In 1958, Alamance Community College (ACC) was established in hopes to create a strong industrial education center. The need for the college was focused on changing the minds and careers of those in the local areas. These days, education in both industrial and technological areas is pertinent. Trained personnel that come through colleges like Alamance Community College, are the ones likely to succeed. Just as well, everyone has the right to use their potential to succeed through education.
The initiation of a statewide system of industrial education centers began in 1957 by the allocation of funds by the North Carolina General Assembly (ACC Website). In 1959, ACC was established as a school that would focus on industrial education. As the college grew, so did the local demand for education. As a result, those on the Board of Trustees applied the State Board of Education to become a technical institute (ACC Website). This request was approved in 1964 and led the Board of Trustees to name the college the Technical Institute of Alamance. Later on, in November 1966, the Board of Trustees authorized an institution of self-study to assist in measuring the effectiveness of the educational program of the community college (ACC Website). As a result of this self-study and review by a visiting committee, the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools accredited the College in December of 1969. Accreditation was reaffirmed in December 1973, December 1983, December 1993, and December 2003 (ACC Website).
Alamance Community College: Scott Campus
In 1977, the college opened up a new facility in Burlington which became a new campus for the Technical Institute of Alamance. The facility opened a year later and classes began. Once again, the college would change its name, in 1979, to the Technical College of Alamance (ACC Website). The name was attractive to some in the area and one last time in January of 1988, the college was called Alamance Community College (ACC Website).
In 2001, the college displayed its 20,000 square-foot campus in Burlington Center to replace the old Burlington campus at the old Glenhope School (ACC Website). In 2004, the college saw it fit to open up a new campus, the Graham campus. This new facility was incredible and extremely helpful in its growth and expansion. The 50,000 square-foot campus opened up in the 2005, and today includes the Learning Resources Center, Student Development offices, business offices, administrative offices, and conference and training rooms (ACC Website).
The college hopes to provide ways in which students are educated well enough to come upon experiences and opportunities they once saw unreachable . The college is trying to provide an education that will help the students prosper in a world of success.
Alamance Community College: Burlington Center
The opportunities the college has provided for it's students are endless. As some students are limited to part-time studying, having family to take care of, there is are online programs that the college provides to make learning much more accessible outside the classroom. Referred to as “Distance Education,” this type of learning is a source of quality instruction through the internet, which enables the busier students to attain their educational goals which they couldn’t otherwise have (ACC Website). As the college continues to provide comprehensive educational opportunities, as well opportunities in the job world, all it's students are able to partake in the same successes as those who attend state universities, or private universities, such as Elon.
Those students who are forced to gain education by other means, like Distance Education, are provided with multiple aids which contribute to their success. Within the College there are, Academic Skills Labs, Child Care Centers, Counseling Services, Job Placement Services, Student Organizations, and Academic Advising Centers. The Academic Skills Labs are places where students usually do work assigned in class with instructors usually there to aid students in their studies. The child care services are an incredible thing. For the parent who is hoping to gain an education while caring for their child, but struggling to balance the two, a child center is available to them. Open Monday through Friday, from 7:00 a.m. to 5:45 p.m., the center provides educational services even for the children in attendance. The counseling services, similar to academic advising, are available to students who are struggling with either academic or personal issues.
The possibilities at Alamance Community College are endless. From it's multiple on-campus student organizations like Student Government Association, all the way to their Job Placement services, this school is always looking to the success of their students. Located in an area that is not as affluent as others in the state, the college provides an incredible way to achieve success and get ahead in a life that is already difficult.
President Dr. Martin H. Nadelman
According to the President, Dr. Martin H. Nadelman, at Alamance Community College, this continuously emerging institute is very committed to the success of their students. “We may not be first in size, but we are first in caring. Our staff is here to serve the students in the best possible manner. Come give us a try,” he says. The limitations at this college are few, even for the foreigner. ACC is even open to the Hispanic population. Even as it says on the website, there is Información en Español. Just as Dr. Nadelman has said, the college is aiming to care, aiming to change. As students who may be struggling in their career paths, ACC has opened the doors to success to all who hope to give it a chance. Beyond providing common courses found at most colleges, such as Business or Economics, ACC provides a wide range of programs not found everywhere such as Animal Care, Biotechnology, Culinary Technology, Horticulture, and Dental Assisting. Look no further than Alamance County, success is right next door.
Sources:
<http://www.alamancecc.edu/>
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