@VanceGranville

VGCC’s Annual Golf Tournament Returns This May

February 28, 2023/by WIZS Staff

Participants and sponsors are asked to sign up by April 14 on the event’s webpage. Early registration is recommended. Visit www.vgcc.edu/golf. To make a donation visit the event webpage or email foundation@vgcc.edu.

— VGCC Press Release —

Registration is currently underway for the region’s most anticipated golf event! Vance-Granville Community College’s 39th Annual VGCC Foundation Golf Tournament will take place May 8 and 9 at Henderson Country Club. The event invites golfers and non-golfers alike to unite in support of the college and its impact on the four-county service area.

The VGCC Foundation awards hundreds of scholarship endowments to full-time students—more than any program of its kind in North Carolina. As one of the college’s primary annual fundraisers for The Foundation, this tournament provides crucial resources to fund student scholarships and support the greater mission of the college, including the food pantry used by students and employees alike. Enhancing and expanding need-based aid promotes equitable outcomes for all learners, setting them up for a brighter future.

“We look forward to fellowshipping with our golf friends, and we thank everyone involved for their support of the VGCC mission,” said the college’s president, Dr. Rachel Desmarais.

Gupton Services, Inc. of Henderson will once again serve as the event’s presenting sponsor. Gupton Services is a Henderson-based HVAC, roofing, and building automation company that traces its origins back to 1921, when C.P. Tanner established a sheet metal working plant in the town. The business was first known as Tanner Roofing before changing its name to Owen Gupton Roofing. Greg Etheridge, a Henderson native, became its owner and president in 2019.

Additional sponsorship opportunities are available to other businesses looking to promote their brand and support a worthy cause. New opportunities for this year’s event include air cannon contest hole sponsor, golf towel sponsor, and more.

Anyone interested in participating as a sponsor or as a golfing team is asked to sign up by April 14 on the event’s webpage. Space is limited, and early registration is recommended. For more information, visit www.vgcc.edu/golf. Those wishing to donate to the event may visit the event webpage or simply email foundation@vgcc.edu.

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TownTalk: Bishop Works To Help The Next Generation Of Law Enforcement Officers

November 23, 2021/by Laura Gabel

Brandon Bishop wants to make sure that the cadets in the basic law enforcement training classes he oversees understand some key concepts about what it means to be a police officer.

Bishop wants the officers-in-training to have the communication tools they need in order to avoid having to use a weapon or other means of force when they’re on duty.

As director of Basic Law Enforcement Training and Law Enforcement Training at Vance-Granville Community College, he brings the experience of almost two decades in uniform with the Henderson Police Department. He was a lieutenant for six years and he holds a degree in social work.

Bishop is implementing some of those “soft” skills into the BLET classes, including courses like “Duty to Intercede,” “Surviving Verbal Conflict,” and “Facilitating Mental Health Training.”

He described the program on Tuesday’s Town Talk with John C. Rose and said tomorrow’s law enforcement officers must be able to interact with citizens – it’s important to be able to talk to people, get to know them and understand them. Basic communication skills are a must-have to achieve the goal, he said.

Most folks who pursue law enforcement as a career are service-oriented people, he said. Helping people and helping to make a difference in their communities are just part of a profession that provides “the integrity and status they’re looking for,” Bishop said.

Obviously, police officers are charged with enforcing the law, but through effective communication, law enforcement officers also can help people make good choices.

(VGCC PHOTO) – VGCC Basic Law Enforcement Training Class 112 graduates included, in front (from left), Jose Angel Deleon and Jennifer Quick; and in back (from left), Reed Danehy, Kameron Gregory, Regina Andranowska and LeDrevion Richardson; not pictured: Kaleb Evans

“We try to get them to understand that we all need to get along,” Bishop said. “The best way to do that is to help each other through our problems. I try to teach our cadets that we’re more there to help people solve their problems than to solve them for them.”

It’s not all theory and lecture in the program, Bishop said. The cadets use a firearms simulator, which he describes as a giant, 3-D video game, that trains cadets and agency officers in the use of force options. It’s a way to reinforce what they’ve learned in the classroom about communication, which can de-escalate a situation before it gets out of hand. The goal is “to alleviate our use of force incidents and injury to officers and others they are dealing with,” Bishop said. It gives cadets a chance to see exactly what they may face on the street.

