Sandhills Community College
Sandhills Community College is a public community college in Pinehurst, North Carolina. Sandhills was chartered in 1963, and officially opened October 1, 1965. It was the first comprehensive community college authorized and established as the result of legislation passed by the 1963 General Assembly of North Carolina. It is part of the 58-campus North Carolina Community College System. Sandhills Community College has approximately 4,000 students enrolled in college-credit curriculum courses and over 11,000 students who take continuing education courses annually. History. Shortly after the passage of legislation establishing Sandhills Community College, H. Clifton Blue of  Aberdeen, NC led a group of prominent Moore County, NC citizens in petitioning the State Board of Education to establish a community college in Moore County. Upon approval of the petition, the citizens of Moore County voted in favor of a one million dollar bond issue for capital construction and a tax levy for the maintenance of college facilities. The first Board of Trustees meeting occurred on December 4, 1963. Later that month on December 27, Dr. Raymond Stone was named the first president of the college. Sandhills was chartered in 1963. The buildings were designed by local architects Hayes -Howell and Associates and built on 180 acres donated by Mrs. Mary Luman Meyer. The ground-breaking was in November 1964. Legend has it that Dr. Stone and a few others were having lunch at The Gray Fox in downtown Pinehurst and Stone admired the courtyard of the restaurant (now Theo's Taverna). He requested courtyards be implemented into the design of the college buildings. The palladium windows were said to be inspired by the Boyd House in downtown Southern Pines. Sandhills Community College officially opened October 1, 1965 with classes being held in nine different temporary locations in the  downtown area of Southern Pines. The administrative offices were above Patches Department Store, which is now The Ice Cream Parlor. The college moved to the current location in September 1966. Dr. John Dempsey assumed the presidency in 1989 and serves to this date. He is one of the most sought-after public speakers in Moore and Hoke counties. A Vietnam veteran and political scientist by training, he often speaks to civic groups about current affairs and is one of the region's strongest advocate for education as the means to regional success. Dempsey contributes time and expertise to community, regional  and national organizations. Locally, Dr. Dempsey has served, or is currently serving, on the board of Partners in Progress and FirstHealth of the Carolinas, and has chaired the boards of the United Way and the Boys and Girls Club. Dempsey has received many awards in recognition of his dedication to organizations. He was named Man of the Year by the Moore County Community Foundation, was the inaugural recipient of the Moore County United Way's Cornerstone Award and received the Distinguished Service Award from the Pinehurst Civic Group. Dr. Dempsey is first and foremost a patriot, and he was instrumental  in the successful launch locally of the Sentinels of Freedom Program, which aids severely injured servicemen and servicewomen. Administration. Governance. A Board of Trustees governs the college and is composed of appointees by the governor, the Moore County Board of Commissioners, and the Moore County Board of Education. Campus. Sandhills Community College is located on of longleaf pine-filled land in Pinehurst, North Carolina. The college moved to its present location from downtown Southern Pines in March 1966. The Sandhills Community College campus comprises thirteen instructional buildings. Several recent additions to the college campus are Logan Hall, the Dempsey Student  Center, Little Hall and Steed Hall. Owens Auditorium was named to honor the many contributions made to Sandhills Community College by Dr. Francis Leroy Owens, Sr. Dr. Owens served on the Sandhills Community College Board of Trustees for twenty-two years. Named for Dr. John Dempsey, the current and only the second President of Sandhills, the Dempsey Student Center houses the college bookstore, areas for study, a gymnasium, a fitness center, locker rooms, a game room, a full-service cafeteria, dining areas, and the Ewing Leadership Center. Outside of the Dempsey Student Center is a basketball court, tennis courts, sports  fields, a picnic shelter, walking trails, sand volleyball courts, and a ropes course. Computer Technologies, Hospitality and Culinary Arts, and Engineering Technologies are taught in the building named in honor of the college's long-time board of trustees chair, George W. Little. In Little Hall, the Charles and Jane Wellard Technology Center houses state-of-the-art computer equipment, and culinary and baking classes are conducted in the Peggy Kirk Bell Center for Hospitality and the Culinary Arts. Steed Hall houses the Landscape Gardening program and Humanities, Math and English classes are held in Logan Hall. The Kelly Tutoring  Center is located there. The college is also home to the Sandhills Horticultural Gardens. Designed and maintained by students in the Landscape Gardening program, the site contains 14 themed gardens, including a whimsical children's garden and a new Japanese Garden. The largest accessible holly collection on the east coast is found in the Ebersole Holly Garden. A formal English Garden exhibits several smaller gardens, including the Holly Maze, the Fountain Courtyard, the Sunken Garden, the Ceremonial Courtyard, and the Herb Garden. In addition to the main campus, the Hoke Center located in Raeford provides curriculum, continuing education and basic  job skills courses. It is also home to SandHoke Early College High School. Hoke County is the second county Sandhills Community College serves. The college began teaching in Hoke County in 1968 in the Old County Office Building in downtown Raeford. In 2001 Wyatt and Mary Upchurch donated 10 acres of land for the Sandhills Hoke Center. The first building constructed was named in their honor. Since then, Johnson Hall and SandHoke Hall have been constructed. The college dedicated the Larry R. Caddell Public Safety Training Center in 2011. It is located in Carthage and is used to train emergency  services personnel. It is also the site of the college's Fire Academy and many workshops each year during the annual Sandhills Emergency Services Seminar. Academics. Degree programs. In addition to the University Studies college transfer program, Sandhills Community College offers 34 two-year Associate in Applied Science degrees (AAS). These programs provide the training necessary to permit entry into increasingly complex and sophisticated employment in business, industry, health, and public service. The AAS degree programs combine a solid foundation in general education with specialized knowledge and skills. Certain programs offer 2+2 transferable agreements with several four-year  