as approximately 1400 computers on inventory.
• The average advising load for an SCC advisor is 33 students.
• In-state tuition for fall 2007 curriculum courses was $42.00/credit hour. Continuing Education courses for in-state residents ranged from no charge for Basic Skills and Human Resources classes to $1150.00 for year-long online certificate programs.
• Sandhills offered 67 on-line curriculum courses for the fall 2007 semester. Forty-three hybrid courses, which combine traditional on-campus classes with on-line resources, were also offered. Twenty-nine classes were taught at the Hoke Center campus in Raeford during fall 2007.
• Continuing Education made available over 250 Ed2Go on-line courses each month for the fall 2007 semester.
• Local high schools enjoy a reciprocal relationship with the college. The partnerships offer college-credit classes through dual-enrollment, the Huskins Bill, and First Step. Course offerings include classes such as Introduction to Psychology, Sociology, Western Civilization, and Medical Terminology.
• In 2006-2007, funds from the SCC Foundation provided sabbaticals for 7 faculty and 4 staff members, including a faculty/staff exchange in Albania.

• Ninety-eight percent of the college's faculty and staff indicated satisfaction with Sandhills' acknowledgement of their contributions to the fulfillment of the college's mission.
• The North Carolina Community College System (NCCCS) Performance Measures report for the year 2006-07 indicated that 100% of employers and Sandhills graduates are satisfied with the job performance of the SCC graduates they employ.
• Satisfaction with customized training offered by the college was expressed by over 98% of the area's businesses and industry.
• Current students and graduates chose “Quality of Academic Programs” as their first reason for attending Sandhills in 2006-07.
• The college utilizes at least 2% of its annual operating budget for professional development.
• In 2006-07, the aggregate institutional passing rate for all first-time test-takers in programs requiring licensure exams was 86.5%.
• Sandhills students who complete a developmental education sequence pass their first curriculum courses in reading, English, and math at a statistically equivalent rate to students who did not require developmental coursework (89%).
• Annual spring program reviews provide members of the college community the opportunity to give input for the College Strategic Plan. This process asks for resource needs in the areas of programs, personnel, facilities, equipment, and technology.
• In-house survey results and over 180 NCCS reports are made available to faculty and staff through the Department of Planning and Research.
• The Benchmarks document on the Sandhills website provides more information on the college's performance measures.

• The introduction of online and hybrid courses at Sandhills has shortened the distance to learning. Both allow students the convenience of easily fitting classes into busy schedules. Online classes are taught through the Internet and hybrid courses combine online instruction with the traditional classroom experience. Students can complete courses from anywhere that they have access to a computer, and an Associate of Arts degree can be obtained completely online at Sandhills.
• The SandHoke Early College High School program was implemented at the Hoke center in fall 2006. The SandHoke Early College High School is a five-year, tuition-free program where students can complete a high school diploma, in addition to earning a two-year Associate in Arts degree. After its first year, the Early College High School's end of course and end of grade tests surpassed those of every other school in Hoke County.
• In fall 2007 Sandhills announced plans to break ground on a new emergency services training facility in Carthage. The project is expected to provide a number of buildings and equipment for training local law enforcement and fire and emergency service units. Plans include a residential burn building, where live fire situations will be conducted. There will also be a firing range and a building to practice scaling.
• Three new programs were introduced at Sandhills for the 2007 fall semester.

• Polysomnography Technology instructs students on how to conduct diagnostic tests to evaluate body functions during sleep. Graduates of the program will be prepared to take the Board of Registered Polysomnographic Technologies Polysomnographic Technologist exam.
• Physical Fitness Technology program will provide graduates to help meet the growing need for qualified professionals in the health, fitness, and exercise fields. Students will study exercise science, administration of fitness tests, and health risk appraisals, as well as complete specific exercise and fitness classes.
• Rapidly expanding area of technology has spawned the Computer Simulation and Game Development program at Sandhills. The program includes instruction in necessary software applications for gaming and simulation systems, and graduates will be prepared to pursue work with gaming companies, the military, engineering firms, and medical groups.

Sandhills extends a welcome to groups and individuals who wish to visit the college. To arrange a tour, please contact D.J. Farmer at 910-695-3911.

Updated Saturday, February 2, 2008