Southwestern Community College came under fire for operating its Almond Center, at a cost of $127,000 a year, when only thirteen students were enrolled. The center offers degrees in outdoor leadership and fine arts, but it also processes 380 students through continuing education courses. But, more importantly, according to the Smoky Mountain News:
[SCC President Dr. Don Tomas] added there are residual economic development benefits to having the center open. It employees 19 full-time and part-time employees — creating a payroll of about $250,000 a year — and students from other counties attend the Swain campus and spend money in the community.
“Just looking at curriculum students at the Swain center doesn’t do it justice when you look at the overall picture,” Tomas said.
