VGCC trustees approve new Associate Degree in Visual Arts

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Vance-Granville Community College’s Board of Trustees approved the offering of an Associate in Fine Arts degree in Visual Arts beginning in the fall of 2017 as the trustees met for their bi-monthly meeting on the Main Campus on Nov. 21.

The board also welcomed Jennifer P. “Jenny” Hester of Henderson as a newly appointed trustee, received preliminary plans for capital improvements on four campuses, and celebrated the results of the latest faculty and staff campaign to support the VGCC Endowment Fund.

Hester, who works in real estate and development in Henderson, was sworn in by Resident Superior Court Judge Henry W. “Chip” Hight of Henderson. Appointed for a four-year term on the board by N.C. Governor Pat McCrory, she replaces Dr. Doris Terry Williams of Henderson, who had served since November 2010.

The Fine Arts degree will be added to the Associate in Arts and Associate in Science degrees already being offered by Vance-Granville. A minimum of 60 semester hours of College Transfer courses will be required in English; communications, humanities and fine arts; social and behavioral sciences; mathematics; and natural sciences, in addition to classes in art history, two-dimensional and three-dimensional design, and drawing. For graduates who wish to complete a four-year degree, course credits will transfer to all 16 campuses of the University of North Carolina System under the state’s Comprehensive Articulation Agreement.

The board’s action came on a recommendation from the trustees’ Curriculum Committee, chaired by Trustee Barbara Cates Harris. With board approval, the College will now submit the program to the North Carolina Community College System (NCCCS) and the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACSCOC) for their approvals.

In other action from the Curriculum Committee, the board voted to approve closure of the Associate in Applied Science in Entrepreneurship program. Citing consistent low enrollment, Harris said the program will end in the fall of 2017 with a “teach-out plan” for currently enrolled students through Spring Semester 2018. The program was designed to provide students with the knowledge and skills necessary for employment and growth as self-employed business owners. The College continues to offer a variety of related programs in Business Administration, Accounting and Office Administration, among others.

Faculty-Staff Drive for Scholarships

The co-chairs of the annual faculty and staff drive on Vance-Granville’s four campuses announced to the Trustees that $20,079 was raised this fall from among employees to support the mission of the College and students through scholarships.

The drive co-chairs were Kristi Salmons-Ellenberg, department chair and instructor for Social Sciences; Willie Mae Foster-Hill, Main Campus receptionist; and Steven Sievert, instructor for Computer Education.

VGCC awarded 301 scholarships at its annual awards ceremony this October. The funds raised by the faculty and staff this year will help with future scholarships.

Capital improvements

The Board of Trustees received a preliminary look at capital improvement projects that may be made possible with the $7.6 million in funds that the College is receiving through the Connect NC bonds approved by statewide voters this past March.

Projects are proposed at all four campuses, according to Trustee Donald C. Seifert, Sr., chair of the Building Committee.

Among the largest projects, the replacement of outdated heating, ventilation and air conditioning and fire alarm systems on Main Campus is projected to cost around $4 million. Exterior masonry repairs and restoration, also on Main Campus, are projected at around $1 million. Both projects will enter the design phase in January 2017 with a proposed construction start date of August 2017, Seifert said.

Other projects, depending upon available funds, could include, on Main Campus, the remodeling of restrooms, renovations to several instructional areas, and the construction of a “burn building” for the Fire/Rescue department in Continuing Education; at South Campus, the replacement of heating, ventilation and air conditioning equipment; at Franklin, renovations to a lab and boiler replacement; and at Warren, gas pack and heat pump replacements. The Connect NC Bond funds must be designated for repairs and renovations or the construction of new facilities.

In addition to the Connect NC Bond projects, Seifert said roof renovations to Building 6 on Main Campus are in the design phase, and the project will be bid out in February and completed in the summer of 2017. Remaining balances from other renovations on Main and South campuses will be available for space utilization improvements and repairs and renovations, respectively, Seifert said. Among those improvements, Steve Graham, Vance-Granville’s vice president for finance and operations, said a Bioprocess Technology laboratory on Main Campus is being retrofitted to house a new curriculum program in Histotechnology. The Bioprocess program is moving to the Franklin County Campus.

