About Robeson Community College

The Campus

Robeson Community College is located at the intersection of US 301 and Interstate 95 (Exit 22) in Lumberton making it one of the most visible institutions in the North Carolina Community College System.

Millions of tourists each year travel I-95, catching more than a glimpse of the attractive landscape that makes up the 127 acre campus. The College also has a 20-acre Emergency Services Training Center located southeast of Lumberton on Highway 72, at the Duke Energy Weatherspoon Power Plant and a satellite campus at ComTech Business Park near Pembroke. Campus facilities occupy more than 227,665 square feet in classrooms, offices, and laboratories.

Campus Visits

Visitors to Robeson Community College are welcome. Offices are open Monday through Thursday from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. and on Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Summer {(mid-May thru early-August) visit the RCC Homepage [opens in a new window] for specific dates} hours are 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday. To arrange a guided tour of our campus, please contact the Admissions Office at 910-272-3342.

History of the College

The community college movement expanded into Robeson County with the establishment of an extension unit of a nearby technical institute in 1965. The unit was established at the Barker Ten-Mile Elementary School seven miles north of Lumberton. Twenty full-time curriculum students enrolled the first year.

When the College became independent of Fayetteville Technical Institute three years later, it was named Robeson Technical Institute, and a local Board of Trustees comprised of eight members was appointed. Two more name changes have taken place since that time to its present name of Robeson Community College. However, the College remains committed to serving all sectors of the county with vocational, technical, college transfer, and continuing education programs.

Three building phases beginning in 1972 and finishing in 1988 made the RCC Campus a 188,662 square-foot facility, which now houses over $2 million in equipment and 23 curriculum programs, along with a variety of continuing education programs. In the summer of 1995, the construction of the Emergency Services Training Center began. This center is located southeast of Lumberton Highway 72 at the Duke Energy Weatherspoon Power Plant. Dedication for the facility was held on April 13, 1997. It supports the disciplines of law enforcement, rescue, and firefighting. It is a state-of-the-art facility which allows the College to expand its training opportunities and provide the highest level of quality in each of the courses taught in these occupations.

Robeson Community College’s 30th year was a monumental one. During 1995-96, the College celebrated its Diamond Anniversary and the many partnerships throughout the county and state which have contributed to its success. The College Transfer program replaced the General Education program in curriculum in 1997, opening up many more educational opportunities for RCC students who choose to further their education through one of the state’s universities.

In 2004, the College completed its Continuing Education facility at COMtech. This 18,000 square foot facility houses various continuing education programs including Adult High School, Adult Basic Education, Compensatory Education, occupational extension, and business and industry training courses.

In 2005, renovations were completed to Building 9 on the College’s main campus. State-of-the-art labs were completed to support the College’s Electrical/Electronics Program as well as upgrades to various parts of the building. A new bookstore was completed and is located in the renovated facility.

In the spring of 2006, a new state-of-the-art Health Science Building was completed. This 39,013 square foot facility houses the College’s Health Science curriculum programs and medical programs offered through the College’s Continuing Education division.

January 15, 2010 marked the completion of the Charles V. Chrestman Workforce Development Center (CVC/WDC Building 18). This 17,538 square foot center serves workforce development and regional needs with Continuing Education (CE) programs, Community Services, Human Resource Development (HRD), Industry Training & Services, Occupational Extension, and a Small Business Center. The addition of this facility brings the College’s total facility square footage at its main campus to 245,203.

While the global COVID-19 pandemic of 2020 posed challenges for the entire world, it did not stop progress at Robeson Community College. RCC saw the completion of the Multi-Purpose Building at the Emergency Services Training Center. The $2.2M building is a 4700 square-foot, two-story, cast-in-place concrete/masonry structure with a roof platform. It is designed to accommodate NFPA training for live-fire evolutions, search and rescue, laddering evolutions, vertical and horizontal ventilation, rappelling, breaching, confined space, horizontal trench ventilation, and mask confidence scenarios. The building meets the demand for practical training simulating real-life scenarios for students. Students will be able to train under Class A conditions, thus providing them with the most realistic fire training feasible. 2020 also marked the ground breaking and start of construction for the 7475 square-foot EMS Building on the main campus.

