-Information courtesy Vance-Granville Community College
Due to the threat of inclement weather, all campuses of Vance-Granville Community College will be closing at 10:30 a.m. today, Thursday, October 11.
The Scholarship Awards Dinner scheduled for tonight will be postponed to a later date.
-Press Release, Vance-Granville Community College
The Vance-Granville Community College Board of Trustees is now inviting applications and nominations for the position of President of the college.
A website has been launched with a presidential profile and the details of the application procedure. The site can be reached at www.vgcc.edu/presidentialsearch.
General inquiries about the college and application materials can be directed to April Perkinson, search liaison to the board, at (252) 738-3227 or perkinson@vgcc.edu.
To be assured consideration, resumes and cover letters must be received by Friday, November 9, 2018, according to the website. Resumes with cover letters and nominations will be accepted until the position is filled.
The Trustees are working with the firm of Executive Leadership Associates (ELA) LLC of Emerald Isle to assist in the search for a replacement for Dr. Stelfanie Williams who left the college in August to take a job with Duke University. The new president will be the seventh in the history of the college.
ELA, described as “a consortium of former North Carolina community college presidents who are committed to ensuring that our internationally recognized community college system continues its proud tradition of excellence,” was selected by the Board of Trustees at its September 17 meeting.
The firm is helping the Trustees by creating the presidential profile of the ideal candidate needed, guiding the search process, and recruiting and screening applicants as needed.
The trustees are expected to present finalists to the State Board of Community Colleges for evaluation early in 2019, said Dr. Gordon Burns who is serving as interim president for the college. The board plans to have the new president in place in March 2019. Dr. Burns served as president of Wilkes Community College in North Wilkesboro for 18 years before retiring in 2014.
Serving on the Trustees’ presidential search committee are Trustees Deborah Brown, chair; Herb Gregory, vice chair; N. Annette P. Myers, Abdul Sm Rasheed, Donald C. Seifert, Sr., and Sara C. Wester.
-Press Release, Vance-Granville Community College
Five Vance-Granville Community College students were among 14 who committed to participate in the North Carolina Triangle Apprenticeship Program (NCTAP) at a signing ceremony in Wake Forest in August.
In addition to the signings, five students were honored as the first graduates of the program, which was held in the Wake Forest Renaissance Center on August 14.
“This evening marks the beginning of 14 new careers and the next chapter of the careers of our first five apprentices,” said Mark Bertoncino of Bühler Aeroglide Corp. of Cary, chairman of NCTAP and master of ceremonies for the ceremony. “It is the culmination of years of hard work by the many people in this room and the first real living proof that our program is not only a success but that our apprentices are destined for great things.”
The students are now apprentices with nine industries in Granville, Franklin and Wake counties as they finish high school and earn their associate’s degrees at either VGCC or Wake Technical Community College. VGCC students Jacob Pitts of Durham will be working at Dill Air Controls Products LLC in Oxford; Marshall Cook of Youngsville, Jared Gladki of Roxboro and Joseph Peace of Oxford will be working with Revlon Inc. of Oxford; and Isaac Wier of Franklinton will be at Superior Tooling in Wake Forest.
Above: The five latest VGCC apprentices inducted to the North Carolina Triangle Apprenticeship Program joined with representatives of their new employers and Vance-Granville Community College officials on Aug. 14 at a signing ceremony in Wake Forest. From left are Dr. Gordon Burns, VGCC interim president; Vanessia Alvarado of Dill Air Control Products; Ken Wilson, TechHire grant project manager for VGCC; Jacob Pitts, Dill apprentice; Steve Tsotsoros of Dill; Marshall Cook, Revlon apprentice; Jared Gladki, Revlon apprentice; Mike Jones of Revlon; Joseph Peace, Revlon apprentice; Isaac Weir, Superior Tooling apprentice; Craig McLean of Superior Tooling; and Tiffani Polk, TechHire academic and career coach for VGCC. (VGCC Photo)
Working through Wake Tech, the signees and the other companies were: Lariston Pierce, Accu-Fab Inc. of Raleigh; Grace Leapley, Josey Baker, Jacob Ganzzermiller and Greg Smith, Bühler Aeroglide Corp. of Cary; Marc Dickerson, CaptiveAire Systems of Youngsville; and Michael Benjamin and Brian Sublette, Schunk Intec Inc. of Morrisville.
As each made a commitment to follow the program, the students were joined on stage for the signing ceremony by their parents and employers from the participating industries.
