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.
Eighteen 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, the Steinhauer-Rogan-Black Humanties Building, the 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. Highland Crest in Robertson County is served by one building owned by the College. The Cookeville Campus is encompassed within the Cookeville Higher Education Center. Public school facilities serve other teaching sites in the VSCC 12 county service area.
Bookstore
The Campus Bookstore (operated by Follett), for the convenience of its students, faculty, and guests, is located in the Campus Center. In addition to textbooks and digital books, the bookstore also stocks imprinted clothing, school supplies, 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.vsccshop.com. 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. The Bookstore offers a “Daily Buy Back” program based on store need. 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 for their textbook. The campus bookstore also offers a rental program. Students can rent their books & save up to 50%. Additional information can be found at www.vsccshop.com.
Career Services
The Office of Student Engagement and Support, in coordination with other support offices assists students with employment preparation to include development of career skills and job search strategies, networking, employer research, letter and resume preparation, interviewing, and making the most of your employment. The Office does not operate as an employment agency nor does it guarantee employment. Additional resources may be found at https://www.volstate.edu/career-services
In addition, the Office hosts on campus employer recruitment as well as employee “pop-up” job fairs in the fall and spring.
Work Based Learning
Work Based Learning represents credit-bearing experience that integrates knowledge and theory learned in the classroom with practical application and skills development in a professional setting. Internships, practicums, clinicals, and similar experiences integrated with a class or related to a major field of student, give students the opportunity to gain valuable applied learning and make connections in professional fields they are considering for career paths, while giving employers the opportunity to guide and evaluate talent. (National Association of Colleges and Employers, 2011)
Work Based Learning courses may be offered in Fall, Spring, and Summer semesters. Communicate with your faculty advisor in advance of the semester you plan to enroll to determine eligibility and course availability.
For more detailed information about Work Based Learning go to www.volstate.edu/workbasedlearning.
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.
Students may also engage in community/civic service via the Volunteer Club (see special interest student organizations).
The National and Community Service Act of 1990 defines Service Learning with a set of five criteria:
1. Make Friends and explore real world experiences.
2. 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;
3. 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;
4. That provides students with opportunities to use newly acquired skills and knowledge in real-life situations in their communities, and;
5. 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 or see photographs and videos of Service Learning projects, please go to www.volstate.edu/servicelearning.
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, and V:02:19) )and the VSCC Computer Use Policy.
In addition, regulations defining the user’s responsibilities towards the use of Information Technology resources are outlined in the Student Handbook. www.volstate.edu/StudentHandbook
The IT Help Desk is available for employee and student assistance in the event of access issues (problems with usernames, PIN/passwords, logging into various systems including MyVolState, e-mail, etc.). For fastest service, submit an IT Service Request by visiting volstate.edu/IT; they can also be reached by calling 615-230-3302 or visiting Room 123 in the Learning Commons area of the Thigpen Library. The IT Help Desk cannot assist with personal computer problems.
Thigpen Library
Thigpen Library supports the academic needs of the College community by providing information resources, research assistance, study spaces, and instructional services. Librarians are available to help with students’ research and information needs and to collaborate with faculty to provide library instruction.
Each campus has a library, which provides students with a place to study, collaborate, and learn. The library’s main location, including its physical collections, is on the Gallatin campus. Items from the library’s physical collections, with approximately 45,000 books and 2,000 DVDs, can be delivered to other campuses upon request. Thigpen Library in Gallatin features individual and group study spaces to meet diverse study needs and preferences. Other resources, such as computers, printers, and scanners, are available at all campuses. Also available are select technology items like graphing calculators and cameras, and a limited number of textbooks.
Thigpen Library’s website, www.volstate.edu/library, provides operating hours and access to services and resources. Online library resources include more than 90 databases containing millions of full text articles, streaming videos, and searchable eBooks. Current students and employees can access these resources 24/7. Librarian-curated research guides help users find the relevant resources for their courses and research topics, including a guide for citing sources. Contact information for Thigpen Library is available on the website (www.volstate.edu/library). Assistance is available during operating hours via drop-in, appointment, phone, or email.
Media Production & Audio Visual Services
Media Production provides video and other media production services to all areas of the College. The department produces video and audio programs for Distributed Education courses, for curriculum support and for promotional materials for the College. The department also operates Comcast Channel 19 in Gallatin and U-verse Channel 99. In addition, our television studio and editing suites serve as laboratory space for the Communications Department’s classes in television production.
Audio Visual (AV) Services provides complete audio visual services and technology-enhanced 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 as well as assists both employees & community groups using the campus for special events.
The Learning Commons
The Learning Commons provides free tutoring services for all VSCC students in many subject areas, particularly in reading, writing, math, and science. Tutoring is also available to help students upgrade basic skills for college-level courses. The Learning Commons hosts learning support math courses, offers writing assistance, and provides assistance with eLearn, the college’s learning management system.
The Learning Commons staff provides:
- Assessment of current academic skill levels
- Individualized tutoring services
- Flexible hours to accommodate work and family schedules
- Help with online classes, eLearn, and online tutoring
Students may come to the Learning Commons at any time during the semester. There is a Learning Commons location on each Vol State campus. More information is available at www.volstate.edu/learningcommons.
Distributed Education
Vol State’s Distributed Education program gives students the flexibility to take classes that fit their schedules and lifestyles. Most of the general education core and selected major courses may be completed either online, using eLearn, our learning management system, or as hybrid (blended) courses, which require a combination of online and class participation. Additionally, several degrees may be completed via distance courses. Courses are available in traditional and accelerated formats. All distance courses contain the same outcomes as a corresponding traditional classroom course. Advising, student support, and other forms of student assistance are also available online.
eLearn
eLearn is the name of the Vol State learning management system. This is where Vol State online classes happen. Most hybrid and traditional, on-campus courses also use eLearn. Within eLearn, many instructors will post announcements, course content, assignments, and grades.
Before classes begin, students will want to check out this list of Technical Requirements and Skills needed to use eLearn. You can find many how-to articles and videos on our knowledge base: eLearn for Students. The website to sign-in is https://elearn.volstate.edu. New students are encouraged to participate in an optional workshop to learn to use eLearn before classes begin. Contact Distributed Education for more information.
The Randy and Lois Wood Campus Center
The Randy and Lois 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 and student club offices and the Division of Student Services. The building also houses faculty and administrative offices and classrooms.
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