Other Action

In other action:

  • Trustee Sara Wester, chair of the Personnel Committee, reported on new employees, retirements and resignations. Among those retiring is Jacquelin “Jackie” Heath, program head and instructor for School-Age Education. Heath, who began employment on Sept. 15, 1976, and retires in January, is Vance-Granville’s longest-serving full-time faculty or staff member.
  • Trustee L. Opie Frazier, Jr., co-chair of the Investment Committee, and Steve Graham, Vance-Granville’s vice president of finance and operations, updated the board on the move of the College’s investments to First Citizens Wealth Management in October. In September, the board approved the firm as the financial advisor, ratifying the designation of the firm by the VGCC Endowment Fund Board of Directors.
  • In her report to the trustees, President Dr. Stelfanie Williams reported on recent activities and events at Vance-Granville. Among those, she noted upcoming holiday events, including the Vance-Granville Community Band’s Holiday Concert on Monday, Dec. 5, at 7:30 p.m.

The next meeting of the VGCC Board of Trustees will be held on Monday, Jan. 23, at the Main Campus.

Express Employment Celebrates 15 Years

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The HVCC Board and staff along with the Granville Chamber celebrated Express Employment Professionals 15 years serving the Local Community With a Ribbon Cutting on Thursday, September 22nd at 10:00 AM.  The Oxford Express Employment Professionals office celebrated its 15 years in business-year anniversary on August, 6 2016 said Hal Muetzel, franchisee of the Express office.

“The people and businesses of Oxford have made these last 15 years great ones,” said Muetzel. “We have enjoyed helping area businesses and job seekers with all their staffing needs, and we look forward to many more successful years.”

The Oxford Express Employment Professionals franchise began operation in August 6, 2001 at 219 Granville Corners in the former Walmart Shopping Center and relocated downtown to Main Street in Oxford in 2011. The office serves the Granville, Vance, Person Warren, and Alamance Counties in North Carolina and the South Hill, VA area with temporary help and direct hire employees in a variety of fields, including administrative, commercial, data processing, medical, technical, sales, marketing and more. The Oxford office, located at 124 Main Street is currently accepting applications.

Express is on a mission to put a million people to work annually. With offices in the U.S., Canada and South Africa, Express put a record 500,002 people to work in 2015. For more information, call (919)693-1730 or visit ExpressPros.com/oxfordnc.

VGCC Radiography students collect supplies for Hurricane Matthew victims

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Students in the Radiography program at Vance-Granville Community College recently answered a call to help those who were devastated by Hurricane Matthew, collecting a massive amount of supplies for the victims in North and South Carolina.

VGCC Radiography clinical coordinator/instructor Stacey Soles arranged a partnership with Black’s Tire & Auto Service, which has 38 locations from Raleigh to Florence, South Carolina, and was founded in her home county of Columbus. The company was encouraging residents of its service area to collect supplies, which its employees would then pick up and deliver directly to those in need. Among the items being sought were diapers, children’s toys, bottled water, cleaning supplies, toiletries, non-perishable food, new t-shirts, socks and undergarments.

Students set up drop-off points on all four of the college’s campuses, in Vance, Granville, Franklin and Warren counties. Then, on Oct. 20, Black’s Tire & Auto Service picked up the donations at the South Campus, where the Radiography program is located. Students and faculty members loaded the supplies onto the truck sent by the company, which was quickly filled, and a second truck was called. Even that truck could not hold all of the donations, so Soles took some in her own vehicle to the company’s Raleigh location.

Black’s Tire & Auto Service later delivered the items to people in Fair Bluff, N.C., and Nichols, S.C., both of which experienced extensive flooding from the hurricane.

“The Radiography students and program faculty would like to extend our thanks to everyone who helped make the hurricane relief drive a success,” Soles said. “We were overwhelmed with the generous outpouring of support from our fellow faculty, staff, students and members of the community, including several businesses around our South Campus.”

