Official SLCC Blog

  Nursing was one of the original programs taught when SLCC, then Salt Lake Vocational School, opened its doors on September 14, 1948. The program advertised as a well-paid and dignified lifetime vocation, provided both theory and hands-on experience, for a diverse age group. On August 25, 1949, Practical Nursing held its first commencement exercise which continued until 1986, when the institution became a community college, and everyone was included in the college-wide graduation ceremony. In 1954, the Practical Nursing program was accredited by the National Association for Practical Nurses, making it one of the first programs at the College to be accredited. This gave nursing graduates the opportunity to participate in national tests administered by the National League for Nursing. Industry experts noted at the time that our nurses were receiving the highest scores in the nation. In 1972 the College collaborated with Weber State College to offer an associate’s degree in nursing a...

  SLCC Alum Kirby Saxton's "first day" of school attending AFI Many students are returning to school this week, but for one Salt Lake Community College alumnus, Kirby Saxton, that means taking a giant leap into a renowned master’s program at the American Film Institute (AFI) in Los Angeles, CA. Kirby Saxton, Film AAS '19, was accepted to AFI's exclusive Screenwriting Master of Fine Arts program. This is the fourth SLCC Film student who has gotten into the most prestigious film school in the world, including Julia Freij, Directing Track, and Robert Hunter, Cinematography Track . We asked Kirby a few questions about his time at SLCC, and hope that he doesn’t forget us along the way.  When did you attend SLCC: I took an SLCC class during high school, but I started attending in 2017 and got my degree in 2020. What degree/s did you earn: I received an associate’s degree of applied science as a film production technician. What brought you to SLCC: I went to a filmmaking...

  On Tuesday, the first day of school, the halls and classrooms at Salt Lake Community College’s new Herriman campus swirled with the excitement and energy of new students. “It’s like the humming of bees. We get to finally hear the buzz of students throughout the building,” says Susie Garcia, assistant director of Campus and Site Services. She and her team staffed the Juniper Building’s East entrance, answering questions, helping students locate their classrooms and handing out SLCC swag.   More than 700 students are enrolled in classes at Herriman this Fall Semester, many from high schools nearby. “I just live up the street,” says Kiris Blue, who attended Herriman’s Providence Hall High School, and plans to earn an associate’s degree of Business. “Half my paycheck goes to gas, so I’m super glad this place is so close to home.”   Kiris was hanging out on the second floor in the East atrium area with her friend Hadley Donaldson who attended the same high school and is also...

  Salt Lake Community College’s (SLCC) welcomed Bob Whittaker, EdD, this summer as the new executive director of Development and the SLCC Foundation. Whittaker’s expertise is in organizational and community development, coupled with extensive development experience in higher education.      Throughout Whittaker’s career, spanning more than 20 years, he has gained experience in growing gift revenue, engaging internal and external stakeholders as partners, establishing metric-based systems and practices, and empowering staff and volunteers to optimal achievement.    “I’ve spent most of my career in four-year colleges, both public and private schools, and have always worked to promote accessibility to college, particularly for those from low-income families and first-generation college students,” said Whittaker, whose passion for this aspect of his work drew him to SLCC.     Previously, Whittaker served as dean of Institutional Advancement at Ly...

People and Workplace Culture PWC would like to extend a special invite to new employees to attend SLCC’s 75 th  Anniversary Convocation Celebration on Monday, August 21, from 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.  Convocation  is an annual, campus-wide event where all employees come together to celebrate the start of the new academic year. Enjoying Convocation 2019   This year, PWC will host an  Employee Extravaganza  as part of our Convocation celebration during the  food truck luncheon . We invite everyone to stop by the tables next to the Student Center West patio from 11:15 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.   Get to know your SLCC colleagues, learn about a wealth of employee resources, sign up for programs and activities, and win prizes by visiting participating department tables. Make sure and stop by the Welcome Table by PWC first to register for giveaways and prizes. We have limited edition 75th anniversary t-shirts and branded SLCC pickleballs while our supplies last!...

Finding and affording quality child care has always been a struggle for working parents. But as a result of the pandemic, many child care operators had to shut their doors and were not able to recover enough to open back up, creating an even bigger shortage of qualified and affordable child care providers nationally, but especially here in Utah. To address the child care crisis in Utah, the State Office of Child Care gave Salt Lake Community College’s Workforce and Economic Development a grant to provide training for those running home-based or center-based programs. The grant, Business Training and Coaching for Child Care Providers, enabled courses on how to draft a business plan, create a budget, basic marketing, and how to apply for funding and grants, for providers. With the success of the program, and the overwhelming number of providers signing up, the Office of Child Care renewed the grant and added additional funds to create two new programs, Budgeting and Leadership Principles...

  This summer, Jason Pickavance, PhD, stepped into the role of interim provost for Academic Affairs at Salt Lake Community College (SLCC). Jason has been with SLCC for 20 years, having served as an associate professor in English, faculty senate president, director of Educational Initiatives, director of Faculty Development, and most recently as the associate provost for Academic Operations.   Throughout his career here, Jason has been engaged in key initiatives including SLCC Pathways, Open Education Resources, the Herriman campus partnership, and the alignment of Salt Lake Technical College with other technical colleges throughout the state.    Jason is looking forward to growing and increasing awareness around Salt Lake Technical College and SLCC’s School of Health Sciences—both of which feed into high-demand fields integral to Utah’s economic development. “These are two areas I’m excited to expand and make more visible,” says Jason. “These areas provide affordable...

  This summer, Salt Lake Community College (SLCC) welcomed two new individuals to leadership positions. In August, Abby McNulty became the new vice president of Institutional Advancement; In June, Brett Perozzi became the new vice president for Student Affairs.   For the last 16 years, McNulty served as president and CEO of the Park City Education Foundation, which she built into an organization highly integrated with the Park City School District to support student success.     Through the foundation, she helped establish afterschool programs, Elementary Visual Arts, All-day Kindergarten, preschool, Elementary Coding, Park City Center for Advanced Professional Studies, Bright Futures, Mindfulness & Wellness programming, among other initiatives.   It was through her work with the Bright Futures program, which supports first generation college students, that McNulty became more familiar with SLCC. Many of the program graduates went onto access higher educatio...

The Juniper Building at Salt Lake Community College’s Herriman Campus to provide students a first-of-its-kind collaboration between SLCC and the University of Utah.   Utah's higher education landscape is on the brink of a transformative shift as Salt Lake Community College (SLCC) and the University of Utah (the U) joined forces on August 7 to open the Juniper Building in Herriman City. This visionary project marks a first-of-its-kind collaboration in Utah, offering students a seamless journey toward achieving higher education.     By beginning with an associate’s degree at SLCC and effortlessly transferring to the U for a bachelor's degree, students will now have two degrees in one location.   Nestled in Herriman City (14551 S. Sentinel Ridge Blvd.), this 88-acre SLCC campus embodies unity, convenience and boundless possibilities in the rapidly growing southwest quadrant of the valley.   SLCC President Deneece G. Huftalin, U President Taylor Randall and Herrima...