College Information

Letter from the President

On behalf of the Board of Governors, the administration, faculty, and staff, welcome to Southeast Community College.

SCC is committed to its mission of transforming students and the diverse communities it serves through accessible, dynamic and responsive pathways to career and technical, academic transfer, and continuing education programs, as well as lifelong learning opportunities.

If you are a prospective student, SCC has nearly 60 program options to choose from, as well as degree, diploma and certificate options. We believe you will find a program or class that is perfect for you.

Southeast is a vibrant two-year public institution of higher education serving a primary area of 15 counties in southeast Nebraska. SCC offers multiple locations and continues to expand its online opportunities. With high-quality career/technical and academic programs and very affordable tuition and fees, SCC provides students with tremendous opportunities to create their futures through the obtainment of new knowledge, skills and awareness. Our unique blend of career/technical programs will provide students with the skills necessary to be successful in the workforce. SCC’s programs provide students with opportunities to work with the latest equipment and technologies. Students enrolled in career/technical programs also receive high-quality instruction in academic areas to ensure they have both the technical and academic skills necessary to succeed at different organizational levels and in a variety of dynamic work environments. The first two years of a four-year degree represent the essential academic foundation. SCC’s Academic Transfer program provides students with an outstanding opportunity to obtain a high-quality academic foundation at very affordable rates. SCC offers small class sizes with instructors dedicated to instructional excellence, student success and the development of reflective and creative learners.

The College’s 2020-24 Strategic Plan provides SCC with a roadmap to ensure it focuses on meeting student and employer demand for higher education. The plan emphasizes SCC’s student-centered focus through positive and engaging learning environments and comprehensive support services. SCC is committed to student success in the workforce and in higher education settings. The College believes that learning extends beyond the classroom and specific academic content. SCC students will have opportunities for personal and cultural enrichment through wellness programming, global and diversity education, field experiences, participation in research, academic honor initiatives, and many other challenging and engaging endeavors. The College’s outstanding faculty and staff are committed to student success and have dedicated themselves to SCC’s inspiring mission and purpose.

We welcome students of many different backgrounds in our programs and activities. SCC values diversity and inclusion as important and integral parts of the educational process, and we continue to seek students, faculty and staff who bring a variety of life experiences and viewpoints to the College. If there is anything that you need from me or my team of professionals at the College, please contact us.

Sincerely,

Dr. Paul Illich

President

About SCC

SCC History

In 1971, the Nebraska Legislature passed a bill that combined junior colleges, state vocational-technical colleges, and 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 the Lincoln and Southeast areas merged in 1973. As conceived in 1971, Nebraska community college areas were to be governed locally by elected boards.

SCC is governed by an 11-member Board of Governors, two each from five districts within the 15-county service area, and one at-large member representing the entire 15-county area.

SCC’s Beatrice Campus, approximately 45 miles south of Lincoln, offers technical and transfer programs, including a laboratory farm operation where students receive hands-on education in areas such as agronomy, horticulture, livestock, and precision agriculture. The main part of campus includes classroom buildings, a gymnasium for intercollegiate athletics and intramurals, and student housing.

The Beatrice Campus is a former John J. Pershing College that operated from 1966-1971. SCC began utilizing the campus in the late 1970s, and in 1986, operations at Fairbury Junior College were moved there.

SCC has had a presence in Lincoln for decades. It offers more than 25 technical areas of study in Lincoln, as well as a robust transfer program for students who wish to continue their education at a four-year institution. Students can choose various paths while demonstrating their newly acquired skills.

In addition to the Lincoln Campus at 8800 O St., SCC operates additional facilities in Lincoln:  Downtown at 1111 O St. (Education Square), at 301 S. 68th St. Place (the Jack J. Huck Continuing Education Center), and The Career Academy, which is part of the Lincoln Campus. The proximity of Education Square to the University of Nebraska-Lincoln makes it an ideal choice for UNL students who wish to earn general education credits at an affordable cost. The Career Academy is a partnership between SCC and Lincoln Public Schools and provides high school juniors and seniors the opportunity to complete high school and college credit through numerous career pathways.

