Three VGCC Paralegal program graduates are first to become state-certified
The Paralegal Technology program at Vance-Granville Community College can now boast a 100 percent passing rate on the state certification exam, after three of the program’s first graduates recently became North Carolina Certified Paralegals.
Kevin Ward Allen of Franklinton, employed with the Law Office of T. Allen Gardner in Louisburg, Kristy Hope Orr of Henderson, employed with the law firm of Perry & Waters in Henderson, and Michelle R. Williams of Raleigh, employed with the law firm of Howard, Stallings, From, Hutson, Atkins, Angell & Davis in Raleigh, sat for the paralegal certification exam at the North Carolina State Bar in October. All three passed, becoming trailblazers for the two-year VGCC program, just as they were when they were among the first seven to earn their degrees in May 2015.
VGCC Paralegal Technology graduates have the opportunity to become certified because the program was designated as a “Qualified Paralegal Studies Program” by the State Bar earlier this year. The certification program is voluntary for North Carolina paralegals. Certified paralegals are required to take continuing education courses, helping them to stay current in the legal field and in turn enhancing the quality of legal services they provide to attorneys and clients.
The 150-question certification exam tests the paralegal’s knowledge of the following areas of law: Civil Litigation; Commercial Law; Criminal Law; Ethics; Family Law; Legal Research; Real Property; and Wills, Trusts & Estate Administration.
“We are so proud that all three of our first graduates to take the exam were successful on their first attempt,” said Antoinette C. Dickens, the Paralegal Technology program head/instructor for the college. “Kevin, Kristy and Michelle are outstanding representatives of VGCC and of their employers.”
All three will now be designated as N.C. Certified Paralegals (NCCP). Most other states recognize certifications from accredited certification agencies and organizations and extend reciprocity, as well.
“We are proud not only of our students, but of our faculty who have facilitated their professional growth,” said Bobbie Jo May, dean of the college’s Franklin County Campus, where the Paralegal program has been based since its inception in 2013.
For more information on the program, call Antoinette Dickens at (252) 738-3609 or (919) 496-1567, ext. 3609.
North Carolina Central University Teams with Vance-Granville Community College to Launch Eagle Voyage Criminal Justice Program
The North Carolina Central University (NCCU) Department of Criminal Justice and Vance-Granville Community College (VGCC) signed an agreement today (Dec. 2) launching Eagle Voyage, a new program offering a Bachelor of Science degree in Criminal Justice on the VGCC campus.
Representatives of the college and the university held a signing ceremony in the Civic Center on the community college’s Main Campus in Vance County, where VGCC will provide classroom space and technology support and NCCU will provide a two-year course of study leading to a bachelor’s degree for students holding an associate degree in Criminal Justice from VGCC.
Not only will Eagle Voyage represent the first bachelor’s degree program available at VGCC facilities, it will also mark the first time in which a full-time NCCU academic coordinator will be based on a community college campus to coach, advise and assist students working toward their four-year degrees.
With credits transferring from the associate’s degree, students will complete the accelerated program over the course of nine, eight-week mini-sessions and one summer at VGCC. NCCU will assist with recruitment of students for each annual cohort.
“This is another exciting learning and partnership opportunity for NCCU and Vance-Granville Community College as we continue to work together to highlight our ability to provide a more seamless educational experience for our transfer students,” said Dr. Johnson O. Akinleye, Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs. “This partnership with Vance-Granville Community College adds to the growing number of partnerships that NCCU has with community colleges across the state. It is through these types of partnerships that we are able to provide access to educational opportunities and academic resources to prepare Eagle Voyage scholars for success in the field of criminal justice.”
Dr. Stelfanie Williams, president of VGCC, said her institution has been working to strengthen relationships with four-year universities to promote student success.
“Research indicates that when community college students have clear academic and career pathways, they are more likely to continue their education and graduate, and they have better employment outcomes as well,” she said. “Through this partnership, our Vanguards will have a new way to continue their own academic voyages, soaring as Eagles into successful careers as leaders in criminal justice and public service.”
Courses will be taught in a hybrid format consisting of a one day per week onsite session at VGCC’s Main Campus, with additional work completed online via Blackboard, a Learning Management System. Students enrolled in the B.S. program in Criminal Justice at Vance-Granville Community College will be encouraged to join student organizations at NCCU and take advantage of other university resources such as access to the James E. Shepard Library and other NCCU online services.
Students also will have learning opportunities outside the classroom involving real-word experiences and programs to promote public safety. Upon completion of the degree, students will be qualified to work in public or private criminal justice agencies and similar organizations.
“It is truly amazing to realize that right here on this one campus, someday, we will have students ranging from the ninth grade level at the Early College High School all the way up to college seniors completing their bachelor’s degrees at NCCU,” said Dr. Angela Ballentine, VGCC’s vice president of academic and student affairs, in her remarks at the ceremony. Also participating in the program were VGCC Public Services department chair Steven Hargrove, NCCU Dean of the College of Behavioral and Social Sciences Dr. Debra Parker, and VGCC Criminal Justice program head William Clements.
The VGCC Criminal Justice associate degree program prepares students for careers in the local, state, and federal law enforcement, corrections, and security fields. Emphasis is placed on criminal justice systems, criminology, juvenile justice, criminal and constitutional law, investigative principles, ethics and community relations. VGCC also offers a certificate in Criminal Justice & Special Populations and a separate Basic Law Enforcement Training program.
NCCU’s bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice equips students to apply critical and analytical thinking skills in problem-solving situations, develop leadership and written and oral communication skills, and exercise ethical and sound judgment. The NCCU Department of Criminal Justice is the only program in North Carolina that is certified nationally by the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences and by the North Carolina Criminal Justice Education and Training Standards Commission.
