Jerry E. Edmonds, III, the Vice President of Workforce Development and Community Engagement at Vance-Granville Community College, is now “Doctor Edmonds.” He recently received his Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) degree in Educational Leadership from Wisconsin-based Edgewood College.
His doctoral dissertation was entitled, “How North Carolina Economic Development Leaders Perceive the N.C. Community College System and Rural Economic Development.”
Jerry E. Edmonds, III, the Vice President of Workforce Development and Community Engagement at Vance-Granville Community College, recently received his Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) degree in Educational Leadership from Wisconsin-based Edgewood College. (VGCC photo)
“We congratulate Dr. Edmonds on his academic accomplishments, and we look forward to his continuing leadership in efforts to help our students and our local employers through job training and continuing education,” said Dr. Rachel Desmarais, VGCC’s president. “He is a role model for our students, many of whom are also training and learning to grow as professionals while working full-time.”
A resident of Henderson, Edmonds joined VGCC in 2019. He oversees training programs that respond to community needs and prepare students for workforce success, including apprenticeship programs, and economic development support for the region.
In addition, Edmonds leads the development of partnerships with businesses and government agencies and coordinates outreach and marketing for the entire college.
Edmonds previously served as Dean of Workforce and Economic Development at Halifax Community College. Prior to his role as Dean, he served as the Small Business Center Director at Halifax Community College, from 2014 until 2017.
Edmonds worked for International Business Machines (IBM) and Johnson and Johnson in the private sector before entering the higher education field, earned his Bachelor of Business Administration degree, with an emphasis on Marketing, from Marshall University in 1985 and his Master of Science degree in Human Services Management from Springfield College in 2001.
https://wizs.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Dr.-Jerry-Edmonds.png265504WIZS Staffhttps://wizs.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/wizswebsitelogoimage.pngWIZS Staff2020-05-12 10:11:092020-05-12 10:52:51VGCC Vice President Earns Doctoral Degree
Going out to see a play may be impossible due to the ongoing coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, but the Drama program at Vance-Granville Community College is trying an innovative approach to bring the theatre to the community.
VGCC, like all community colleges across North Carolina, has temporarily shifted all classes online. Betsy Henderson, the college’s Department Chair/Instructor of Humanities and Fine Arts, and her Drama students decided they wanted to somehow put on a play online, as well. After consulting with VGCC’s Information Technology department, plans were made to use the online video-conferencing service, Zoom (available at zoom.us), to both rehearse and present the production.
“We are not physically able to tell the play in the traditional way,” Henderson explained. “This way will allow the students to tell the story and keep everyone safe. It will also provide the community with a much-needed outlet during this time of quarantine.”
The college will present two performances, via Zoom “meetings,” of the play “26 Pebbles” by Eric Ulloa, on May 7 and May 8 at 7:30 p.m.
This documentary-style drama is set at a town hall meeting in Newtown, Connecticut, six months after December 14, 2012, when a gunman walked into Sandy Hook Elementary School and killed 26 people (including 20 children) before taking his own life. The play likens these 26 deaths to “pebbles thrown into a pond,” which created ripples and vibrations that were felt far beyond the initial impacts.
The playwright conducted interviews with members of the community in Newtown and crafted them into an exploration of gun violence and a small town shaken by a horrific event. “26 Pebbles” premiered in Dayton, Ohio, in 2017, and has since been performed around the country.
“It is a very powerful story,” Henderson said. “It paints a picture of what the community was like before that terrible day, the confusion and frenzy on the day of that attack, and the chaos of the aftermath.”
The cast includes students Miranda Brown as “Georgia,” Ashley Ayscue as “Julie,” Rose O’Malley as “Yolie,” Brian Johnson as “Rabbi Praver” and “Mike,” Daniel Thorpe as “Joe” and “Chris,” Cheyenne Guerrant as “Jeriann,” Blake Lee as “Michael” and “Darren,” Kelli Baker as “Carrie,” Matthew Varker as “Father Weiss” and “Bill,” Amanda Cease as “Carole,” Kathleen Zoldos as “Jenn,” Eiley Cook as “Starr,” Mary Parish as “Sally,” and Chelsea Benjamin as “Carla.”