The Milford Campus of SCC, just 25 miles west of Lincoln, was the original technical college in Nebraska, the Nebraska State Trade School. It began in 1941. Milford has a long history of offering high-quality high-tech two-year programs. There are more than 25 career/technical education programs at Milford.

SCC also operates six Learning Centers in communities throughout the 15-county service area. They are in Falls City, Hebron, Nebraska City, Plattsmouth, York, and Wahoo. Non-credit and credit classes, workforce training, and other opportunities are offered at the Centers.

Beyond SCC’s physical spaces is the Southeast Nebraska Career Academy Partnership. Nearly 50 school districts within SCC’s 15-county service area participate in SENCAP, where high school students can earn dual-credit (high school and college) and get a head start on their college careers.

In 2015, the College launched its first Strategic Plan, which paved the way for data-driven decision-making in all facets of the institution. Around that same time the College adopted its first Facilities Master Plan that will guide the College’s facility planning for the next decade.

In 2019, SCC transitioned from a quarter academic calendar to a semester calendar to better align with its four-year higher education partners. That same year the College unveiled a new logo and branding standards for the first time since the mid-1970s.

Mission

The mission of Southeast Community College is to empower and transform the diverse learners and communities of southeast Nebraska through accessible lifelong educational opportunities. The College provides dynamic and responsive pathways to career and technical, academic transfer and continuing education programs that contribute to personal, community and workforce development.

Vision Statement

Southeast Community College seeks to transform and empower its diverse learners for fulfilling careers, life-long learning and community and societal advancement. The College is committed to ongoing intellectual, financial and strategic investment in its infrastructure and all phases of its operations.

The College is dedicated to creating destinations and the highest quality learning climates through permanent, innovative, modern, virtually linked, sustainable, and collaborative facilities and green spaces. SCC will ensure its open-access mission is celebrated and realized through inclusivity, respect and compassion toward the diverse views and ideas of its various student populations and constituents. The College will work collaboratively and courageously with its higher education partners, employers and local and state officials to address Nebraska’s skilled worker shortage and the need for everyone to have affordable access to the life-changing benefits of higher education. SCC will utilize valid and dynamic data to respond to local and statewide needs to strengthen the College’s diverse communities and economies.

SCC strives to be a national leader in developing high-contact technical and academic experiences through personal and sincere relationships with engaged and invested faculty, staff and administrators. These personal connections will be coupled with intensive learning opportunities through co-curricular involvement, research, volunteerism, and public service. SCC’s commitment to student transformation intentionally encompasses the development of essential life skills, including reflective thinking, resiliency and emotional intelligence proficiency.

Values

Excellence: Commitment to the highest level of performance in all facets of the College’s programs, services and operations through effective investment and support of all assets.

Integrity: Continuous pursuit of fulfillment of mission, vision and goals through transparency and ethical practices in all College operations.

Innovation: Commitment to proactive discovery and application of emerging concepts and technologies, and promotion of the respectful challenging of ideologies and practices to cultivate creativity, alternative viewpoints and opportunities for ongoing discovery and intellectual growth.

Inclusion: Promotion of opportunities and advancement for a diverse and dynamic student, employee and community population through the creation of a positive, compassionate and reflective culture.

Stewardship & Accountability: Commitment to our students, employers and communities through investment in resources to fulfill the College’s mission, vision and goals and responsible management of human, physical and financial resources.

Institutional Learning Outcomes

SCC’s Institutional Learning Outcomes are driven by the College’s mission and Strategic Plan and represent what all students should learn at SCC regardless of their program of study, and both inside and outside their coursework.

Career & Professional Readiness:  Students will develop the skills needed for today’s workforce and beyond: technical expertise and knowledge, information literacy skills, a commitment to standards of professionalism, and a dedication to lifelong learning

 Innovative & Critical Thinking: Students will think critically to evaluate problems from multiple perspectives, seeking informed, fair-minded and well-reasoned solutions. 

Effective Communication: Students will utilize effective strategies for listening, speaking, reading, writing, and other forms of communication. 

Community Engagement & Social Responsibility: Students will participate in an active and ethical civic life; cultivating inclusivity and engaging respectfully with others in our diverse, global society. 

Wellness & Resiliency: SCC students will pursue a path of personal growth, strengthening compassion and emotional intelligence skills for healthy relationships and resiliency.