For more information, please visit NCCU online at www.nccu.edu/criminaljustice or contact William Clements at Vance-Granville Community College at clementsw@vgcc.edu or 252-738-3242.
North Carolina Central University prepares students to succeed in the global marketplace. Flagship programs include science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) disciplines, nursing, education, law, business and the arts. Founded in 1910 as a liberal arts college for African-Americans, NCCU remains committed to diversity in higher education. Our alumni are among the nation’s most successful scientists, researchers, educators, attorneys, artists and entrepreneurs. Visit www.nccu.edu.
Vance-Granville Community College, one of the 58 institutions of the North Carolina Community College System, is the local source for higher education and training in Vance, Granville, Franklin and Warren counties, north of the Research Triangle. Established in 1969, VGCC today serves students at four campuses (one in each county of the service area) and online. The college offers more than 40 curriculum programs, as well as occupational certifications, continuing education, adult education, customized training for employers and the first two years of a four-year degree. For more information, visit www.vgcc.edu.
Vance-Granville Community Band to present free holiday concert on Dec. 3
The Vance-Granville Community Band will perform its eighth annual Christmas Concert, entitled “Making Spirits Bright,” on Thursday, Dec. 3, at 7 p.m. in the Civic Center on VGCC’s Main Campus in Vance County. Admission is free and the public is invited.
The band has prepared a program featuring a variety of holiday-themed favorites, including “All I Want for Christmas is You,” “A Holst Christmas,” a march called “Christmas Joy,” “The Bells of Saint Mary,” “Twas the Night Before Christmas,” “Angels We Have Heard on High,” a sing-a-long of popular Christmas songs, and “May the Good Lord Keep and Bless You.”
The concert will also feature students in the VGCC Music Scholars program: Shontiara Williams of Oxford (on vocals and piano), Kaleb Williamson of Bullock (guitar), Tiffany Barnes of Henderson (vocals) and Charles Keith of Raleigh (bass).
VGCC music instructor Ivory Brock is the band’s primary conductor. Also conducting for a portion of the concert will be Brian Miller, the recently-retired band director at Louisburg High School.
First formed in 2008, the all-volunteer Community Band has included VGCC students, local high school students, educators, and interested citizens from all four counties of the college’s service area (Vance, Granville, Warren and Franklin) and beyond. For more information, call Ivory Brock at (252) 738-3222.
VGCC and Dill Air Controls Products join forces with Apprenticeship program
Vance-Granville Community College and Oxford-based Dill Air Controls Products, LLC, recently signed on to join the North Carolina Triangle Apprenticeship Program (NCTAP), in an effort to provide new opportunities for local students and to prepare a skilled workforce.
NCTAP offers students a unique start to a professional career and develops them into future industry leaders. The program focuses on integrated basic training which develops technical, methodological and social skills. Typically starting in the 11th grade of high school, the four-year program leads to a student obtaining an associate degree at the community college and paid, on-the-job training at the participating employer.
Students in the program will be employed full-time by the company after they graduate from high school, and their VGCC tuition and fees are paid by the employer. Including salary, benefits and college tuition, the value of the program to the student is approximately $150,000 over four years.
VGCC and Dill Air Controls Products are currently spreading the word to students in Vance County and Granville County about this opportunity. The company intends to select its first two apprentices in 2016. They would complete the program in 2020.
Dill Air Controls Products is a leading manufacturer and distributor of tire and tank valves, tire pressure gauges, tire pressure monitoring sensors and service tools for the aerospace, automotive and commercial products industries. Company officials said they were pleased to announce the new partnership with NCTAP and VGCC. “We look forward to participating in this program to grow our employee base with local students who are committed to contributing to the manufacturing industry in Granville County,” said Dill’s President, Brian Rigney.
“This new partnership will support student success while building upon Vance-Granville’s tradition of collaborating with local employers and our local school systems to lead the economic development of our region,” said Dr. Stelfanie Williams, president of VGCC.
For NCTAP, the college’s involvement represents an expansion into what the apprenticeship program calls its “northern region.” Additional companies will be invited to join the partnership with VGCC. The college will focus on apprenticeships related to the college’s Mechatronics Engineering, Electronics Engineering and Welding Technology programs at first, but other Applied Technologies programs could be involved in the future.
According to NCTAP vice chairman Kent Misegades, his organization is particularly excited to work with VGCC because the college offers the Mechatronics program, which is not currently offered by any community college in the Raleigh-Durham area. “Mechatronics is the way to go for a student in advanced manufacturing, because it trains you in a broad range of skills,” Misegades said.
Zachary Chaney of Roxboro, who works for CaptiveAire in Youngsville as an NCTAP apprentice, recently spoke to representatives of VGCC, Granville County Schools, Vance County Schools and Dill Air Controls. “NCTAP is a great opportunity to work and learn at the same time,” Chaney said. “I feel more confident now, knowing more about all aspects of manufacturing. It’s given me not only a paycheck, but also a sense of pride and accomplishment.”
Misegades said students entering the program must meet certain requirements but are not required to have a certain type of prior experience in the field. He said the program is looking for candidates with an interest in engineering or manufacturing. He plans to hold orientation for participants in March or April of 2016, followed by a pre-apprenticeship program in the summer. Then, students would officially start the apprenticeship in the fall. Misegades noted that NCTAP is registered with the N.C. Department of Commerce and the U.S. Department of Labor.
For more information about the apprenticeship program, high school students and their parents should talk with their school guidance counselors or contact Ken Wilson at VGCC, at wilsonk@vgcc.edu or (252) 738-3259.