Kelli Baker and Chris Nicholson serve as the “virtual” stage managers, while Kristen Ham is a crew member and will serve as a pianist.
All these students will be in their own homes on their own computers during the performance. With the Zoom service, when a particular actor begins talking, the image automatically switches to an enlarged video of that actor, making it easy for the audience to follow the dialogue.
Henderson thinks that giving students this opportunity to present the play to the community is important. “I think we need the arts and artists at a time like this,” she said. “Entertainment, happiness and joy are important. The arts touch you in ways you may not realize at first. The Arts, and theatre especially, have a way to elevate the everyday and bring light to our world. In times like this, we need connection. We need meaning, and we need artists to help us all feel.”
Anyone interested in experiencing either performance should contact Betsy Henderson at hendersonb@vgcc.edu. She will provide each “attendee” with the Zoom meeting ID.
https://wizs.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/VGCC-Logo.png265504WIZS Staffhttps://wizs.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/wizswebsitelogoimage.pngWIZS Staff2020-05-07 10:05:312020-05-07 10:05:31Reminder: VGCC Students to Present ’26 Pebbles’ Play Online Today, Tomorrow
Going out to see a play may be impossible due to the ongoing coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, but the Drama program at Vance-Granville Community College is trying an innovative approach to bring the theatre to the community.
VGCC, like all community colleges across North Carolina, has temporarily shifted all classes online. Betsy Henderson, the college’s Department Chair/Instructor of Humanities and Fine Arts, and her Drama students decided they wanted to somehow put on a play online, as well. After consulting with VGCC’s Information Technology department, plans were made to use the online video-conferencing service, Zoom (available at zoom.us), to both rehearse and present the production.
“We are not physically able to tell the play in the traditional way,” Henderson explained. “This way will allow the students to tell the story and keep everyone safe. It will also provide the community with a much-needed outlet during this time of quarantine.”
The college will present two performances, via Zoom “meetings,” of the play “26 Pebbles” by Eric Ulloa, on May 7 and May 8 at 7:30 p.m.
This documentary-style drama is set at a town hall meeting in Newtown, Connecticut, six months after December 14, 2012, when a gunman walked into Sandy Hook Elementary School and killed 26 people (including 20 children) before taking his own life. The play likens these 26 deaths to “pebbles thrown into a pond,” which created ripples and vibrations that were felt far beyond the initial impacts.
The playwright conducted interviews with members of the community in Newtown and crafted them into an exploration of gun violence and a small town shaken by a horrific event. “26 Pebbles” premiered in Dayton, Ohio, in 2017, and has since been performed around the country.
“It is a very powerful story,” Henderson said. “It paints a picture of what the community was like before that terrible day, the confusion and frenzy on the day of that attack, and the chaos of the aftermath.”
The cast includes students Miranda Brown as “Georgia,” Ashley Ayscue as “Julie,” Rose O’Malley as “Yolie,” Brian Johnson as “Rabbi Praver” and “Mike,” Daniel Thorpe as “Joe” and “Chris,” Cheyenne Guerrant as “Jeriann,” Blake Lee as “Michael” and “Darren,” Kelli Baker as “Carrie,” Matthew Varker as “Father Weiss” and “Bill,” Amanda Cease as “Carole,” Kathleen Zoldos as “Jenn,” Eiley Cook as “Starr,” Mary Parish as “Sally,” and Chelsea Benjamin as “Carla.”
Kelli Baker and Chris Nicholson serve as the “virtual” stage managers, while Kristen Ham is a crew member and will serve as a pianist.
All these students will be in their own homes on their own computers during the performance. With the Zoom service, when a particular actor begins talking, the image automatically switches to an enlarged video of that actor, making it easy for the audience to follow the dialogue.