Accreditation, Approvals & Memberships

Southeast Community College has been accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC) since 1983. The HLC is an independent corporation that was founded in 1895 as one of six regional institutional accreditors in the United States. The Higher Learning Commission granted SCC reaffirmation of accreditation in 2012-2013, with the next reaffirmation of accreditation in 2022-2023.

What is Accreditation?

Accreditation in higher education is a process of external quality review to ensure that a college or university meets established standards. In the United States, schools and colleges voluntarily seek accreditation from nongovernmental bodies. Accreditation provides assurance to the public, in particular to prospective students, that an organization has been found to meet clearly stated requirements and criteria and that there are reasonable grounds for believing that it will continue to meet them. Through HLC’s Pathways for Reaffirmation of Accreditation, accredited institutions complete periodic reviews on a 10-year cycle to ensure they continue to meet the Criteria for Accreditation and pursue institutional improvement. These reviews take place concurrently with HLC’s regular oversight activities, such as the Institutional Update, substantive change request, and other processes.

Accreditation is required for students to gain access to federal funds, including student grants and loans. Non-accredited institutions are not eligible for federal financial aid.

Types of Accreditation

Regional Institutional Accreditation:

Specialized and Professional Accreditation:

Specialized and professional accreditation is granted to nonprofit organizations that review programs within a narrowly defined profession or field of study. SCC has more than twenty programs with active specialized accreditation.

College Governance

Board of Governors

SCC is governed by an 11-member Board of Governors. Two members are elected to four-year terms from each of five districts. One member holds an at-large seat on the Board. Board of Governors for 2021: Kathy Boellstorff, Johnson; Chuck Byers, McCool Junction; James J. Garver, Lincoln; Keith Hammons, Weeping Water;  Dale Kruse, Beatrice; Nancy A. Seim, Lincoln; James Sherwood, Lincoln; Neal Stenberg, Lincoln; Arlyn Uhrmacher, Lincoln; Ellen Weissinger, Lincoln; Kristin Yates, Lincoln; Linda Hartman, Faculty Representative, Lincoln.

College Locations

Beatrice Campus

SCC’s campus in Beatrice, a community of approximately 12,500, is located on the west end of the city on Scott Road, just off U.S. Highway 136. Beatrice is the county seat of Gage County and is approximately 45 miles south of Lincoln on U.S. Highway 77. The main part of campus is comprised of classroom/office buildings, including a brand-new Academic Excellence Center, along with four housing units and a gymnasium. Approximately 800 students take classes on the Beatrice Campus. Just south of the main campus is the Agriculture Center, situated on a nearly 900-acre laboratory where students receive hands-on instruction in multiple focus areas.

Lincoln Campus

SCC’s Lincoln Campus is the College’s largest campus with approximately 7,500 students enrolled annually. Located on the east edge of Lincoln at 8800 O Street, a community of nearly 290,000, SCC’s Lincoln Campus is home to multiple academic programs and course offerings, a child development center, gymnasium and wellness center, The Career Academy, Course Restaurant, Ground Coffee Shop, and the Great Plains Culinary Institute. Additionally, the state-of-the-art, innovative Health Sciences facility was opened in January 2021. Lincoln, Nebraska’s Capitol City, affords SCC students many amenities such as cultural arts activities, restaurants and shopping.

Education Square

SCC’s downtown Lincoln location, Education Square, is home to the Academic Transfer program, Adult and Juvenile Services and Corrections, Criminal Justice, Graphic Design/Media Arts, and Law Enforcement & Homeland Security programs. Education Square is a convenient location for University of Nebraska-Lincoln students to take extra courses at a fraction of the cost.

In the heart of downtown Lincoln, SCC’s Education Square offers a variety of dining, shopping and cultural events, including close proximity to the historic Haymarket, Pinnacle Bank Arena and the Railyard.

