Aug 26, 2025 | Curry Campus, News
Coos Bay, OR – Southwestern Oregon Community College is offering free GED® and Adult Basic Education classes fall term 2025. These classes prepare individuals to take the GED® exam and update skills to enroll in college or career training programs. Students enrolled in these classes can build a pipeline to enter college, training programs, and jobs in high-demand career areas.
We have three options for GED® and Adult Basic Education classes next term:
- Morning GED® Class – Monday through Thursday from 9am-11am
- Afternoon GED® Class – Monday through Thursday from 12pm-2pm
- Evening GED® Class – Tuesday through Thursday from 5pm-8pm
All classes are live and in-person on the Coos Campus. The afternoon class is offered live and in-person on the Curry Campus in Brookings, OR.
For students who cannot make it to either campus, classes are offered via Zoom during all three sessions. Fall term starts September 15th and ends November 26th.
To register for orientation and classes, go to https://swoccapce.org/ and click GET STARTED. For questions, please email Adult & Pre-College Education at apce@socc.edu or call 541-888-1593.
Aug 14, 2025 | News
Imagine a career spent helping others smile with confidence. It’s more than rewarding; it’s life-changing. As a Dental Assistant, you’ll be working in a rewarding career and improving people’s health and lives.
Why consider a career in Dental Assisting?
The newly reinvigorated Dental Assisting program at Southwestern serves as a vital asset to our region, preparing skilled professionals to meet local healthcare needs. In a community facing dental workforce shortages, SWOCC’s program provides essential training — such as chairside assistance, sterilization techniques, radiology certification, and administrative support — that enables graduates to seamlessly join dental offices in our region. In fact, of the six students in last year’s cohort, five have joined local dental offices — either on-site at their externship locations or at other dental facilities. Given the demand for qualified staff and the difficulty offices report in recruitment, every cohort of dental assistants significantly bolsters access to oral healthcare in our rural communities.
Statewide data underscores the value of such training: in Oregon, employment of dental assistants is projected to grow by roughly 13% from 2022 to 2032, with more than 800 annual job openings expected across the state.
Graduates can earn a good wage too. In Oregon, average hourly wages for dental assistants hover around $29.00/hour ($49,370/year in Portland metro area), while median salaries statewide are approximately $54,000 annually, with top earners making over $63,000/year. These wages support local families, offering financial stability and a better quality of life.
Through practical, hands-on training SWOCC equips students with the skills they need to step directly into high-demand dental assisting roles — helping staff local clinics, improve access to care, and build long-term careers that support the region’s overall health and workforce stability.
Introducing our instructors . . .
Nicole Little (Storbeck)
Adjunct Faculty, Dental Assisting
“SWOCC is a prime example of how access to higher education in rural areas improves the lives of its community members and beyond. I can attest to this firsthand. I attended the dental assisting program myself and it was an affordable opportunity that gave me an amazing career. Dental assisting is an incredible opportunity for those who seek a career that allows variety and lifelong growth. My goal for this year and beyond is to increase the number of students in the program and help as many people as I can start their careers. There are a lot of career opportunities for students right here locally. Dental offices in our area are frequently seeking to hire.”
Melody Hardin
Expanded Functions Dental Assistant
“I’m excited to welcome a new group of students into an often misunderstood industry. Dentistry sometimes carries a stigma and being able to guide future assistants through not just the skills, but also the “why” behind what we do, is powerful. Watching them grow, from hesitant learners to confident professionals, is the most fulfilling part of what I do.”
Lori Lemire, DMD
Retired Coos Bay Dentist
“I’m looking forward to assisting in the education of a new cohort of students. I thoroughly enjoyed working with the students last year! They were eager to learn and motivated to work in dentistry – a career field I’m very passionate about.”
TO LEARN MORE: Text or call 541-240-8227 – SWOCCbound@socc.edu
Jul 15, 2025 | Curry Campus, Curry News, Foundation, News
Coos Bay, OR – Friends and alumni are invited to the annual SWOCC Foundation Classic, hosted by Bandon Dunes Golf Resort and the Bandon Dunes Charitable Foundation. The event is scheduled from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 25, 2025, at Bandon Dunes’ newest course, Shorty’s (19-hole, par 3 course).
The SWOCC Foundation Classic will welcome 15 teams, with four golfers per team. Individuals are welcome, too, and will be placed on teams. Tee times open every 15 minutes starting at 9:30 a.m., and golfers can select tee time preferences based on availability. This is a walking event.
Registration Info:
Cost is $200 per person, or $750 per team. Funds raised go to support scholarships for students attending SWOCC Coos and Curry campuses. Event sponsorships also are available. For details on sponsoring, contact SWOCC Foundation at foundation@socc.edu or (541) 888-7209.
Event Sponsor Registration
Event Individual Registration
Additional Details about the Course & Event:
The SWOCC Foundation Classic is designed as a fun, low-key golf classic for golfers of all skill levels and ages. Meet SWOCC’s 2025-26 golf team athletes and coach Kristopher Wood, a SWOCC alum. Curious about Shorty’s? Designed by Rod Whitman, Dave Axland and Keith Cutten, the new course features 19 “short” holes, rolling through natural dunes and shore pine terrain. Golfers can expect to spend about two and a half hours playing through the course.
