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Academic Announcements

DATE:July 11, 2008
TO:Advisors, Faculty, and Student Services
FROM:Ron Layne, Dean of Instruction
SUBJECT:Announcement 2008-001: Academic Changes for Fall 2008

Please read the following sections for important information regarding academic changes for 2008-2009 and resources for pre-advising and advising students. Faculty will also find important resources for designing course syllabi in terms of student learning outcomes.

Associate in Applied Science Programs

  1. A.A.S. Bi-Lateral Agreements. Students who have completed the appropriate Associate in Applied Science degree at Sandhills Community College will be eligible to transfer their courses and begin one of several Bachelor of Science degree programs at certain UNC-System universities. A list of the agreements with specific program and admission requirements is available on the University Studies website through the Bi-Lateral Agreements link.

  2. A.A.S. Program Requirements. Each A.A.S. degree program publishes its course requirements on the college website. The course requirements include a link to a list of approved humanities/fine arts and social/behavioral sciences courses for the A.A.S. degree. Some of these courses are new for fall 2008. To view the degree requirements for each A.A.S. degree, with links to the approved humanities/fine arts and social/behavioral sciences courses, go to the Courses and Programs website.

  3. General Education Course Descriptions. When the College Catalog 2008-2009 is published in August 2008, each general education course (English, humanities/fine arts, social/behavioral sciences, science, and mathematics) in the "Course Descriptions" section at the end of the Catalog will be followed by a statement indicating which degree requirement will be satisfied by successful completion of the course. Advisors of students in A.A.S. programs should pay particular attention to these descriptions since some general education courses can count for the A.A., A.F.A., and A.S. degrees but not for the A.A.S. degree, and vice versa.

  4. Humanities/Fine Arts and Social/Behavioral Sciences. Some general education courses have been approved to satisfy the "Humanities/Fine Arts" or "Social/Behavioral Sciences" requirement for the A.A.S. degree program, but some have not. A note will follow any course description that can be used to fulfill the general education requirement. Course lists are also published in the College Catalog in the Associate in Applied Sciences section as well as on the following Web pages.

Course Syllabi and Student Learning Outcomes

  1. Course Syllabi. A new website for faculty to use as a guide for preparing course syllabi is available at the bottom of each page of the Sandhills Community College website through the "Faculty & Staff" link. This site also includes information for instructors in distance learning and hybrid courses. Please go to Course Syllabi and Student Learning Outcomes.

  2. Student Learning Outcomes. A new website is now available for faculty to use as a guide for writing program goals, course goals, and student learning outcomes at the program and course level. This site also includes information for instructors in distance learning and hybrid courses. Please go to Course Syllabi and Student Learning Outcomes.

General Studies Departments

  1. The University Studies website now includes a section that lists each general education department, with a link to a new website for each department. These pages include a department mission statement, department chair contact information, course lists, and other resources provided by the department.
  2. Each department's site also includes links to the degree programs for which the department's faculty advise students:

University Studies Program

  1. Associate in Arts, Fine Arts, and Science Requirements. The Transfer Advisory Committee (TAC), which includes representatives from the North Carolina Community College System and the University of North Carolina System, meets regularly to make changes to the Comprehensive Articulation Agreement (CAA). The TAC made changes in November 2007, February 2008, and June 2008. These changes to the CAA are now published on the University Studies Program website. If you are advising a student who plans to transfer to a university, be sure that you review the A.A. and A.S. Core Diploma, A.A. and A.S. Curriculum Standard, and the A.A., A.F.A., and A.S. Articulation Agreements. Students who have already selected a university major may need to follow one of the articulation agreements rather than the general requirements listed in the Core Diploma or Curriculum Standard.

  2. College Catalog 2008-2009. When the College Catalog 2008-2009 is published in August 2008, each general education course in the "Course Descriptions" section at the end of the Catalog will be followed by a statement indicating which general education requirement will be satisfied by successful completion of the course.

  3. Courses Approved for University Transfer. The University Studies Program website provides a list of all courses that are approved for transfer. Please read SCC Courses Approved for University Transfer.

  4. Hybrid Courses in Evening Core Diploma Program. Beginning in fall 2008, the University Studies Program will begin a new program of hybrid courses that meet half time in the classroom and half time in a Blackboard course. The program will provide students the opportunity to complete the evening Core Diploma of 44 semester hours. Successful completion of the Core Diploma will fulfill the lower division general education requirements of the receiving UNC institution—even if specific course requirements at the institution are different. Please read Evening Hybrid Program Launched at Sandhills.

  5. Preparation for Graduate School. Students who are interested in a career in dentistry, law, medicine, optometry, pharmacy, physical therapy, or veterinary medicine are usually required or at least strongly encouraged to earn a bachelor's degree before applying to one of these graduate or professional degree programs. The University Studies website now includes a link in the "Transfer Resources" section to a new Web page titled Preparation for Graduate School. This site provides advice on undergraduate preparation and admission requirements for students who are interested in a career in one of the careers listed above. Note: Public universities offer undergraduate degrees in religion, but the study of theology or ministry takes place in seminaries that are often affiliated with a branch of Christianity or Judaism.

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