South Puget Sound Facts

Serving the educational needs of greater Thurston County for more than 40 years.  

Our Equal Opportunity Policy

South Puget Sound Community College's equal opportunity policy prohibits discrimination in our services and in employment against any person on the basis of race or ethnicity, creed, color, national origin, sex, marital status, sexual orientation, age, religion, Vietnam-era or disabled veteran status, or the presence of any sensory, physical or mental disability except in the case of a bona fide occupation qualification. South Puget Sound Community College is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer and complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

Our History

  • Founded in 1962 as Olympia Vocational Technical Institute
  • Renamed Olympia Technical Community College in 1976
  • Mission expanded to become a fully comprehensive community college in 1980
  • Renamed South Puget Sound Community College in 1984
  • Established the Hawks Prairie Center in Lacey in 1995

Accreditation

South Puget Sound Community College is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities, an institutional accrediting body recognized by the Council of Higher Education Accreditation and the Secretary of the United States Department of Education.

Our Students Successes

Our students are highly successful in meeting their academic and professional-technical goals.

  • In 2005-2006, South Puget Sound Community College awarded 681 associate degrees, 167 certificates, 33 adult high school diplomas and 411 general equivalency diplomas.
  • Four-year colleges and universities in Washington report that transfer students from South Puget Sound consistently do as well as or better than students who entered directly from high school.

How We Serve

South Puget Sound Community College serves more than 6,000 students each quarter through programs that include:

  • Associate of Arts and Associate of Science degree programs that allow students to complete the first two years of coursework for a bachelor’s degree.
  • Associate of Technical Arts degree and certificate programs in more than 30 professional-technical areas.
  • An Associate of General Studies degree for students who want to design their own program of study.
  • An Associate Degree in Nursing.
  • Continuing education classes for career advancement at traditional and non-traditional times and locations.
  • Non-credit community education classes for personal enrichment.
  • An Adult Basic Education and literacy program, GED and Adult High School Diploma programs, and English-as-a-Second-Language classes.
  • Online and correspondence classes.
  • The Running Start Program for high school students who want to take college-level classes for high school and college credit.
  • Preparation for U.S. Citizenship classes.
  • Student activities, including a student leadership program, arts and entertainment, intramural and intercollegiate sports and student publications.
  • WorkFirst tuition assistance and job skills training for low-income parents.
  • Worker Retraining tuition assistance for dislocated, displaced and unemployed workers in professional/technical classes.

Student Financial Aid

In 2005-2006, more than $6.77 million in aid was disbursed to students for the following sources:

  • Grants ---------- $5,455,302
  • Work-study ---- $699,728
  • Loans ----------- $437,947

An additional $186,432 in scholarships was made available through the South Puget Sound Community College Foundation.

Who We Serve

Fall 2006 enrollment: 6,376

  • 61% female
  • 39% male

Average age: 27.8

  • 41% under 21
  • 32.8% 30 and older

Ethnicity

  • 84% Caucasian
  • 7% Asian/Pacific Islander
  • 5% Hispanic
  • 2% African American
  • 2% American Indian/Alaska Native
  • 2% Other

Residency

  • 86% Olympia / Thurston County
  • 7% Mason County
  • 3% other, including over 100 international students
  • 3% Grays Harbor County
  • 1% Lewis County

2006 FALL ENROLLMENT BY TYPE OF COURSE

  • 50% Academic
  • 33% Vocational
  • 11% Developmental Education
  • 6% Community Education

Faculty And Staff

  • 780 employees (full-and part-time)
  • 322 faculty
  • 396 non-administrative
  • 62 administrators/exempt

Partnerships With Business And The Community

South Puget Sound Community College pursues educational and cultural partnerships with the community through programs that include:

  • Customized education and training services provided through the Center for Continuous Learning to the employees of business, industries and government agencies.
  • Training and consultation services for business owners and operators through the Small Business Development Center.
  • A comprehensive Cooperative Work Experience/Internship Program giving students practical job experience related to their career objectives.
  • A cooperative effort with Intercity Transit and the Associated Students to reduce traffic by providing students with free bus service.
  • The Job Center, which maintains close ties with local employers to help students find jobs.
  • A partnership with local school districts to offer opportunities to high school students entering the college through Tech Prep, direct transcription and other school-to-work activities.
  • A cooperative agreement with the Squaxin Island Tribe to provide archaeological expertise in their traditional territories.
  • Workforce development/business outreach, a partnership with local business and governments agencies to provide job readiness training, employment opportunities, and business services to the community

2006-2007 INCOME FROM NON-STATE SOURCES

  • Total: $12,355,048
  • Local Tuition: $5,953,415
  • Grants/Contracts: $3,088,343
  • Community Education: $20,000
  • International Students: $763,139
  • Running Start: $1,488,862
  • Center For Continuous Learning $1,121,289

2006-2007 ANNUAL BUDGET

  • Total: $23,432,348
  • Instruction: $11,992,435
  • Ancillary Support Services: $38,950
  • Primary Support Services: $681,810
  • Library: $727,121
  • Plant Operations, Maintenance & Security: $3,555,246
  • Student Services: $2,865,369
  • Institutional Support: $3,571,417