The first step to enrollment is by completing an SCC Student Application. There are two options available for prospective students. You can request that an application be mailed to you by calling 910-695-3725, or you can submit your application over the Internet. (An application must be on file before taking a placement test, attending orientation or registering for classes.)

Second, if you need any accommodations, please request them at this time. By law, the SCC staff cannot ask about disabling conditions. It is important that you contact SCC’s Disability Services office, 910.695.3707, immediately after you apply so proper accommodations can be arranged. This should be done prior to taking the placement test.

The Disability Services staff will help you decide whether to take the paper/pencil or computer test and approve your documentation for accommodations for placement testing.

The final step in this process is taking one of the college placement tests. You can schedule an appointment by calling Pat Fitzgerald at 910-695-3733.

Student responsibilities

In order to become more familiar with your rights and responsibilities while attending classes at SCC, ask about review materials—including a Student Handbook.

As a college student with a disability, you have a right to request that SCC make accommodations, so that the campus and classes are accessible to you at all times. Although the college has certain responsibilities to its students, you also have certain responsibilities while enrolled at Sandhills.

• Students are responsible for making their disabilities known. You must contact the Disability Services office as soon as possible. No one else can do this for you. Students are responsible for providing documentation from an appropriate professional. Students must request accommodations EACH semester. Requests should be made as soon as possible so that accommodations can be arranged. Some arrangements require more time than others. Please note: Accommodations are designed to make learning possible and the evaluation process fair, but accommodations do not guarantee success nor alter published course standards.
  
• Students are responsible for communicating regularly with counselors and instructors. Accommodations are not automatic.
  

Documentation guidelines

Your documentation should . . .

1. Include a diagnosis AND a description of the evaluation process, resulting limitation, and appropriate accommodations.
   
2. Be current (preferably within 3 years).
   
3. Be in written form submitted from an appropriate professional and related to one of the following categories of disibilities:
   

• Physical Disabilities: You will need a medical examination with specific regard to the disability (i.e. visual impairment evaluated by an optometrist, auditory impairment evaluated by an audiologist).
  
• Psychological Disabilities: You will need psychological assessment tools and results, including comments on severity and frequency.
  
• Learning Disabilities: You will need psychoeducational diagnostic tools that demonstrate a significant discrepancy between achievement and ability or an intro-cognitive discrepancy, and diagnose and SLD. Testing must address aptitude, achievement, and information processing.

1. Include complete contact information from the diagnosing professional.
2. Include specific recommendations for the student, along with the rationale for each accommodation.

How will the differences between high school and college affect — YOU?

• In high school, your parents and the school district were responsible for providing you with the help you needed to be successful. At SCC, it is your responsibility to request the help you need. Do not expect people to ask you what you need.
• In high school, teachers and counselors can talk about your progress with your parents. At SCC, no one can talk to your parents without your written permission.
• There are no “special” classes at SCC. Everyone is competing at a college level.
• Your disability is kept confidential at SCC. Instructors and other students will not know about your disability unless you tell them.
• High schools allow excused absences. At SCC, there are no excused absences.
• High school instructors give weekly tests that cover a small amount of material. SCC instructors give fewer tests and cover more material on those tests.
• An algebra class might not have been required in high school. At SCC, all degree programs require Algebra I proficiency.

NOTE: SCC’s Student Code of Conduct applies to ALL students regardless of ability or disability. These standards can be found in your Student Handbook.

SCC offers the following free services to all students:

• tutoring
• personal & career counseling
• job placement
• computer labs
• learning resource center
• library

• sign language interpreters
• note takers
• scribes
• readers
• testing accommodations
• books on tape (when available)
• referrals regarding specific disability-related concerns (personal, educational, and career)

Tips for Success @ College

Three Important Things to Remember:

#1 Advocate for yourself. Ask for what you need.

• See the Disability Services Provider.
• Contact your instructor early.
• Make frequent contact with your advisor.

#2 Utilize Resources.

• Sign up for free tutoring early in the semester.
• Visit instructors often during their office hours.
• Take introductory computer courses.

#3 Take Charge of Your Education.

• Arrive at class early on the first day.
• It’s important to keep up with your assignments.
• Talk with your instructor prior to or immediately after missing class.
• Develop and use a time management schedule.
• Put each course syllabus in the front of the appropriate notebook, and review it often.
• Don’t wait until the last minute to request services.
• Limit the number of classes you take the first semester. Go easy on yourself.
• Set your schedule wisely. Don’t take an 8 AM class if you like to sleep late.
• Set realistic goals.
• Talk to someone as soon as you start to experience academic difficulties or feel overwhelmed. Waiting too long will only make matters worse.