The 2020 global pandemic also helped mold some of the many improvements within the IT infrastructure due to the massive effect it had on the campus. New fiber optic cable was installed providing faster, more reliable connections for all buildings on main campus. This facilitated the relocation of the datacenter and the consolidation of all IT infrastructure in the same building, with upgraded climate control and backup power. This consolidation allowed the distribution of a new wireless canopy that extended coverage to several parking lots across campus, the ability to replace the switching and firewall infrastructure to meet the needs the current security battles, and upgrade the storage SAN for data across campus. The IT team also moved the ERP system, Datatel, to the AWS cloud and implemented a new “Go” environment which is a virtual desktop infrastructure suited to provide faculty, staff, and students access to RCC resources from any device from any location. Additionally, 30 classrooms across all 3 campuses were outfitted with a new audio/visual podium system that allows both synchronous and asynchronous learning. Computer applications on campus also saw a big change by migrating to a new document management system, online security monitoring, budget management, online payment portals, and a new print management solution. The IT team also helped bring online a new offsite facility at Green Grove designated for law enforcement training.

Commitment of RCC to its students and the citizenry of Robeson County was seen with the excellent reports of various auditing agencies in the state. There are currently 150 carefully selected full-time RCC employees who now serve RCC, which represents a figure 25 times as many as when the College first opened its doors in 1965 with six full-time employees. Another 250 part-time personnel teach and provide services to the student body on an annual basis.

The Community College System

Robeson Community College is one of 58 colleges in the North Carolina Community College System. Most of the development of the present day system occurred as a result of the formation of Industrial Education Centers in the 1950’s, established to help give North Carolina the skills needed to move from working on the farm to working in industry.

The passage of the Community College Act in 1963 created today’s system. The system, the third largest in the United States, is made up of community colleges, technical colleges, and technical institutions. Although the names differ, the goals are principally the same; job training.

Accreditation

Robeson Community College is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) to award certificates, diplomas, and associate degrees. Questions about the accreditation of Robeson Community College may be directed in writing to the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges at 1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, Georgia 30033-4097 or call 404-679-4500, or by using information available on SACSCOC’s website [opens in a new tab], (www.sacscoc.org).

The Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools is a regional accrediting agency whose mission is to: “assure the educational quality and improve the effectiveness of its member institutions”. To learn more about the College’s accreditation status with SACSCOC or to find out more about the accreditation process, please visit the SACSCOC website (http://www.sacscoc.org [opens in a new tab]). Any questions concerning the accreditation of Robeson Community College may be made directly to the College or to SACSCOC. The College’s Vice-President of Instruction and Support Services coordinates all College related SACSCOC activities.

For procedures for filing a complaint against the College, a student is advised to follow SACSCOC complaint policies. You may access the policy and procedures, as well as the steps to file a complaint at https://sacscoc.org/documents/?keyword=Complaint%20Procedures&type=policies [opens in a new window].

Prior to filing a complaint, please thoroughly read the policies and procedures established by the Commission. The complaint policy does not address issues related to “individual matters of admission, grades, granting or transferability of credits, application of academic policies, fees or other financial matters, disciplinary matters or other contractual rights and obligations”, but has been established to address only significant non-compliance with the SACSCOC accreditation standards, policies or procedures.

In order to file a complaint, students must adhere to SACSCOC published complaint policies. As stated in the “Complaint Procedures Against the Commission or its Accredited Institutions”.

The Commission expects individuals to attempt to resolve the issue through all means available to the complainant, including following the institutions own published grievance procedures, before submitting a complaint to the Commission. Therefore, the Commissions usual practice is not to consider a complaint that is currently in administrative proceedings, including institutional proceedings, or in litigation. However, if there is substantial, credible evidence that indicates systemic problems with an accredited institution, the Commission may, at its discretion, choose to proceed with the review.

To file a complaint, the student must complete the Commission’s Complaint Form and send two print copies to the President, Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges, 1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, GA 30033-4097.

Associate Degree Nursing Program

The Robeson Community College Associate Degree Nursing Program holds pre-accreditation status from the National League for Nursing Commission for Nursing Education Accreditation, located at 2600 Virginia Avenue, NW, Washington, DC, 20037. Holding pre-accreditation status does not guarantee that initial accreditation by NLN CNEA will be received.

The Associate Degree Nursing Program is approved by the North Carolina Board of Nursing (NCBON). 

Barbering Program

The Barbering Program is approved by the North Carolina Board of Barber Examiners. 

Basic Law Enforcement Training Program

The Basic Law Enforcement Training Program is accredited by the North Carolina Department of Justice Criminal Justice Education and Training Standards Commission.

Cosmetology Program

The Cosmetology Program is approved by the North Carolina State Board of Cosmetic Arts. 

Emergency Medical Science Program

The Robeson Community College Paramedic program has been issued a Letter of Review by the Committee on Accreditation of Educational Programs for the Emergency Medical Services Professions (CoAEMSP Executive Office). This letter is NOT a CAAHEP accreditation status, it is a status signifying that a program seeking initial accreditation has demonstrated sufficient compliance with the accreditation Standards through the Letter of Review Self Study Report (LSSR) and other documentation. Letter of Review is recognized by the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians (NREMT) for eligibility to take the NREMT’s Paramedic credentialing examination(s). However, it is NOT a guarantee of eventual accreditation.

