Welcome to Southeast Community College, a vibrant, progressive public two-year institution serving a 15-county area of southeast Nebraska. With more than 50 Programs of Study, a wide range of continuing education opportunities, and an entrepreneurship center that includes a business incubator, SCC is equipped to train the workforce of tomorrow. Whether you’re interested in an associate’s degree that will prepare you for work, training to enhance your skills at your current job, or looking to transfer credits to a four-year college or university, SCC is your choice. Not only does SCC offer three primary campus locations, we also offer nearly 300 online courses for your convenience. See what the College can do for you. Isn’t it time you got your hands on SCC?
A Look at SCC
General Information
Southeast Community College is a public two-year institution of higher education governed by an 11-member Board of Governors. The College’s primary service area is comprised of 15 counties: Cass, Fillmore, Gage, Jefferson, Johnson, Lancaster, Nemaha, Otoe, Pawnee, Richardson, Saline, Saunders, Seward, Thayer, and York. The College operates on the quarter system, with terms beginning in July (Summer), October (Fall), January (Winter) and March/April (Spring). SCC has campuses in Beatrice, Lincoln and Milford, plus nearly 300 courses online, as well as some entire programs. SCC offers more than 50 Programs of Study, most technical in nature that can be completed in 18-24 months. Job placement is what makes SCC such a good choice. More than 90 percent of graduates find employment or continue their education.
SCC is fully accredited by the Higher Learning Commission and is a member of The Higher Learning Commission and the North Central Association. The College awards the Associate of Applied Science degree, Associate of Arts degree, Associate of Occupational Studies degree, Associate of Science degree, the Diploma and Certificate to students who successfully complete a Program of Study.
The College has an annual full-time enrollment of more than 11,000 students who take credit classes, and another 24,000 students who take non-credit courses through the Continuing Education Division on campuses and in communities throughout southeast Nebraska.
SCC also operates an Entrepreneurship Center in Lincoln. It serves as a resource center for anyone interested in entrepreneurship. The center staff offers assistance to anyone interested in starting a business or looking for direction on their path to business independence. One floor of the center is dedicated to business incubation. The center also hosts credit and non-credit classes on entrepreneurship and is home to Lincoln Public School’s Entrepreneurship Focus Program and the Information Technology Program.
Technical and career education at SCC is divided into seven divisions: Agriculture/Food/Natural Resources; Business; Communications & Information Technology; Community Services & Resources; Construction & Electronics; Health Sciences; and Transportation & Manufacturing. Job opportunities in each area are growing as the demands for employees with technical knowledge and skills increase. Business and industry advisory groups provide suggestions on standards, trends, emerging technology, and course content.
Another academic division is Arts & Sciences, otherwise known as Academic Transfer. SCC offers the first two years of college coursework for transfer to four-year colleges and universities. Students enrolled in the Academic Transfer program may earn an Associate of Arts or an Associate of Science degree. Located within the division are developmental education, general education, humanities, math, science, and social science. Transfer of credits has become easier since the approval of the Nebraska Transfer Initiative in 1995. Students who begin their college careers at SCC, and transfer credits to a four-year school, graduate at rates comparable to those who began their college work at a four-year institution.
Each campus offers students opportunities to build leadership skills and friendships in organizations such as Student Senate and Phi Theta Kappa, the national community college scholastic honor society. Students may also participate in career-specific groups such as the Licensed Practical Nurses Association of Nebraska, and student chapters of such organizations as the Society of Manufacturing Engineers and the National Association of Home Builders. In addition to career-related and scholastic groups, the Beatrice Campus offers the following intercollegiate sports: men’s and women’s basketball, men’s golf and baseball, and women’s volleyball and softball. SCC-Beatrice also provides a variety of other activities, including art, theatre, vocal and instrumental music, and journalism. Each campus offers intramural sports and wellness centers.
SCC campuses in Beatrice and Milford offer residence hall living for single students. The Milford Campus also has housing for married couples and single parents. While there is no on-campus housing at the Lincoln Campus, personnel there maintain rental listings, city maps and costs to assist students with their living arrangements.
The College provides students with a wide variety of services, such as academic advising, disability services, financial aid, tutoring, TRIO Student Support Services, and TRIO Upward Bound. Students also have access to cafeterias, ample parking, and a child development center in Lincoln. The College provides libraries, computer labs with Internet access, and placement services. These services support classroom experiences and help make a college education more accessible to prospective students.
SCC Facts
Community College Week, a national publication about and for community college educators and trustees, annually ranks the Top 100 Associate Degree Producers across the nation. The following rankings are for data collected during the 2010-2011 academic year. Out of more than 1,200 community colleges nationwide, SCC ranked:
#1 in Precision Production for the eighth consecutive year
#7 in Agriculture, Agriculture Operations & Related Sciences, up five spots from 2010
#14 in Engineering Technologies and Engineering-Related Fields, up 16 spots from 2010
#34 in Science Technologies/Technicians, up six spots from 2008
#35 in All Disciplines – Non-Minority, up 19 spots from 2010
History
Southeast Community College has been operating in its current structure since July 1, 1973, when a statewide community college system was implemented by the Legislature. However, the campus in Milford existed long before 1973. The first postsecondary technical institution, exclusively offering two-year postsecondary degrees in vocational/technical programs, was established by the Nebraska Unicameral in 1941 at Milford. Operated by the Nebraska Department of Education, the school was originally established to meet the occupational education needs of the entire state. In 1971, the Legislature passed a bill which combined junior colleges (Fairbury, established in 1941, in SCC’s area), state vocational/technical colleges, and the area technical schools into one system of two-year institutions. The consolidation originally established eight technical community college areas. The number was reduced to six when Lincoln merged with Southeast in 1973. As conceived in 1971, Nebraska community college areas were to be governed locally by elected boards. Southeast derives its operating revenue from three major sources: local property taxes, state aid (a combination of sales and income tax funds apportioned by the Legislature), and tuition.