Wallace State fall semester underway at both campuses
HANCEVILLE, ALA. – Prior to transferring to Wallace State, student Justin Harris researched the college online and was immediately impressed.
“I had always heard Wallace State was a great place to attend and had a nice campus. Once I found out for myself and visited for the first time, I knew it was the right fit for me,” said Harris, 21, of Birmingham. “It’s awesome to be here.”
Harris is among the new Wallace State students on both the Hanceville and Oneonta campuses this week as fall semester classes are underway.
This is the inaugural fall semester for the Wallace State-Oneonta site, which opened its doors on May 26. Wallace State-Oneonta is offering 30 courses this fall and the campus is expecting full capacity in all of its classes after late registration is concluded on Aug. 23.
Meanwhile, at Hanceville, enrollment has exceeded last year’s numbers.
August Grace Stancil and Kaycee Wright, both Fairview seniors and friends, are taking classes on campus for the first time through Wallace State’s Fast Track Academy – a program offered for high school juniors and seniors to simultaneously enroll in secondary and postsecondary coursework on campus.
“This seems like an awesome opportunity. I should have joined the Fast Track program last year,” said Stancil, who is enrolled in 16 hours this semester. “I’m excited to get a head start on my college career and towards an associate’s degree. I want to join the nursing program one day.”
Wright agreed about the benefits of the program: “This is a great chance to come to college early and get started on what we can expect in the real world.”
Both Stancil and Wright credited Todd Abbott of Wallace State’s Talent Search Department for encouraging them to join the Fast Track Academy.
As Wallace State continues to celebrate its 50th anniversary, it has been ranked among the Fastest Growing Community Colleges in the nation with enrollments of 5,000 or more by Community College Week.
Wallace State, one of the top ranked community colleges in America, according to Aspen Institute, Community College Week and others, is debuting its Winston County Works project this fall in Double Springs. The program provides short-term basic skills training to support industry-recognized certificates and credentials, facilitating employment opportunities for participants in high-growth and high-demand occupations in the automotive manufacturing industry.
Wallace State President Dr. Vicki Karolewics will celebrate 13 years with the college on Aug. 28 and is proud of the strong reputation the institution has within the community, state and nation.
“When I think about the experiences I had the first week or two I was on campus and how far we have come in providing high-technology learning environments and comfortable learning environments for our students, I’m really proud of our faculty and staff for all of the work they have undertaken to make sure learning here is second to none,” Karolewics said. “There’s a huge sense of pride in the reputation Wallace State has always had, but the reputation now is more about excellence and learning, and it’s so great.”
Wallace State was also recently chosen as one of only 30 colleges in the U.S. selected by the American Association of Community Colleges to participate in the Pathways Project, an initiative that guides students from enrollment to completion, pinpointing specific academic pathways to pursue that aligns with their strengths and interests.
Earlier this month, Wallace State’s Department of Nursing Education achieved recognition from the National League for Nursing as a Center of Excellence in Nursing Education for 2016-2020. The college is one of only 15 to earn the distinction this year, and one of only two colleges and universities in the state.
Wallace State is adding a Fine and Performing Arts Academy this fall for dually enrolled high school students, joining the Fast Track Academy and Fast Track for Industry programs on the main campus. The Fine and Performing Arts Academy provides high school students the opportunity for accelerated college study in painting, drawing, sculpture, graphic design, animation, vocal and instrumental music, theatre and dance.
For the eight consecutive year, Wallace State employees and students are participating in the campus-wide Common Read project. This year’s selection is “The Art of Racing in the Rain” by Garth Stein. Wallace State will have the privilege of hosting Garth on campus on Wednesday, Oct. 19, at 9:30 a.m. in the Betty Leeth Haynes Auditorium, and a Q&A session will follow.
Wallace State athletics begins a new campaign on Aug. 23 as the seven-time defending conference-champion volleyball team hosts Shorter University in an exhibition match. Wallace State’s first home conference match is Sept. 21 vs. Southern Union.
Wallace State athletics had three teams (volleyball, softball and men’s golf) win conference championships last season, and the college is reintroducing its men’s and women’s tennis teams this fall.
Late fall registration continues through Tuesday, Aug. 23. See the semester schedule, available online at www.wallacestate.edu/schedule for classes available on campus in Hanceville, at Wallace State’s new location in Oneonta, and online.
For more information about Wallace State, visit www.wallacestate.edu
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Russell Moore
Staff Writer
Wallace State Community College
P.O. Box 2000, Hanceville, AL 35077
1-866-350-9722 256-352-8443 direct
Visit us online at www.wallacestate.edu
Kristen Holmes
Communications & Marketing Director, and
Administrator, The Evelyn Burrow Museum
Wallace State Community College
801 Main Street NW | Hanceville, AL 35077
E-mail: kristen.holmes@wallacestate.edu
Office: 256.352.8118 | Cell: 256.339.2519 | Toll Free: 866.350.9722