Learn more about the course Shorty’s
In addition, golfers can make a full day of activity at the resort and enjoy additional time at Bandon Dunes’ 50-acre Practice Center, which includes two practice ranges, a putting green and Charlotte’s, the 9-hole, par-3 practice course.
Questions?
For more information about the event and supporting scholarships, please contact the Southwestern Foundation at 541-888-7209 or 541-888-7211, or email foundation@socc.edu.
Jun 25, 2025 | Curry Campus, News, Student Success
COOS BAY, Ore. – Thanks to Southwestern Oregon Community College Foundation, donors and grants, the College has purchased an X-ray fluorescence spectrometer, or XRF.
Student researchers Tia DeLorto and Ava Bolster prepare a sample for the XRF
Using this device, a student team kicked off a research project to unveil the secrets of coastal rocks and fossils. The XRF is a tool that tells researchers what elements are in a variety of materials – solutions, solids, or crushed solids of samples like rocks, soils, metals or even fish and plants – by zapping the sample with X-rays and reading the energy that bounces back. Each element gives off a unique energy signature, helping researchers determine the elemental composition.
“The XRF is a power tool for conducting cutting-edge scientific research, but also for broader impacts ranging from testing soil quality to testing the purity and quality of locally produced food,” said Dr. Win McLaughlin, Assistant Professor of Geology at Southwestern. “We’re not only able to offer those testing services via student-led research projects, but also give students a set of skills with a wide range of potential for employment in different industries.”
Under the guidance of McLaughlin and Derek Morrelli, Assistant Professor of Chemistry, teams of students will engage in two initial research projects. One upcoming project will analyze a fossil walrus jaw collected in the 1930s from Fossil Point at Coos Bay. By matching the elemental signature of the jaw’s surrounding sandstone with regional rock formations, the team aims to determine its geologic origin. They hope to determine whether the fossil represents the oldest walrus fossil found on the U.S. mainland.
Tia DeLorto, a 2025 graduate of Southwestern and student researcher from Prineville, Oregon, discovered her passion for geology through courses with Dr. Win McLaughlin. Inspired by her studies, she plans to pursue a career in the field. “Learning about and preserving the natural world is important to me,” she says. “This technology is just one of the tools that helps scientists do that.”
Team member, Ava Bolster from Gold Beach, is a marine biology major who will return to SWOCC this fall. “I’m focused on marine biology and Tia is studying geology, but this technology has applications across both fields — and many others,” she explains.
Another project will use geo-chemical fingerprinting to measure uplift rates of marine terraces along the South Coast. These ancient shorelines, formed by tectonic uplift, hold vital clues to regional earthquake risk. More accurate modeling of uplift patterns will provide data that can be used to develop more accurate seismic maps from Reedsport to Brookings.
Students also are considering projects to analyze fish for metal contamination and to look at soil quality in former mining sites.
Over the next year, up to 60 students across three academic terms will use the XRF in coursework and projects. Some research will also tie in with research at the University of Oregon Earth Science Department.
To learn more about STEM degrees at Southwestern visit: https://www.socc.edu/programs-classes/stem/.
Jun 6, 2025 | Community, News
Trail crew ready for action: Wyatt, Kenny, Kaya, Mhina, and Joseph
The College is moving forward with phased construction of a multi-use, pedestrian-friendly trail system through its Coos Campus and forest, alongside Upper Empire Lake. Our goal is to create a welcoming, nature-connected experience for our students and community members of all ages and abilities who love the outdoors.
In line with SWOCC’s vision to lead and inspire lifelong learning, the College partnered with Ptarmigan Ptrails LLC (PTRAILS) to design the trail network. The nationally known Port Orford-based professional trail development firm identified optimal routes tailored to the terrain. Plans include a mix of natural and improved surface trails, with options for universal access, walking paths, and mountain bike-friendly routes. The trail system will also provide training grounds for the College’s cross country team and connect students in forestry, natural resources and agroecology programs with outdoor labs right on campus.
The College is planning to phase the development as funding becomes available. The first phase of the project started in April, restoring the once-popular decades-old trails on the north side of campus connecting to the city of Coos Bay’s John Topits Park. It’s a partnership between the College, SWOCC Foundation, PTRAILS and the Southwestern Oregon Workforce Investment Board, which is funding a youth construction crew. The crew consists of SWOCC students and other youth who want to work and someday have outdoor careers.
The project came about after the College completed its 2020-30 comprehensive facilities plan. Students and community members told us they wanted to be a part of a vibrant learning ecosystem – inside and outdoors. The other benefit is the College also expects the trail system to provide additional local tourism opportunities, as people discover the natural beauty of the south coast.
Many generations of people have walked on this land and around the lakes, even before the College campus was built. With this trail system, SWOCC will ensure people are connected for many more generations to our outdoor career programs, the land, lake and forest.
