We are thrilled to bring you the latest campus updates and news from Sussex County Community College. We invite you to join us in celebrating our recent developments, innovative programs, and the achievements of our vibrant community.
Retired Professor of English, Dr. Eleanor Carducci, was granted Professor Emerita status by the Board of Trustees. She joined SCCC in 1992, earned tenure in 1998, and became a full professor. Dr. Carducci also served as Division Dean for over two years before returning to the classroom. She spearheaded the College Novel initiative, which remains ingrained in the College’s culture today. Retiring in 2017, she leaves a legacy of excellence in teaching, leadership, and student mentorship.
Barnlight Studios met with the College to discuss filming locations on the campus, production sets, and ways to involve students in film productions. The College is also collaborating with them on the N.J. Film Works Grant program, a competitive funding opportunity that will award grants to support workforce development, training, and skills programs that strengthen and diversify the state’s film and digital media talent pipeline.
The College hosted members of the School of Conservation to initiate discussions for a partnership regarding research, environmental science curriculum, and the utilization of the SOC as an experiential learning site for students.
Students and the Foodshed Alliance’s Green Team are studying soil health at the SAGE Farm. This year’s experiment utilizes biochar, compost, and a combination of both to enhance soil quality. Buckwheat will be planted to standardize vegetation, and students will use robotics and ArcGIS for monitoring. A parallel lab study will be conducted at Montclair University.
The College submitted its application under the Carl D. Perkins grant for over $300,000. The College updated its Comprehensive Local Needs Assessment (CLNA) with Sussex County Technical School and the Sussex/Morris/Warren Workforce Development Board. All funds for this grant are targeted to areas that are showing future growth.
The PSTA Leadership Retreat gathered both emerging and established leaders for a weekend focused on growth, reflection, and collaboration. Hosted at Gettysburg and the National Fire Academy, participants explored leadership with historical insights, emphasizing honor and service. Highlights included visiting the National Fallen Firefighters Memorial and engaging discussions led by national fire service leaders. The retreat reinforced our shared mission and the responsibility we hold as present and future fire service leaders.
We are proud to announce the arrival of our PSTA’s newest training asset—a state-of-the-art aircraft live fire prop! Designed to simulate real-world aviation emergencies, this prop provides firefighters with hands-on experience in managing fuel fires, cabin rescues, and emergency response operations under realistic conditions. With this addition, the PSTA continues to raise the bar in fire service education, ensuring our students are prepared for the challenges of modern firefighting, on the ground and in the air.
A new fiber connection between the main campus and PSTA is now live. This upgrade allows the PSTA to operate as a full member of the College network, similar to the McGuire Technical Education Center.
The College is moving forward with an artificial intelligence and analytics tool to proactively surface actionable insights that inform strategic initiatives aimed at enhancing course and ed-tech effectiveness, improving student retention, and increasing graduation rates. The tool will monitor leading indicators and provide in-depth insights into students who need attention, course readiness, LTI usage, as well as a conversational AI feature, “Ask Your Data,” that enables educators to ask complex questions using natural and straightforward language.
Members of the College’s AI Taskforce are participating in a non-credit Artificial Intelligence Microcredential through NJIT in July. Knowledge gained from this initiative will be utilized to streamline processes and expand the use of AI across the campus.
The College is pleased to announce that Rhys Moore has been elected Student Government Association President for the 2025–2026 academic year. A political science major from Sussex, NJ, Rhys aims to build new partnerships with the local community and enhance communication between students and the administration. We look forward to meeting monthly moving forward.
The College Foundation is proud to announce a major milestone: a total of $3,000,000 in gifts and contributions has been raised over the past five years, marking a historic achievement in support of student success, academic excellence, and community growth.
The Foundation recently received a $25,000 grant from the John and Margaret Post Foundation to support the purchase of equipment for the College’s Allied Health programs. This is the fourth consecutive year the SCCC Foundation has received a grant from the Post Foundation.
The College, in partnership with the Sussex County Division of Senior Services, was awarded $40,000 as part of a grant program with the National Fitness Campaign. This grant will be used to build an accessible outdoor fitness studio for the community on the College’s campus. The project is expected to be completed by Summer 2026.