Gadsden State Community College (Gadsden State, Gadsden, or GSCC) is a

public In public relations and communication science, publics are groups of individual people, and the public (a.k.a. the general public) is the totality of such groupings. This is a different concept to the sociological concept of the ''Öffentlichkei ...

community college A community college is a type of educational institution. The term can have different meanings in different countries: many community colleges have an "open enrollment" for students who have graduated from high school (also known as senior sec ...

with campuses in Gadsden,

Centre Center or centre may refer to: Mathematics *Center (geometry), the middle of an object * Center (algebra), used in various contexts ** Center (group theory) ** Center (ring theory) * Graph center, the set of all vertices of minimum eccentricity ...

and

Anniston, Alabama Anniston is the county seat of Calhoun County in Alabama and is one of two urban centers/principal cities of and included in the Anniston-Oxford Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of the 2010 census, the population of the city was 23,106. Acco ...

. The college was founded as a merger between Alabama Technical College (1925), Gadsden State Technical Institute (1960) and Gadsden State Junior College (1965). Gadsden State is accredited by the

Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) is an educational accreditor recognized by the United States Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation. This agency accredits over 13,000 public and priva ...

. It offers associate degree, certificate and non-credit courses thorough more than 70 programs. The college's campuses serve

Calhoun John C. Calhoun (1782–1850) was the 7th vice president of the United States. Calhoun can also refer to: Surname * Calhoun (surname) Inhabited places in the United States *Calhoun, Georgia *Calhoun, Illinois * Calhoun, Kansas * Calhoun, Kentuc ...

Cherokee The Cherokee (; chr, ᎠᏂᏴᏫᏯᎢ, translit=Aniyvwiyaʔi or Anigiduwagi, or chr, ᏣᎳᎩ, links=no, translit=Tsalagi) are one of the indigenous peoples of the Southeastern Woodlands of the United States. Prior to the 18th century, t ...

(all but the northern one-sixth), Cleburne, Etowah and St. Clair (the northeastern third) counties, as well as neighboring counties in

Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States Georgia may also refer to: Places Historical states and entities * Related to the ...

. Gadsden's athletic teams compete in the

Alabama Community College Conference The Alabama Community College Conference (ACCC) is a collegiate athletic conference and is a member of the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) and NJCAA Region 22. Sports *Baseball *Basketball *Golf *Softball *Tennis *Volleyball ...

(ACCC) of the

National Junior College Athletic Association The National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA), founded in 1938, is the governing association of community college, state college and junior college athletics throughout the United States. Currently the NJCAA holds 24 separate regions ...

(NJCAA). They are collectively known as the Cardinals.

History

The origin of Gadsden State Community College can be traced back to 1925, when the Alabama School of Trades was opened in Gadsden. The school initially offered training in the brick masonry,

carpentry Carpentry is a skilled trade and a craft in which the primary work performed is the cutting, shaping and installation of building materials during the construction of buildings, ships, timber bridges, concrete formwork, etc. Carpenters tr ...

electrical Electricity is the set of physical phenomena associated with the presence and motion of matter that has a property of electric charge. Electricity is related to magnetism, both being part of the phenomenon of electromagnetism, as described by ...

, and

printing Printing is a process for mass reproducing text and images using a master form or template. The earliest non-paper products involving printing include cylinder seals and objects such as the Cyrus Cylinder and the Cylinders of Nabonidus. The ea ...

trades, and by 1941, 200 students were enrolled. The school's first permanent two-story buildings were built by students and government workmen. Renamed Alabama Technical College in 1973, it was the first state-operated trade school in the

southern United States The Southern United States (sometimes Dixie, also referred to as the Southern States, the American South, the Southland, or simply the South) is a geographic and cultural region of the United States of America. It is between the Atlantic Ocean ...

. It is the oldest component of GSCC and is currently known as East Broad Street Campus. Founded by Eugene N. Prater, Gadsden Vocational Trade School was opened in 1960 as a private institution for black students, who were prevented from attending the Alabama School of Trades. The school initially offered training in

auto mechanics An auto mechanic (automotive technician in most of North America, light vehicle technician in British English, and motor mechanic in Australian English) is a mechanic who services and repairs automobiles, sometimes specializing in one or more ...

and

repair The technical meaning of maintenance involves functional checks, servicing, repairing or replacing of necessary devices, equipment, machinery, building infrastructure, and supporting utilities in industrial, business, and residential installa ...

plastering Plasterwork is construction or ornamentation done with plaster, such as a layer of plaster on an interior or exterior wall structure, or plaster decorative moldings on ceilings or walls. This is also sometimes called pargeting. The process of ...

and cement finishing, brick masonry,

woodworking Woodworking is the skill of making items from wood, and includes cabinet making (cabinetry and furniture), wood carving, woodworking joints, joinery, carpentry, and woodturning. History Along with Rock (geology), stone, clay and animal parts, ...

dry cleaning Dry cleaning is any cleaning process for clothing and textiles using a solvent other than water. Dry cleaning still involves liquid, but clothes are instead soaked in a water-free liquid solvent. Tetrachloroethylene (perchloroethylene), known in ...

and

laundry Laundry refers to the washing of clothing and other textiles, and, more broadly, their drying and ironing as well. Laundry has been part of history since humans began to wear clothes, so the methods by which different cultures have dealt with t ...