“Because of our collective efforts, these students have a new seamless career pathway to better futures,” said VGCC Interim President Dr. Gordon Burns. “While in school, these apprentices have the opportunity to receive real-life, on-the-job training skills and related training, and simultaneously to earn high school credits and college credits toward a degree. Following their graduation, they are offered opportunities for continued workforce learning as they progress towards their journeyman’s credential and advance in their careers.”
“Students win and so do parents,” he added. “Businesses and industry representatives certainly win. Having this apprenticeship program is a pipeline for new workers.”
The program gives industry a chance to train the young workers on the latest equipment, to use their employees as mentors and to develop future leaders in the companies and in the communities, Dr. Burns said.
NCTAP is a partnership that seeks to provide new opportunities for local students and to prepare a skilled workforce. Typically starting in the junior year of high school, NCTAP is a four-year program that leads to a student obtaining an associate degree at the community college and paid, on-the-job training at the participating employer. Eligible students’ tuition is covered by a waiver from the state of North Carolina. After they graduate from high school, students in the program will be employed full-time by the company.
In the graduation portion of the ceremony, Wake Tech students Luke Fouts, Alex Gaither, Mason Hurlbut and Simon Mitchell, apprentices at Bühler Aeroglide, and Dylan Beckwith, at Schunk Intec, were recognized as the first graduates of the apprenticeship program.
Also on the program were N.C. Sen. Chad Barefoot, R-Wake; Dr. Stephen Scott, president of Wake Tech; and Maureen Little, vice president of economic development for the North Carolina Community College Systems.
Sen. Barefoot, who has announced his plans to retire from the North Carolina Legislature, was presented with a special recognition for his support of the apprenticeship program statewide. He has been praised for helping in getting legislation changed to boost the apprenticeship program. Whereas companies previously had to pay the state to have an apprentice, Barefoot helped enact legislation that now has the state providing reimbursement for tuition.
Representing VGCC’s NCTAP participating industries at the ceremony Steve Tsotsoros and Vanessia Alvarado of Dill Air Controls and Mike Jones of Revlon. Also present from the VGCC TechHire program were Ken Wilson, project manager, and Tiffani Polk, academic and career coach. All schools participating in NCTAP can send students to the educational partner institution that best meets the needs of the industrial partner, Wilson said.
More photos: Check out VGCC’s album on Flickr!
-Press Release, Vance-Granville Community College
Five Vance-Granville Community College students were formally inducted into the North Carolina Piedmont “Regionally Increasing Baccalaureate Nurses” (RIBN) program in a ceremony in August at North Carolina A&T State University’s Union Square Campus in Greensboro.
RIBN is a partnership involving the university, VGCC, Davidson County Community College (DCCC) and Guilford Technical Community College (GTCC).
This year’s inductees from VGCC are Jolina Chiong of Henderson, Madison Hetrick of Henderson, Jaslin Renteria of Henderson, Chris Trotman of Durham and April Zuniga-Trejo of Henderson.
At the induction ceremony, the A&T School of Nursing welcomed students from VGCC and the other community colleges who will be simultaneously enrolled at the university. RIBN students earn associate’s degrees in nursing over three years (while also taking A&T courses online) and then continue for one year of additional courses at A&T required for the Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree.
Above: Shown celebrating the induction of five new students in RIBN at NCA&T in Greensboro, from left, are VGCC Academic/Career Coach Seletha Pherribo, VGCC Dean of Health Sciences Angela Thomas, RIBN student inductees Jolina Chiong, Madison Hetrick, Chris Trotman, Jaslin Renteria, and April Zuniga-Trejo, VGCC Vice President of Academic Affairs Dr. Levy Brown, and Nursing Department Chair Erica Jastrow. (VGCC photo)
Erica Jastrow, the Nursing department chair for VGCC, presented each college’s student inductees with a certificate of induction as part of the ceremony, while Academic/Career Coach Seletha Pherribo read a brief biography of each one.
With five out of the 11 students selected for this year’s cohort, VGCC again had the most inductees among the three community colleges in the partnership. In 2017, VGCC had 11 of the 18 students selected, more inductees that the two other community colleges combined. In the first year of the partnership, 2016, the initial cohort consisted of three students, one from each community college.
The North Carolina Piedmont RIBN initiative is one of nine such partnerships that have been launched in North Carolina since 2008 under the direction of the Foundation for Nursing Excellence (FFNE) to increase the educational preparation of North Carolina’s nursing workforce.