Based at VGCC’s South Campus between Creedmoor and Butner, the two-year Radiography degree program prepares graduates to be radiographers, skilled health care professionals who use radiation to produce images of the human body. For more information on Radiography, contact Dean of Health Sciences Angela Thomas at (252) 738-3397.

Warren County NAACP to Lead March to the Polls

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On Thursday, November 3rd, 2016 at 2:00 p.m. the Warren County Branch of the NAACP will lead a March to the Polls and celebrate their voting rights victory in the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals. They will be joined by Rev. Dr. William J. Barber, II, President of the North Carolina NAACP.

The March to the Polls is part of the statewide “It’s Our Time, It’s Our Vote” campaign to register, educate, mobilize and protect the vote in North Carolina. The Warren County March is one of more than 55 marches across the state during Early Voting.

Warren County March to the Polls is to heighten awareness as we elect county commissioners, judges, senators, governors, president and other officials. These offices are so important that full participation of every eligible voter is recommended.

Before the march, Dr. Barber will discuss the importance of this election and the historic voting rights victory in the case of “NC NAACP vs McCrory” when key portions of House Bill 589 were overturned by the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals.

VGCC Advisory Committees hold annual meetings

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Citizens from Vance, Granville, Franklin and Warren counties came together at the Main Campus of Vance-Granville Community College on Oct. 25 as the college’s advisory committees held their annual meetings.

VGCC’s 38 advisory committees are made up of people from the communities served by the college who have worked in the fields for which the college offers training. Committees advise not only curriculum and continuing education programs, but also VGCC’s South, Franklin and Warren campuses, the Small Business Center and other departments. Many committee members are VGCC alumni. Each fall, these committees meet on campus with the heads of the programs they advise.

At the Oct. 25 meetings, VGCC faculty and staff communicated with advisory committee members about new developments in the academic programs, about how to tailor classes and training to meet employment needs, and about changes in the workplace. Committee members made suggestions on what the college should be doing to enhance or adapt instruction.

Holding its first meeting was the advisory committee for one of VGCC’s newest degree programs, Histotechnology. Sheila Deloney, a certified histotechnologist and assistant administrative director for anatomic pathology and autopsy services at UNC Health Care in Chapel Hill, was elected as the committee’s first chair. Dr. Dianne Dookhan, a pathologist who works at Maria Parham Medical Center in Henderson, among other facilities, was elected vice chair.

Students in VGCC’s Culinary Arts program prepared a reception in the Civic Center, preceding the meetings. The menu included Dijon crusted pork loin, seasonal vegetable succotash, polenta with a mushroom cream sauce, beef roulade filled with peppers, spinach, carrots and provolone cheese, herb roasted red potatoes, various pasta selections and assorted desserts.

In remarks during the reception, Dr. Stelfanie Williams, the president of VGCC, thanked the advisory committee members for serving and supporting the college. “Our Advisory Committees are important to us, because they connect the college with our communities, meet the needs of our local employers, and maintain bonds with our alumni,” President Williams told the attendees. “Your input, your leadership, and your advocacy strengthen our academic programs.”

Employers connect with students at VGCC Manufacturing Day

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Vance-Granville Community College held a “Manufacturing Day” celebration on Friday, Oct. 7, in the Civic Center on the college’s Main Campus in Vance County. An estimated 275 middle and high school students from Franklin, Granville, Vance and Warren counties attended, along with VGCC students and other members of the community. They learned about how manufacturing has changed, local career possibilities in the field and options for education and training related to careers in the industry. The event was one of many Manufacturing Day celebrations held across the country that day.

Participating employers included Altec of Creedmoor, Asteelflash of Raleigh, Delhaize America/Food Lion Distribution Center of Butner, Dill Air Controls Products of Oxford, Eaton of Youngsville, Glen Raven of Norlina, Ideal Fastener of Oxford, Mars Petcare of Henderson, Novozymes of Franklinton, Plastic Ingenuity of Oxford, Revlon of Oxford, Shalag of Oxford, Staffmark of Henderson, Stay Online of Creedmoor, Sunrock of Butner, Superior Tooling of Wake Forest, TFS of Wake Forest and Universal Forest Products of Franklinton.

