DSCC Jimmy Naifeh Center at Tipton County to Celebrate 25th Anniversary
Dyersburg State Community College (DSCC) will celebrate the 25th anniversary of its Jimmy Naifeh Center at Tipton County with a reception to be held on Friday, Nov. 5 at 8:00 a.m. inside the Center’s Baptist Memorial Health Care Academic Building Auditorium. The reception is being held in conjunction with the South Tipton County Chamber of Commerce’s First Friday Coffee.
“I am so pleased that 25 years ago the Chamber of Commerce, community leaders and Speaker Naifeh joined forces to help DSCC construct a major Center for Dyersburg State Community College in Covington,” stated Dr. Karen Bowyer, president of DSCC. “Since opening in 1996, 15,185 students have enrolled in classes at the DSCC Jimmy Naifeh Center (JNC), and they have earned 4,257 certificates and degrees. We are growing our own professionals such as registered nurses, EMTs, Advanced EMTs, Paramedics, teachers, law enforcement officers, advanced manufacturing, and Information Technology (IT) technicians with industry certifications. The JNC is positioned to grow. Soon we will offer a new Surgical Technology Program.”
The Jimmy Naifeh Center opened on Feb. 26, 1996, with the first phase, which is now known as the Jimmy Naifeh Building. Construction on phase two of the first building began in Feb. 1997 and opened in Jan. 1998. This building now houses instructional classrooms, labs, a commons area, an advising center, and an on-site bookstore. Two additional buildings have been added to this location, including the 31,000 sq. foot Baptist Memorial Health Care Academic Building, opened in Jan. 2007, and more recently the 54,000 sq. foot Learning Resource Center, Student Center and Tipton County Public Library, which opened in Sept. 2014. The Academic Building supports the Nursing, Emergency Medical Services, Engineering Systems Technology, and Criminal Justice programs. The Learning Resource Center, Student Center and Tipton County Public Library offers students and users of the public library access to over 500 computers. Other features include classrooms and computer labs, a Learning Emporium, the Peter Fyfe Genealogy Room, a children’s library, Duke’s Café, the Rose Companies Children’s Multi-Purpose Lab and Performance Area, and a lab for recreation and physical fitness. The office of Jimmy Naifeh, Speaker Emeritus, Tennessee House of Representatives, is located near the front entrance.
“The Jimmy Naifeh Center at Tipton County has been building educational opportunities for residents in Tipton, Lauderdale, and surrounding counties for the past 25 years,” said Christie Hudnall, dean of the Jimmy Naifeh Center. “We look forward to the continued student success by enhancing current programs and developing innovative programs for economic growth in West Tennessee.”
The public is invited to attend the anniversary reception. For more information, contact Edith Carlton, administrative assistant for the president, at 731-286-3300 or carlton@dscc.edu.