Similarly, a driver training simulator allows for cadets and experienced officers as well the chance to get initial training or a refresher on driving vehicles to avoid obstacles all the way to driving in pursuit or other emergency situations. “It’s as close to real-life situations as possible, without the inherent dangers,” Bishop said.

During his time with the Henderson department, he was primarily assigned to the patrol division. He also was a supervisor for the Street Crime unit and the interdiction team and spent 15 years on the department’s tactical team – a team he helped to create and on which he worked all positions, including team commander.

And now, he’s helping guide cadets and prepare the next generation of law enforcement officers to deal effectively with the communities they will serve and protect.

“It’s a challenging career, but it’s a rewarding career,” he said.

The next class is scheduled to begin Jan. 18, 2022 and will wrap up in mid-May. Interested in learning more? Contact Bishop at bishopb@vgcc.edu or phone 919.738.3263. Visit www.vgcc.edu to see more about the BLET program.

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WIZS Radio · TownTalk: Bishop Works To Help The Next Genration Of Law Enforcment Officers

VGCC Online ‘Holiday Mini-Term’ Classes Run Nov. 29 to Dec. 24

November 19, 2021/by Laura Gabel

Vance-Granville Community College is offering more than a dozen online classes as part of its Holiday Mini-Term. The deadline to pay for the classes is Wednesday, Nov. 23 at noon.

The mini-term will be sandwiched in between Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve – Nov. 29-Dec. 24, according to information from VGCC.

Current students should speak with their academic advisor to learn more about the classes; new students should contact the admissions office at 252.738.3327 to get started with the enrollment process.

Following is a list of classes that will be offered:

College Transfer Success (ACA 122)
Introduction to Business (BUS 110)
Introduction to Computers (CIS 110)
Introduction to Criminal Justice (CJC 111)
Law Enforcement Operations (CJC 121)
Corrections (CJC 141)
Crisis Intervention (CJC225)
Personal Health/Wellness (HEA 110)
Critical Thinking (HUM 115)
Music Appreciation (MUS 110)
American Government (POL 120
General Psychology (PSY 150)
Introduction to Sociology (SOC 210)

Visit vgcc.edu to learn more.

(VGCC is an advertising client of WIZS. This is not a paid ad.)

The Local Skinny! VGCC Helping Entrepreneurs

November 15, 2021/by WIZS Staff

Vance-Granville Community College’s Entrepreneurship & Innovation Center (EIC) is open for business. Students and community members attended the ribbon-cutting ceremony hosted by the Granville County Chamber of Commerce recently to mark this momentous occasion. The Nov. 9 event coincided with Global Entrepreneurship Week.

The EIC is located at VGCC’s South Campus in Creedmoor and serves all four campuses in the VGCC system.

The EIC supports VGCC’s mission of strengthening the state’s economy by helping students and clients living in rural areas achieve their entrepreneurial potential by exposing them to entrepreneurial thinking and entrepreneurial opportunities, according to a press release from VGCC.

By educating, inspiring and supporting a diverse community of learners to achieve professional and personal success, VGCC and the EIC help N.C. entrepreneurs succeed by offering them the training and learning opportunities that prepare them to pursue their entrepreneurial dreams and ideas.

This effort also enhances VGCC’s Small Business Center offerings of Ice House, Kauffman FastTrack and NC REAL Entrepreneurship training, among others. VGCC President Dr. Rachel Desmarais recently joined other community college presidents in signing the national Entrepreneurship Pledge.

“I think that the Center is a great opportunity for networking, gaining business skills, and preparing for the future in business,” said Tanya Weary, dean of business & industry solutions. “I am really excited for VGCC. This is the start of something that will grow and develop. The opportunities this innovation environment will create are endless.”

Serena Aycock, one of the members of the newly formed Vanguard Entrepreneurship Club, was on hand to take part in the ribbon cutting. “I am absolutely inspired and honored to attend this great community college,” Aycock said. “I feel the energy of success in this room during this unforgettable ribbon-cutting event.”

