Kick off the new year with Durham Tech's 2025 Convocation! The event will be livestreamed on August 5, 2025, starting at 9:00 a.m. Tune in by clicking the link below.
Durham Technical Community College is a charter member of the North Carolina Community College System (NCCCS). With locations throughout Durham and Orange counties, Durham Tech is the community college of choice for more than 18,000 students annually. The College opened as the Durham Industrial Education Center in 1961 and officially became Durham Technical Community College 25 years later.
Mission
Durham Tech ensures that all students develop the knowledge, skills, and networks needed to be successful in college, work, and life.
Vision Statement
To be the leader in our community’s educational, training, and economic development.
Core Values
| The Standard for Excellence | The College commits to the highest professional standards of quality, integrity, and performance in our programs, services, and operations. |
| Student‐Centered | The College provides high‐quality, learner-centered, and affordable educational and training opportunities, within a welcoming and supportive environment, that supports students through goal achievement. |
| Data‐Inspired | The College monitors and utilizes appropriate data, considers various sources of community input and developing trends, and implements changes to support continuous improvement. |
| A Champion for Equity | The College embraces the diversity, equality, equity, and uniqueness of students, employees, and the communities that we serve by committing to be an antiracist institution. |
| Communicative | The College commits to effective, open, and proactive communication. We take responsibility to listen and employ effective communication strategies to inform and foster collaboration. |
| A Good Steward of Resources | The College networks with community partners, targeting grant and resource development to address strategic priorities, and by allocating resources based on focused priorities that are sustainable. |
| A Collaborator | The College fosters economic development by leading, promoting, and creating educational opportunities through mutually respectful and beneficial partnerships with community organizations. |
Accreditation
Durham Technical Community College is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) to award associate degrees. Durham Technical Community College also may offer credentials such as certificates and diplomas at approved degree levels. Questions about the accreditation of Durham Technical Community College may be directed in writing to the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges 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). Certain College programs are also accredited by program-specific accreditation agencies.
Approbation
Durham Technical Community College is approved by and is a member of the North Carolina Community College System. The following programs are approved by state agencies:
- The Basic Law Enforcement Training program is approved by the North Carolina Department of Justice;
- The Emergency Medical Science program is approved by the North Carolina Office of Emergency Medical Services;
- The Associate Degree Nursing and Practical Nursing programs are approved by the North Carolina Board of Nursing;
- The Nurse Aide Program is approved by the Division Health Service Regulation within the NC Department of Health and Human Services;
- The Opticianry program is approved by the North Carolina Board of Opticians;
- The Paralegal Technology program is approved by the North Carolina State Bar;
- The insurance pre-licensing courses are approved by the North Carolina Department of Insurance.
Governance
The statutes of the State of North Carolina provide for the organization and administration of a community college system under the direction of the State Board of Community Colleges (SBCC). The 21-member board has full authority to adopt all policies, regulations, and standards it deems necessary for the operation of the system. Members of the State Board are appointed by the Governor and the General Assembly. The State Board has three major functions: equitable distribution of funds and fiscal accountability; establishing and maintaining state priorities; and educational program approval and accountability.
Durham Tech is governed by a Board of Trustees. Eight trustees are appointed by the General Assembly—two members annually. Four trustees are elected by the board of commissioners of the county in which the main campus of the college is located. One of those four trustees can be a county commissioner. In addition, each board of commissioners of any other county in the administrative area that provides plant funds to the institution shall elect two additional trustees to the board. The president of the college’s student government may also serve as an ex-officio nonvoting member, “if the board of trustees of the community college agrees," pursuant to General Statutes 115D-12(a). The Board is governed by a set of bylaws.
Performance Outcomes
Durham Tech uses State Performance metrics to assess college performance and goal completion. These metrics help the College analyze data on key student outcomes in ways that provide both a big-picture goal for improvement and a starting point for rigorous, internal program-level assessment. The metrics provide an outline for collecting comparative student outcome information relevant to completion, transfer, and bachelor’s degree attainment; equitable access and success; and learning.