Kathryn M.
Yelp
On the whole, I think SCCC was once THE community College to go to and is slowly becoming the same gem it once was. Until then, be sure to review the teachers before you sign up for classes, keep all copies of any paperwork you submit or receive, expect long waits to see the counselors and professors, and bring your own supply of toilet paper and hand sanitizer.
I've been to 3 different community colleges in my life, two I've attended as a student (including SCCC) and one I worked at. I am not impressed or too happy with this college.
The main bulk of my complaints lies in the operation of the school. Several times, paperwork I submitted was lost or misplaced. I would arrange for counselor meetings and end up meeting with the wrong counselor. I would submit paperwork for a change in residency or regarding income or something, and it would take the school a month or two to get back to me (instead of the 2 weeks they told me), usually with a rejection because they had misplaced some paperwork I had submitted.
I should add here that with the employees at this school (Counselors, teachers, administrators, so on and so forth), it's really hit or miss. You either find one that is in tune with the system and is timely and genuinely concerned about the effectiveness of the system and helping the student achieve their goal, or you have someone who's been stuck in the system long enough to loose hope in all humanity. I've had teachers who will put aside hours to discuss the topic of concern with me to be sure I understand the material, as well as teachers who essentially say "teach yourself" (which doesn't work for me). If a Teacher at SCCC has a bad review, do NOT take them.
The building itself is confusing, with some of the middle rooms (for example, 420-480) being on one side of the building, some of the beginning rooms (400-419) being in the middle of the building, and the last rooms (481-499) being at the opposite side. This is an example of how the building is set up, the room numbers aren't exact, just an example. Also, what starts off as the 1st floor on the south side ends up being a subterranean-like floor on the north side.
On top of this, the building itself is in terrible condition; there is mold in many rooms, the balconies are no longer accessible because they're a hazard (I was told this by an employee), water and plumbing issues are frequent, none of the bathrooms are in regular maintenance...it's just not pleasant.
Now, the good that I can find; when you do find a teacher who is genuinely concerned about the students, you have found a gem. If you work with that teacher and do the work, you will pass with flying colors. The excellent teachers I attended to at Seattle University (Not the college I worked at that I mentioned above, this is a private university) could not compare to some of the professors at SCCC. So, some of the teachers are excellent.
The same could be said about the rest of the employees. From the librarians to the few counselors to the people working in the admissions building, the good employees truly excelled at their work.
Some of the programs offered at this school are quite top-notch too. Most of my coworkers attended SCCC Culinary program and have nothing but praises for it, saying it prepared them for work as well as taught them to techniques necessary to get the job done. Also, the SAgE (Sustainable Agriculture Education) program is quite good, and the teachers who head the program are devoted, VERY well educated and up to date on the topics, and are passionate about the program. I've also heard nothing but praise about the nursing program.
Things were beginning to clean up once I got my AA and left; the new Manager of custodial services is really on top of things and improving the building one room at a time, though obviously there's only so much he can do at a time and with limited funding.
And one more time, On the whole, I think SCCC was once THE community College to go to and is slowly becoming the same gem it once was. Until then, be sure to review the teachers before you sign up for classes, keep all copies of any paperwork you submit or receive, expect long waits to see the counselors and professors, and bring your own supply of toilet paper and hand sanitizer.