Mission:
Southern Union State Community College, located in east central Alabama, is an open-door, public, two-year college operating as a part of The Alabama College System. The mission of the College is to provide quality academic, technical, and health science programs which are affordable, accessible, and responsive to the needs of the community, business, industry, and government. As an open-door institution, the College provides an educational program that complements the various ability levels of a diverse student population. In support of these efforts, the College employs a highly qualified staff which is active in the planning and evaluation of all programs. The education offered allows for successful transfer entry into upper-level study at a senior college or university, trains for immediate employment upon completion of a technically-oriented program, and provides educational opportunities for those students interested in careers in the health care field.

About

Southern Union State Community College was formed on August 12, 1993, when the Alabama Community College System Board of Trustees effectively merged Southern Union State Junior College and Opelika State Technical College. Each partner brought to the merger a history rich in tradition of service to students.

The older of the two colleges, Southern Union, was chartered as Bethlehem College on June 2, 1922, by the Southern Christian Convention of Congregational Christian Churches. From its opening with 51 students in a single building on September 13, 1923, until 1964, the college remained church related, operating as Piedmont Junior College, Southern Union College and The Southern Union College. On October 1, 1964, the college was deeded to the state of Alabama and became part of the newly-created system of two-year colleges. The name of the college became Southern Union State Junior College, and it achieved accreditation in 1970 from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.

Opelika State Technical College was created by an act of the Alabama State Legislature on May 3, 1963, in response to a recognized need to establish vocational/technical colleges in industrial areas of Alabama. The college opened on January 10, 1966, as Opelika State Vocational Technical Institute but was designated Opelika State Technical College on August 22, 1973, and was accredited in 1971 by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.

Today, the college serves more than 5,000 students each semester from its campuses in Wadley, Valley and Opelika. Its three-faceted educational emphasis is on academic programs for transferability, technical programs for specialized career competencies and health sciences programs for specialized training in the health field. Our students obtain unprecedented levels of success, whether transferring, taking licensure exams or finding employment. Most importantly, at Southern Union you will be served by a student-centered faculty and staff who are here to assist you in every aspect of the college experience.