The Center has had support from NC IDEA. NC IDEA is an independent private, 501(c)(3) foundation whose vision is to help North Carolinians achieve their entrepreneurial ambition to start and grow high potential companies. NC IDEA fosters sustainable economic development with competitive grants and programs for entrepreneurs and funding to strengthen the North Carolina entrepreneurial ecosystem. Thom Ruhe, President & CEO was present to support VGCC’s continued entrepreneurial efforts. Also present were Dr. Rebecca Corbin, President & CEO of the National Association for Community College Entrepreneurship; Alyssa Martina, Director of Doherty Center for Creativity, Innovation & Entrepreneurship for Elon University; and Dr. Rudi Colloredo-Mansfeld, Senior Associate Dean for Social Sciences and Global Programs, UNC Chapel Hill were present to support VGCC’s entrepreneurial efforts; and representatives from the four counties that VGCC serves.

To learn more about VGCC’s entrepreneurial endeavors, contact Tanya Weary at wearyt@vgcc.edu or 252.738.3521.

WIZS Radio · The Local Skinny! VGCC Helping Entrepreneurs

VGCC Enrollment Up 7.4 Percent; Good News for Several Reasons

September 15, 2021/by Laura Gabel

Students at Vance-Granville Community College have signed up to take more 16-week and 8-week term classes over last year’s enrollment, which adds value for students and VGCC.

The college reported a 7.4 percent increase in the number of credit hours that students are taking and that full-time equivalent calculation affects the level of state funding that community colleges receive.

VGCC President Dr. Rachel Desmarais said the more courses a student takes, the higher the reimbursement rate for the college. Community colleges don’t keep tuition, but rely instead on a redistribution of various funding streams to provide quality programs and training to the community.

“When students successfully complete more courses, they accelerate entry or re-entry into the workforce with their new skills,” Demarais said. “That’s good for individuals, the college, employers and our community.”

Dr. Levy Brown, vice president of learning, student engagement & success said the increase is a result of good teamwork from across VGCC’s campus – from admissions and financial aid to advisors, faculty and marketing.

“We are optimistic about this enrollment mark, and are committed to continuously connecting diverse individuals in our service area to our college, relevant academic programs, resources and supports,” Brown stated.

The second 8-week term begins Oct. 13 and enrollment is open now. Program choices include business administration, college transfer, criminal justice, early childhood education and medical office administration.

Visit www.vgcc.edu and click the Admissions tab for enrollment details.

(VGCC is an advertising client of WIZS. This is not a paid ad.)

VGCC Uses Federal Dollars Earmarked To Pay Unpaid Student Bills

September 9, 2021/by WIZS Staff

Vance-Granville Community College cleared unpaid balances for 261 of its students who attended between Spring 2020 and Summer 2021, to the tune of $153,332.14.

VGCC, like other colleges across the state, applied money from the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund to provide financial relief to students affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“It is important for us to help our students remove barriers that keep them from getting the skills they need to better their work or life situations,” said VGCC President Dr. Rachel Desmarais. “Leveraging HEERF funds to help students affected by the pandemic to continue their education is just one of those ways. Our students and our communities matter to us!”

Dr. Levy Brown, VGCC’s vice president of learning, student engagement & success, said the college’s business office and financial aid personnel were key players in making this debt forgiveness a reality. “This move speaks to the college’s true commitment to helping students succeed,” Brown said. “We are glad that our students were able to directly benefit from the HEERF funds and are able to continue their educational and training journey.”

The VGCC admissions and advising teams will work directly with former students affected by this change to help them get re-enrolled at the college and continue pursuing their programs of study. For more information about enrolling or re-enrolling at Vance-Granville, visit www.vgcc.edu.

Grow with VGCC AgriTech

August 30, 2021/by John C. Rose

Vance-Granville Community College’s South Campus is the site of the upcoming AgriTech program, one of the many continuing education classes offered at VGCC’s four campuses.

Tanya Weary, dean of business & industry solutions and of the South Campus in Creedmoor, said registration is open for the class, which will be held in-person one evening a week for 10 weeks; the remaining two-thirds of the class’s 96 hours will be completed online.

The class begins on Sept. 20, from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. and the cost is $188.25. Tuition assistance is available for eligible participants, she told John C. Rose on Town Talk August 3, 2021, which you can hear in its entirety by clicking play below.

As a dean at VGCC, Weary said she enjoys seeing the many exciting things happening on and around the campuses in the four counties VGCC serves.

