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Spartanburg Community College Announces Plans for Downtown Presence

Submitted by: Tiffany Hughes on Jul 01, 2009 at 3:27 pm Tagged with: college town, downtown Spartanburg, Economic Development, Higher Education, LEEDS-certified, renovation, Spartanburg Community College Source: Spartanburg Community College

Spartanburg, S.C. – Downtown Spartanburg may soon be home to another higher education institution. Spartanburg Community College recently announced plans for a downtown campus that will begin with a multi-million dollar renovation of the Evans Building on South Dean Street resulting in 104,000 square feet of classrooms, labs and special purpose rooms. The College will seek both public and private sources to fund the project.

“Approximately 35 percent of SCC’s students reside in the city of Spartanburg,” said SCC President Dr. Dan L. Terhune during a joint press conference with Spartanburg Mayor Bill Barnet and others on the steps of the Evans Building on Monday, June 29. “We expect this new facility to dramatically increase the number of city students that choose to attend SCC and also increase participation in the College’s “Best Start” dual-enrollment program with Spartanburg High School, similar to the growth this program experienced on the Tyger River Campus with Byrnes High School students.”

“A Spartanburg Community College campus in downtown Spartanburg will mean greater access for high school seniors and adult students wishing to further their education and earn a post secondary degree. This will result in a growing population that can attract and retain higher paying jobs and will give our county a higher per capita income,” said George Dean Johnson, Jr., chairman of Johnson Development Associates, Inc. “Education equals opportunity and a better life, and the community college is an affordable opportunity for everyone.”

“For many years, the University of South Carolina Upstate and SCC have been close partners in the interest of students’ educational achievements. This move downtown will increase the opportunities for many more of Spartanburg’s young people to gain their associate degrees and then transfer to USC Upstate for completion of the baccalaureate. I congratulate Dr. Terhune and his colleagues on this visionary move,” said Dr. John C. Stockwell, chancellor of USC Upstate.

The vision for the campus features environmentally friendly LEED-certified renovations. The campus will offer primarily transitional and general education courses as well as credit classes for students in the College’s technology and University Transfer programs and distance learning classes. SCC’s Corporate & Community Education Division will offer short-term and customized training through continuing education programs to support local businesses. The College will develop an advisory committee to assist in creating the educational and training programs offered at the downtown campus.

“We anticipate the downtown campus will attract new students, perhaps residents within walking or biking distance,” said Terhune. “But it will likely include students from the central campus as well, freeing up much needed space at that location. We also hope this campus will encourage citizens with little or no knowledge of college to explore the possibility of a post-secondary education.”

“I am absolutely convinced that the communities that will prosper on the other side of this recession will be those that invest in the knowledge, training and support of their citizens,” said Spartanburg County Council Chairman Jeff Horton. “Great things are possible when the public sector and the private sector work together.”

District One County Councilman Michael Brown stressed the transforming power of education, “that can uplift individuals and move a community forward. It is truly a force that can lead to something great.”

“Spartanburg Community College’s presence in downtown Spartanburg bespeaks the commitment of the College to make post-secondary education more available to the people,” said Dr. Benjamin Snoddy. “I have longed to see an SCC presence downtown, and today that dream becomes a reality. Dr. Terhune is to be commended for his visionary leadership.”

According to college data, approximately 1,700 students from the city of Spartanburg commute to the SCC central campus. These students will be able to take general education courses such as English, mathematics and social sciences at the downtown campus. The exact program mix will be determined by an advisory committee. Possible majors will include business and retail services. The College will also work with the Adult Learning Center and other groups to supply GED and remedial education to the community.

“This (collaboration) is a reaffirmation of our commitment to lifelong learning for our community,” said Mayor Barnet. “Spartanburg is a college town.”