Tag Archive for: #vancegranvillecommunitycollege

VGCC programs receive high national rankings

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Three national organizations recently recognized Vance-Granville Community College with high rankings for high-quality, affordable education, offered online or on-campus.

The Community for Accredited Online Schools (AccreditedSchoolsOnline.org), a leading resource for higher education and college accreditation information, recently released its national rankings for the 2016-2017 school year. The organization ranked VGCC as having the nation’s 34th Best Pharmacy Technician program as well as the nation’s 49th Best Beauty/Cosmetology program.

VGCC offers Cosmetology at all four of its campuses, while the Pharmacy Technology program is based on the college’s Main Campus in Vance County. Both programs have options for certain courses to be completed online or in hybrid formats combining online and traditional face-to-face instruction. The college offers certificate and diploma programs in Cosmetology, a Cosmetology Instructor certificate, along with both a diploma and a two-year associate degree in Pharmacy Technology.

“We wanted to highlight schools like Vance-Granville Community College, who are striving for excellence in education,” said Doug Jones, CEO and Founder of the California-based Community for Accredited Online Schools. “These colleges offer an exceptional educational experience, upholding rigorous accreditation standards and showing an overall commitment to maximizing student success.”

In order for colleges to qualify for the rankings, they must hold public or private not-for-profit status and carry institutional accreditation. Top schools are determined by using a value-based methodology that analyzes more than a dozen qualitative and quantitative data points.

Meanwhile, Nevada-based Affordable Colleges Online (AffordableCollegesOnline.org) has ranked VGCC as the 25th “Best Online College” in North Carolina for 2016-2017. The organization evaluated colleges and universities based on cost of tuition and fees, the percentage of full-time students receiving institutional financial aid, the number of online programs offered, and the student-to-teacher ratio. Affordable Colleges Online has distinguished its ranking scale by the use of Peer-Based Value, or PBV. The PBV score compares the cost of each program to the cost of similar programs with the same qualitative score. Earlier this year, AccreditedSchoolsOnline.org ranked VGCC as the top two-year college in North Carolina for online programs.

VGCC has expanded its online course offerings in recent years. In 2015, the college launched the VOLT (Vanguard Online Learning through Technology) initiative, primarily with working adults in mind. Through VOLT, five two-year degree programs are now offered 100-percent online — Associate in Arts (College Transfer), Business Administration, Criminal Justice, Medical Office Administration – Coding Specialist, and Global Logistics and Distribution Management Technology. In addition, students can take online courses in combination with traditional face-to-face courses to complete any VGCC degree program.

VOLT students enjoy several specific benefits, including priority registration and guaranteed course availability. They also have access to many online resources that are available to all VGCC students, such as library services, testing and the Bookstore. Courses offered through VOLT have the same low tuition as all other VGCC courses, making them more affordable than their counterparts at for-profit institutions. In addition, Duke Energy, a longtime corporate supporter of VGCC, has provided funds for scholarships specifically for VOLT students. For more information about VOLT, visit volt.vgcc.edu or call Evelyn Harris at (252) 738-3254, or Melanie Copeland at (252) 738-3271.

One of the VOLT programs, Criminal Justice, was recognized by AffordableColleges.com as number 21 on the list of the nation’s 50 best values in online associate degrees in Criminal Justice. “In our rigorous review of schools across the nation, we set out to find the programs that combine quality with affordability, and VGCC rose to the top,” said Vanessa Green of Texas-based AffordableColleges.com. “Our mission is to help students find a path to a rewarding, quality education that won’t leave them crippled by student debt. We love connecting students with institutions that match those ideals, and we’re pleased to feature VGCC.” On its website, the organization noted that “VGCC is a state leader in delivering online courses, as well as fully-online degree programs; the school uses the Moodle content management system.”
“The faculty and staff at Vance-Granville continue to demonstrate excellence and innovation, which is reflected in these national rankings,” said Dr. Stelfanie Williams, president of VGCC. “More and more people are realizing the value that our programs offer, as we educate, inspire and support Vanguards to prepare for success in Cosmetology, Criminal Justice, Pharmacy Technology or any number of other career fields.”

Registration is going on now for the spring 2017 semester at VGCC, which begins Jan. 9.

VGCC Bioprocess program moving to Franklin Campus

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The Vance-Granville Community College Bioprocess Technology degree program will be based at the college’s Franklin County Campus, starting in January 2017.