, general business, and

tailoring A tailor is a person who makes or alters clothing, particularly in men's clothing. The Oxford English Dictionary dates the term to the thirteenth century. History Although clothing construction goes back to prehistory, there is evidence of ...

. By 1961, 70 students were enrolled. The school was renamed Gadsden State Technical Institute in 1972 and designated a

historically black college Historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) are institutions of higher education in the United States that were established before the Civil Rights Act of 1964 with the intention of primarily serving the African-American community. Mo ...

in 1997. Located in Gadsden, it is currently known as GSCC's Valley Street Campus. Gadsden State Junior College opened under the supervision of the Alabama State Board of Education and the

Southern Association of Colleges and Schools The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) is an educational accreditor recognized by the United States Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation. This agency accredits over 13,000 public and priv ...

. The college initially offered both professional and technical programs through day and night courses, which commenced in September 1965 with more than 700 students enrolled. Located in East Gadsden, Alabama, construction plans for the campus initially included an administration building, science building, library, student center and fine arts building. It is the Wallace Drive Campus of GSCC. Gadsden State Community College was founded in 1985 through the merger of Alabama Technical College, Gadsden State Technical Institute, and Gadsden State Junior College as a part of a statewide effort to remove duplicate community college programs. In 2002, the Gadsden State Cherokee Campus was opened in Centre to accommodate more students. Relocated in 2008, the campus is a multi-level complex that includes a 2,500-seat arena, 300-seat conference room and meeting rooms. It is home to the Economic Development Center for community outreach and development and contains offices of the Cherokee County Chamber of Commerce. In 2003, Harry M. Ayers State Technical College was consolidated into Gadsden State Community College. Founded in 1963, it initially offered associate degree and certificate programs. Located in Anniston, it is currently known as GSCC's Ayers Campus. In 2004, GSCC's McClellan Center was relocated to the former Fort McClellan Army Base. Located in Anniston, the center opened in 1970 and was known as the Anniston Center. After the McClellan Center closed in 2019, it was announced that the center's programs would be offered at Ayers Campus.

Administration and organization

Gadsden State operates under four divisions: Academic, Career Technical, Health Sciences and Skills Training. A typical academic year contains two 16-week terms during the fall (August–December) and spring (January–May). Within the terms are two eight-week accelerated sessions, or mini terms. The full summer term is nine weeks long (June–August). The four-week accelerated sessions during the summer (May–August) are known as Summer 1, Summer 2, and Summer 3. An academic year begins on the first day of the fall term and ends on the last day of the summer term. Gadsden's

endowment Endowment most often refers to: *A term for human penis size It may also refer to: Finance *Financial endowment, pertaining to funds or property donated to institutions or individuals (e.g., college endowment) *Endowment mortgage, a mortgage to b ...

had a market value of approximately $3.41 million in the fiscal year that ended in 2019.

ROTC

Gadsden State has a crosstown agreement with

Jacksonville State University Jacksonville State University (JSU) is a public university in Jacksonville, Alabama. Founded in 1883, Jacksonville State offers programs of study in six academic schools leading to bachelor's degree, bachelor's, master's degree, master's, educati ...

(JSU) for its Army

Reserve Officers' Training Corps The Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC ( or )) is a group of college- and university-based officer-training programs for training commissioned officers of the United States Armed Forces. Overview While ROTC graduate officers serve in all ...

(ROTC) program. The program is re-evaluated annually, and when offered, is available to full-time GSCC students in good academic standing. JSU's program began in 1967 and is home to the Tiger Battalion.

Academics and programs

Gadsen State has an

open admissions Open admissions, or open enrollment, is a type of unselective and noncompetitive college admissions process in the United States in which the only criterion for entrance is a high school diploma or a certificate of attendance or General Education ...

policy and accepts life experience as credit. The college offers

dual enrollment In the United States, dual enrollment (DE), also called concurrent enrollment, programs allow students to be enrolled in two separate, academically related institutions. Generally, it refers to high school students taking college or university cours ...

programs to local high school students through its Advanced College Enrollment Institute. In addition to its associate and certificate degree programs, Gadsden offers

adult education Adult education, distinct from child education, is a practice in which adults engage in systematic and sustained self-educating activities in order to gain new forms of knowledge, skills, attitudes, or values. Merriam, Sharan B. & Brockett, Ralp ...

courses as well as personal enrichment, professional enhancement and community service programs for youth and adults. Gadsden has transfer agreements with every

four-year institution in Alabama. The agreements allow students to automatically transfer after completing an associate degree at Gadsden State.