“Lives are being changed,” Weary said. “It’s an incredible experience to see and witness every day.”

The AgriTech program is one way to help participants gain knowledge about agriculture, whether it’s for launching a business, improving skills for someone who already works on a farm or other agriculture-related endeavors.

“Agriculture is making an impact on society,” Weary said. “No matter what realm of agriculture you’re going into, you’re making some kind of impact.”

Instructor Kelly Dixon will introduce topics such as sustainable and organic farming methods, equipment maintenance, plant, soil and animal sciences, among others. Dixon and her family farm in Granville County and Dixon is the ag teacher at Vance Charter School.

Weary said the class will also discuss basic computer skills and marketing techniques, both important tools for agricultural entrepreneurs who use social media or need to create marketing materials to promote their business.

Another project that VGCC is launching is the result of a $286,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture that will provide professional development opportunities for K-12 educators to learn more about teaching agriculture and biology.

Weary said VGCC bought some drones that will be used to provide some hands-on opportunities for students to learn how to use drones in agriculture, from simple aerial photography to using drones to check fields.

Weary said U.S. Department of Agriculture statistics point to strong employment opportunities in agriculture between 2020 and 2025. “This program gives (students) an introduction into the economic, environmental and social impacts of agriculture,” she said.

Visit https://www.vgcc.edu/conVanceed/agritech/ to learn more about the class.

Contact Weary at wearyt@vgcc.edu or call 252.738.3521.

Click play below for the TownTalk interview with Dean Weary.

(Originally Broadcast Tuesday, August 3, 2021. Original article by Laura Gabel on Tuesday, August 3, 2021.)

WIZS Radio · TownTalk: Come Grow With VGCC’s AgriTech Program

VGCC’s Dean Kali Brown Selected For Statewide Leadership Academy

August 5, 2021/by Laura Gabel

Kali Brown, dean of student access and support at Vance-Granville Community College, has been accepted to participate in the 2021 Chief Student Development Administrators Leadership Academy.

This academy, developed through the North Carolina Community College System, invites a select number of administrative leaders from the state’s 58 community colleges to participate each year in the program, according to a press statement from VGCC.

Over the course of several months, participants will study multiple topics, including best practices for serving students, continuous improvement, communications, higher education legal issues, and resource management.

“We congratulate Dean Kali Brown on being recognized as a leader in our state’s community college system, and we know that she will use what she learns in the academy to support our Vanguards,” said VGCC President Dr. Rachel Desmarais.

Brown is a resident of Franklinton and has worked for VGCC since 2011, when she joined the college’s financial aid office. She moved from assistant director of financial aid to director in 2013. She was named VGCC staff member of the year in 2015-16. She became dean of student support services in 2017 and has been in her current role since 2019.

“I am absolutely delighted to be selected into the 2021 Chief Student Development Administrators Leadership Academy, which provides an exceptional networking opportunity to learn from experts and leaders in the field of student services,” Brown said

Brown previously worked in financial aid and student services at her alma mater, Arkansas State University as well as Arkansas State University – Newport (a community college), and Pulaski Technical College in Arkansas. Brown earned a bachelor’s degree in mathematics at Arkansas State, and a master’s degree in higher education – educational leadership at Liberty University.

While at VGCC, Brown has served on various committees, including the strategic enrollment management committee, academic affairs committee, marketing advisory council, scholarships committee, leadership & planning council and the recruitment & retention committee.

She is a 2018 graduate of the N.C. Community College Leadership program and has trained other professionals throughout the state by conducting workshops sponsored by the North Carolina Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators, the N.C. Community College System and the N.C. State Education Assistance Authority.

TownTalk: Come Grow With VGCC’s AgriTech Program

August 3, 2021/by Laura Gabel

Vance-Granville Community College’s South Campus is the site of the upcoming AgriTech program, one of the many continuing education classes offered at VGCC’s four campuses.

Tanya Weary, dean of business & industry solutions and of the South Campus in Creedmoor, said registration is open for the class, which will be held in-person one evening a week for 10 weeks; the remaining two-thirds of the class’s 96 hours will be completed online.

The class begins on Sept. 20, from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. and the cost is $188.25. Tuition assistance is available for eligible participants, she told John C. Rose on Tuesday’s Town Talk, which you can hear in its entirety by clicking play below.