State Fair Community College (SFCC) Introduction and Academics

Introduction

State Fair Community College (SFCC) is a two-year community college in Sedalia, Missouri. The main campus is situated next to the Missouri State Fairgrounds, while eight branch campuses extend across fourteen counties, including Boonville, Carrollton, Clinton, Lake of the Ozarks, Marshall, Versailles, Warsaw, and Whiteman Air Force Base. In addition, SFCC offers courses at nearly 30 high schools and offers an extensive online education program for home learners.

SFCC belongs to the Junior College District of Sedalia, which covers most of west central Missouri. The college opened its doors in 1968. Today, there are more than 4,000 students enrolled at any given time, plus a host of community services and cultural benefits offered to the public. SFCC is particularly well known throughout the state and the country for its Daum Museum of Contemporary Art, which includes 12,000 square feet of exhibition space and over 800 permanent works.

Information Summary

Ranks 77th in Missouri and 3296th overall. See the entire top 2,000 colleges and universities list
Overall Score (about)	46.4
Total Cost On-Campus Attendance	$9,774
Admission Success rate	N/A
Student Ratio Students-to-Faculty	29 : 1
Retention (full-time / part-time)	62% / 33%
Enrollment Total (all students)	4,731

Academics

SFCC offers 22 degrees and 7 certificate programs. Newer course programs include a specialty in Behavioral Intervention with Autism and Sustainable Agriculture. The student/faculty ratio is 21:1.

For those incoming students planning to go on to four-year colleges, SFCC has guaranteed transfer programs with with several colleges and universities in Missouri, including Central Methodist University, Drury University, University of Missouri, and University of Central Missouri. In addition to transfer programs, SFCC offers many certificates and associate’s degrees geared toward direct entry into the workforce. 90% of technical program graduates either find employment or transfer to a four-year institution within a year of graduating from SFCC.

Community Education

SFCC offers several learning options for students with jobs, children, and other commitments. These options include evening classes, fast-track courses, intensive, 10-day classes that can be taken over a vacation week; and over 450 online courses. Many certificates and degrees can be learned entirely online. Children’s summer camps are particularly popular. These camps include Pee Wee Basketball Camp, All Day Basketball Camp, Shooting Camp, and Cheerleader Camp.

Programs for High School Students

Several programs at SFCC create connections with high school juniors and seniors who may wish to attend, including a concurrent enrollment program that allows qualified students with permission from their high schools to earn college credit before graduation. The State Fair Career and Technology Center (SFCTC), located at the Sedalia campus, connects the college with high school students through a series of nine technical training programs.

Library Services

The Donald C. Proctor Library has more than 35,000 volumes in print and a large number of electronic journals and academic databases. Their interlibrary loan program extended their resources to get virtually any resource a student requests for research purposes. The library also offers computer terminals for student use, library instruction classes, database tutorials, research assistance, a video viewing station, private study rooms, and a children’s area.

Most Popular Fields of Study

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Admissions

New Students

Applying new students must submit official transcripts, and diplomas or GED certificates. Homeschooled students must supply either an official transcript from a correspondence program, a minimum ACT score of at least 19, a GED, or an official transcript from an accredited college or university which demonstrates at least 15 credit hours and a GPA of at least 2.0. For the purposes of admissions, only students who have never attended college before are considered “new”. Students who earned college credit while still in high school are exempt from this description and are therefore also “new”.

Placement Tests

All incoming students must submit scores from a placement test. An ACT, SAT, ASSET, or COMPASS test all qualify. Students who have not taken any of these tests previously can arrange to take the ASSET or COMPASS at the SFCC testing center.

Visiting the Campus

Prospective students are encouraged to visit the campus. Tours are offered by the admissions office every Wednesday and Friday. Admissions staff are happy to arrange meetings with faculty, visits to the residence halls, and specialized information on any of the 70 programs and degrees offered at SFCC. Extended tours of the branch campuses can also be arranged by request.

Financial Aid

In addition to the array of financial aid options open to any college or university student in the state of Missouri, SFCC also offers more than 50 of their own unique need- and merit-based scholarships, giving upwards of $70,000 in aid every year. About 92% of full-time, first-year students receive at least some financial aid.

