The Cosmetology Department on the UA-Cossatot campus in Nashville welcomed visitors to an open house last Wednesday, June 16.
The occasion was the unveiling of the department’s renovated lab where three classes a year enter training for a new career.
Toyia Witherspoon is the program coordinator, and she’s been at the college since 2018. Her assistant and parttime instructor is Dorothy Rose.
A unique feature of the curriculum is that students “clock in” just as they would do for an actual job.
To graduate, a student must successfully complete 1500 clock hours in such subjects — and hands-on training — in hairdressing, cutting coloring, chemical texturizing, hair removal, manicuring and esthetics.
Students are also licensed in each skill.
It usually takes about a calendar year, Witherspoon explained.
There are five work stations where the students physically learn their new occupation.
To show off the new facility, the department hosted a chamber of commerce coffee last Wednesday.
In addition to the current class of students, those in attendance included UA-Cossatot Chancellor Steve Cole, Nashville campus Dean Mike Kinkade, other representatives of the college, Nashville chamber officers and well-wishers.
