State Board of Community Colleges approves new associate degree in public safety administration
RALEIGH – The State Board of Community Colleges today (April 4) approved the NC Community College System’s first associate degree program in public safety administration.
The system developed the program in collaboration with the NC Criminal Justice Education and Training Standards Commission to help address significant ongoing needs within the public safety community to fill critical positions.
The degree program is designed to prepare students for employment with fire or police departments, emergency management organizations, government agencies, private companies, correctional facilities and more.
The program will include courses in diverse subject areas, including public service administration and education, crisis leadership, agency financial management, and incident management. It also will provide a mechanism enabling students to obtain academic credit for previously earned skills and credentials within the public safety sector.
Piedmont Community College is the first institution approved to offer the new degree, but others could soon follow. The board also approved a request by Tri-County Community College to add the public safety administration program to the Special Curriculum Program Application, an expedited process for community colleges to obtain approval for degrees. As a result, Tri-County and other colleges soon could seek approval to begin offering the degree in their communities, said Dr. Frank Scuiletti, senior program administrator with the community college system.
In other action, the board:
- Approved a rule that codifies policy regarding the establishment of multi-campus centers. These sites provide instruction and related support at convenient locations apart from a college’s main campus. Colleges receive additional funding to support the sites. The rule specifies that a multi-campus center must enroll at least 300 full-time-equivalent students at the location to qualify for additional funding. The rule also says funding will be reduced if a site’s enrollment drops below the minimum for two consecutive fiscal years.
- Approved associate degrees in human services technology and human services technology – mental health to be offered by Caldwell Community College and Technical Institute, beginning this fall.
- Approved associate degrees in anesthesia technology and cyber crime technology to be offered by Cape Fear Community College, beginning this fall.
- Approved an associate degree in health care management technology to be offered by Rowan-Cabarrus Community College, beginning this fall.
- Approved associate degrees in applied animal science and project management technology to be offered by Surry Community College, beginning this fall.
- Approved a location waiver for Washington County Early College High School. The cooperative innovative high school is a partnership between Washington County Schools and Beaufort County Community College. The waiver allows the high school to be located in Roper instead of on the community college’s campus.
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