I hope everyone had a nice and safe Fourth of July holiday, despite the appearance of Hurricane Arthur. This week, as many of us return to our offices, we continue the task of preparing for a new semester at Beaufort County Community College.
Here's a look at other BCCC events happening on campus and in the community:
Academics and Student Services
- About 200 incoming BCCC students attended New Student Orientation on Tuesday, June 24, where they met college officials, learned about student organization and activities and had the chance to register for Fall Semester 2014 classes. Thanks very much to Vice President of Student Services Rick Anderson, Vice President of Academics Crystal Ange and their teams for arranging this event.
- In more news about Fall 2014 registration, I am happy to report that a total of 434 students have been registered to date for the semester during open registration, which ends in mid-August. This is the first time that open registration has been tried at the college, and it is clear it is popular with our students. Thanks again to Crystal, Rick and their teams for their hard work on this project.
- Student Government President Jackson Lancaster met with BCCC's Senior Staff this week and presented a plan to make our Campus Café dining area more appealing to students. Some of the items that the plan will include are picture and information holders on each table, photographs from One Day at BCCC, a wall mural and an events table. Watch for news about these improvements in the coming weeks!
BCCC Foundation
- In news regarding the Digital Sign Campaign, Foundation Director Judy Jennette reports that a total of $39,658.32 in donations and pledges has been received, about 49 percent of the way towards the final goal. To make a donation, contact Judy at 252-940-6326.
- Students pursuing medical fields at Beaufort County Community College will have the chance to receive financial assistance in the future thanks to an endowment created in memory of a prominent Washington physician – Dr. Tom Nicholson. The endowment will generate funds for a scholarship that will be available to students beginning in the Fall 2015 semester. It was established by Dr. Nicholson's wife, Sue, of Bath; his children, Westray, of Greenville, Marshall, of Dunwoody, Ga., and John, of Chapel Hill, along with his family and friends. The Nicholsons have been active supporters of the college for many years. I thank the family very much for this generous gift.
- The BCCC Foundation and the Washington/Beaufort County Chamber of Commerce are sponsoring a 10-day trip to Ireland April 21 to 30, 2015. A special presentation about the trip is scheduled for 6 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 26, at the Chamber office in downtown Washington. For more information or a brochure about the trip, contact Judy at 252-940-6326.
Continuing Education
- Law enforcement officers from the Beaufort County and Washington County Sheriff's Departments and members of the Beaufort County Community College police force recently participated in rapid deployment training offered at BCCC. The officers attended classroom sessions and participated in various scenarios such as hostage rescue and active shooter training that were set up and evaluated by their instructors Christopher Harrison, BCCC chief of police; Leonard Hudson, BCCC public safety programs director, and Lt. Cliff Hales with the Washington Police Department. While BCCC has offered the training for several years, this is the first group of officers to use newly-purchased equipment that allows them to more accurately reflect real-life situations. Thanks very much to Leonard and Chris for their work on this training.
Education Forum
- Beaufort County Community College and the Beaufort County Schools are joining forces to sponsor an Education Forum for local and state candidates for public office at 7 p.m. Tuesday, September 30, in the auditorium at Washington High School. The forum moderator will be Dave Jordan of WITN-TV. Students, faculty, staff and members of the community are welcome to submit questions for the candidates. These questions should be sent via email to Learning Resources Director Penny Sermons no later than Wednesday, August 20. Thanks very much to Penny and other members of the committee — Gail Ambrose, Dave Jordan, Jeanne Martin, Michele Mayo and Beth Wilder for their work on this project.
Grant Update
- BCCC Grant Writer Sara Singleton has been busy during the past few weeks working on several grant applications for the college. BCCC has submitted seven different grant applications in the past two weeks including applications for a grant for the Minority Male Mentoring Program, a grant from the Golden LEAF Foundation to support our new Agribusiness Technology Program, a grant from Duke Energy to create a virtual welding lab, a grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to expand and update our distance learning opportunities and three applications to the U.S. Department of Labor for grants for advanced manufacturing, expansion of our Automotive Technology Program and Credit for Prior Learning. Watch for more news about these exciting opportunities for BCCC. Sara is also exploring opportunities for grants to create a disc golf course and an electronic target system for the firing range at BCCC. Thanks very much to Sara and all those who helped in the submission of these applications.
Personal and Personnel Notes:
- Congratulations to Dana Sauls who recently accepted the position of Lead Instructor for Developmental English and Reading. She began her new duties on July 1.
- Congratulations also to Gail Ambrose, technical services coordinator for the Learning Resources Center, who has been chosen to head the BCCC Staff Association for the 2014-2015. She will be joined by Pauline Godley, vice president; Sue Gurley, secretary, and Sherry Stotesberry, treasurer.
- I'm sorry to report the retirement of Sandra Brown after many years of service to the college, most recently as an assistant in the Bookstore and in the Maintenance Department. Her last day was Thursday. Thanks very much, Sandra, for your work on behalf of the college.
- If you're traveling to the Outer Banks this summer, be sure to save time to attend a performance of The Lost Colony. Erin Stowe, a daughter of Business and Industry Services Director Lentz Stowe is among the performers this year. Erin, a student at East Carolina University, is in the choir. Congratulations to her and her proud father!
And in the coming weeks, watch for the following:
July 16 — Pinning Ceremony for Practical Nurse graduates, 4 p.m., Multi-Purpose Room, Building 10.
July 17 — Martin County 4-H Campus Tour.
July 30 — BCCC Foundation Board of Directors Planning Meeting, Board Room, Building 10.
July 30 — Early College High School Orientation, Multi-Purpose Room, Building 10.
August 5 — BCCC Board of Trustee meeting, committees meet consecutively beginning at 5 p.m., board meeting begins at 7 p.m.
August 13 — Mandatory Lockdown Training for all faculty and staff, 1 p.m., Auditorium, Building 8.
August 14 — Late Registration.
August 15 — First Day of Class for Fall Semester 2014.
Beaufort County Community College is a public comprehensive community college committed to accessible and affordable quality education, effective teaching, relevant training, and lifelong learning opportunities for the people served by the College.