The program has been located at the college’s Main Campus in Vance County since its inception in January 2006. The biotechnology lab on Main Campus will now be used primarily by the new Histotechnology degree program instead.

The Franklin Campus, located on N.C. 56 just outside of Louisburg, has actually had a biotech lab longer than the Main Campus has. VGCC has conducted the one-semester BioWork Process Technician course in the lab on the Franklin Campus since it was first offered in 2001. Novozymes North America of Franklinton made monetary and equipment donations to the lab from the outset, and has continued to support VGCC over the years. That lab has also been used by the Bioprocess Technology curriculum degree program from time to time.

“Moving to the Franklin County Campus will strategically locate our program closer to Novozymes and other major employers in the biomanufacturing and pharmaceutical industries, while also promoting economic development in the Franklin County area,” said VGCC Bioprocess Technology program head/instructor Dr. Tara Hamilton. “We look forward to welcoming new students who want to succeed in this growing career field.”

The Bioprocess Technology curriculum is designed to prepare students to work as process operators or quality control analysts in biological products manufacturing facilities. Students receive instruction in a combination of basic science and communication skills, manufacturing technologies, and good manufacturing practices. In addition to the two-year associate in applied science degree, VGCC offers a 16-hour Bioprocess Technology certificate, which is open to eligible high school students through the Career & College Promise program.

VGCC is part of the North Carolina Community College System’s BioNetwork, a statewide initiative that connects community colleges serving the pharmaceutical and biotechnology sectors, providing specialized training, curricula and equipment.

Registration is going on now for the spring 2017 semester at VGCC, which begins Jan. 9. For more information on Bioprocess Technology, contact Dr. Tara Hamilton at (252) 738-3285 or hamiltont@vgcc.edu.

 

Two longtime members retire from VGCC endowment board

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John K. Nelms and Julia Ann Taylor, both of Oxford, recently announced their retirement from the Vance-Granville Community College Endowment Fund Board of Directors, effective in December.

Nelms has been on the board of directors since 1978. Among his numerous contributions to the Endowment Fund, Nelms created the Mary Ruth Nelms Presidential Scholar Award in 2009 in memory of his late wife of 61 years. The Endowment board also created a Presidential Scholar Award in his honor in 2011.

When the college was still young, Nelms — then the director of the Granville County Economic Development Commission — was instrumental in getting his county involved in supporting what was then Vance County Technical Institute. He persuaded Granville County commissioners to join Vance County in funding the school and in locating its main campus near the county line between Henderson and Oxford. Nelms served on the VGCC Board of Trustees in an advisory capacity from 1971 until 1973, and as an active member from 1973 until 2005. He was its chair from 1983 through 1984 and from 1999 until 2003. Nelms was named VGCC’s first (and to date, only) Trustee Emeritus upon his retirement.

Taylor, meanwhile, has served on the Endowment Fund board since 1985 and has been the board’s secretary for all of those years. She is responsible for endowing the college’s Grace Hamme Jester Presidential Merit Award scholarship, in memory of her aunt, and she helped, along with other family members, to endow the Joseph and Carrie P. Hamme Presidential Merit Award. Active in her community, Taylor served on the Granville County Planning Board for 28 years — the longest period of service of any resident on any Granville County board — while also volunteering with the local historical and genealogical societies. Both Taylor and her husband, Dr. Richard Taylor, received the John Penn Citizen Award from the Granville County Chamber of Commerce in 2015.

The board of directors oversees the Endowment Fund Corporation, a nonprofit organization established in 1976 to seek and receive scholarship funds and other contributions for the college. The most recent additions to the board include Clay Frazier of Henderson, the president of Universal Leaf North America, U.S.; Darryl Moss, the mayor of Creedmoor; and Josh Towne of Henderson, the owner/operator of the Chick-fil-A franchise in Henderson.

Other current board members include Robert L. Hubbard (the vice-chair), Julius Banzet III, Sarah Baskerville, Jim Chatman, Rep. James W. Crawford, Jr., Dr. Ben F. Currin, L. Opie Frazier, Jr., Rev. Dr. Richard M. Henderson, T.S. Royster, Jr., Donald C. Seifert, Sr., and Todd Wemyss. As president of VGCC, Dr. Stelfanie Williams chairs the board.

