VAN GRAN
V A N C E - G R A N V I L L E C O M M U N I T Y C O L L E G E’ S M O N T H L Y N E W S L E T T E R
October 2013
Vol. 26, No. 3
Page 2
Have You Completed
Your GED?
Make Plans Now!
Page 4
Glen Raven Awarded
E3 Scholarship
Page 5
Interested in
Education?
Mark Your Calendar
for Oct. 14
Page 6
Looking for a
Career in Applied
Technology?
Come to the Expo
Oct. 15
Page 7
Want to be a Nurse
or Radiographer?
Vance-Granville Community College is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges to award associate degrees. Contact the Commission on Colleges at 1866
Southern Lane, Decatur, Georgia 30033-4097 or call 404-679-4500 for questions about the accreditation of Vance-Granville Community College. Vance-Granville Community College is an equal opportunity,
affirmative action institution. The college serves all students regardless of race, creed, color, age, sex, national origin, or disabling conditions. Vance-Granville Community College is a Tobacco-Free College.
U.S. Representative
George Holding visited
the main campus of Vance-
Granville Community Col-lege
on Aug. 22. It was the
first visit to the college by
Holding, who is in his first
term representing North
Carolina’s 13th congressio-nal
district, which includes
parts of Vance, Granville
and Franklin counties. The
congressman was accom-panied
by his district di-rector,
Alice McCall. After
receiving an overview of
the college from President
Stelfanie Williams and oth-er
senior administrators,
Holding and McCall took
a campus tour, conducted
by two student ambassa-dors,
Theresa Chiplis and
Ruthie Davis. The tour in-cluded
the labs for VGCC’s
Bioprocess Technology, Au-tomotive
Systems Technol-ogy,
Welding Technology,
and Pharmacy Technology.
At each stop, Holding met
Congressman Holding Visits VGCC
HOLDING VISIT: From left, VGCC student ambassador
Theresa Chiplis, U.S. Rep. George Holding, student ambas-sador
Ruthie Davis and Dr. Stelfanie Williams.
with faculty members and
advisory committee mem-bers
for each program.
Finally, the congress-man
saw the college’s
Building 10 (also known as
the Corporate Campus), lo-cated
on Poplar Creek Road
just across the street from
VGCC’s main operations.
This facility is being reno-vated
to house education
and training programs. Also
on this property is a high
concentration photovoltaic
solar module system in-stalled
by Semprius, which
serves as a testing model for
the manufacturer and pro-vides
energy to the college.
Rep. Holding then joined
VGCC officials on a tour of
the Semprius production
facility, located opposite In-terstate
85 from the college
campus.
VGCC welcomed over 800 students this summer during New Student Orientation
(NSO) sessions! NSO is mandatory. New students must attend an orientation session
before they can register for spring 2014 classes. But in addition, students who enrolled
at VGCC this fall but did not attend an orientation session this summer must attend an
“Enrolled New Student Orientation.” Sign up for one of the Enrolled New Student
Orientation sessions in October to be ready for spring registration by visiting:
www.vgcc.edu/AdmissionsOffice/orientation.cfm.
Have You Attended Orientation? It’s A ‘Must’!
WARREN CAMPUS
(Building 4):
Wednesday, October 16
5:30 p.m.
MAIN CAMPUS
(Civic Center, Bldg. 9):
Thursday, October 17
1 p.m. & 5:30 p.m.
FRANKLIN CAMPUS
(Room F100):
Tuesday, October 22
2 p.m.
SOUTH CAMPUS
(Room G134):
Tuesday, October 29
1 p.m.
SEE PAGE 3 FOR MORE NEW STUDENT ORIENTATION INFORMATION.
Enrolled New Student Orientations:
Page 2 Upcoming News
The VGCC Small Busi­ness Center’s second annual Small Business Summit, en­titled “Know What’s Vital to Your Business Today,” will be held in the Civic Center on VGCC’s Main Campus on Tuesday, October 22 from 5:30 until 8:30 p.m. Business representatives and interest­ed members of the commu­nity are invited to this event, which has been organized in partnership with the Gran­ville County Chamber of Commerce, the Henderson-Vance Chamber of Commerce, the Chamber of Commerce of Warren County and the Great­er Franklin County Chamber of Commerce, and presented by sponsor Duke Energy.
The Small Business Sum­mit will feature guest speakers and interactive discussions, as well as an expo at which area businesses and agencies that
VGCC is reminding area adults who have started but not completed the GED that the current version of the test, known as the 2002 Series GED Test, will expire at the end of the year. The national GED Testing Service will re­place that series with a new version on Jan. 2, 2014.
