Tag Archive for: #vancegranvillecommunitycollege

VGCC students inducted into NC A&T Nursing partnership program

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GREENSBORO — Eleven Vance-Granville Community College students were formally inducted into the North Carolina Piedmont “Regionally Increasing Baccalaureate Nurses” (RIBN) program in a ceremony on Aug. 4 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 and Guilford Technical Community College.

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.

This year’s inductees from VGCC included Caliegh Katz and Sarah Riley, both of Creedmoor; Chiatyra Turner of Ebony, Va.; Henrry Reboccar-Miguel and Alexis Williams, both of Franklinton; Nigoria Alston and Dawson Peoples, both of Henderson; Rachel Spall of Kittrell; Jessica Morris of Oxford; Kati Hand of Wilton; and Joshua Miller of Zebulon.

Erica Jastrow, the Nursing department chair for VGCC, pinned a “RIBN ribbon” on each of the college’s student inductees as part of the ceremony, while Academic/Career Coach Seletha Pherribo read a brief biography of each one.

With 11 out of the 18 students selected for this year’s cohort, VGCC had more inductees than the other two community colleges in the partnership, combined. In 2016, the first year of the RIBN partnership, 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.

VGCC Interim Vice President of Academic Affairs Dr. Levy Brown was on hand for the ceremony and made brief remarks. “Students, we are very proud of you for taking this huge step,” Brown said. He encouraged the inductees to maintain their current levels of “enthusiasm, commitment and persistence” in order to be successful.

In closing remarks, Dr. Terry Ward, director of the A&T School of Nursing, applauded the students and said she was excited by the diversity that they represent. She also recalled that she started her own education at a community college, but there was nothing like RIBN at that time to help create a straightforward pathway to completing a bachelor’s degree. “We have developed a program which will allow you to move down this path of higher education seamlessly, setting you up for the awesome success that you desire,” Ward said. Using the metaphor of tying a ribbon, she added, “Today represents you tying yourselves together with us and with your colleagues to meet the needs in our communities for nurses. You are the future of nursing.”

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 instructor Heather Wilson at (252) 738-3393.

–VGCC–

VGCC offers Business Accelerator course for entrepreneurs

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The Vance-Granville Community College Small Business Center is offering a new six-part course, “From Idea to Open: The Business Accelerator,” on Saturdays from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m., starting Sept. 9, in Building 7 on the college’s Main Campus in Vance County.

The instructor for the course will be Chisa Pennix-Brown, CEO of Lady Bizness, based in Greensboro. Pennix-Brown has over 15 years of experience in business coaching, community outreach, and social media insight. She holds a master’s of business administration (MBA) degree and has served as president of the Piedmont Triad Chapter of the National Black MBA Association. She helps to reassess strategic priorities and develop a clear plan of action contributes to leadership effectiveness and improved performance for executives and CEOs of businesses.

“Opening a business takes a lot of energy and planning,” Pennix-Brown said. “For those that have a great idea and want to turn it into a business to make money with immediate results, they need a program that is geared to go from ‘Idea to Open’ in a short amount of time.” Pennix-Brown said that the Business Accelerator is a specially-designed, “boot camp-style” course for serious entrepreneurs.

Upon completion of the course, attendees will receive a Business Accelerator Certification and “can expect to have a completed strategic, financial, marketing, and business plan,” she added. “This program is unique as attendees will have one-on-one access with professionals in the legal, accounting, insurance, financial, graphic design, and marketing industries to complete their business vision.”

Classes are scheduled for Sept. 9, Sept. 16, Oct. 14, Oct. 21, Nov. 4 and Nov. 18.

The cost of the course is $70.

Registration can be completed online at www.vgcc.edu/schedules/small-business-center. The deadline to register is Aug. 29.

For more information, contact Tanya Weary at smallbusiness@vgcc.edu or (252) 738-3240.

–VGCC–

VGCC Practical Nursing graduates receive pins

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Vance-Granville Community College honored 16 students who have completed its one-year Practical Nursing program during a pinning ceremony on Aug. 2 in the Civic Center on the college’s Main Campus. Upon receiving diplomas, graduates of the program are eligible to sit for the national exam for licensed practical nurses (NCLEX-PN).