One of the most notable scholarships at the school is the A+ program, awarded to area students who have done exceptionally well in high school. The A+ program generally pays for any tuition and fees after Pell Grants, State of Missouri grants, and scholarships have been applied. To continue to be eligible for A+, students must enroll for at least 12 credit hours per semester and maintain a cululative GPA of 2.5. Over 440 students receive A+ funds in any given year.

Student Financial Aid Details

Ranks 6138th for the average student loan amount.
Secrets to getting the best scholarships and financial aid in Missouri.

Students

Demographics

The student body is roughly 40% male and 60% female. About 55% of the student body attends full-time. The average age of students at SFCC is 26.

Clubs and Organizations

There are a wide range of student clubs and organizations at SFCC. They include:

The Associate Degree Nursing (ADN) group provides professional support to nursing students as they plan their leap from school to workplace.

The Agriculture Club works toward the professional development of agriculture students. The club sponsors a farm-toy booth at the Missouri State Fair, a Casino Night, and a Whole Hog Barbeque for the student body on an annual basis.

The Art Society sponsors trips to museums, studios, and gallery in St. Louis, Kansas City, New York, and Chicago. The society also assists with visiting artists and lecturers.

Campus Fellowship is an interdemonimational evangelical organization which sponsors weekly Bible study and other learning and social occasions throughout the school year.

The Criminal Justice Club works together on community service projects. Participants also take field trips related to criminal justice in their area.

The Dental Hygiene Club provides professional support to future dental hygienists as they plan their leap from school to workplace.

The History Club is an academic interest group. Participants attend lectures and go on field trips together. They sponsor academic learning events on campus throughout the year.

The Horticulture Club takes a proactive role in landscaping the campus and community service. The club parks cars during the Missouri State Fair as a fundraiser in addition to their annual plant sale.

Improving Minority Advantages and Generating Excellence (IMAGE) serves the needs of minority students as they strive towards academic and professional success. Activities include service projects, job shadowing, and more.

Phi Beta Lamda (PBL) is a business-focused organization for women. Students involved in the organization learn leadership skills and competitive business strategies to apply to their future careers.

Phi Theta Kappa (PTK) is an international honor society. The chapter on the SFCC campus is the Alpha Lamda Omega chapter. Students who have completed 12 semester hours with a cumulative GPA of at least 3.5 are eligible to join to pursue leadership training and participate in shared service projects.

The Science Club brings together interested individuals for guest speakers on-campus, science-related field trips off-campus, and the occasional canoe trip.

The Theater Club produces at least one show per semester, giving students chances to perform and hone their backstage crafts.

The SFCC Spirit Squad performs at all college home games for both men’s and women’s basketball. Anyone with an interest in cheerleading is welcome to try out.

The Student Government Association (SGA) distributes funding across the other student groups and acts as a liasion between the student body and the administration, acting as a voice for the students on policy issues.

Residential Life

SFCC has one residence hall for students who wish to live on campus. Each student in the residence hall has cable television access, internet access, and basic furniture. No pets, zip extension cords, or George Forman grills are allowed .

Dining

The SFCC Café, located in the Stauffacher Center for the Fine Arts on the Sedalia campus, offers a baked potato bar, soup bar, salad bar, sandwhich bar, and several other entrée options. Options for vegetarians and vegans are limited.

Student Services

The Advising and Resource Center (ARC) helps students choose which classes to enroll in for their first term. They also provide academic advising, degree planning assistance, personal counseling, and transfer consultancy.

Access Services assists students with disabilities, including learning disabilities, physical disabilities, psychological needs, deafness or other hearing impairment, or blindness or visual impairment.

Student Enrollment Demographics

Athletics

The athletic department at SFCC is known as the Roadrunners. The Roadrunners compete at the intervarsity level in men’s basketball, women’s basketball, and in spirit squad. There are also many recreational intramural sports for student enjoyment: popular intramural sports include flag football, basketball, volleyball, table tennis, dodgeball, and an annual series of Texas Hold’em Tournaments.

Bibliography

Athletics. State Fair Community College. Web. 22 May. 2011.

Fiske, Edward B. Fiske Guide to Colleges 2011. Chicago: Sourcebooks, 2010. Print.

Pope, Loren. Looking Beyond the Ivy League: Finding the College That’s Right for You. New York: Penguin. 2007. Print.

Residential Life. State Fair Community College. Web. 22 May. 2011.

Student Services. State Fair Community College. Web. 22 May. 2011.

State Fair Community College