Henderson thinks that giving students this opportunity to present the play to the community is important. “I think we need the arts and artists at a time like this,” she said. “Entertainment, happiness and joy are important. The arts touch you in ways you may not realize at first. The Arts, and theatre especially, have a way to elevate the everyday and bring light to our world. In times like this, we need connection. We need meaning, and we need artists to help us all feel.”
Anyone interested in experiencing either performance should contact Betsy Henderson at hendersonb@vgcc.edu. She will provide each “attendee” with the Zoom meeting ID.
https://wizs.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/VGCC-Logo.png265504WIZS Staffhttps://wizs.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/wizswebsitelogoimage.pngWIZS Staff2020-04-28 09:34:152020-04-28 09:34:15VGCC Drama Students to Present ’26 Pebbles’ Play Via Video Conference
Vance-Granville Community College has a new Buy One, Get One Free summer enrollment initiative for in-state credit and non-credit students who want to take summer online classes online.
Current students will need to register now to take advantage of this opportunity. Prospective students will need to apply and then register for summer online classes. You are encouraged to take advantage of this unique opportunity.
The students will pay for one three-credit-hour online course and then have the ability to add an additional course for free.
We recognize that VGCC has a number of students and prospective students who want to work towards completing their certificate, diploma or degree in an expedited manner. Or, they are seeking to retool and retrain amidst the pandemic. VGCC is being creative when thinking about the current and future needs of its students.
This incentivized enrollment is limited to one additional course per credit or non-credit student and covers tuition and fees. Those who are interested must take the course during the Summer of 2020.
Summer is just underway at VGCC and it is not too later to register. Come grow with us!! You may visit www.vgcc.edu to find course offerings for this summer. The summer credit term begins on Tuesday, May 26, 2020, and the non-credit registration is ongoing.
“This is a unique time for our students, their families and our communities at large. Many people are considering their next steps during and after this pandemic. VGCC is here to help and is working to remove barriers for prospective and current students who are seeking a high-quality education. The Buy One, Get One approach is another way to support our communities as they are being financially impacted by COVID-19. We are looking forward to new and current students taking advantage of this special opportunity to better prepare for successful careers in our service area,” said President Rachel Desmarais.
“We understand that people are seeking opportunities to learn and grow during this time. It is our sincere goal that this type of innovative idea will assist our communities in pursuing an outstanding community college education. The faculty and staff are absolutely excited about providing excellent teaching and learning coupled with outstanding support services for online students this summer,” said Dr. Levy Brown, vice president of Learning, Student Engagement & Success.
“We are excited to offer this unique opportunity to both new and current students. We believe in lifelong learning, and it is a great time to access higher education to earn a credential, advance your skills, or continue your studies toward graduation,“ said Kali Brown, dean of Student Access and Support.
For more information, new credit students should contact the Admissions Office at (252) 738-3327. Current students, please contact your advisor directly. For non-credit students, contact Workforce Development at (252) 738-3300.
https://wizs.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/VGCC-Logo.png265504WIZS Staffhttps://wizs.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/wizswebsitelogoimage.pngWIZS Staff2020-04-27 16:55:442020-04-27 16:55:44VGCC Offering New ‘Buy One, Get One Free’ Summer Course Offerings
Kali Brown, dean of Student Access and Support at Vance-Granville Community College, appeared on WIZS Town Talk Tuesday at 11 a.m.
Frequently known as the curriculum side of the house, Brown oversees an area that includes Admissions, Career Services, Financial Aid and the Registrar’s Office.
Brown said the main focus of the Student Access and Support Division is connecting students to the college experience. “We help them gain access, whether they want to complete a short-term degree, such as a certificate or a diploma, or they are interested in pursuing an associate degree leading to workforce opportunities or college transfer.”
With over 40 degree, diploma, and certificate programs, Brown said VGCC offers something for everyone. “There are so many opportunities for students. Within a year to a year-and-a-half, a student can complete a credential, move into the workforce and start earning a livable wage.”
While VGCC’s current spring semester wraps up on May 11, registration is open and ongoing for the summer semester, which begins May 16, and the fall semester, which begins August 17. For a list of available classes, please visit the “Class Schedules” section of VGCC’s website or click here.