Among the graduates recognized at the ceremony were Victoria Adesina, Christine Atieno and Kristen Clay, all of Durham; Melissa Liming of Franklinton; Christina Basnight, Frank McGhee, Jr., Antonea Nowell and Katlyn Waddell, all of Henderson; Amy Bass of Louisburg; Frances Beddingfield of Oxford; Veronicah Nyakego of Raleigh; Mariana Ascencio and James Simpson, both of Roxboro; Rashida Washington of Stem; Rachael Basham and Gabrielle Hernandez, both of Wake Forest.

In his welcoming remarks, Dr. Levy Brown, the college’s interim vice president of academic affairs, congratulated the students on completing the rigorous program, which included precepting rotations at local health-care facilities. “With their completion of the Practical Nursing program, we are excited to watch these graduates go out into the world as Vanguard nurses,” Brown said. “Having come this far, many members of this class plan to continue their education in our LPN to ADN Transition program, for licensure as an RN, and then continue for a Bachelor’s degree in Nursing. Several would like to obtain a Master’s degree in order to work as Nurse Practitioners.”

VGCC Nursing Department Chair Erica Jastrow added her congratulations to the graduates on their success. “With success comes great responsibility,” she said. “These students will have the responsibility of preparing for a challenging licensing exam, and then keeping their patients safe, caring for them as if they were their own family members, and working with their team members to create a positive work environment. I am confident that they will accept these responsibilities and will excel in them.” She thanked students for their dedication and their family members and friends for supporting the graduates.

Antonea Nowell, the class president, made remarks on behalf of her fellow students. “To our faculty, we extend a special ‘thank you’ and a debt of gratitude for helping us reach our goals to become nurses,” Nowell said. “I want to congratulate my classmates. I feel honored to have been able to grow with you. We pushed through, encouraging and inspiring one another along the way. Some of us had to work full-time jobs, raise our children and travel over an hour to class, but we overcame every obstacle to make it to this moment that marks the beginning of our future.”

Kathy Bray, a longtime VGCC clinical nursing instructor and registered nurse, served as the guest speaker. She told the graduates that the mission of the nurse has three important qualities: caring, advocacy and empathy. “Caring begins with caring for yourself,” Bray advised. “If you’re not taking care of yourself, physically, emotionally and spiritually, chances are you will not be able to give optimal care to others.… Don’t forget the little things. That’s what patients and families and remember. Always greet your patient with a smile.”

Of the second component, advocacy, Bray said: “You may be called upon to provide emotional support. Outside of their families, you may be the most trusted person in the eyes of the patient.” Finally, she said that “empathy is the ability to understand another’s experience, to communicate and confirm that understanding to the patient, and then act in a helpful manner. Empathy begins when a nurse takes his or her profession seriously. The empathetic nurse views nursing not as a job or a task, but as a service to others.”

The ceremonies concluded with the graduates receiving their distinctive pins, roses and lamps. Finally, instructor Crystal Senter led the group in reciting the “Florence Nightingale Pledge” by candlelight.

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Computer-aided design course offered at VGCC

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Vance-Granville Community College has scheduled a “CAD with Solid Edge” course, to be held Monday through Thursday, Aug. 29 through Oct. 24, from 9 a.m. until noon, on the college’s Main Campus in Vance County. Grant funding from the NC TechHire program can help eligible area residents pay for this training.

Solid Edge is a Computer-Aided Design (CAD) software program, produced by Siemens PLM Software, which is used in a variety of industries, including advanced manufacturing.

This course introduces students to basic three-dimensional solid modeling and design software. Topics include basic design, creation, editing, rendering and analysis of solid models, and creation of multi-view drawings. Upon completion, students should be able to use design techniques to create, edit, render and generate a multi-view drawing.

Solid Edge is a portfolio of affordable, easy-to-use software tools that address all aspects of the product development process – 3D design, simulation, manufacturing, data management and more, thanks to a growing ecosystem of apps. Solid Edge combines the speed and simplicity of direct modeling with the flexibility and control of parametric design – made possible with synchronous technology. With Solid Edge, students can learn to create and print 2D drawings from 3D solid models and send solid models to a 3D printer.

The instructor for the course is Peter M. Robinson.

Students may become certified through Siemens upon passing the credentialing exam.

The cost of this course is $187 plus the cost of the textbook and the exam.

The course is approved for funding through the NC TechHire grant that VGCC received last year as part of a consortium of four community colleges. Area residents between the ages of 17-29 may qualify for grant funding, which can pay for registration fees, course fees, and certification fees.

