Vision Statement
Norwalk Community College aspires to create a culture of inclusion and excellence through intellectual inquiry, open dialogue, multicultural awareness and lifelong learning. By embracing the diverse needs of our students, faculty, staff and community, the College strives to provide an environment in which individuals are empowered to achieve their highest potential.
College Mission
Norwalk Community College is a leader and partner in the academic, economic, cultural and social well-being of southwestern Connecticut. We are an educational community that embraces diversity and inspires excellence among our students, faculty and staff.
- We provide affordable education leading to degree completion, transfer, professional certifications, employment and lifelong learning;
- We promote student learning and success through high quality instruction, support services and co-curricular activities;
- We support workforce development through partnerships with labor, business, industry, government and our communities;
- We cultivate vibrant community partnerships through the sponsorship of intellectual, cultural, social and recreational events and activities;
- We prepare our students to be active and responsible contributors to the global society.
Academic Goals
The College strives to be a community college in the fullest sense. Dedicated to serving the people of southwestern Connecticut, it offers all of its resources and facilities to help meet the educational, cultural and economic needs of the region. The College, within the framework of its stated objectives, endeavors to provide an education at a modest cost to all qualified persons.
The College offers programs of interest to students with varied educational aims. A student desiring to pursue his/her studies beyond two years and planning to transfer to a four-year institution should elect one of the transfer curricula. These programs offer university parallel courses and provide a good pre-professional foundation. Students who do not anticipate taking formal education beyond the first two years but wish to broaden their education, will also benefit from these courses.
Many career curricula combining technical or vocational interest with studies in the liberal arts are offered. Career programs are added and revised to meet the changing needs of the residents of southwestern Connecticut. There are career offerings in certificate programs, which require completion of 30 credits or less. Provision has also been made for those students who do not wish to complete an entire curriculum or certificate program but who have a specialized, limited objective. They are permitted to enroll in courses that they are qualified to take.
The College offers opportunities for study during the summer. Part-time students may continue their studies without interruption. Full-time students at Norwalk Community College or other institutions may take additional courses to accelerate or to complete their programs.
Core Curriculum
In order to prepare students for an increasingly complex and culturally diverse society, a Core Curriculum has been developed to provide the knowledge and skills needed to succeed and grow within the world community. Graduation from NCC will be evidence that the student has acquired communication, computational and basic computer skills, as well as developed an understanding of the humanities, sciences and social/behavioral sciences while comprehending how these disciplines relate to each other and to broader social issues.
First-Year Experience Courses
The Freshman Seminar or College Forum course is required for all first-time full-time students. Please see descriptions in the Course Descriptions section of this catalog.
Panther Advising Workshops (PAW)
New students entering college for the first-time are required to attend a Panther Advising Workshop (PAW). PAW Workshops are designed to provide students with the opportunity for a seamless registration. During PAW, students will meet with an academic advisor, learn to navigate NCC’s student portal, and register for their first semester courses. This advising workshop allows new students to receive valuable information necessary for a successful start.
Accreditation
Norwalk Community College is accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE), which is one of seven regional higher education accrediting bodies in the United States. It is a voluntary, non-profit, self-governing organization recognized by the Department of Education as an authority of quality in higher education having as its primary purpose the accreditation of educational institutions.
Through its evaluation activities, NECHE provides public assurance about the educational quality of degree-granting institutions that seek or wish to maintain accreditation. NECHE develops, makes public and applies criteria for the assessment of educational effectiveness among institutions of higher education leading to actions on their institutional accreditation. By this means, NECHE assures the education community, the public and interested agencies that accredited institutions have clearly defined objectives which meet with criteria published by NECHE; that they have the organization, staffing and resources to accomplish, are accomplishing and can continue to accomplish these objectives. In addition, through its process of assessment, NECHE encourages and assists in the improvement, effectiveness and excellence of affiliated educational institutions.
Accreditation of an institution by NECHE indicates that it meets or exceeds criteria for the assessment of institutional quality periodically applied through a peer group review process. An accredited school or college is one which has available the necessary resources to achieve its stated purposes through appropriate educational programs, is substantially doing so, and gives reasonable evidence that it will continue to do so in the foreseeable future.
