Program History
The Vernon College Surgical Technology Program began in August 2002. The program is nationally accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) 25400 U.S. Highway 19 North, Suite 158, Clearwater, FL 33763 Phone: 727-210-2350 Fax: 727-210-2354 www.caahep.org. Annual reports are filed with the Accreditation Review Council on Education in Surgical Technology and Surgical Assisting (ARC/STSA) to demonstrate compliance with programmatic accreditation standards and guidelines. The program curriculum is based on 6th Edition of the Association of Surgical Technologists (AST) Core Curriculum in Surgical Technology Education. The program has remained versatile in delivering the program curriculum to maintain the strong support from the communities of interest and be responsive to local employer and clinical sites requirements for students and graduates.
Program Delivery/Curriculum
The program is limited to fifteen (15) students per class and one class per school year. The Surgical Technology Program is conducted at the Century City Center Campus with classroom and clinical rotations being held Monday through Friday during the day.
Curriculum is delivered in didactic (classroom), clinical lab skills to include mock surgeries, and clinical practicum at local clinical sites. The majority of clinical sites are located within the city of Wichita Falls with one site located in Vernon, Texas. Clinical practicum will require travel to clinical site outside the city of Wichita Falls during each semester. Students can expect to occasionally travel up to one hour to and from clinical sites outside of Wichita Falls.
For completion of the program and graduation the student surgical technologist must successfully complete the didactic section, master the lab skills, and perform a minimum number of clinical cases. The courses must be passed sequentially in order to remain in the program. If a student does not pass a course with a minimum grade of a (C) the student cannot continue in the program and will be withdrawn.
The program curriculum, in addition to being in compliance with the current edition of the AST Core Curriculum in Surgical Technology Education, also reflects local employment needs as determined by the ST Program Coordinator, Vernon College administrators, and the ST Program Advisory Committee.
Additional Requirements
Students enrolled in the Surgical Technology Program are required to join AST in the first semester of the program. AST is the professional organization representing Surgical Technologists and offers the student surgical technologist membership benefits during the program year. In addition to AST membership, students enrolled in the program are required to attend the Texas State Assembly of the Association of Surgical Technologists Annual Business Meeting the first weekend of March each program year.
Graduates
Graduates of Vernon College's Surgical Technology Program take the national certification examination offered by the National Board on Surgical Technology and Surgical Assisting (NBSTSA) at the end of the program year at Vernon College in Wichita Falls. Upon passing this examination the Surgical Technologist graduate is permitted the use of the title of Certified Surgical Technologist (CST).
1970 marked the beginning of Vernon College. Throughout this decade the College continued to grow and more students enrolled in both on- and off-campus courses. On January 20, 1970, a majority of the citizens of Wilbarger County voted to create the Wilbarger County Junior College District. Following that decision, Vernon Regional Junior College was established and on April 9, 1970, the newly elected Board of Trustees appointed Dr. David L. Norton as the College’s first president. Campus construction began in May 1971, and included an Academic Science Center, Administration-Fine Arts Center, Applied Arts Center, Library, and Student Center. The following year, on September 5, 1972, classes met for the first time on the Vernon campus with a total of 608 students. On August 1, 1974, Dr. Jim M. Williams became the College’s second president. In the fall semester of that year, combined on- and off-campus enrollment exceeded 800 students. During the 1975-76 academic year, the College expanded its services to include a learning center on Sheppard Air Force Base. During this year, enrollment in credit courses, both on- and off-campus, rose to a level of 1,199. The scope of the Vocational Nursing Program was enlarged during the 1976-77 academic year with the assumption of the Bethania School of Vocational Nursing in Wichita Falls. In August 1976 the Physical Education Center was dedicated in honor of Dr. and Mrs. Thomas A. King longtime benefactors of Vernon College.
