President of South Plains College, Dr. Robin Satterwhite, gave a presentation regarding the college’s plans for new programs, facilities, and student resources at the recent Levelland Chamber of Commerce meeting.
Satterwhite was asked to elaborate on this presentation in a recent interview, and he spoke at length about three major projects, including the creation of a dental hygiene program, a career center, and a new workforce training center, all set to operate in Levelland.
Regarding the dental hygiene program, Satterwhite explained that SPC has been evaluating and strategizing the implementation of such a program for several years. He said that there were very few dental hygiene programs in West Texas, with the nearest ones in Amarillo and Big Spring.
“Our areas don’t have any educational opportunities for dental hygienists,” Satterwhite stated. “It’s a high-demand program and career, so we’ve been investigating this for several years.”
SPC is currently working through a multistep process to accredit the program. Last year, they hired a program director, who has now applied for accreditation to the Commission On Dental Accreditation (CODA) on behalf of the college.
During SPC’s board meeting this week, bids were presented for the construction of the program site, and Satterwhite says they will begin construction and go from there. The facility is planned to be built at the SPC’s Gentry Square. “The peculiar part of the process is that you have to have construction almost complete before they accredit it,” says Satterwhite. They don’t expect CODA to do the appraisal until fall of this year, by which point the site will be nearing completion.
Satterwhite explained that this is because “they don’t want to approve a program that we say we have facilities for, but really don’t. The program requires colleges to invest a lot of resources before receiving approval.” Satterwhite said he feels confident that CODA will accredit the program, as they have already given an indication that the program would be a good candidate. “We will get approval. They give you an indication that you are a successful or positive candidate. Worst case scenario, something goes wrong, and we move one of our current health care programs into the facility.”
Satterwhite explains that the program will be funded through the college and that they are currently seeking external funding but haven’t received any. However, he states that “the program will bring in students to a highdemand degree, which is an integral part of the funding system in the state of Texas.”
“The program will be a huge addition to our college and our community. The benefits of it are multifaceted. It will be a great part of our funding system but will also meet a huge health care need for the entire region. There aren’t too many locations close by, and we would offer dental care at a reduced price for community members, as part of our curriculum would require students to provide dental cleaning services to actual patients.”
Satterwhite said that SPC anticipates accepting 20 students and more than 100 applicants per year, and that the program would function as an associate's degree program similar to the registered nurse program, with it being a two-year education process beyond prerequisites. SPC’s goal is to begin taking students in the fall of 2027.
Secondly, Satterwhite spoke on SPC’s plans for the creation of a career center.
The center is funded by a 2 million dollar grant from the Moody Foundation and will focus on preparing students to pursue a career as they approach graduation. It would also give industry partners an avenue to access graduates from SPC for employment.
“Companies wanting to advertise job availability can use the center to better facilitate the entire hiring process,” Satterwhite says. “Students preparing to graduate and wanting to learn interview skills and identify employers can go to the center, which will act as a center point for accessing career opportunities.”
SPC is currently waiting to sign off on the grant and hopes to implement the center this fall. Instead of financing a new building for the center, SPC wishes to remodel an already existing building on campus from which the center can operate.
SPC will hire a director for the career center, along with several career advisors who will work alongside academic advisors to guide students to programs and careers that best suit their interests and financial needs.
Lastly, Satterwhite spoke on SPC’s plan for building a new workforce training center in the rail park area of Levelland.
The center would serve two major functions: as both a new facility for the college truck driving program (which is currently located at the Reese Center) and as the location of a driving track for the college’s police training center.
“The truck driving program will be moved here. We have some truck driving simulators located at Reese, which we will be bringing to Levelland. These machines simulate the entire truck driving experience and were part of a grant we received several years ago,” Satterwhite says.
The driving truck will allow students who are going through the law enforcement program to practice driving police vehicles.
SPC is presently awaiting collaborative funding through the Levelland Economic Development Corporation and the Federal Economic Development Administration (EDA) department for the center. The funding will be matched equally by both departments, with Levelland providing the land.
Satterwhite said SPC looks forward with great anticipation to the implementation of these programs and facilities, and hopes they will benefit the community of Levelland, as well as the West Texas region, by helping young people attain skills to prepare them for success in the workforce.