Registration can be completed online at www.vgcc.edu/schedules/occupational-extension-schedule. The deadline to register is Aug. 22.

For more information, contact Sara Lloyd at 252-738-3433 or lloyds@vgcc.edu.

–VGCC–

Microsoft Office training courses scheduled at VGCC

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Microsoft Office software training courses are set to be offered soon at Vance-Granville Community College, and grant funding from the NC TechHire program can help eligible area residents pay for them. These courses are offered in a “hybrid” format, with some coursework online and some on VGCC’s Main Campus in Vance County.

The “Microsoft Office Specialist I” course is scheduled to start Aug. 24 and continue through Nov. 2. The on-campus meetings are set for Thursdays from 5:30-8:30 p.m. This course introduces students to word processing (Microsoft Word) and presentation (Microsoft PowerPoint) computer applications. The deadline to register is Aug. 18. The cost of the course is $187.

“Microsoft Office Specialist II” is scheduled to be held from Sept. 11 through Nov. 13, with on-campus meetings on Mondays from 6:30-9:30 p.m. In this course, students learn how to create and use spreadsheets (Microsoft Excel) and databases (Microsoft Access). The deadline to register is Sept. 4. The cost of the course is $187.

Upon completion of these courses, students should be able to demonstrate an understanding of the role and function of computers and the ability to use the computer to solve problems.

These courses are approved for funding through the NC TechHire grant that VGCC received last year as part of a consortium of four community colleges. Area residents between the ages of 17-29 may qualify for grant funding, which can pay for registration fees, course fees, and certification fees.

Registration can be completed online at www.vgcc.edu/schedules/occupational-extension-schedule.

VGCC Culinary program moves to new scheduling format

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The Vance-Granville Community College Culinary Arts program is changing the way it schedules core courses when the fall semester begins on Aug. 14. Culinary courses will now be taught in eight-week sessions rather than in the traditional 16-week semester format.

“One benefit of the eight-week format is that our students will have more concentrated time in each specific lab,” explained VGCC Culinary Arts Program Head/instructor Chef Teresa Davis. Even though each individual course will be completed in fewer weeks than under the former schedule, the amount of instructional time spent in each course will be the same. A baking class might meet for three hours each week instead of one hour, for example, allowing students to continue their training rather than waiting several days between classes.

“We think that this schedule should make it easier for many students to schedule their classes around their jobs and other responsibilities, along with any Work-Based Learning opportunities that they may have,” Davis added.

Four courses will be offered during the fall semester’s first eight-week mini-term, from Aug. 14 through Oct. 11: Sanitation & Safety (CUL-110), Baking I (CUL-160), Culinary Skills II (CUL-240) and Pastry & Confections (CUL-280).

Then, two other courses will be offered from Oct. 12 through Dec. 11: Culinary Skills I (CUL-140) and Global Cuisines (CUL-230).

The Culinary Arts degree program, based at the Masonic Home for Children at Oxford, prepares students to assume positions as trained culinary professionals in a variety of settings, including full-service restaurants, hotels, resorts, clubs, catering operations, contract foodservice, and health care facilities. In addition to the associate degree, VGCC offers certificates in “Basic Baking” and “Restaurant Hospitality.” Eligible high school students can enroll in Basic Baking through the Career & College Promise program.

For more information about the Culinary Arts program, contact Chef Teresa Davis at davist@vgcc.edu or (919) 690-0312.

Recent VGCC Culinary Arts graduate Hayya Wright of Louisburg prepares a dish in the kitchen at the Masonic Home for Children at Oxford, where the program is based. (VGCC photo)

 

VGCC Pharmacy Technology students train foster parents

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Students in the Pharmacy Technology program at Vance-Granville Community College recently helped provide important training to Granville County foster parents.

Under the supervision of Pharmacy Technology Program Head Dr. Erica Fleming, students conducted medication management training, which is a state requirement for family foster home licensing, at the Granville County Department of Social Services (DSS). In such training, foster parents learn about understanding prescription labels, administering drugs, record-keeping, medication disposal, medication storage, psychotropic medications and medication errors. 

