Profile & History

Founded in 1968 to meet the postsecondary and continuing education needs of Cecil County residents, Cecil College has been serving the community and shaping its future for more than 40 years. The College is governed by a Board of Trustees appointed by the governor. The College's fourth president, Dr. W. Stephen Pannill, reports directly to the Board of Trustees.

Cecil College is centrally located in Maryland's most northeastern county, just one half mile from Interstate 95. It is easily accessible from Philadelphia and Baltimore, as well as from Wilmington, Del.

With a diverse student population, Cecil College enrolls approximately 2,700 credit students and 6,500 non-credit students. Cecil offers associate degrees, certificate programs and continuing education classes.

Classes at the College are taught by qualified faculty and can be taken in a traditional classroom setting or online. Many students choose programs that can transfer to four-year institutions. Accelerated Studies for the Adult Professional is designed for the working adult who wants to earn an undergraduate degree while continuing to work full or part time.

The College offers more than 100 associate degree and certificate programs. In nursing, students can earn a certificate in practical nursing or an associate degree in nursing and transfer to a four-year institution for a bachelor's degree. Business students can enroll in degree programs for accounting, management or other subjects. Through the Mid-Atlantic Transportation and Logistics Institute, students can receive an associate degree in several areas, including flight training and transportation management. Computer information systems students can attain degrees and certifications in applications and programming, while one degree and two certificates can be earned in equine studies. Visual communications degrees and certificates prepare students to pursue careers in fields such as photography, digital imaging, video production, graphic design, Web design and Web development. In the arts and sciences, the options include engineering, biology, chemistry, physics and several performing arts discipline tracks such as dance, music, music/guitar, music/voice, or theatre. Along with performing arts, the College's education degree programs are headquartered at Elkton Station, which opened in 2005.

Cecil College has formalized articulation agreements with public and private four-year institutions throughout Maryland and the United States to expedite the transfer process for Cecil students and graduates. Articulation agreements provide course equivalency agreements and/or program to program transfer agreements, which minimize the risk of losing college credits when transferring to another institution. Numerous partnerships have been established in which students engage in a "3 + 1" or "2 + 2" curriculum by taking their first three or two years of classes at Cecil and the next year or two at a four-year college.

Students can also opt to take non-credit courses to upgrade their job skills or expand their personal horizons. Certifications are available for various health care careers such as certified medicine aide, certified nursing assistant, dental assistant, EMT/paramedic, medical assistant, medical receptionist, medical transcriptionist, pharmacy technician, phlebotomist and physician coder/biller. In addition, students can earn computer certifications in a variety of areas, including Oracle and Microsoft software; or business and office skills certificates in customer service excellence and certified bookkeeper.

Through its open admissions policy, Cecil College provides learning opportunities for all who have the desire and ability to benefit from its courses and programs, regardless of age, gender, ethnic origin, sexual orientation, handicap, or socioeconomic status.

Cecil College is a member of the Maryland Junior College Athletic Conference in all sports and competes in the National Junior College Athletic Association. The College fields men's teams in baseball, basketball and soccer, and women's teams in basketball, softball, soccer, tennis and volleyball. Numerous titles have been won by Cecil, highlighted by the men's basketball national championship in 2006.

Accreditation

Cecil College is a two-year public community college offering transfer, career-credit and non-credit continuing education courses. Cecil College is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education, meets the standards established by the Maryland Higher Education Commission, and is authorized to grant the associate's degree. Cecil College is also accredited by the Maryland State Board of Nursing and the National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission (3343 Peachtree Road, NE, Suite 500, Atlanta, GA, 30326).