Following adjustments made in the middle of the spring semester due to the COVID-19 pandemic and state-wide stay-at-home orders, VGCC will offer summer classes in an entirely online format for both current and new students.
Classes typically taught in the summer semester that are unable to be offered online will potentially be offered this fall, depending on the situation, stated Brown.
“Summer is a great opportunity for students to get started, and it’s a great opportunity to take a general education class that they need for their program of study,” Brown said.
Many of VGCC’s curriculum admission processes, including the admission application, Financial Aid application and scholarship application, can be completed online.
While applying online is part of the standard admissions process, Brown said changes have been made to placement testing requirements as a result of stay-at-home orders. Testing requirements have been temporarily waived, with students now required to provide their high school transcript for placement purposes.
For more information on VGCC’s programs, semester dates, class schedules and registration information, please visit www.vgcc.edu.
To hear the interview with Brown in its entirety, go to WIZS.com and click on Town Talk.
Also appearing on TownTalk Tuesday was Hal Muetzel, local owner-operator of Express Employment Professionals.
https://wizs.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/towntalk.png265504Kelly Bonduranthttps://wizs.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/wizswebsitelogoimage.pngKelly Bondurant2020-04-21 12:15:592020-04-21 12:15:59TownTalk 04/21/20: Registration Open for VGCC’s Fully Online Summer Semester
Jerry E. Edmonds, III, vice president of Workforce Development and Community Engagement at Vance-Granville Community College, appeared on WIZS Town Talk Tuesday at 11 a.m.
Serving in this new position since the fall, Edmonds supports economic development for the region and oversees training programs that respond to community needs and prepare students for workforce success.
In addition, Edmonds leads the development of VGCC partnerships with businesses and government agencies and coordinates outreach and marketing.
“The position of workforce and community engagement is a relatively new combination of functions,” Edmonds said. “Our president, Dr. Rachel Desmarais, was certainly futuristic in her assessment that community engagement would be more and more a part of our community college function.”
Workforce development is what has been traditionally referred to as continuing education, Edmonds explained, and includes public safety, short term healthcare courses such as CNA and phlebotomy, and the college’s new truck driver training, among other programs.
The VGCC Small Business Center also falls under the Workforce and Community Engagement umbrella and has become more visible to the public and business community in recent weeks with the economic repercussions of COVID-19 closures.
Sheri Jones, director of the Small Business Center, appeared on WIZS Town Talk last week to discuss her work with local businesses during the health crisis, which has included assistance with small business loan information.
Along with the Small Business Center, VGCC offers customized training programs specific to the local area. Edmonds admitted that not everyone in the community has been aware of these services in the past, a task that he sees as part of his and his team’s role in marketing the college.
“Marketing is an area that we really have to do a little better job as a community college system in getting the word out about the great programs and great work that we do on a daily basis,” Edmonds stated.
Echoing a sentiment shared by Desmarais in previous WIZS interviews, Edmonds said the system is doing just that by focusing on workforce development with individual community colleges training residents for local employment opportunities.
“The NC Community College System has recently embarked upon a marketing campaign with the tagline that North Carolina community colleges are all about ‘Hire Education’ to use a play-on-words’ of ‘higher education,’” said Edmonds. “At the end of the day, all of our programs, be they on the continuing education side or be they on the curriculum side, seek to give students a living wage employment.”
To hear the interview with Edmonds in its entirety, go to WIZS.com and click on Town Talk.
Sheri Jones, director of the Vance-Granville Community College (VGCC) Small Business Center, appeared on WIZS Town Talk Tuesday at 11 a.m.
U.S. Small Business Administration Loans
In discussing the various ways the VGCC Small Business Center is working with local businesses during the current health crisis, including assistance with loan applications, Jones emphasized that time is of the essence.
“The best advice I can give is to go ahead and apply now; don’t wait,” Jones stated. “People are applying and getting approved, but this situation is unprecedented. We don’t know how long the funds will hold out and how many are going to apply.”