Nurse Aide Program

The Nurse Aide Program is approved by the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services Division of Health Regulation Health Care Personnel Registry Section Center for Aide and Education (CARE). 

Center for Aide Regulation and Education 
2709 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, NC 27699-2709 
http://www.ncnar.org [opens in a new tab]
919-855-3969 

Practical Nursing Program

The Practical Nursing Program is approved by the North Carolina Board of Nursing (NCBON). 

North Carolina Board of Nursing 
P.O. Box 2129, Raleigh, NC 27602-2129 
http://www.ncbon.com [opens in a new tab]
919-782-3211 

Radiography Program

The Radiography Program is accredited by Joint Review Committee on Education in Radiologic Technology (JRCERT). 

Joint Review Committee on Education in Radiologic Technology  
20 North Wacker Drive, Suite 2850, Chicago, IL 60606-3182 
http://www.jrcert.org [opens in a new tab]
312-704-5300 

Respiratory Therapy Program

The Respiratory Therapy Program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care (CoARC). 

Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care 
264 Precision Blvd Telford,TN 37690 
http://www.coarc.com [opens in a new tab]
817-283-2835 

Surgical Technology Program

The Surgical Technology Program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) upon the recommendation of Accreditation Review Council on Education Surgical Technology and Surgical Assisting (ARC/STSA). 

Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs 
9355 113th St. N, #7709
Seminole, FL 33775
http://www.caahep.org [opens in a new tab]
727-210-2350

Accreditation Review Council on Education in Surgical Technology and Surgical Assisting 
19751 East Mainstreet, Suite #339, Parker, CO 80138
http://www.arcstsa.org [opens in a new tab]
303-694-9262 

The North Carolina Community College System approves the programs of study for all degrees, diplomas and certificates offered by Robeson Community College.  

Most programs offered by the College have been approved for the enrollment of eligible veterans.

Mission Statement

Robeson Community College provides opportunities for academic, technical, and life-long learning in a collaborative culture dedicated to inquiry, results, and excellence.

Vision Statement

Robeson Community College will be recognized for transforming lives through excellence in teaching, learning, and service by empowering individuals to achieve personal and professional goals.

Values

• Student Success by offering academic and professional growth opportunities for our service area to meet the needs of students based on their interests and abilities.
• Excellence in teaching, learning and services to advance students toward fulfillment of life ambitions (or toward health, happiness and economic stability or well-being).
• Accountability to stakeholders (students, community, employees) by seeking continuous improvement in programs and services through data driven decisions.
• Integrity through honest and transparent interactions with others providing a reliable and accurate image of the College.
• Diversity and Inclusivity by understanding and celebrating the differences, similarities, and successes of our communities of interest.

Strategic Plan 2019-2024 [PDF opens in a new window]

Think Big, Start Small, Act Fast

Performance Measures for Student Success

The Performance Measures for Student Success Report is the North Carolina Community College System’s major accountability document. This annual performance report is based on data compiled from the previous year and serves to inform colleges and the public on the performance of our 58 community colleges.

In 1993, the State Board of Community Colleges began monitoring performance data on specific measures to ensure public accountability for programs and services. In 1998, the General Assembly directed the State Board to review past performance measures and define standards to ensure programs and services offered by community colleges in North Carolina were of sufficient quality.

In 2010, a review process was established to ensure the measures and methods for evaluating colleges were current and remained focused on improving student success. Every three years, a committee that is inclusive of college leaders; subject matter experts; and research and assessment professionals are appointed to review the measures and recommend deletions, revisions, and additions. Recommendations from the most recent review were approved in 2018 and this is the inaugural report representing the updated measures.

The current list of measures includes:

Baselines and Excellence Levels

The outcomes funding model associated with the performance measures was implemented in 2013. A major component of this model is the establishment of system‐wide baseline and excellence levels for each measure. These statistically defined levels were developed to provide consistency and promote transparency, simplicity, and objectivity.

Based on three years of data (if available) for each measure, baseline levels are set two standard deviations below the system mean, and excellence levels are set one standard deviation above the system mean. These levels remain static for three years and are reset with the implementation of a new three-year cycle.

Performance Measures & Standards

2020 Performance Summary Report

Reported values are percentages.

For a complete report of the NCCCS Performance Measures for Student Success visit online: www.nccommunitycolleges.edu/analytics/state-and-federal-reports [opens in a new window]