The Campus
Wayne Community College’s 156-acre main campus is located in Goldsboro, NC, at 3000 Wayne Memorial Drive. Twelve modern buildings contain nearly 400,000 square feet of state-of-the-art classrooms, laboratories, offices, and a model childcare center.
Additional campus amenities include greenhouses, hydroponic growing containers, cultivation plots, a softball field, a walking track with exercise stations, and six landmarks and monuments.
An aviation classroom and hangar are located at the Wayne Executive Jetport.
Beyond the campus, curriculum and Workforce Continuing Education courses are offered at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base and various locations throughout Wayne County.
The History
A member of North Carolina’s system of 58 community and technical colleges, Wayne Community College was originally established as Goldsboro Industrial Education Center. The first on-campus building was completed in November of 1960, and until fall of 1962, all courses were taught in the evening, and all students were part time.
In the 1962-63 school year, the first full-time courses were offered, leading to diplomas in automotive mechanics, electronics, drafting, and practical nursing. During the 1962-63 school year, Goldsboro I.E.C. had 47 students enrolled with eight faculty members. In 1963 through 1965, three extension units of Goldsboro I.E.C. were established in Morehead City, Kenansville, and Clinton, later to become Carteret, James Sprunt, and Sampson community colleges.
In January of 1964, Goldsboro I.E.C. became Wayne Technical Institute. By fall of 1966, the enrollment had increased to approximately 550 curriculum students and more than 1,500 extension students. During the late 1960s, several additional classroom buildings were added to the campus.
In November of 1967, a community vote approved the necessary financial support, and Wayne Technical Institute became Wayne Community College. By the fall of 1968, the enrollment had risen to nearly 700 curriculum students.
The student population’s rapid growth overwhelmed the facilities. In January of 1974, the Board of Trustees commissioned a master plan for campus relocation to Wayne Memorial Drive. The first building on the new campus, constructed in 1978, housed auto-diesel technology, welding, watchmaking, drafting, and electronics programs.
A local bond referendum in 1986 provided $9.9 million in construction funds, which were matched by state funds during the years to follow. By the fall of 1992, five buildings were completed. A 1993 statewide bond referendum provided the $6.3 million necessary to add two more buildings on campus and an aviation building at the local airport. All were in use by the winter of 1996.
Enrollment and program offerings continued to grow, and so did the campus. In the fall of 2000, voters overwhelmingly approved a statewide Higher Education Bond that provided Wayne Community College nearly $13 million for construction, renovation and repair. Three buildings were built and several functional areas were reconfigured and renovated, with the last of the new facilities opening in spring of 2007.
More improvements and growth resulted from the “Connect NC Public Improvement Bond,” which voters approved in March of 2016, and several grants and gifts. This funding allowed repairs and renovation to existing buildings and systems and new construction, including a new Automotive and Collision Repair Building that was completed in time for occupation in the Fall 2020 semester.
In the Spring 2022 semester, the College's curriculum welding program and Workforce Continuing Education classes moved into a renovated and expanded space. The $1.2 million project was made possible in part by grants from the Golden Leaf Foundation and Duke Energy Corporation, as well as funding from the County of Wayne and the Foundation of Wayne Community College.
The College received $17 million from the North Carolina General Assembly in January of 2024 to be used for facility enhancements impacting programs in the Allied Health, Public Safety, and Business and Computer Technologies divisions.
In the Spring 2025 semester, Wayne Community College opened its new Center for Industrial Technology and Engineering (CITE), now the second largest building on campus that houses many of the programs in the Applied Technologies division.
Through the decades, Wayne Community College has established a reputation for quality in certificate, diploma, and associate degree programs that prepare students for promising careers. The College also takes pride in its Associate in Arts, Associate in Science, Associate in General Education - Nursing, and Associate in Arts or Science in Teacher Preparation college transfer programs and its graduates who have a high success rate at four-year institutions.
Use of technology in the classroom, modern computer labs, and options for Saturday and evening classes, as well as an abundance of online and hybrid courses, have made instruction at Wayne Community College more effective and convenient for students.
Wayne Community College will strive to maintain its long-standing reputation for quality training and education of our community’s citizens.
Wayne Community College was accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges in 1970 and was reaffirmed in 1974, 1986, 1995, 2006, and 2016.
The Community
Located in the east-west corridor between Raleigh to the west and the Outer Banks coastal region to the east, Wayne County is one of the leading agricultural areas of the coastal plains of North Carolina. The City of Goldsboro, the county seat, is the center of population, serving a major economic function as the trade and service center for Wayne County. The population of Wayne County is close to 117,000.
Wayne County, formed in 1770, was named for the great Continental Army General Anthony Wayne. Almost a century later, in 1865, the last battle of the American Civil War was fought at Bentonville, 18 miles west of Goldsboro.
Since the mid-1960s, industrial growth led Wayne County to a more balanced industrial-agricultural economy. Agriculture continues to be the major source of income for Wayne County residents. Principal crops include tobacco, corn, cotton, grains, and soybeans. Livestock and poultry are major sources of income for Wayne County farmers.
Numerous manufacturing companies are located throughout the area. Manufacturing is diversified in Wayne County, including automotive parts, electrical components, transformers, aviation-related cargo systems, and mass transit power systems; food stuffs such as tortillas, bread, pickles, and pork products; and wood products such as lumber chips, plywood, and timber.
Wayne County is served by several newspapers, “hometown” publications, and radio stations. It is home to a modern hospital affiliated with UNC Health Care. There are nearly 200 churches that represent many religious faiths. Varied recreational facilities include swimming pools, parks, public and private golf courses, a Family YMCA, a state park and robust municipal parks, and recreation departments offering year-round activities. The county is home to several historic sites, museums, a renovated historic theater, and arts and cultural organizations. Numerous festivals provide year-round activities and entertainment.
Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, one of the most important and modern bases in the United States, is located in Goldsboro. It is the headquarters for the Air Combat Command’s 4th Fighter Wing, the 916th Air Refueling Wing, an Air Force Reserve Command Unit, and several other squadrons and detachments.
College Mission
Vision Statement
Wayne Community College will be the preferred source for quality education and workforce preparedness to serve as a catalyst for economic growth.
Mission Statement
Wayne Community College (WCC) is a learning-centered, public, associate degree granting institution with an open-door admissions policy. WCC is located in Goldsboro, North Carolina, and is part of the North Carolina Community College System.
Wayne Community College’s mission is to meet the educational, training, and cultural needs of the communities it serves.
Core Values
The College is united in sharing these core values:
- Communication: Encourage open dialogue at all levels
- Compassion: Exhibit concern for others
- Diversity: Value and respect each person’s uniqueness
- Equity: Ensure freedom from bias or favoritism
- Excellence: Set and meet high standards
- Inclusion: Improve participation for all.
- Integrity: Cultivate an environment of fairness and honesty
- Leadership: Develop and demonstrate leadership skills for our students, employees, and community
- Learning: Improve the quality of life by providing knowledge and developing skills
- Service: Foster a commitment in employees and students of serving and assisting others
- Stewardship: Hold ourselves accountable for the efficient and effective use of the resources entrusted to us
- Teamwork: Work together and encourage collaboration
- Unity: Operate as one college in purpose, plans, priorities, and processes
College Goals (2024-2029)
- Increase Student Access: Develop policies and practices that provide increased opportunities and remove barriers for all students to enter into, and successfully proceed through training programs or post-secondary education.
- Ensure Program Excellence: Develop and implement effective training and academic opportunities responsive to the needs of our community and industry partners.
- Improve Student Success: Prepare students to thrive in today's global economy by increasing the number of students leaving with workforce ready credentials, skills, and/or university transfer pathways.
- Ensure Institutional Quality: Engage in organized, strategic, and data-informed planning to continually improve relevance and quality in all college administrative, students, and support services to ensure that the college's vision, mission, and goals will be achieved.
Institutional Learning Outcomes
A graduate of Wayne Community College should be able to:
- Make effective oral presentations.
- Compose effective written documents.
- Apply critical or creative reasoning, including diverse perspectives, to address complex problems or to analyze original works.
- Apply appropriate mathematics to solve real-world problems.
- Interpret or analyze natural phenomena using concepts and principles of the natural sciences.
College Programs
In keeping with its mission of meeting the educational, training, and cultural needs of the communities it serves, the College offers the following educational programs:
- Associate degree programs.
- Diploma and certificate programs.
- Transitional skills programs for college and career offer individuals instruction to increase their ability to (a) read, write, and speak in English and perform mathematics or other activities necessary for the attainment of a secondary school diploma or its recognized equivalent; (b) transition to postsecondary education and training; and (c) to obtain employment.
- Workforce Continuing Education occupational extension programs (providing courses for adults to update or gain new skills for the workforce).
- Community service programs (cultural enrichment, workshops/seminars, leisure, and recreation).
- Wayne Business and Industry Center (workforce development and business counseling, education, training, and technical services for area businesses and organizations).
Accreditation
Accreditation
Wayne Community College is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) to award associate degrees. Wayne Community College also may offer credentials such as certificates and diplomas at approved degree levels. Questions about the accreditation of Wayne Community College may be directed in writing to the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) at 1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, GA 30033-4097, by calling (404) 679-4500, or by using information available on SACSCOC's website (www.sacscoc.org).
The Office of Institutional Effectiveness is responsible for monitoring institutional compliance with criteria as set by the the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC).
Wayne Community College (WCC) was fully accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) in 1970 and was reaffirmed in 1974, 1986, 1995, 2006, and 2016. The college successfully completed a Fifth-Year Interim Report in the fall of 2021.
Other Accreditations
In addition to SACSCOC accreditation, other agencies that currently accredit the institution and any of its programs are listed below:
Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN)* - Associate Degree Nursing / Practical Nursing
Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) Education Foundation (formerly National Automotive Technician Education Foundation (NATEF) - Automotive Systems Technology - ATEP / Automotive Systems Technology - GM-ASEP
Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) - Medical Assisting
Committee on Accreditation of Educational Programs for the Emergency Medical Services Professionals (CoAEMSP)** - Emergency Medical Science
Commission on Dental Accreditation of the American Dental Association (CODA)* - Dental Assisting / Dental Hygiene
Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), US Department of Transportation - Aviation Systems Technology
National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences (NAACLS) - Medical Laboratory Technology
National Security Agency's Centers of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense Education (CAE-CDE) - Cybersecurity
North Carolina Board of Nursing (NCBON) - Associate Degree Nursing / Practical Nursing
North Carolina Department of Justice Criminal Justice Standards Division (NCDOJ) - Basic Law Enforcement Training
North Carolina Fire and Rescue Commission (OSFM) - Fire and Rescue Levels
North Carolina Office of Emergency Medical Services (NC OEMS) - EMS Education Provider
* Programs accredited by US Department of Education recognized agencies
** CoAEMSP Response to the Site Visit Findings Letter has been received and is scheduled for review at the May 2026 CoAEMSP Board of Directors Meeting. A recommendation will be sent to the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) for review at their next scheduled meeting. The program will not receive a letter based on the CoAEMSP's recommendation. However, the program will receive a letter from CAAHEP based on their decision following the CAAHEP meeting.