Growth and changes continued during the 1980s. In August 1980 a Student Residence Center, designed to house 128 students, opened for occupancy. Further expansion of program offerings in the Wichita Falls area was accomplished through absorption of an existing proprietary school that was renamed the Vernon College Technical Center and the integration of the nursing program from the Wichita Falls Independent School District. On March 22, 1982, Dr. Joe Mills took over the leadership of the College as the third president. That fall, the College fielded its first intercollegiate rodeo team. During 1983-84, the Department of Cosmetology and the Career Development Center (previously known as the North Texas Skills Center) were established in Wichita Falls. On the Vernon campus, the Chaparral Center was completed, and the Pease River farm purchased through a state land trade. The following academic year, 1984-85, Vernon College reached a record credit enrollment of 1,863 and a record continuing education enrollment of 7,056 registrations. A Vocational Nursing Program opened in Seymour, and the Board of Trustees established a college foundation and approved an agreement to allow construction of the Red River Valley Museum on the Vernon campus. In February 1987 the College played its first intercollegiate baseball game on the Vernon campus. During May of that year, the new Natatorium was opened in the King Physical Education Center. A newly constructed Athletic Dormitory opened to house 28 athletes in August 1988. In October, Trustees voted to add women’s volleyball as a varsity sport, effective with the fall 1989 semester. In May 1989 Vernon College moved all Wichita Falls programs to one centralized location—Century City Center. Since the College opened its doors 38 years ago, many individuals, corporations, foundations, and organizations have made an investment in our students through the creation of endowed and annual scholarships. As of this year, more than 100 scholarship funds are available to help students pursue their educational dreams.VERNON COLLEGE PHILOSOPHY: Vernon College is a constantly evolving institution, dedicated primarily to effective teaching and regional enhancement. With this dedication to teaching and to the community, the College encourages open inquiry, personal and social responsibility, critical thinking, and life-long learning for students, faculty, and other individuals within its service area. The College takes as its guiding educational principle the proposition that, insofar as available resources permit, instruction should be adapted to student needs. This principle requires both flexibility in instructional strategies and maintenance of high academic standards. Strong programs of assessment and accountability complement this educational principle. VC accepts the charge of providing a college atmosphere free of bias, in which students can exercise initiative and personal judgment, leading to a greater awareness of personal self-worth. It strives to provide every student with opportunities to develop the tools necessary to become a contributing, productive member of society.
Vision
VERNON COLLEGE VISION: Vernon College will promote a culture of success for our students and communities through learner-centered quality instructional programs and exemplary services.
Values
VERNON COLLEGE VALUES: Vernon College promotes a culture of success through our shared values and commitment to:
Accessibility
Accountability
Building Relationships
Diversity
Inclusion
Innovation
Leadership
Quality
Student Success
Teamwork
Our values define who we are and guide us in conducting our business every day. Our values are our morals – what is important to us at our college.
Mission
VERNON COLLEGE MISSION The mission of Vernon College is teaching, learning, and leading. Vernon College is a comprehensive community college that integrates education with opportunity through our instructional programs and student support services by means of traditional and distance learning modes. Therefore, to fulfill its mission, the College will provide access, within its available resources, to:
Career technical/workforce programs up to two years in length leading to associate degrees or certificates;
Career technical/workforce programs leading directly to employment in semi-skilled and skilled occupations;
Freshman and sophomore courses in arts and sciences, including the curricula leading to associate and baccalaureate degrees;
Ongoing adult education programs for occupational upgrading or personal enrichment;
Compensatory education programs designed to fulfill the commitment of an admissions policy allowing the enrollment of disadvantaged students; ;
A continuing program of counseling and guidance designed to assist students in achieving their individual educational goals;
Career technical/workforce development programs designed to meet local and statewide needs;
Support services for educational programs and college-related activities;
Adult literacy and other basic skills programs for adults; and
Other To help prospective and current students, faculty, and staff locate important information about Vernon College, this webpage provides links to helpful information on a variety of government mandated and consumer information. Examples are academic programs, cost of attendance, financial aid, safety and security, and institutional financial reports. Vernon College’s presentation of this information complies with the Higher Education Act, as amended, and implementing regulations.