Tansey Topics: A Weekly Look At What's Happening At BCCC From President Barbara Tansey | Eastern North Carolina Now

    The first full week of May is designated in the United States as Teacher Appreciation Week and while most of the activities this week focused on primary and secondary teachers, it's equally important to salute the role that those who teach at our colleges and universities are remembered as well. At BCCC, our teachers play an enormous role in our students' lives as the students themselves frequently attest. Our non-traditional students cite time and time again how the encouragement they received from our faculty (and staff) helped them overcome the fears they had about returning to the classroom. It's important to note that our faculty and staff have not received a significant raise in several years and, as the members of the N.C. General Assembly begin their work in earnest this week on our state budget, I hope that they, too, will recognize the dedicated service of our faculty (and staff) with a significant salary increase this year. And I hope that all of us will spend a moment or two this week thanking a teacher for his or her service to us, our college and the community.

• Only six seats remain for the nine-day trip to Arizona and Utah sponsored by the Beaufort County Community College Foundation and the Washington/Beaufort County Chamber of Commerce. The fully-escorted tour, Canyon Country USA, is scheduled for Oct. 10 to 18, 2015 and is offered by Collette through New Trends in Travel. The cost of the trip is $3,159 per person based on double occupancy at hotels in Scottsdale, Grand Canyon National Park, Page, Ariz., Zion National Park and Las Vegas, seven breakfasts and five dinners during the trip, round-trip airfare from Raleigh-Durham International Airport, air taxes and fees and hotel transfers. Transportation to the airport in Raleigh is available for an additional charge of $60.
• There's still time to sign up for the 12th Annual Cutthroat Croquet Tournament Saturday, May 16, along the waterfront in Bath. The registration fee for the tournament is $35 for each player. The fee includes at least two rounds of croquet and lunch. Spectators may join participants for lunch for a fee of $25.
• Tickets are going fast for the BCCC Foundation's inaugural lawn and garden tour 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, June 20. The tour will begin on the BCCC campus with a rededication of the Rosa "Rosebud" Roberson rose garden in front of Building 1. Self-drive and group transportation options will be available for those who want to tour 10 beautiful gardens in the Washington and Chocowinity areas. Watch for more information about this exciting new event! Proceeds will be used for student scholarships.
• For more information about these upcoming events, contact Foundation Specialist Marcia Norwood at 252-940-6218 or Foundation Executive Director Serena Sullivan at 252-940-6326.

• BCCC Police Chief Chris Harrison reminds all faculty and staff that now is the time to prepare for the upcoming Atlantic hurricane season that begins June 1. You should take time to develop a response plan and make a kit of essential items such as bottled water, non-perishable food, a can opener, spare batteries and specialty items such as medical prescriptions, spare eyeglasses and pet food. You can learn more about hurricane preparedness at http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/prepare/. National Hurricane Preparedness Week is May 24 to 30.

• Be sure to tune into the Washington/Beaufort County Chamber of Commerce News and Views television show next week to learn about the summer offerings by the Division of Continuing Education. The program airs on Suddenlink Communications cable channel 7 at 6 p.m. Monday, 9:30 p.m. Wednesday and 8:30 and 9:30 p.m. Thursdays. It also airs on Tri-County Communications cable channel 13 at 6:30 p.m. Thursdays and Saturdays.

• Don't forget that BCCC graduation is scheduled for 7 p.m. Thursday, May 14, at Washington High School when a record number of students are scheduled to receive their certificates, diplomas and associate degrees. Please contact Theresa Edwards starting May 4 for graduation tickets and reserved parking passes. Please remember that graduation is a required event for all full-time faculty unless excused in advance by Vice President of Academics Crystal Ange. Vice President of Student Services reports that 100 seats have been reserved for faculty and staff that will be attending and 150 parking spaces have been reserved for faculty, staff and dignitaries. You must have your reserved parking pass visible in your car to be allowed to enter the reserved parking area. Doors to the auditorium, the gymnasium and the overflow viewing area in the cafeteria will be open to the public at 6 p.m. with graduation beginning promptly at 7 p.m. I know we are all looking forward to sharing this milestone with our students!

• Today at 5 p.m. is the deadline to reserve your space at the annual faculty/staff cookout to mark the end of the academic year. Once again, BCCC will finish the 2014-2015 year with a cookout for BCCC faculty and staff at noon, Wednesday, May 13. The Board of Trustees and senior staff members will cook cheeseburgers and hot dogs and serve ice cream for dessert. The afternoon will also include a scavenger hunt during which time teams of three people will search the campus for a list of items. First, second and third place prizes will be awarded and announced during the awards ceremony. Please let Theresa Edwards at 940-6217 or theresae@beaufortccc.edu know by 5 p.m. today whether or not you will attend.

• Effective Monday, May 11, and continuing through Thursday, July 30, the official daytime operating hours for the college will be 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday with a 30-minute lunch break. During this time, employees who are away from campus for a day are required to report 10 hours absence on the Leave/Absence Report. Employees who take an entire week's vacation are required to report 40 hours on the Leave/Absence Report. Two holidays will be observed during the summer - Memorial Day on Monday, May 25, and Independence Day on Thursday, July 2. Employees with questions are urged to contact their supervisor or the appropriate Vice President.

May 12-13	Exams.
May 13	Graduation rehearsal, 6 p.m., Washington High School.
May 14	Faculty Work Day.
May 14	Associate Degree Nursing Pinning Ceremony, 11 a.m., Turnage Theater. NOTE CORRECTED TIME.
May 14	Graduation, 7 p.m., Washington High School.
May 15	MLT Pinning Ceremony, 6 p.m., Multi-Purpose Room, Building 10.
May 16	BCCC Foundation 12th Annual Cutthroat Croquet Tournament, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Bonner Point, Bath.
May 19	First day of classes for Summer Term.
May 21	BLET graduation, 6 p.m., Multi-Purpose Room, Building 10.
May 25	Holiday.
May 28	Early College High School graduation, 7 p.m., Multi-Purpose Room, Building 10.
June 2	BCCC Board of Trustees, consecutive committee meetings begin at 5 p.m.; dinner, 6:30 p.m.; meeting, 7 p.m., Board Room, Building 10.

    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.