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) is offering low-interest federal disaster loans to small businesses in all states and territories that are suffering economic injury as a result of the virus.
Terms for these Economic Injury Disaster Loans range from 15 to 30 years and the total loan amount is considered on a case-by-case basis. According to Jones, for-profit businesses will pay 3.75% interest, while non-profits will pay 2.75%.
“These loans are available directly through the Treasury Department with no third-party lender involved,” explained Jones. “Most businesses are eligible to apply.”
According to the SBA’s website, the disaster loans may be used for fixed debts, payroll, accounts payable and other bills that can’t be paid due to the disaster’s impact.
VGCC Small Business Center’s “Coronavirus Business Ready” Webinars
In an effort to further support local businesses and offer encouragement, the VGCC Small Business Center has scheduled a series of free, live webinars entitled “Coronavirus Business Ready – Protecting Your Small Business.”
Each part addresses various areas of concern that all businesses are currently facing. The remaining webinars include:
Keeping Customers & Employees Safe During Unsettling Times –
Participants must register at least two days prior to each session with a valid email address in order to receive the webinar login information. After registering, the link will be sent approximately 24 hours before the event, and a reminder email will also be sent approximately an hour prior to the start time.
To hear the interview with Jones in its entirety, go to WIZS.com and click on Town Talk.
https://wizs.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/VGCC-Logo.png265504Kelly Bonduranthttps://wizs.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/wizswebsitelogoimage.pngKelly Bondurant2020-03-31 15:01:392020-03-31 15:01:39Town Talk 03/31/20: VGCC Small Business Director Discusses SBA Loans, Webinars
-Information courtesy Vance-Granville Community College
VGCC will be moving Spring Break to Monday, March 16 through Friday, March 20 to allow the college time to transition to mostly online instruction for the next several weeks in support of our Governor’s directive to practice more social distancing to stop the spread of the coronavirus.
This means there will be no credit/curriculum classes from March 16 – March 20.
The only exception to that is clinicals and apprenticeships which will continue as scheduled unless otherwise noted by your college contact. Credit/curriculum courses will resume Monday, March 23 in an online or hybrid format. More details are available on the College website.
Students are asked to please continue to check their email and the College COVID 19 web page for more updates, as the situation is changing rapidly.
https://wizs.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/VGCC-Logo.png265504WIZS Staffhttps://wizs.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/wizswebsitelogoimage.pngWIZS Staff2020-03-16 17:00:452020-03-16 17:00:45VGCC Declares March 16-20 Spring Break; Courses Resume Online Next Week
With the biotechnology industry booming in North Carolina, Vance-Granville Community College is offering a number of training program options, while focusing on helping students land jobs and, if they choose, transfer to partnering universities.
Students (from left) Tony Williams, Enrique Rodriguez-Jimenez and Denise Marrow practice skills in the biotech lab at VGCC’s Franklin Campus. (VGCC photo)
“According to NCBIO and the N.C. Biotechnology Center, thousands of new jobs in biotech and life sciences are coming to central North Carolina in the next few years,” said Stewart Lyon, who heads VGCC’s Biotech programs, based at the college’s Franklin County Campus. “Vance-Granville can help you enter a rewarding career in biotech or pharmaceutical manufacturing or a science lab position in as little as six months.”
In Bioprocess Technology, the college offers a certificate, which can be completed in six months; a diploma program, which takes about one year, and the two-year Associate in Applied Science degree. All these options are eligible for federal financial aid to qualified students. In addition, there is a BioWork Process Technician continuing education course offered periodically, in a format that takes less than one semester to complete.
Lyon, who has experience in the biotechnology industry and was VGCC’s Faculty Member of the Year for 2018-19, provides students not only with education but also resources and connections to obtain employment. In addition to emailing leads on job opportunities to a distribution list containing current and former students, Lyon is planning special events.
“We’re holding a resume event for current and former students of VGCC’s Biotechnology programs at the Franklin Campus on Monday, March 23, from 5:30 – 8 p.m.,” he said. “A biotech resume expert will visit from the NC BioNetwork to help students cater their resumes for entry into the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries.”