“VGCC offered an excellent training opportunity,” said LaVerne Smith, licensing and adoptions social worker for Granville County DSS. “The presentation was very informative and the handouts and visuals were excellent. It addressed all areas that our families need to know. This resource will be a great addition to our training repertoire. We are hoping to work in partnership with the Vance-Granville Community College Pharmacy Program to continue Medication Management training on a yearly basis.”

Fleming said that the partnership with Granville County DSS not only helped local foster parents, and in turn, foster children, but also formed part of the VGCC students’ study of community pharmacy practice.

For more information on the VGCC Pharmacy Technology program, call Dr. Fleming at (252) 738-3482.

From left, VGCC Pharmacy Technology student Tamika Everett of Creedmoor, Kristen Honaker of Henderson, Lesli Miranda of Henderson, Licensing and Adoptions Social Worker LaVerne Smith of Granville County DSS, program head Dr. Erica Fleming, Emily Adcock of Oxford and Ashley Hobgood of Henderson.

VGCC Franklin Campus salutes Child Care Center graduates

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Six new graduates of the Child Care Center on Vance-Granville Community College’s Franklin County Campus were honored in a ceremony on July 12 as they prepared to enter kindergarten. The students were Cody Collier of Henderson; Arianna Abbott, Colton Leonard, Joshua Stallings and Aiden Zalewski, all of Louisburg; and Chase Snelling of Youngsville.

Welcoming remarks were provided by Bobbie Jo May, the dean of the Franklin County Campus. She thanked and applauded the staff of the five-star center, and said that the VGCC mission of educating, inspiring and supporting a diverse community of learners to achieve success starts at the pre-school level. “Your children have developed a love of learning here,” May told the assembled family members. “Our staff’s patient instruction and love for these children have helped to turn them into strong, confident kindergarten students.”

Child Care Center manager Michelle Patterson Jones and child care center teacher Teresa Gallatin presented the children with diplomas. Jones also handed out unique “personality certificates” to the students.

Abbott was honored with certificates for “Creativity” and for being a “Math Monster.” Leonard received the “Reading” and “Lawyer” awards. Zalewski was presented with certificates labeled “Enthusiastic Learner” and “Wild Kratts” (after the educational television series about animals and the environment). Stallings was named a “Peace Maker” and a “Creative Thinker” and received a certificate for “Giant Improvement.” Collier received the “Active Athlete” and “Most Dramatic” awards. Snelling was recognized for being “Quiet as a Mouse” and the “Academic Whisperer.”

Lila Johnson of Louisburg, a younger student at the center, served as marshal for the graduation, carrying the American flag as the students processed and recessed.

With the departure of the graduates, spaces for several children are currently available. Parents from among the general public can enroll their children there, as can parents who are VGCC students or employees. For more information, call Michelle Patterson Jones at (919) 496-1567.

–VGCC–

Watercolor class offered at VGCC Main Campus

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Artist Stephen Filarsky of Franklinton will teach a Watercolor class at Vance-Granville Community College’s Main Campus this fall. The class is scheduled for Tuesdays from 9:15 a.m. until 12:15 p.m., Sept. 5 through Dec. 12, in room 5224 (Building 5).

While Filarksy will be concentrating on watercolor techniques, he will also be instructing students in whatever additional medium in which they would like to work.

Filarsky has painted watercolor portraits and landscapes professionally for 25 years but has been an artist since he was in high school. In college, he said he “studied Architectural Engineering and Drafting, but changed directions and learned and worked at gold leaf and gilding, hand lettering and design.”

Filarsky has taught “plein air” (painting outdoors) workshops in Virginia, South Carolina and North Carolina, along with workshops for Jerry’s Artarama and Art of the Carolinas. He currently gives private lessons and occasional workshops at his studio. Filarsky is a graduate of VGCC’s NC REAL Professional Craft Artists Entrepreneurship program.

The cost of the VGCC watercolor course is $100, which works out to less than $2.50 per hour of instruction. The deadline to register is Aug. 29. Registration can be completed online at www.vgcc.edu/schedules/personal-enrichment or at any VGCC campus. For more information, contact Gail Clark at (252) 738-3385 or ped@vgcc.edu.

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VGCC Completes Renovation of Histotechnology Lab

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A laboratory has been renovated to house the new Histotechnology program on Vance-Granville Community College’s Main Campus, the VGCC Board of Trustees was informed at its Monday, July 17, bi-monthly meeting.