VGCC technical programs were also represented, including Air Conditioning, Heating & Refrigeration Technology, Automotive Systems Technology, Bioprocess Technology, Electronics Engineering Technology, Mechatronics Engineering Technology and Welding Technology.

Attendees also learned about the North Carolina Triangle Apprenticeship Program (NCTAP), which partners with colleges like VGCC and employers to prepare a skilled workforce. During lunch, Robbie Earnhardt, owner of Superior Tooling, discussed NCTAP with representatives of the other companies in attendance. “I wouldn’t be where I am today without the apprenticeship I had,” Earnhardt said. An alternative to the traditional four-year college degree, the program takes a student from high school through a two-year community college program like Mechatronics Engineering Technology, with the guarantee of a job at the completion of the program. “We need more local industry partners in NCTAP,” Earnhardt said, noting that Dill Air Controls Products has already joined. “Many industries have trouble finding skilled workers. This can help.”

The Trade Adjustment Assistance Community College and Career Training (TAACCCT) grant program at VGCC organized Manufacturing Day, with support from the Advanced Manufacturing Skills Training Alliance (AMSTA), a partnership of VGCC and local K-12 school systems. With the help of the $1.75 million TAACCCT grant, the largest single competitive grant in VGCC history, the college has developed and enhanced innovative training programs for advanced manufacturing careers. The TAACCCT grants are part of a nearly $2 billion initiative of the U.S. Department of Labor to expand targeted training programs for unemployed workers, especially those impacted by foreign trade. For more information on TAACCCT, call (252) 738-3342.

Cardinal Innovations Healthcare Needs Assessment

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Cardinal Innovations Healthcare Needs Assessment

The following survey allows Cardinal Innovations to determine what needs the community is experiencing regarding Mental Health/Intellectual Disabilities/Substance Use Disorders.  Please click on the survey links below.

An email received recently by WIZS News from Cardinal Innovations staff read, “In order to ensure that the voices of our members, their family members, their providers, and other community members are being heard, we are conducting this survey to collect information about those needs.

“Cardinal Innovations Healthcare is dedicated to our members and our communities. Our purpose is to enhance the health and well-being of the individuals and their families that we serve.”

Henderson and Vance County are served by the Five County Community Office located at 134 South Garnett Street, Henderson, NC 27536.  Phone 252-430-1330.  The Five County Community Office staff assists individuals and families affected by mental health, intellectual and developmental disabilities or substance use disorder conditions and serves Franklin, Granville, Halifax, Vance and Warren counties.  Cardinal Innovations Healthcare as a whole serves 20 some counties in this area.

Link to English survey:  2016-2017 Cardinal Innovations Healthcare Needs Assessment

Link to Spanish survey: https://www.questionpro.com/t/AJGCTZXy50

https://www.cardinalinnovations.org/

(Note – Cardinal Innovations is an advertising client of WIZS Radio.  This post is not in connection with that and is being presented in the public interest.)

Vance-Granville awarded $150k for public safety training

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The Cannon Foundation Board of Directors recently approved a $150,000 grant to the Vance-Granville Community College Endowment Fund to renovate a 3,200-square-foot space on the college’s Main Campus for an Emergency Simulation Lab.

The new lab will enable law enforcement and emergency services departments in Vance, Granville, Franklin and Warren counties to train and certify their current and future public safety workers using a realistic scenario-based curriculum in a controlled environment.

The grant will be used, along with funds from the Connect NC bond (approved by North Carolina voters earlier this year), to complete the final phase of Building 10, which opened in August on the main campus in Vance County. The building houses classrooms, labs and faculty for VGCC’s law enforcement, fire/rescue and emergency medical services education and training programs.

