CAMPUS SERVICES
The Campus
Volunteer State Community College consists of four campuses. The Gallatin campus is located on 110 acres on Nashville Pike (Hyw 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 Veterinary Technology 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 Humanities 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. Springfield Campus 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 11 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, American Express, and PayPal. 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.
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 study, 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 College 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:
- Make Friends and explore real world experiences.
- 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:
- Realize academic learning objective while involving students in the community.
- Prepares students for future careers.
- Empowers students with local issues and needs.
- Offers students greater responsibility for their learning.
- Exposes students to inequality and injustice in societies, while allowing them to make a difference.
- Students connect theory with experience and thought with action.
- Provides global, cultural, and inter-generational scope.
- Campus/community collaboration and partnerships are increased.
- Encourages students with positive values, leadership, citizenship, and personal responsibility.
- Sanctions students as learners, leaders, achievers and teachers.
To inquire about Service Learning for a particular course, contact the division offices. More information is available at 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 202 on the 2nd Floor of the Thigpen Library. The IT Help Desk cannot assist with personal computer problems.
Thigpen Library
Thigpen Library @ Vol State supports the academic needs of the College community at each campus by providing information resources, research assistance, interlibrary loans, study spaces, and library instruction.
Online access to the library catalog, electronic books, streaming videos, databases, and more is available 24/7 via the library website (www.volstate.edu/library). Each Vol State campus library provides desktop computers, laptops for in-building use, printers, scanners, and graphing calculators. Additional offerings vary by campus.
Library staff are available to assist with any questions during open hours at each campus. To borrow library materials, please be prepared to present your Vol State ID card or a government-issued ID such as a driver’s license or state ID. For more information, including hours, contact information, and access to library resources, see Thigpen Library’s website.
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 offers free tutoring (in person and virtual through Zoom) to Vol State students in many subject areas, particularly in reading, writing, math, and science. The Learning Commons hosts learning support math courses, offers writing assistance, provides academic coaching, and assists with eLearn for online class materials.
Each Vol State campus has a Learning Commons location, and students may come to the Learning Commons any time during the semester. The Learning Commons’ website (www.volstate.edu/learningcommons) provides contact information, operating hours, and access to online writing resources.
The Randy and Lois Wood Campus Center
The Randy and Lois Wood Campus Center is the hub of student activities. 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 administrative offices and classrooms.
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