The College is governed by the Connecticut Board of Regents for Higher Education which serves the regional community-technical college system, the Connecticut State University System and Charter Oak State College. The specific powers and duties of the Board are prescribed in Title 10a of the Connecticut General Statutes and are further delineated in policies adopted by the Board from time to time.
The Nursing Program is accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing, Inc., 3343 Peachtree Road NE, Suite 850, Atlanta, GA 30326, www.acen.org, (404) 975-5000.
The Medical Assistant Certificate Program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Program (www.caahep.org) upon the recommendation of the Medical Assisting Education Review Board (MAERB). The Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs is located at 1361 Park Street, Clearwater, FL 33756, (727) 210-2350.
The Respiratory Care program is accredited by the Committee on Accreditation for Respiratory Care (CoARC), 1248 Harwood Road, Bedford, TX 76021-4244, (817)283-2835, www.coarc.com
The Early Child Education Program and the Kathryn Croaning Child Development Laboratory School are accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC). 1313 L St. NW, Suite 500, Washington, D.C. 20005 (202)232-8777 (800)424-2460 https://www.naeyc.org/
The Physical Therapist Assistant Program at Norwalk Community College is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE), 1111 North Fairfax Street, Alexandria, Virginia 22314; telephone: 703-706-3245; email: accreditation@apta.org; website: http://www.capteonline.org. To contact the program/institution directly, please call (203) 857-7198 or email jbresnick@norwalk.edu.
The Veterinary Technology A.S. Degree Program is accredited by the American Veterinary Medical Association’s Committee on Veterinary Technology Education and Activities (AVMA - CVTEA) Education and Research Division 1931 N. Meacham Road, Suite 100 Schaumburg, IL 60173-4360 (847) 925-8070,
https://www.avma.org/ProfessionalDevelopment/Education/Accreditation/Programs/Pages/vettech-programs.aspx
Equal Opportunity
Norwalk Community College, guided by an affirmative action plan approved by the Board of Regents of Higher Education, complies with all federal and state regulations and statutes that provide for equal opportunity for all. Questions should be directed to Cheryl DeVonish, Chief Operating Officer.
Equal Opportunity Policy
Connecticut State Colleges & Universities (CSCU) will not discriminate against any person on the grounds of race, color, religious creed, sex, age, national origin, ancestry, present or past history of mental disorder, marital status, mental retardation, sexual orientation, learning disability, physical disability, including but not limited to blindness, or a prior conviction of a crime, unless the provisions of sections 46a-60(b), 46a-80(b) or 46a-81(b) of the Connecticut General Statutes are controlling, or if there is a bona fide occupational qualification excluding persons in one of the above protected groups. With respect to the foregoing, discrimination on the basis of sex shall include sexual harassment as defined in section 46a-60(8) of the Connecticut General Statutes. Although it is recognized that there are bona fide occupational qualifications which provide for exception from employment prohibitions, it is understood these exceptions are to be applied pursuant to Section 46a-68-33 of the administrative regulations. Further, the system will not discriminate against any person on the grounds of political beliefs, or veteran status.
Policy Against Sexual Harassment
Sexual harassment is a form of sex discrimination which is illegal under state and federal law and is also prohibited by the Board of Regents’ Non-discrimination Policy. The Board’s policy recognizes that sexual harassment undermines the integrity of employer employee and student faculty-staff relationships and interferes with the right of all members of the College community to work and learn in an environment free from harassment. Such conduct will not be tolerated. A complete statement of this policy can be found here.
NCC Continuing Notice of Non-Discrimination
Norwalk Community Colleges does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religious creed, age, sex, national origin, marital status, ancestry, present or past history of mental disorder, learning disability or physical disability, sexual orientation, gender identify and expression or genetic information in its programs and activities. In addition, the College does not discriminate in employment on the basis of veteran status or criminal record.
The following persons have been designated to handle inquiries regarding the non-discrimination policies:
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