Jack J. Huck Continuing Education Center

The Jack J. Huck Continuing Education Center is home to the Continuing Education Division, whose goal is to provide opportunities for lifelong learning. Continuing education provides training opportunities for business, industry and health care professionals, as well as non-credit classes for the community. The Continuing Education Center has a variety of classrooms, computer labs and a 75-seat auditorium, making the CEC a perfect venue for collaborating with SCC for customized training. SCC can be your partner for hosting your next conference, or for attending one of our many open-to-public workforce development workshops. We offer face-to-face and online classes in driver education and traffic licensing and safety. The CEC also has a fully functioning kitchen for culinary classes and plenty of space for classes in arts and crafts. This facility also has the unique benefit of adjustable walls on the third floor, allowing for a large-capacity meeting space.

Within the CEC is the SCC Entrepreneurship Center. This center is a valuable resource for anyone interested in starting their own business. You will have an office suite, resources and assistance from staff to help you launch your own business. The entire third floor of the Entrepreneurship Center is dedicated to these small-business Focus Suites.

Milford Campus

SCC’s campus in Milford, a community of approximately 2,000, is located on the southeast edge of the city on State Street. Milford, a community in Seward County, is located approximately 22 miles west of Lincoln on Interstate 80, then four miles south on Highway 6. The campus includes several classroom buildings, including the Eicher Technical Center and the recently completed Crete Carrier Diesel Technology & Welding Center; Prairie Hall, a three-story residence hall that opened in fall 2019; and Meadow Hall, a three-story residence hall that opened in fall 2021. Cafeteria services, Welsh Center, gymnasium and fitness center provide students with many amenities. The original campus, known as Nebraska State Trade School, enrolled five students in May 1941. Today, the Milford Campus is home to approximately 850 students who are enrolled in 29 Programs of Study.

Learning Centers

In support of the 2015-2019 Strategic Plan, six learning centers were established within the College’s 15-county service area to provide program and continuing education opportunities outside of SCC’s three campus areas. The Learning Centers are geographically distributed across the service area to maximize the number of individuals living within a 35-mile radius from each of the centers. The Learning Centers are located in Falls City, Hebron, Nebraska City, Plattsmouth, Wahoo, and York. They offer a variety of credit and non-credit courses from workforce development to leisure learning, as well as a variety of services.

Consumer Information/Student Right-to-Know

The Student Right-to-Know Act, passed by Congress in 1990, requires institutions eligible for Title IV funding, under the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended, to provide specific information to current and prospective students. To find information about educational data, please visit the National Center for Education Statistics website at http://nces.ed.gov. A summary of the Student Right-to-Know Act can be found at https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/101/s580/text. SCC, acting in compliance with this Act, posts the required Student Right-to-Know information on the SCC website at https://www.southeast.edu/studentrighttoknow/.

Per federal regulations set forth by the Higher Education Act of 1965 (amended in 2008), educational institutions also are required to disclose specific consumer information about the school and the availability of student financial aid to prospective and continuing students. These federal regulations provide all prospective and enrolled students with information on subjects with which they should be familiar. You can find these and other consumer information on the SCC website at https://www.southeast.edu/consumer-information/.

Availability of SCC Staff to Disseminate Consumer Information

The following individuals or their designees are available to disseminate all Student Right-to-Know/Consumer Information and other institutional programmatic information or provide printed materials as requested:

Federal regulations governing institutions of higher education require that specific informational data be made available to students and employees annually.

2021 Annual Notice: https://www.southeast.edu/pdfs/consumer-information/annualnoticetostudentsandemployees.pdf

Nondiscrimination and Equal Opportunity Statement

Equal Opportunity/NonDiscrimination Policy - It is the policy of Southeast Community College to provide equal opportunity and nondiscrimination in all admission, attendance, and employment matters to all persons without regard to race, color, religion, sex*, age, marital status, national origin, ethnicity, veteran status, sexual orientation, disability, or other factors prohibited by law or College policy. Inquiries concerning the application of Southeast Community College’s policies on equal opportunity and nondiscrimination should be directed to the Vice President for Access/Equity/Diversity, SCC Area Office, 301 S. 68th Street Place, Lincoln, NE  68510, 402-323-3412, FAX 402-323-3420, or jsoto@southeast.edu.
*The U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights enforces Title IX’s prohibition on discrimination on the basis of sex to also include discrimination based on gender identity. 