Then, on April 16, current and former students are invited to attend a special career fair at the N.C. Biotechnology Center in the Research Triangle Park. Only students who participate in the March 23 resume clinic can attend the career fair.
The growing biotech field encompasses a wide variety of employers, including companies that are on the front lines of developing tests and treatments for diseases. Everything from pharmaceutical manufacturing to research, testing and medical labs, agricultural feedstock and industrial biosciences businesses are included in the broad sector, which are represented in the Triangle as well as VGCC’s service area.
“We have students and alumni employed at several companies in the area, including Novozymes in Franklinton, Grifols in Clayton, Isolera Extracts in Oxford, Revlon in Oxford, and Scientific Calibration in Cary,” Lyon said. To increase his students’ knowledge of the industry, he regularly takes them on field trips to some of these locations.
Lyon also points out that students have options to continue their education beyond VGCC, particularly through new transfer opportunities. Graduates with the Bioprocess Technology degree may transfer into the Bachelor of Science in Pharmaceutical Sciences program at North Carolina Central University.
“A summer internship is available at NCCU’s research labs, which gives students professional experience and can count for credit toward the VGCC degree,” Lyon added.
NCCU also offers master’s degrees in both Drug Discovery and Biomanufacturing, and a Ph.D. program is under development. Since VGCC’s Bioprocess Technology certificate is also a Career & College Promise (CCP) option for current high school students, the partnership with NCCU means that a pathway from high school training through advanced graduate degrees is possible.
Meanwhile, through the new “Pirate Promise” program, students from VGCC can transfer to East Carolina University to complete a bachelor’s degree in Industrial Technology, with a concentration in Bioprocess Manufacturing. ECU’s degree can be completed entirely online or in-person.
Anyone interested in learning more about studying biotechnology at VGCC is invited to visit the Franklin Campus open house on Saturday, April 18, from 9 a.m. until noon. The campus is located at 8100 N.C. 56, just west of Louisburg.
For more information on VGCC’s biotech programs, contact Mr. Lyon at lyons@vgcc.edu or 252-738-3632.
https://wizs.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/VGCC-Biotech.png265504WIZS Staffhttps://wizs.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/wizswebsitelogoimage.pngWIZS Staff2020-03-16 16:59:502020-03-16 16:59:50VGCC Connects Students to Careers in Biotech
A pair of recent agreements between Vance-Granville Community College and East Carolina University – one a new partnership and the other an update to a longstanding program – help put a four-year university degree within reach for more students.
Pictured, from left to right: President Rachel Desmarais of VGCC and Dr. Art Rouse, Acting Dean for the College of Education at ECU, sign the “Partnership Teach” agreement. (VGCC photo)
First, a new agreement guarantees eligible VGCC students admission into East Carolina University. Earlier this semester, ECU Interim Chancellor Dr. Ron Mitchelson and VGCC President Dr. Rachel Desmarais signed the “Pirate Promise” Agreement.
The Pirate Promise, a co-admission agreement between the two colleges, will guarantee admission into East Carolina for all Vance-Granville students who fulfill certain criteria. They must be enrolled in, or preparing to enroll in, their first year at the community college in an approved associate degree program. Students must be enrolled full-time (a minimum of 12 hours per semester) unless they are Early College High School or Career and College Promise students, who may be eligible only if they are high school juniors pursuing an approved associate degree. To retain eligibility for the program, students must maintain a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 2.5 at VGCC.
The Pirate Promise does not guarantee admission into any specific program or major at East Carolina University.
“We are continuing to provide new pathway opportunities for students which will allow them to enter a four-year institution or go directly into the workforce,” said Dr. Levy Brown, vice president of Learning, Student Engagement & Success/Chief Academic Officer for VGCC. “This is important work and our faculty and staff are glad to be a part of Pirate Promise.”
Representatives from East Carolina University will be on campus soon to answer any questions that students may have about the Pirate Promise Agreement. To learn more about Pirate Promise, contact the VGCC Admissions Office at (252) 738-3234.