In addition to recognizing the RIBN Advisory Board members, Jastrow thanked employers who have met with RIBN students to outline employment opportunities that lie ahead for graduates. “This really shows how desirable our RIBN students are,” she said. “The employers are seeking them out, wanting to come and talk with them.” She also thanked the community and university administrators for providing the fiscal and human resources to support the RIBN students.
Dr. Terry Ward, director of the A&T School of Nursing, praised the students for enrolling in RIBN. “You are going to reduce the impact on the financial debt for our country by saving money and creating a bridge to your education,” she said. “That’s extremely important in today’s times.”
Citing the rising cost of education for young people and the impact it is having, she added, “It’s amazing to see that so many people are doing what they need to do to create the future nurses that we need, to create people who will have economic stability and power. You are showing people it can be done.”
In addition to RIBN, VGCC has a partnership with A&T to allow graduates of its Associate Degree Nursing program to transition easily to the university’s four-year Bachelor’s program. For more information about Nursing at VGCC and bachelor’s degree options, contact academic/career coach Seletha Pherribo at (252) 738-3518 or Nursing department chair Erica Jastrow at (252) 738-3457.
More photos: Check out VGCC’s album on Flickr!
-Information and flyer courtesy the Vance-Granville Community College Small Business Center Facebook page
The Vance-Granville Community College Small Business Center will host the 7th Annual VGCC Small Business Summit on Monday, October 15, 2018, from 5 – 8:15 p.m. at the Warren County Armory & Convention Center.
This free event offers aspiring entrepreneurs, small business owners and non-profit leaders the opportunity to network and discover available resources in the community.
Deadline to register for the summit is Friday, October 5. Register online by clicking here.
Dinner will be served and is made possible by Duke Energy.
Schedule:
4:30 – 5 p.m. – Registration/Networking
5 – 6 p.m. – Keynote Address: What is Your Digital First Impression Online and Why it is Important – Martin Brossman
Your future customers want to know more about you then just what is on your website and they may trust you less if they don’t. We all are looking for secondary validation for everything from credible information for a product, business, person or service. This class is going to show you the free and low-cost way to make the best digital (web-based) first impression that will lead to more sales and more referrals for your business.
6 – 6:10 p.m – Break
6:10 – 7:10 p.m. – Stock Your Pantry With The Right Business Resources
Got a business idea you’d like to cook up from scratch or the possibility of expanding your business or nonprofit? Then, be inspired, gain courage and practical insights from our dynamic panel of experts from planning and zoning, insurance, accounting and legal. Panelists will share insights into pitfalls to watch out for when starting the process as well as where to find resources that can help you succeed. They will also be available for specific questions during the Q&A session to help you better achieve the outcomes you desire for your small business. Ask questions, plan next steps, meet like-minded peers and walk away ready to take action so that your “pantry” is stocked with the right business resources so that you can be successful.
7:10 – 8:10 p.m. – Top 10 Tips: How to Work with Media – Kristen Baughman
What’s a social influencer? How about a micro-influencer? Join Tabletop Media Group’s Founder Kristen Baughman for a session on “Top 10 Tips: How to Work with Media.” During her presentation, she will cover how your brand can help your small business gain more exposure by pitching and engaging with bloggers, media, Instagram stars and more.
Co-Sponsor(s): Duke Energy, Warren County EDC; Lake Gaston Regional Chamber of Commerce & Visitors Center, Chamber of Commerce of Warren County
For more information, contact Tanya Weary, Director, VGCC Small Business Center at (252) 738-3240 or smallbusiness@vgcc.edu.
(This is not a paid advertisement)
-Press Release, Vance-Granville Community College
The Vance-Granville Community College Health Sciences clubs are collecting donations at all four VGCC campuses for a “Prom Attire” collection drive through February 28, 2019.
All donations will be collected for a giveaway event to provide local high school students free attire to fulfill their prom dreams, according to Stacey Soles, VGCC’s program head for Medical Assisting and clinical coordinator for Radiography.
The drive is the second for the Health Sciences Clubs in Radiography, Human Services, Pharmacy, Histotechnology, Medical Assisting and Nursing.