Declaración de política sobre equidad/antidiscriminación - La política publica de Southeast Community College es de proveer equidad, y prohíbe discriminación, en todos asuntos referentes a la admisión, participación, y empleo contra toda persona por motivo de raza, color, religión, sexo*, edad, estado civil, origen nacional, etnia, condición de veterano, orientación sexual, incapacidad, u otros factores prohibidos por ley o política del Colegio. Preguntas relacionadas a la política sobre equidad/antidiscriminación de Southeast Community College deben dirigirse a:  Vice President for Access/Equity/Diversity, SCC Area Office, 301 S 68 Street Place, Lincoln, NE 68510, 402-323-3412, FAX 402-323-3420, o jsoto@southeast.edu.
*La Oficina de Derechos Civiles del Departamento de Educación de los Estados Unidos hace cumplir la prohibición del Título IX contra discriminación por motivos de sexo, que también incluye la discriminación basada en la identidad de género.  www.southeast.edu/diversity  (02/22)

Inquiries involving students should be directed to the Campus Dean of Students:

• Beatrice 402-228-8286
• Lincoln 402-437-2559
• Milford 402-761-8270

If you are a person with a disability and require an accommodation while attending SCC, please contact the Director of Student Support and Accommodations Resource Office, 402-437-2814.

Crime Statistics and Fire Safety

In accordance with the Crime Awareness and Campus Security Act of 1990 (20 U.S.C., section 1092), now the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security and Campus Crime Statistics Act and the Higher Education Opportunity Act of 2008 (HEOA), SCC publicizes an annual report by every Oct. 1 containing three years of campus crime statistics. Included in the report is the Campus Fire Safety Annual Compliance Report required by the HEOA for campuses with residential housing.

This report provides prospective students and/or their parents or guardians and current students and current/prospective employees information regarding College policies, crime statistics, fire statistics, safety tips, and emergency phone numbers. It also provides an overview of some of the programs offered by the College meant to inform students, employees and applicants of the nature and amount of crimes that occur on any SCC campus, non-campus and reasonably contiguous public property. The annual statistics are prepared by collecting crime data from SCC Security records and incident reports, in addition to crime statistics for specified geographic locations from other local law enforcement agencies. Crime statistics are included in the Annual Safety, Security and Crime/Fire Statistics Report and submitted to the Department of Education. The full text of the SCC Annual Safety, Security and Crime/Fire Statistics Report is available at www.southeast.edu/campussafety/. A daily Crime/Fire Log can also be found at www.southeast.edu/campussafety.

Each year, all SCC employees and enrolled students receive an email notifying them of the website in which the report may be accessed. Persons interested in receiving a paper copy of this report should contact the Dean of Students on their campus. Crime statistics for SCC locations, local jurisdictions and other institutions nationwide can be found at http://ope.ed.gov/security/.

Graduation/Completion Rates

The Student Right-to-Know Act, passed by Congress in 1990, requires institutions eligible for Title IV funding, under the Higher Education Act of 1965 as amended, to calculate completion or graduation rates of certificate- or degree-seeking, full-time students entering that institution and to disclose these rates to current and prospective students. To access data and reports on educational statistics, please visit the National Center for Education Statistics website at www.nces.ed.gov.

Each institution must annually make available to prospective and enrolled students the completion, graduation or transfer rate of certificate- or degree-seeking, first-time, full-time, undergraduate students. Also, fall-to-fall retention rate information is provided for both full-time and part-time students. SCC posts Graduation Rate Data on its Student Right-to-Know page at www.southeast.edu/studentrighttoknow/.

Equity in Athletics Disclosure Act

The Equity in Athletics Disclosure Act requires co-educational institutions of postsecondary education that participate in a Title IV, federal student financial assistance program, and have an intercollegiate athletic program, to prepare an annual report to the Department of Education on athletic participation, staffing and revenues and expenses, by men’s and women’s teams. The Department will use this information to prepare its required report to Congress on gender equity in intercollegiate athletics.

SCC’s Equity in Athletics Report is posted on our Consumer Information page at https://www.southeast.edu/consumer-information/. Individuals interested in additional information or in data regarding athletic equity should reference http://ope.ed.gov/athletics. This site provides data from thousands of colleges and universities in a convenient searchable form.