Meanwhile, ECU is continuing to partner with Vance-Granville and other colleges to train teachers. Earlier this academic year, East Carolina University celebrated decades of eastern North Carolina partnerships and a program rebrand at an annual College of Education (COE) advisory board meeting on Dec. 4.
“Partnership Teach” was officially unveiled as the new name for the COE’s online degree completion model. In the program, formerly known as Partnership East, students take courses at a North Carolina community college, like VGCC, and then transfer to ECU to complete a teaching degree.
“The name Partnership East reflected the original footprint which was only in eastern N.C. We continue to focus our efforts in the east, but over the years, we have expanded our online opportunities to all 100 counties,” said Kathy Bradley, Partnership Teach coordinator. “With this being the last year we receive funding from the SECU Foundation, it was a good time to embrace the name change to Partnership Teach, which better reflects our mission of growing teachers through partnership.”
During the meeting, representatives from Vance-Granville and 22 other two-year and community colleges that compose Partnership Teach renewed their agreements with ECU. Public school systems that are members of the Latham Clinical Schools Network also reaffirmed their commitments.
“All the public school systems in VGCC’s service area are interested in recruiting and developing qualified, dedicated teachers for our communities’ students,” said Dr. Rachel Desmarais, president of the community college. “VGCC is pleased to help strengthen the pipeline for local residents to become our region’s future teachers.”
“These kinds of partnerships are integral to our work that we do together to prepare educators,” COE Interim Dean Art Rouse said. “The College of Education’s motto is ‘Excellence Through Partnership’ and these partnerships exhibit that motto daily. Our College of Education believes in a clinically-based model of educator preparation and we truly cannot accomplish that without the willingness of our public school partners to open their doors and welcome our students into real-life situations. Our college is also committed to access and we could not be accessible to prospective educators without the community college connections and collaborations with our Partnership Teach.”
Agreements with public schools and community colleges help to fulfill ECU’s dedication to eastern North Carolina.
“There’s no better strategy for the future of our region than homegrown talent,” Interim Chancellor Ron Mitchelson said. “These local pipelines result in a huge level of success for our region and our students.”
Another successful partnership for ECU is the Latham Clinical Schools Network, a group of 43 public school systems in eastern North Carolina that provide classrooms for ECU student teachers. Among them are the four public school systems in VGCC’s service area: Franklin County, Granville County, Vance County and Warren County.
“It shows a commitment of our college to the region and to these public schools that we really care about putting out quality teachers to help the students in this region get a quality education,” said Dr. Vivian Covington, COE assistant dean of undergraduate affairs.
These partnerships have multiple benefits for both the school systems and ECU, especially when it comes to collaborating on educator preparation and grant work.
“We leverage this network in so many ways for student success and for the success of the network and its school systems,” Mitchelson said. “But we also leverage it in very creative ways in terms of professional development and also grant work. I’ve seen a lot of this work firsthand. It’s really exciting. We had a room full of students the other day and their teachers from this network who were focused on the intersection of computational science and art.”
Being able to partner with a wide variety of schools is an invaluable resource for both future teachers and the schools that want to employ them.
“This network is a very rich region of real-world experiences and challenges that our students are exposed to,” Covington said. “We would never dream of preparing teachers without making sure that they are fully steeped in real-life experiences. In order to do that, you have to have a commitment with public school partners.”
Students’ work in public schools begins their sophomore year and culminates in a two-part internship during their senior year.
“The internship is roughly 600 hours and they probably do at least another 80-100 hours between their sophomore and junior years,” Covington said. “They’re getting about 700 hours of on-the-job training before they are hired and I think that’s why our public school partners want our students.”
The partnerships that ECU has with community and two-year colleges benefit the university and colleges beyond increased enrollment. Almost 900 students have graduated from the Partnership Teach degree completion model.
“Many of our students are nontraditional and have experience as teacher assistants,” Bradley said. “They bring a more seasoned perspective to the discussions in the online classes.”
