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Overview:
Johnston Community College | 245 College Road | PO Box 2350 Smithfield, NC 27577919.934.3051 - http://www.johnstoncc.edu -
Mission
Learning comes first at JCCC.
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Centered on student success
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Dedicated to exploring initiatives that support the college's innovative spirit
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Focused on community leadership
Committed to continuous improvement
History of Johnson County Community College
In the 1960s, residents of Johnson County began to seriously consider the creation of a local college. The area had a rapidly growing population and a good school system from which a local college could draw students, and it was hard to ignore the community college movement emerging in California, Florida, Illinois and Texas. The idea was not unopposed, however; some residents felt the county didn't need to assume the increased expenses of maintaining a college. Then, in June 1963, the nation's leading experts in community college education gathered in Kansas City for the Midwest Junior College Conference to discuss the potential of community colleges in the U.S. Residents in Kansas City, Mo., were considering forming a large district that would probably include three community colleges. The movement was hard to resist.
Across the state line, the Johnson County Board of County Commissioners formed a committee of 18 residents to study the feasibility of a community college for Johnson County. The chairman of that committee was Dr. Wilbur T. Billington, a prominent banker with the Kansas City Federal Reserve Bank and a member of the board of education of one of the local school districts. With the help of the League of Women Voters and the American Association of University Women, the feasibility committee conducted a county-wide needs assessment that demonstrated a greater need for a local college than had heretofore been suspected. The committee began to build the case for a community college in Johnson County.
In 1968, the board obtained a "no-fund warrant" to provide for interim financing until the first tax levy could be established. The board also selected the first president for the college, identified the site that would eventually become the permanent campus and developed the first mission statement for the college.
In 1969, county residents voted approval of $11.9 million in general obligation bonds to purchase more than 200 acres in Overland Park, which would turn the idea for a college campus into a reality. In the meantime, the first JCCC classes were conducted in leased facilities in Merriam that fall. Initial enrollment was 1,380 students.
Over the years, JCCC has continued to expand its student enrollment, instructional program, faculty and staff, and physical facilities to meet the needs of the community. Today, more than 20,000 credit students and about 15,000 continuing education students enroll at JCCC each semester. Full-time faculty and staff number approximately 1,000, with another 1,700 people working part time. A full range of undergraduate credit courses is available, forming the first two years of most college curricula. In addition, more than 50 one- and two-year career and certificate programs are offered to prepare students to enter the job market in high employment fields.
JCCC has become the state's third-largest institution of higher education, the largest of its 19 community colleges and a board member of the League for Innovation in the Community College.
What is a community college?
The community college is America's contribution to education in the 20th century. The roots of the community college movement may be found in the junior colleges of the 1920s and '30s, which offered the first two years of a postsecondary education. Today, there are more than 1,170 comprehensive community colleges across the country. The community college's broad curriculum, its responsiveness to community needs and its accessibility to all local residents distinguishes it from the old junior college.
Recent research shows that public community colleges serve 44 percent of all U.S. undergraduates. Forty percent of first-time college freshman are enrolled in community colleges. Across the country, 6.7 million students are enrolled in community college credit programs, and 5 million are taking community college noncredit courses. Because of the equal opportunity for education offered to its supporters, the community college has been called the "characteristic educational institution of the United States."
General Information
Johnston Community College has been awarding associate’s degrees, certificates, and diplomas for 40 years to students pursuing occupational, technical, and continuing education skills.With a curriculum enrollment of nearly 6,000 students and continuing education enrollment of more than 11,000 students per year, JCC ranks 16th among the 58 colleges in the North Carolina Community College System.JCC in Smithfield, North Carolina, is located thirty miles east of Raleigh near the junction of I-95 and US 70. The 175-acre main campus boasts state-of-the-art facilities, picturesque pines, colorful azaleas and scenic ponds and offers 57 occupational programs of study as well as numerous Community Development & Lifelong Learning programs and community service activities.
JCC has campuses throughout the county, including the Cleveland Center, the Workforce Development Center in Clayton, and the Howell Woods Environmental Learning Center, a 2800-acre wildlife preserve and teaching facility. On the main campus in Smithfield, JCC is home to a 16-acre Arboretum and the 1000-seat Paul A. Johnston Auditorium attracting additional involvement on-campus by community members.With over 650 full and part-time employees and a budget of over $38 million, JCC is one of the county's largest employers. During its 40-year history, JCC has maintained its small town values while progressively meeting the needs of one of the fastest growing counties in the state.
JCC is committed to understanding and meeting the educational needs of the area’s citizens, businesses, industries, and service sectors. The College provides life-long educational opportunities consistent with our students’ interests and abilities, prepares graduates capable of acquiring and applying knowledge and succeeding in the regional and global community, and serves as a positive economic, social, and cultural catalyst in our diverse communities.
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http://www.johnstoncc.edu
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