Campus Services

CAMPUS SERVICES

The Campus
Volunteer State Community College’s main campus is located on 110 acres on Nashville Pike (Hwy 31-E) in Gallatin, the county seat of Sumner. The campus is approximately 10 minutes from Hendersonville, about 12 miles from the Davidson/Sumner county line northeast of Rivergate.

Sixteen buildings are located on the campus, including the Hal R. Ramer Administration building, the Thigpen Library, the J.H. Warf building, the Wesley Pickel Field House, the Randy and Lois Wood Campus Center, the Noble Caudill Hall, the Fine Arts Building, the Joseph C. Watlington Science Field Station, the E. G. Mattox Business building, the John B. Wallace Health Science Building, J.T. Fox Maintenance Building and 5 buildings on the East Campus. The Livingston Campus in Overton County is served by two buildings owned by the College. Public school facilities serve other teaching sites in the VSCC 12 county service area.

Audio Visual Services
The Audio Visual (A/V) department provides complete audio visual services and Smart classroom services to all areas of the college. The department supplies and maintains classroom instructional equipment for the main campus and all extended service locations, and assists community groups using the campus for special events.

Bookstore
The Campus Bookstore, for the convenience of its students, faculty, and guests, is located in the Campus Center. In addition to textbooks and school supplies, the bookstore also stocks imprinted clothing, backpacks, and reference books.

The bookstore accepts personal checks, cash, Visa, MasterCard, Discover, and American Express. Any check written should be made for the amount of purchase only. Purchases can also be made on-line at www.efollett.com or www.volstate.edu and click on the “Bookstore†tab.

Textbooks may be returned for a 100% refund within seven (7) days from the official first day of classes. Books must be returned in the same condition as purchased. Students must provide a cash register receipt. After this date, if a student drops a course, a 100% refund can be granted within 30 days from the official first day of class, with a signed dropped slip, cash register receipt, and books in same condition as purchased.

Students may elect to sell books provided the books have current market value. The Bookstore offers a “Daily Buy Back†program offering the current market value for books. During final examination periods the Bookstore offers 50% of the purchase price for books needed for stock in the Bookstore. If a particular title is not needed by the Bookstore or the Bookstore has purchased the maximum quantity of a title, students will be offered the current market value.

Career Placement and Cooperative Education and Service Learning
The Office of Career Placement, Cooperative Education, and Service Learning assists students, graduates, and alumni with their employment needs. As a FREE service, it attempts to match the needs of employers with those of the student or graduate and provides employment guidance: Development of career skills and job search strategies, networking, employer research, letter and resume preparation, interviewing, job offer negotiation, and making the most of your employment. The office does not operate as an employment agency nor does it guarantee employment.

Cooperative Education is another focus of this Office. Cooperative Education is a partnership between the College and the employment community. The combination of academic studies at the College and “on the job†work experience affords the Co-op student with added “real world†career insight and credentials to compete favorably in the job market. Students may apply for entry into the program by meeting the following criteria:

Any student interested in the Cooperative Education program is encouraged to apply. To qualify for the program, the following criteria must be met:

1. A minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.5 and the successful completion of the first semester within the student’s major field of study.
2. Present work experience in a field related to the student’s major.

In order to register for Co-op, a student should see the academic advisor who will work with the Director of Career Placement, Cooperative Education, and Service Learning to assure that the student will be registered for the correct credits. Students should expect to pay for these academic credits since they are a part of an academic program of study. Grades for the co-op work experience are based on the successful completion of a paper of reflection, predicated upon appropriate Student Learning Outcomes established between the student and the Director of Career Placement, Cooperative Education and Service Learning.

Career Placement: Because having graduates employed in their chosen career fields is important to the College, the Office of Career Placement and Cooperative Education targets efforts to assist graduates. Therefore, all second-year students who seek career employment at graduation should register with the office at the beginning of their last semester. Registration consists of completing a Placement packet followed by an appointment with the Director to discuss the placement process, the job market, and other services and materials available through the office.

Service Learning: As a part of our mission at Volunteer State Community College, Service Learning combines community service/civic engagement with academic instruction, focusing on:

• Critical Thinking
• Values clarification
• Social and personal development
• Civic and community responsibility
• Global, cultural and inter-generational scope.

The National and Community Service Act of 1990 defines Service Learning with a set of four criteria:

Under which students learn and develop through participation in thoughtfully organized service experiences that meet actual community needs and that are coordinated in collaboration with the school and community;
That is integrated into the student’s academic curriculum or provides structured time for a student to think, talk, or write about what the student did and saw during the actual service activity
That provides students with opportunities to use newly acquired skills and knowledge in real-life situations in their communities, and
That enhances what is taught in school by extending student learning beyond the classroom and into the community and helps to foster the development of a sense of caring for others.

Goals and Benefits of Service Learning include:

1. Realize academic learning objective while involving students in the community.
2. Prepares students for future careers.
3. Empowers students with local issues and needs.
4. Offers students greater responsibility for their learning.
5. Exposes students to inequality and injustice in societies, while allowing them to make a difference.
6. Students connect theory with experience and thought with action.
7. Provides global, cultural, and inter-generational scope.\
8. Campus/community collaboration and partnerships are increased.
9. Encourages students with positive values, leadership, citizenship, and personal responsibility.
10. Sanctions students as learners, leaders, achievers and teachers.

To engage in Service Learning at the College please contact the Office of Career Placement, Cooperative Education, and Service Learning, East Campus, Building 100 or call 615-230-3307.