Dozens of prom dresses were donated for the first “Prom Attire” collection drive held earlier this year on Vance-Granville Community College’s four campuses. A drive is now underway through February 2019 to collect suits, shirts, dresses, shoes and accessories to be donated to high school students for free to fulfill their prom dreams. Donations can be dropped off at any VGCC campus. (Photo Credit: VGCC)
The club leaders are asking that only clean, gently-used or new items be donated. All sizes will be accepted. The clubs also request that no dated items be donated.
Items that will be accepted are:
• Suits & Shirts: Tuxedos, suits, suit separates, dress shirts, slacks, vests;
• Ties & Shoes: Neck ties, bow ties, dress shoes;
• Dressy Dresses: Gowns, prom, party, formal; and
• Accessories & Shoes: Jewelry/hair accessories, handbags/clutches.
Soles said that the clubs could use more items for males. “In our initial drive, we received a good number of dresses that are available for distribution next year,” she said. “We are especially in need of suits, dress shirts and slacks for men.”
Drop-off locations are located at:
• Main Campus, Building 5, Room 5225: Audrey Stainback;
• South Campus, Building 2, Room G2212: Stacey Soles;
• Franklin Campus, Building 1, Room F1101: Priscilla Lewis; and
• Warren Campus, Building 1, Room W1101: Ruthie Davis.
For more information, donors should contact Stacey Soles at (252) 738-3515 or soless@vgcc.edu.
-Press Release, Vance-Granville Community College
The Vance-Granville Community College Board of Trustees approved a firm to assist in the search for a new president, adopted a budget for the current fiscal year, and welcomed a trustee who is returning to the board after being away for two years. The actions came at the bi-monthly meeting on Monday, Sept. 17, on the college’s Main Campus.
The Trustees selected the firm of Executive Leadership Associates (ELA) LLC of Emerald Isle to assist in the search for a replacement for Dr. Stelfanie Williams who left the college in August to take a job with Duke University.
ELA describes itself as “a consortium of former North Carolina community college presidents who are committed to ensuring that our internationally recognized community college system continues its proud tradition of excellence — one community college at a time.”
VGCC’s newest Trustee, Dr. Doris Terry Williams, was sworn in for a four-year appointment on the college board by retired District Court Judge J. Henry Banks. From left are Judge Banks, Dr. Williams and Jerry Stainback, the attorney for the Board of Trustees, who assisted with the swearing in. (Photo Credit: VGCC)
The firm will help the VGCC Board of Trustees by guiding the search process, creating a presidential profile of the ideal candidate needed, and recruiting and screening applicants as needed. The search will begin in October with plans to have the new president in place in March 2019. The trustees are expected to present finalists to the State Board of Community Colleges for evaluation early in 2019, according to Dr. Gordon Burns who is serving as interim president for the college. Dr. Burns served as president of Wilkes Community College in North Wilkesboro for 18 years before retiring in 2014.
Six firms responded to the requests for proposals, according to Trustee Deborah Brown, chair of the Trustees’ presidential search committee. Serving with Brown are Trustees Herb Gregory, vice chair; N. Annette P. Myers, Abdul Sm Rasheed, Donald C. Seifert, Sr., and Sara C. Wester.
Budget Adopted
The Trustees adopted a budget of $33,166,414 for the new fiscal year, approving VGCC’s budget resolution for Fiscal Year 2018-2019 on a recommendation from the Budget Committee of the board, chaired by Trustee Abdul Sm Rasheed.
On the Current Expense side of the budget, $19,438,484 comes from the State of North Carolina, $2,587,868 from the four counties served by the college, and $9,273,716 from institutional funds. In the Capital Outlay budget, $1,726,846 comes from the State and $139,500 from the counties.
At the county level, Vance County is contributing $1,151,597 to the current operating funds; Granville, $752,184; Franklin, $369,168; and Warren, $225,625, with an additional $89,294 coming from institutional funds. Among capital improvement funds from the counties, Vance is contributing $73,874; Granville, $39,626; Franklin, $20,000; and Warren, $6,000.
The 2018-2019 budget is allocated as follows: institutional support: $5,433,372; curriculum instruction: $10,362,152; continuing education: $2,705,504; academic support: $1,368,526; student support: $2,075,516; plant operations and maintenance: $2,018,035; proprietary/other: $2,272,851; student aid: $5,064,112; capital outlay, excluding capital improvements: $786,141; and capital improvement projects: $1,080,205.
Dr. Doris Terry Williams Appointed To Board
Dr. Doris Terry Williams was sworn in to a four-year term on the VGCC Board of Trustees after being selected by the Vance County Board of Education to fill the vacancy created when long-time Trustee L. Opie Frazier, Jr., retired.