institutions. AAS degrees are obtainable in a variety of fields that serve the local and extended community: Hospitality and Culinary Arts, Computers, Business, Engineering Technology, Nursing, Health Sciences, Public Services, Automotive, Landscape Gardening, Golf Course Management, and Cosmetology. Degrees from Sandhills are regionally accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. Sandhills continually evaluates the local economy with respect to the training and education local businesses desire from prospective employees. Programs are added and modified if necessary to fulfill these needs. Diploma and certificate programs. Students desiring training in specific areas which require a certificate or diploma have many  options from which to choose. These can be earned in a shorter span of time. Refer to the Programs & Majors section of the college's website to view all options. Sandhills was the first community college in the nation to guarantee that each graduate is competent in his or her area of expertise or the college will retrain the student free of charge. University Studies program. Sandhills Community College was the first comprehensive community college in the state of NC to offer a transfer program. All instructors of courses that transfer hold a master's degree or higher. The student -to-teacher ratio is much lower than freshmen and sophomores typically experience at four-year universities and colleges. Degrees are offered at the freshmen and sophomore levels. Credits earned may be transferred to senior colleges and universities where students can pursue a program of study leading to a baccalaureate degree. All instructors in the Sandhills University Studies Program hold at least a master's degree. Associate in Arts and Associate in Science. The Associate in Arts and Associate in Science degrees are designed primarily for students who wish to transfer to a university to earn a Bachelor of Arts or  Bachelor of Science degree. Courses are approved for transfer through the Comprehensive Articulation Agreement. Associate in Engineering The Associate in Engineering degree is designed for students who wish to transfer to a state funded university with a Bachelor of Engineering program and earn a Bachelor of Science in engineering. Baccalaureate Engineering Programs within the UNC system are offered at: East Carolina University, North Carolina Agricultural and Technical University, North Carolina State University, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, and Western Carolina University. Associate in Fine Arts in Music. The Associate in Fine Arts in Music degree is designed for students  who wish to transfer to one of the UNC Bachelor in Music programs under the Associate in Fine Arts in Music to Bachelor in Music Articulation Agreement. There are ten granting institutions within the UNC system: Appalachian State University, East Carolina University, North Carolina Central University, UNC Chapel Hill, UNC Charlotte, UNC Greensboro, UNC Pembroke, UNC School of the Arts, UNC Wilmington, and Western Carolina University Associate in Fine Arts in Visual Arts. The Associate in Fine Arts in Visual Arts degree is designed for students who wish to transfer to one of the UNC Bachelor in Fine Arts (BFA ) in Visual Arts programs under the Associate in Fine Arts in Visual Arts to Bachelor in Fine Arts Articulation Agreement. There are seven BFA-granting institutions within the UNC system whose focus is on the visual arts: Appalachian State University (BFA in Studio Art), East Carolina University (BFA in Arts), UNC Asheville (BFA in Art), UNC Chapel Hill (BFA in Studio Art), UNC Charlotte(BFA. in Art), UNC Greensboro (BFA in Studio Art), and Western Carolina University (BFA in Art). Associate in Arts and Associate in Science in Teacher Preparation. The Associate in Arts and the Associate in Science in Teacher  Preparation degrees are designed for students who wish to transfer to a university to earn a Bachelor of Arts degree in education with the ultimate goal of teaching at the elementary, middle or high school levels. Courses are approved for transfer through the Comprehensive Articulation Agreement. Associate in Fine Arts in Theatre (Acting or Technical). The Associate in Fine Arts in Theatre program is scheduled to begin when it is deemed safe for the public to attend live theatrical performances. As of now, March 2021, this program is not being offered. Designed for students who plan to transfer to one  of the UNC Bachelor in Arts in Theatre programs under the Associate in Fine Arts in Theatre to Bachelor in Arts Articulation Agreement, students will make use of the Bradshaw Performing Arts Center. They can transfer to one of the eleven BA-granting institutions within the UNC system whose focus is on theatre: Appalachian State University (BA in theatre generalist), East Carolina University (BA in theater arts), Fayetteville State University (BA in theatre), North Carolina Central University (BA in theatre), UNC Asheville (BA in drama), UNC Chapel Hill (BA in dramatic art), UNC Charlotte (BA in theatre), UNC Greensboro (BA  in drama), UNC Pembroke (BA in theater arts), UNC Wilmington (BA in theatre), or Western Carolina University (BA in arts in stage and screen). Continuing education. Continuing education opportunities are offered to residents of Moore and Hoke counties for professional and personal interests. Technology Training, Basic Skills, Creative Living, Online courses and certificate programs, Career Training, Career Development, Public Safety, Customized Training, and the Small Business Center are the divisions of Continuing Education. Classes are held on the main campus in Pinehurst, The Sandhills Hoke Center in Raeford and the Westmoore Center. SandHoke Early College High School. SandHoke Early College  High School is a partnership between the Hoke County School System and Sandhills Community College. At the conclusion of the five-year plan of study, graduates will receive a high school diploma from Hoke County Schools and an Associate in Arts degree from Sandhills Community College. "The mission of SandHoke Early College High School is to provide a smaller, more personalized learning community that will prepare all students for a challenging program of study by developing academic rigor, providing relevant coursework and building student/community relationships." In addition to completing courses required by Hoke County Schools for the high school  diploma, students will also complete the required plan of study for the Associate in Arts degree. Admission to SandHoke Early College High School begins when Hoke County middle school students are in the eighth grade. Students and their parents will complete an application form with Hoke County Schools. Athletics. The college revived the Athletic program in 2009. It comprises a men's and women's golf team, a women's volleyball team and a men's basketball team. Competition is through Region X of the NJCAA. The teams are the "Flyers."