Students may also participate in the College’s CAREER ALUMNI NETWORK by connecting College alumni already in the workforce. Students may seek career counsel from these alumni, participate in a mentor or career shadow experience, and develop important professional contacts for future employment. Students may learn more or register to participate by visiting the Office or going to http://www.volstate.edu/placement, click on CAREER ALUMNI NETWORK.

The Office of Career Placement, Cooperative Education, and Service Learning offers a user friendly interactive website affording employers a FREE listing of job announcements as students seek employment. Employers may list job announcements 24/7, 365 at http://www.volstate.edu/placement, click on Employer Resources. Anyone may access these listings FREE at www.volstate.edu/placement, click on Job Listings.

Information Technology Resources
Information Technology resources at Volunteer State are available to all faculty, staff, and currently enrolled students. It is the responsibility of Information Technology to provide an environment for all users to accomplish their necessary tasks and at the same time provide security for all computer systems.

All Information Technology users will be governed by all federal, state, and Tennessee Board of Regents (TBR) laws and policies, which include (but are not limited to) the Tennessee Computer Crimes Act of 1983 and the General Policy on Student Conduct and Disciplinary Sanctions (TBR Policy 3.02.00.01).

In addition, regulations defining the user’s responsibilities towards the use of Information Technology resources are outlined in the Student Handbook.

The IT Help Desk is available for student assistance in the event of access issues (problems with usernames, PIN/passwords, logging into various systems, e-mail) and can be reached by calling 615-230-3302. The IT Help Desk cannot assist with personal computer problem. The hours of operation are normally Monday - Thursday from 7:30 am until 7:30 pm and Friday from 7:30 am until 4:30 pm. Assistance with MyVolStateOnline can be obtained by calling 615-230-3367. The MyVolStateOnline assistance line is available 7 days a week 24 hours per day.

The Library/Learning Resources Center
Housed in a two-story, electronically equipped facility, the Library/Learning Resources Center (L/LRC) combines the traditional library concept with technology and adheres to guidelines of the American Library Association (ALA) Standards for Libraries in Higher Education.

An electronic catalog-circulation system offers efficient access to the L/LRC collection, which includes over 55,000 books; 60,000 electronic books; approximately 3,700 reels of microfilm; 3,594 audiovisual items; and 275 current periodicals. Over 50 databases are available providing access to magazine, journal and newspaper articles, reference sources and electronic books.

Offering photocopy machine services and audio and video listening and viewing facilities, the center also provides access to computers, ADA computers and other types of learning equipment.

The Library/Learning Resources Center is open Monday through Friday, with evening hours Monday through Thursday, and Saturday mornings and afternoons when classes are in session

Media Services
The Media Services Department provides video and other media production services to all areas of the College. The department produces video and audio programs for College at Home and other Distance Learning courses, for curriculum support and for promotional materials for the College. Our television studio and editing suites serve as laboratory space for the Communications Department’s classes in television production. The department also provides the downlink for all satellite teleconferences.

The NewSkills Center
NewSkills is the College’s non-credit and credit alternative basic skills instructional program. The NewSkills Center offers computer-based and one-on-one instruction in reading, writing, developmental math and college algebra. The program is designed to help students upgrade basic skills before taking the College placement exam or upgrade basic skills before challenging College placement. The credit courses offered in NewSkills are Basic Mathematics (DSPM 0700), Elementary Algebra (DSPM 0800), Intermediate Algebra (DSPM 0850), College Algebra (MATH 1130), Reading I (DSPR 0700), Reading II (DSPR 0800), Writing I (DSPW 0700), and Writing II (DSPW 0800). These courses are designed for students who need flexible schedules to accommodate work and family. The NewSkills Center provides:

• Diagnostic assessment of current basic skill levels
• Individualized, self-paced basic skills instruction
• Counseling and advising to help determine academic goals
• Flexible hours to accommodate work and family schedules

Students may enter the NewSkills program at any time during the semester. NewSkills is also designed to meet the basic skills instructional needs of the community at-large. Middle and high school students may enroll in NewSkills during the summer to enrich their basic skills. High school students may enroll in NewSkills at anytime for ACT/SAT preparation and for basic skills instruction for high school competency exams. For further information, contact the NewSkills Center.

Technology Learning Center
The Technology Learning Center (TLC) is designed to assist VSCC full-time and adjunct faculty with the integration of technology into the teaching and learning process. Located on the second floor of the Thigpen Library in room L-201, the TLC is equipped with the latest computer-related equipment and is staffed by qualified support personnel. The Center provides the opportunity for faculty and staff to learn, in a hands-on environment, the technology tools needed for instruction. Training sessions on the latest hardware and software are available in small groups or one-on-one sessions.

The TLC is open from 7:30 a.m. until 3:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, and nights and weekends by appointment only.

Computer Equipment:

• Networked computer systems
• Monochrome & color laser printers
• Scanners
• CD-ROM/DVD duplication
• Presentation equipment
• Wireless networking (Mac/PC)

Training For:

• Hardware
• Software (Adobe, Windows - XP, Vista, Office 2007)
• Internet
• Beginning, intermediate and advanced sessions
• Small group
• One-on-one sessions

Assistance With:

• On-line Web course design & technical assistance
• Electronic slide show presentation (PowerPoint)
• Scanning (Photo and Text)
• Brochures
• Newsletters
• Grading spreadsheets
• D2L course work
• E-Mail accounts (OWA)

The Wood Campus Center is the hub of student activities because it houses a food services area, dining rooms, bookstore, Campus Police department, Student Government Association office and the Division of Student Services. The building also houses student publication offices, faculty and administrative offices, classrooms and conference rooms.