Dr. Williams, a retired educator and administrator, returns to the Board of Trustees after being off the board for two years. She was previously appointed to the board by the Governor’s Office in 2010 to fill an unexpired term and was reappointed in 2012 for a full four-year term.
As the owner and chief executive officer of EdComm, LLC, her own consulting group, Dr. Williams provides consultation regionally and nationally on education and community development issues.
A Vance County resident, she lived in Warren County and served on the Warren County Board of Education for 12 years, including five as the board chair. She has served as executive director of the Rural School and Community Trust and director of the Trust’s Capacity Building Program. She is now a senior fellow with the Rural Trust, which is a national non-profit dedicated to addressing the crucial relationship between good rural schools and thriving rural communities. She also has served as assistant dean and associate professor in the School of Education and director of University-School Partnerships at North Carolina Central University.
In other action:
Presiding over the meeting was Board of Trustees Chair Danny Wright.
The Board of Trustees will hold its next regular meeting on Monday, November 19 at the Main Campus.
-Press Release, Vance-Granville Community College
Vance-Granville Community College’s women’s volleyball team started the 2018 season with a close home match against Patrick Henry Community College on August 29, one of 17 matches on the full schedule.
Seven of the matches are scheduled at the Lady Vanguards’ home site, Aycock Recreation Complex. The Vanguards compete in Region X of National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Division III, which includes a number of community colleges in North Carolina and Virginia.
Future home matches at Aycock include a contest with Central Carolina Community College, on Thursday, September 20, at 7 p.m.; Rockingham Community College, on Thursday, September 27, at 6 p.m.; and a doubleheader with Wake Technical Community College and Northern Virginia Community College on Friday, October 12, at 3 p.m. Home games that were scheduled with Sandhills Community College on September 13 and Louisburg College on September 15 are being rescheduled because of Hurricane Florence.
Evin Swilley (6) sets the ball for her fellow Lady Vanguards in a match against the Patrick Henry Community College Patriots at Aycock Recreation Complex on Aug. 29. VGCC welcomes Central Carolina Community College to Aycock for the next home match on Thursday, Sept. 20. (Photo Credit VGCC)
The Region X tournament is slated to begin Saturday, October 20, in Sanford.
In the first home game against the Patrick Henry CC Patriots, the away team had a 3-0 victory over the Lady Vanguards. The first set of the match was a dominant 25-14 win for the Lady Patriots, but the Lady Vanguards put up two competitive matches to round out the night, falling 26-24 and 25-21. In the second match, the Lady Vanguards had built a four-point lead late in the set. In the final set, they had notched a 20-20 tie before the Lady Patriots pulled ahead.
The Lady Vanguards were led by Evin Swilley with 11 kills and five assists, and she led the scoring with 11 points. Amber Newton and Kaitlynn Cooper had 17 and 13 digs, respectively.
In the first contest of the season, the Lady Vanguards fell to Wake Tech, 25-7, 25-18 and 25-13, in the away game. Swilley had 11 digs in that match, and Cooper had 12 total attacks. Cooper led the scoring with five points.
Jessica Smith of Roxboro is in her second year as head coach of the Lady Vanguards volleyball team.
For more information on VGCC athletics, contact Jermiel Hargrove at hargrovej@vgcc.edu or (252) 738-3246.
-Information courtesy Vance-Granville Community College
The Lady Vanguards of Vance-Granville Community College have begun their 2018 volleyball season. Seven of the matches are scheduled at the Lady Vanguards’ home site, Aycock Recreation Complex. The Vanguards compete in Region X of National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Division III, which includes a number of community colleges in North Carolina and Virginia.
Future home matches at Aycock include a contest with Central Carolina Community College, on Thursday, September 20, at 7 p.m.; Rockingham Community College, on Thursday, September 27, at 6 p.m.; and a doubleheader with Wake Technical Community College and Northern Virginia Community College on Friday, October 12, at 3 p.m. Home games that were scheduled with Sandhills Community College on September 13 and Louisburg College on September 15 are being rescheduled because of Hurricane Florence.
The Region X tournament is slated to begin Saturday, October 20, in Sanford.
-Information courtesy Vance-Granville Community College
Due to the threat of inclement weather, all campuses of Vance-Granville Community College will be closed and all classes and activities are canceled Thursday through Sunday, September 13-16.