Through the Endowment Fund, VGCC has awarded more than 8,800 scholarships to students since 1982. Scholarships have been endowed by numerous individuals, industries, businesses, civic groups, churches and the college’s faculty and staff. Tax-deductible donations to the VGCC Endowment Fund have often been used to honor or remember a person, group, business or industry with a lasting gift to education. For more information about the Endowment Fund, call (252) 738-3409.

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.

VGCC Women’s Volleyball season ends with historic ‘firsts’

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For the Vance-Granville Community College Vanguards, the 2016 women’s volleyball season will long be remembered as historic. VGCC compiled a winning record (14-8) in the regular season, reached .500 in conference play (6-6), and won a match in the postseason — all for the first time in the history of the program.

In fact, those were all goals that Coach Christopher Young had set for the Vanguards at the beginning of the year. “We accomplished each of these goals and will build on those goals heading into next season,” Young said. “I am extremely happy with how our team performed throughout the season, leading up to our Region X Tournament. Our student-athletes practiced hard and gave everything they had while on the court competing, and as a coach, that’s all you can ask your athletes to do.”

In addition, the team’s two sophomores received All-Region X honors from coaches in the conference. Kiyanna Kearney of Henderson was named to the First Team, becoming just the second Vanguard ever to receive that honor, and was runner-up for Player of the Year. Jesse Edwards of Henderson, meanwhile, received an Honorable Mention for the All-Region team.

VGCC closed out the regular season by winning a doubleheader at home over Danville Community College on Oct. 18. In another “first,” the Vanguards played a home match somewhere other than Aycock Recreation Center in Henderson, because the contest had been rescheduled from an earlier date. Long Mill Elementary School in Youngsville served as the location. The first match was a 3-1 victory for VGCC, with the visitors eking out a 28-26 win in the first set but the Vanguards coming back to win 25-14, 25-15 and 25-10. Kearney led her team with 20 kills. Stormi Abernathy of Yanceyville posted a whopping 48 assists. Edwards had 4 digs along with 15 kills. VGCC won the second match over DCC in three sets (25-23, 25-16 and 25-16). Kearney posted 13 kills and 7 digs. Abernathy made 26 assists and 3 solo blocks.

In the NJCAA Division III Region X conference tournament, hosted by Sandhills Community College in Pinehurst, VGCC was seeded fourth, another high-water mark for the program. In the opening round, on Oct. 22, the Vanguards faced fifth-seeded Rockingham Community College and swept the Eagles in three sets (25-19, 25-18 and 30-28). Hannah Arneth of Oxford led VGCC in kills, with 15. Kearney had the most digs (20) while also posting 12 kills. Abernathy made 30 assists and 16 digs. Edwards contributed 15 digs and 8 kills.

Advancing to the tournament semifinals for the first time, the VGCC squad played their second match of the day against top-seeded Patrick Henry Community College, which only had one loss in conference play this season. The result was a three-set victory (25-9, 25-15 and 25-13) for the Patriots, who then went on to capture the Region X title by defeating Sandhills in the championship match. Coach Young called PHCC “an extremely talented team.” In the loss, Arneth again had the most kills (10) while Abernathy led in digs (11) and in assists (17). Kearney, in her final match as a Vanguard, posted 3 solo blocks, 9 digs and 6 kills. Edwards, also closing out her VGCC career, contributed 5 kills and 8 digs.

“Coming into the season, we knew we only had two returning players, Jesse and Kiyanna, and we were going to need to rely on freshmen to step up early and contribute, which they did in a big way,” Coach Young reflected. “Players like Hannah Arneth, Stormi Abernathy, Katelynn Ray, Hanna Williams and Allyson Cash were a large piece of the puzzle for our team, while Ashley Parker, Madison Waddle and Nicole Bowman contributed throughout the season when called upon. When the postseason rolled around, our team seemed to be playing some of the best volleyball we had been playing all season. Hannah, Kiyanna and Jesse really stepped up their games during our Region X Tournament.”

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.

Incident on Main Campus Reported at Vance-Granville Community College

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On Thursday September 22nd at around 4:00 p.m., Joshua Abraham Coles, 26, of 11 Delta Place, Henderson was charged with misdemeanor assault on a Government Employee, resisting a public officer, and second degree trespass on the main campus of Vance-Granville Community College.