“We are very pleased to receive this grant, because it will allow Vance-Granville to further enhance our vital partnerships with the local agencies that protect and serve our communities,” said Dr. Stelfanie Williams, president of VGCC. “We’re excited about the possibilities that this new lab will provide for us to serve students and our public safety partners.”

The Cannon Foundation, based in Concord, N.C., is part of the philanthropic legacy of Charles A. Cannon, an industrialist and humanitarian who was president and chairman of Cannon Mills Company for more than half a century.

“Our region is fortunate that VGCC has hands-on, real-life emergency simulation equipment to train students and professionals in public safety careers,” said Kaine Riggan, VGCC’s grants and government relations coordinator. “The simulation lab will give us a new facility in which to provide training for first responders throughout our four counties to be prepared for emergency scenarios, which saves lives.”

VGCC’s PRISim ShootBack system, for instance, fires plastic ammunition up to 110 miles per hour, teaching life-saving defense techniques and methods for using less-than-lethal force, when appropriate.

The college is currently seeking a $15,000 sponsor for a new EMS simulation mannequin that can, among other things, simulate stroke symptoms, ensuring that students are more prepared to recognize and call the stroke code into the ER, where saving even a minute can save a life.

VGCC is now starting the design phase of the renovation project, which will complete the overhaul of the 16,000-square-foot building, a former commercial structure that was purchased by the college in 2010.

Vance County Appearance Commission seeks your help

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The Vance County Appearance Commission is seeking increased participation from residents across the county in efforts to recycle household items and other materials that can be reused.

Local participation in recycling by residents is less than 30 percent across Vance County. Members of the County Appearance Commission want more residents to recycle.

Recycling in Henderson and throughout Vance County is easy. In the city of Henderson, all recyclable items can be placed in the plastic bins provided by the city. Once the bins are placed by the street curb on designated pick-up days, Waste Industries personnel will collect the items for proper recycling. For residents living outside of Henderson and in Vance County, all recyclable items can be taken to one of the eight manned collection sites located throughout the county and placed in the large, recycling bins. They are collected regularly by Waste Industries for proper recycling.

Residents do not have to separate recyclable items in the city or throughout the county. Separation of the items is done during the recycling process.

Items that should be recycled include: any plastic bottles, containers and jugs; all aluminum, steel and tin cans; all mixed paper; all newspapers; all magazines; all milk cartons; all paper or cardboard cartons; all food boxes; all envelopes; all flattened cardboard boxes; all glass jars and bottles of any color; used cooking oil; used motor oil and filters; large appliances including refrigerators, AC units and water heaters; all electronics including televisions, radios, cell phones, computer towers and monitors and keyboards; furniture; and bed mattresses.

In the county, these recyclables items can be taken to the manned collection sites located on: N.C. 39 North of Henderson; Warrenton Road near U.S. 1 Bypass; Gun Club Road; Tungsten Mine Road; old Aycock school site on Vicksboro Road; North Chavis Road off U.S. 1 Business; Manson-Drewry Road; and Brodie Road.

Electronics for recycling are accepted only at the N.C. 39 North and Brodie Road collection sites.

Used tires also are accepted for recycling at the Transfer Station near the N.C. 39 North site. These items must be covered with a tarp for proper transportation to the site.

The collection sites are open Mondays through Saturdays from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Recycling is a good idea and is important because it: saves natural resources; prevents environmental problems that come from landfills; saves energy; prevents pollution; creates jobs; and saves money.

The Vance County Appearance Commission is urging all county residents to do their part to protect our environment for future generations by recycling today and always!

Voluntary Water Conservation

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UPDATE: NOON

Water conservation order has now been lifted per Brian Short, Director of Emergency Operations for Vance County.

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Henderson is the managing partner of The Kerr Lake Regional Water System, which prepares and distributes clean, fresh water to Henderson and areas in Vance County, areas in and around Oxford and Warrenton plus other outside sales to areas like Franklin County.

The water plant lost power at some point as a result of the weather.  Vance County Director of Emergency Management Brian Short said power had been restored but reserve tanks need to refill.

Voluntary water conservation efforts are in effect until further notice.

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