By Staff Report
Dothan, Ala. — Wallace Community College-Dothan has received approval from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) to include the Dothan Technology Center (DTC) as an off-campus instructional site. This approval allows the College to offer appropriate instructional programs, not just courses, at DTC.
Dr. Ashli Wilkins, Wallace’s vice president and the dean who works with SACSCOC accreditation processes said that “the College is excited to offer this new program to dually enrolled Dothan City Schools (DCS) students. This approval concludes a lengthy process that would not have been possible without the faculty, staff, and administration of DCS.”
Wallace is accredited by SACSCOC, and to remain in compliance with accrediting standards, the Commission must approve all off-site locations that offer over 50 percent of an instructional program. DTC joins the Houston County Career Academy and G-TECH as approved off-campus instructional sites for the College.
“Our dual enrollment program allows area high school students to get a head start on their college careers with high-quality instruction at a fraction of the cost. We have seen incredible growth in our program over the last several years, and the positive impacts are shared each year by our students, their parents, and our K-12 partners. We are proud to offer these opportunities and excited that we are able to expand them,” said Wilkins.
Dothan City Schools Director of Career Technical Education and Workforce Development Christopher Duke said that “DCS is excited to hear this great news, and DCS is thankful to WCCD President Dr. Linda Young and Wallace Community College for the opportunities that are offered to our dually enrolled students at Dothan Tech and Dothan High School. This effort demonstrates Wallace Community College’s continuous support of offering DCS students a great start to their future.”
DTC students will now be able to complete a short certificate in a computer information science concentration. Employment projections by the Alabama Department of Labor predict a significant number of openings in the computer science workforce for the WCCD service area. In addition, the Alabama legislature provides scholarship funding for career and technical dual enrollment programs to accelerate student completion in high-wage career training for a skilled workforce in a high-growth field.
WCCD Dual Enrollment Coordinator Jennifer Matheny said that “the ability to offer additional classes ‘on-site’ will open the ‘doors of opportunity’ for additional student participation by eliminating any potential transportation barriers that might be preventing students from achieving their college and career goals. We are so appreciative of this partnership and look forward to what the future has in store for these students.”
More information about dual enrollment opportunities at Wallace can be found at www.wallace.edu/dualenrollment.
This article originally appeared on Washington County News: Wallace approved to offer additional courses at DTC
Jim Saunders