The renovation, which cost $15,230, was part of a project covering miscellaneous repairs and renovations on the college campus between Henderson and Oxford, according to Trustee Donald C. Seifert, Sr., chair of the board’s Building Committee.

The Bioprocess Technology laboratory that was previously located in Building 8 was retrofitted to house the health sciences curriculum program. The Bioprocess program has moved to the Franklin County Campus.

The Histotechnology program prepares students for the medical laboratory field. The two-year associate’s degree Histotechnology program provides students the knowledge and skills necessary to prepare tissue specimens for microscopic examination using various stains and dyes to identify tissue and cell structures in medical laboratories. Course work covers scientific concepts related to laboratory testing, microscopy and quality assurance. Graduates may be eligible to apply to take the American Society for Clinical Pathology Board of Certification national examination.

In other Building Committee updates, Seifert said roofing replacement is progressing on Building 6 on the Main Campus, and repairs and the resealing of the parking lots at South Campus are expected to be complete by the end of July.

Board Officers

Trustee Danny W. Wright of Henderson was re-elected as the chair of the board, Trustee Herb Gregory of Oxford was re-elected as vice-chair, and Trustee Deborah F. Brown of Henderson was re-elected as secretary after nominations from a committee chaired by Trustee L. Opie Frazier, Jr.

North Carolina Ninth District Court Judge Henry Banks, who is working part-time after his recent retirement, swore in Trustee Brown for a third four-year term on the board. Brown was appointed by the Vance County Board of Commissioners. She first joined the Board of Trustees in 2009 and will serve though 2021.

Moment of Silence

At the start of the meeting, Trustee Chair Wright acknowledged the recent death of Trustee Emeritus John King Nelms of Oxford. Nelms, who died at the age of 95 on June 22, served on the Board of Trustees in an advisory capacity from 1971 to 1973 and as an active member from 1973 until 2005. He served as chair in 1983-84 and from 1999 to 2003. He was named VGCC’s first — and to date, only —Trustee Emeritus upon his retirement.

“He just loved this college and did so much for it,” said Wright before leading the board in a Moment of Silence.

Nelms, who served for three decades as director of the Granville County Economic Development Commission, was instrumental in getting Granville involved in supporting what was originally Vance County Technical Institute, leading eventually to VGCC’s main campus near the Vance-Granville county line.

Budget Amendments

Upon recommendation from the Budget Committee, chaired by Trustee Abdul Rasheed, the 2016-2017 Budget Resolution was amended. The State Current Fund increased $1,915,633 to $22,460,933, the County Current Fund was unchanged at $2,515,573, and the Institutional Fund increased $436,178 to $11,202,582, for a combined Amended Operating Budget of $36,179,088. The Capital Improvement Budget was unchanged at $746,068. The total Combined Amended Budget is $36,925,156.

Fall Semester

In her report to the board, VGCC President Dr. Stelfanie Williams informed the Trustees that the new Fall Semester starts Monday, Aug. 14, with signs pointing to an increase in enrollment compared to last fall. Registration for curriculum classes runs through Thursday, Aug. 10.

Among various events and activities since the last board meeting, Dr. Williams updated the Trustees on VGCC receiving high national rankings from various national organizations. The college placed seventh on the list of top community colleges in North Carolina by BestColleges.com and 19th among online schools in the state by the Community for Accredited Online Schools. She also reported on VGCC’s recently signed agreement with North Carolina Central University to offer two bachelor’s degree programs on Main Campus. The new Eagle Voyage offerings include a bachelor’s in Early Childhood Education and a bachelor’s in Family and Consumer Sciences with a concentration in Child Development and Family Relations.

Dr. Williams announced the Trustees will have a Board Retreat on Monday, Aug. 28.

Other Action

In other action:

  • New and amended board policies for the 2017-2018 Policy Manual were approved by the Trustees on recommendation from the Executive Committee, chaired by Trustee Wright. The policies cover areas of institutional governance, public information and campus safety, personnel policies, academic affairs, institutional research and technology, and finance and operations.
  • Trustee L. Opie Frazier, Jr., chair of the Investment Committee, reported on the progress of the college’s investments.
  • An informational report on new employees, retirements, resignations and changes in positions was given by the Personnel Committee, chaired by Trustee Sara C. Wester.

The next meeting of the VGCC Board of Trustees will be held on Monday, Sept. 18, at the Main Campus.

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