Privacy of Educational Records/FERPA

Southeast Community College has developed policies and procedures in compliance with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA). FERPA is a federal law that protects the privacy of student education records. The law applies to all schools that receive funds under an applicable program of the U.S. Department of Education. FERPA gives parents certain rights with respect to their children’s education records. These rights transfer to the student when they reach the age of 18 or when they attend a school beyond the high school level. Students to whom the rights have transferred are “eligible students.”

FERPA

Generally, you have the following rights as an SCC student: to inspect and review your educational records; to a hearing to challenge the contents of your records; and to receive copies of all or part of your educational records upon request.

All requests for student records, information and/or questions relating to the release of records and information must be in writing and directed to the campus Registration and Records Office.

FERPA permits public disclosure of directory information without the student’s consent. Directory information is information contained in a student’s education record that would not generally be considered harmful or an invasion of privacy if disclosed.

Directory information consisting of the items listed below may be released without the student’s consent:

• Student name
• Major field of study
• Dates of attendance
• Enrollment status
• Most recent previous school attended
• Degrees and awards received
• Honors and awards received, including Dean’s List and other academic honors
• Participation in officially recognized co-curricular activities (e.g. music, sports)
• Weight and height of athletic team members
• Parking permit number and auto license number
• Photograph/Video*

When available, your physical address, email address and/or telephone number may be released at the discretion of the Registration and Records Office.

*Use of Photographs/Video:

Photographers/videographers employed or contracted by SCC regularly take photographs/video of people, either individually or in a group, to illustrate or describe various aspects of the College and campus life. These photographs/video will be taken at public venues such as athletic events and concerts, or they may be taken in organized campus photo/video shoots where the subjects will have given verbal consent to be photographed/videotaped. Individuals who are photographed/videotaped while attending a public event or who verbally agree to participate in a photo/video shoot will be understood to have authorized SCC to use their likeness in print and electronic materials to promote the College. The College will retain the usage rights to the photographs/video in perpetuity.

To avoid having Directory Information released, students must submit a written request to the campus Registration and Records Office within 10 classroom/business days, not including Saturdays, Sundays and holidays, after initial enrollment in the College. After the initial 10-day period, any new request for withholding of directory information shall require a 10-classroom day (not including Saturdays, Sundays and holidays) written notice to the campus Registration & Records Office to become effective.

Retention of Student Records

The official student academic record, the transcript of credit earned, will be retained permanently at the College. All other documents (except disciplinary records) which are used to create, update and support a student’s file, will be retained for five (5) years. Records relating to a student or parent borrower’s eligibility and participation in the Direct Loan program will be retained for three (3) years after the date the student was last enrolled at SCC. Other student financial aid records will be retained for three (3) years following the end of the fiscal year in which funds were awarded. All veterans’ records will be retained in the student’s file for five (5) years from the last date of enrollment. All placement records will be retained for three (3) years following the last date of enrollment.

Solomon Amendment

The Solomon Amendment is a federal law that allows military recruiters to access some address, biographical and academic program information on students age 17 and older.

The Department of Education has determined the Solomon Amendment supersedes most elements of FERPA. An institution is therefore obligated to release data included in the list of “student recruiting information,” which may or may not match SCC’s FERPA directory information list. However, if the student has submitted a request to restrict the release of Directory Information, then no information from the student’s education record will be released under the Solomon Amendment.

Solomon Information

1. Name
2. Address (home and mailing)
3. Telephone (home and mobile)
4. Age (is not defined as Directory Information at SCC)
5. Place of birth (is not defined as Directory Information at SCC)
6. Level of education
7. Academic major
8. Degrees received
9. Educational institution in which the student was most recently enrolled

Military Recruiters may Request Student Recruitment Information once each term or semester for each of the 12 Eligible Units within the Five Branches of the Service:

1. Army: Army, Army Reserve, Army National Guard
2. Navy: Navy, Navy Reserve
3. Marine Corps: Marine Corps, Marine Corps Reserve
4. Air Force: Air Force, Air Force Reserve, Air Force National Guard
5. Coast Guard: Coast Guard, Coast Guard Reserve

Procedure for Releasing Information to Military Recruiter:

• The request should be submitted in writing on letterhead clearly identifying the unit of service requesting the student recruitment information.
• The request should specify for which semester/term the information is requested.
• A written or emailed request should be sent to registration@southeast.edu for processing.