Information published in a Public Information Release said, “Mr. Coles was a person of interest in an investigation being conducted by the VGCC campus police department. He was asked to leave the campus. He refused to leave and assaulted a security officer and a campus police officer. No injuries reported from the suspect or officers involved.”

VGCC Women’s Volleyball team honors sophomores

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The Vance-Granville Community College Vanguards women’s volleyball program paid tribute to its sophomore leaders on Oct. 11, just before a match with conference rival Davidson County Community College at Aycock Recreation Center in Henderson.

The two second-year players rounding out their VGCC playing careers are Jesse Edwards and Kiyanna Kearney, both of Henderson. Edwards is a Northern Vance High School graduate, while Kearney is a product of Southern Vance High School, where she played not only volleyball but also softball and basketball. Edwards is a College Transfer student at VGCC, with plans to enter the Associate Degree Nursing program in 2017. Kearney, meanwhile, is studying Criminal Justice.

The “Sophomore Night” match turned out to be a thriller. A hard-fought first set ended with a 25-23 victory for the Storm from Davidson County, who then secured a more dominant 25-14 victory in the second set. But the Vanguards came back to win the third set, 25-22, and the fourth, 25-20, forcing a decisive fifth set. The Storm edged out the home team, 15-12, to win the match with a 3-2 victory.

VGCC’s two sophomores were, as usual, key players that evening. Kearney led her squad with 20 kills, with Edwards second at 16. Kearney also had the most digs (31) and solo blocks (4). Meanwhile, freshman Stormi Abernathy contributed all 50 of the team’s recorded assists, along with 19 digs. Katelynn Ray, also a freshman, made 19 digs as well, while Edwards posted 17 digs.

The loss brought VGCC’s record to 11-7, and followed a pair of conference wins (3-1, 3-0) over Rockingham Community College.

Eaton-Johnson Middle School, VGCC partner to show students pathways

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As local educational partners, Vance-Granville Community College and Eaton-Johnson Middle School in Henderson help inspire young students to prepare for higher education. A faculty member recently made a visit to the middle school and brought along an EJMS alumna who is now a VGCC student.

VGCC Public Services Department Chair Steven Hargrove was accompanied on his visit by McKallah Pendergrass of Henderson, a Criminal Justice Technology student who had not set foot in her old middle school in years. Pendergrass is preparing to graduate this academic year and plans to transfer to either North Carolina Central University or UNC-Charlotte.

Hargrove and Pendergrass met with the middle school’s lead counselor, Dr. Priscilla Chavis-Lockley, who took them on a tour of the new EJMS Paxton/Patterson lab. Established under the leadership of the school’s new principal, Dr. Brad Jones, the lab features hands-on stations that help students learn about various fields, including manufacturing, robotics, forensics, audiovisual production and computer graphics.

Hargrove noted the clear connections between all the lab’s different skill areas and VGCC’s Business and Applied Technologies programs, showing students that they could continue to study these fields at their local college. As a longtime Criminal Justice instructor, Hargrove was particularly interested in the forensic science computer program that students were using to create a digital reconstruction of the face of a criminal suspect. He noted that now, students have a new opportunity to complete an entire bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice without leaving VGCC’s main campus, thanks to the “Eagle Voyage” partnership with North Carolina Central University. The program is set to graduate its first students in 2017.

“It is important for us to talk to eighth-graders about college,” Hargrove noted, “because that is when they start thinking about careers. They need to start planning their high school and college education and they need to see pathways. We must let students and their parents know about the opportunities that are available.”

Planning for college studies at the middle school level has become increasingly important in recent years, as students have options to enroll in Early College High Schools, offered by VGCC in partnership with local school systems, starting in the ninth grade. In addition, new Career & College Promise pathways have been developed for students in traditional high schools to earn college credits, tuition-free.

Eaton-Johnson’s partnership with VGCC is largely the result of the efforts of Dr. Chavis-Lockley, who earned two degrees at Vance-Granville — early childhood education and associate in arts (college transfer) — before moving on to North Carolina Central University for a bachelor’s degree and three master’s degrees, and to North Carolina State University for a doctorate in education and counseling. She also established a student ambassador program at EJMS that has partnered with VGCC’s own ambassador program in the past.

Days after the visit to the middle school by VGCC, the partnership continued as a group of EJMS students visited the college campus for the annual “Manufacturing Day” event to learn about technical careers.