Student life

Student body

As of fall 2020, CCP's student body consists of 3,993 students. There are 52 percent full time and 48 percent part-time students.

Organizations

More than 40 student clubs and organizations operate at Gadsden, including student government, special interest and service organizations. Cultural groups on campus include: Baptist Campus Ministries, ''Cardinal Arts Journal'', FCA Fellowship of Christian Athletes, Gadsden State Democrats/Republicans, Gadsden State Singers, Global Engagement Club, Gospel Singing, Show Band and Students Without Borders.

Athletics

The GSCC athletic association chairs four varsity athletic programs: men's

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appr ...

and

tennis Tennis is a racket sport that is played either individually against a single opponent ( singles) or between two teams of two players each ( doubles). Each player uses a tennis racket that is strung with cord to strike a hollow rubber ball ...

and women's basketball and

volleyball Volleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules. It has been a part of the official program of the Summ ...

. The teams are collectively known as the Cardinals. They belong to the

(ACCC) and Region 22 of the

(NJCAA). GSCC's tennis team has won two conference championships. GSCC's volleyball team was the NJCAA Gulf Atlantic District A/B Champion in 2019. The team advanced to the NJCAA Division I Volleyball Championship that year.

Film

Due to its physical resemblance to

Kent State University Kent State University (KSU) is a public research university in Kent, Ohio. The university also includes seven regional campuses in Northeast Ohio and additional facilities in the region and internationally. Regional campuses are located in As ...

, Gadsden State was used for the filming of the television movie ''Kent State'' (1981), a

docudrama Docudrama (or documentary drama) is a genre of television and film, which features dramatized re-enactments of actual events. It is described as a hybrid of documentary and drama and "a fact-based representation of real event". Docudramas typic ...

about the

Kent State shootings The Kent State shootings, also known as the May 4 massacre and the Kent State massacre,"These would be the first of many probes into what soon became known as the Kent State Massacre. Like the Boston Massacre almost exactly two hundred years bef ...

Campuses

File:GSCC-AL-Wallace.jpg, Wallace Drive Campus File:GSCC-AL-EastBroad.jpg, East Broad Street Campus File:GSCC-AL-Ayers.jpg, Ayers Campus File:GSCC-AL-Valley.jpg, Valley Street Campus File:GSCC-AL-McClellan.jpg, McClellan Center

Presidents

*Allan D. Naylor, 1965–? *Dr. William Blow, interim: 2011 *Raymond Staats, 2011–2013 *Dr. William Blow, interim: August 2013–2014 *Dr. Martha Lavender, interim: 2014–September 2015; acting: October 2015–August 2020 *Gregg Bennett interim: September 2020–December 2020 *Dr. Kathy Murphy, 2021–present

Notable alumni

Jeff Cook Jeffrey Alan Cook (August 27, 1949 – November 7, 2022) was an American country music artist. He was best known for being a founding member of the band Alabama, in which he contributed to lead vocals, guitar, fiddle, piano and other musical ins ...

, musician, songwriter, founding member of

Alabama (We dare defend our rights) , anthem = "Alabama (state song), Alabama" , image_map = Alabama in United States.svg , seat = Montgomery, Alabama, Montgomery , LargestCity = Huntsville, Alabama, Huntsville , LargestCounty = Baldwin County, Al ...

Greg Jelks Gregory Dion Jelks (16 August 1961 – 6 January 2017) was an American Australian baseball player who played with the Philadelphia Phillies. He spent the majority of his career in the minor leagues, and was most notable playing with the Austr ...

, former professional baseball player * Andrew Pope,

country music Country (also called country and western) is a genre of popular music that originated in the Southern and Southwestern United States in the early 1920s. It primarily derives from blues, church music such as Southern gospel and spirituals, ...

singer and songwriter *

John Solomon Sandridge John Solomon Sandridge (born May 10, 1950) is an American painter, sculptor, illustrator, author, educator, inventor, entrepreneur and philanthropist. He is notably recognized as the first and only black artist licensed during the early 1990s by ...

, artist, author, educator *

Drake White William Drake White (born October 3, 1983) is an American country music singer and the leader of Drake White & The Big Fire. Early life White was born in Hokes Bluff, Alabama, where he attended Hokes Bluff High School. White started writing his ...

, country music singer

Notes

References

External links

Official website
{{authority control Community colleges in Alabama Educational institutions established in 1925 Gadsden, Alabama Anniston, Alabama Universities and colleges accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Education in Calhoun County, Alabama Education in Etowah County, Alabama NJCAA athletics 1925 establishments in Alabama