Students who have completed at least one part of the GED test, but not passed all five content areas, have until the end of 2013 to pass all of the test components. Other­wise, the students’ previous scores will expire and they will need to start over again with the new 2014 GED test in order to receive their high school equivalency creden­tial. The five content areas include writing, reading, social studies, science, and math.
In order to help all students be successful, VGCC has scheduled additional evening classes for students who need extra assistance preparing for one or more of the con­tent areas. VGCC provides free GED preparation classes at all four college campuses, as well as several other com­munity sites and online.
GED completion has opened doors to better jobs and college programs for more than 18 million graduates since 1942. Last year, nearly 800,000 adults sat for the GED test, which is accepted by virtually all U.S. colleges and employers. The GED Testing Service periodically makes
Current Version of GED Expiring Dec. 31
changes to the test, ensuring that the program continues to be a reliable and valuable pathway to a better life for the millions of adults without a high school diploma. The 2014 GED test will consist of four content areas: Reasoning through Language Arts, Mathematical Reasoning, Science, and Social Studies.
For more information, contact VGCC Adult Basic Skills at (252) 738-3315 or barham@vgcc.edu.
Small Business Summit To Be Held At VGCC October 22
help sponsor the event will exhibit their products and services. According to VGCC Small Business Center Direc­tor Tanya Weary, this year’s event features presentations on health-care, marketing and leadership.
On the topic of leader­ship, attendees will hear from Hilda Pinnix-Ragland, vice president of corporate public affairs for Duke Energy and a member (and former chair) of the State Board of Community Colleges. Amy Wood Pasquini of Our State magazine will speak on marketing. Pasquini is not only the marketing de­velopment director for Our State, but is also executive pro­ducer of content for the Emmy Award-winning UNC-TV se­ries based on the magazine. Harry Ponder of Carolina Business Services in Weaver­ville, will discuss the federal Affordable Care Act and how it will affect small businesses.
In addition to present­ing sponsor Duke Energy, the summit is supported by “gold sponsors” CenturyLink, The Daily Dispatch and Wake Electric Membership Cor­poration; “silver sponsors” Express Employment Pro­fessionals and The Frank­lin Times; and contributors Screen Master, Cornerstone Facility Services, Inc., Farm Bureau of Vance County, the Butner-Creedmoor News, the Oxford Public Ledger, Lakes Media/ US 98.3 (WLUS) Ra­dio, WIZS Radio and The Warren Record.
Tickets for the Small Busi­ness Summit are $15, which will include a box dinner and the opportunity to win nu­merous door prizes. For more information and to register in advance, call Small Business Center Director Tanya Weary at (252) 738-3240 or e-mail her at smallbusiness@vgcc.edu. News from August Page 3
VGCC recently held a “Boot Camp” for student-athletes, consisting of a series of workshops over a two-day period just before the beginning of the fall semester. The primary focus of the camp was on helping each student succeed in academics and in their future careers. On Aug. 14, the camp kicked off with a presentation by Arlene Ugbaja, director of transfer services at North Carolina Central University (pictured). She talked with student-athletes about transferring to the four-year level, and noted that NCCU offers a scholarship specifically for students who transfer from any North Carolina community college.
Special guests on the second day of the boot camp included Twanna Jones, executive director of the Henderson-based charitable organization Area Christians To­gether in Services (ACTS), and Linda Weaver, who chairs the ACTS board of directors. They discussed possible community service opportunities for students. At VGCC, all student-athletes are required to participate in service projects. Jen Hall of Orthopaedic Specialists of North Carolina, athletic trainer for the Vanguards, also discussed her role during a boot camp session on Aug. 15. Other sessions featured discussions on re­sponsible use of social networking sites like Twitter and Facebook, time management and classroom etiquette, the Regroup communication system, and a presentation on financial aid and money management skills with VGCC Director of Financial Aid Kali Brown. Dr. Tolokun Omokunde, the coordinator of VGCC’s Male Mentoring Program, discussed teamwork, mentoring and his own experience as a student-athlete. Tim MacNeil, assistant coordinator for the VGCC Academic Skills Center, discussed study skills and his department’s online and traditional tutoring services. Director of Career Services Linda Fletcher offered tips on professionalism and job interviews, as well as on the resources offered by the college’s Career Center.
MAIN CAMPUS
Civic Center, Bldg. 9
(252) 492-2061
FRANKLIN CAMPUS
Room F100
(919) 496-1567
SOUTH CAMPUS
Room G134
(919) 528-4737
Tuesday, November 12
9 a.m.
Thursday, November 7
2 p.m.
WARREN CAMPUS
Building 4
(252) 257-1900
Wednesday, November 20
5:30 p.m.
Wednesday, October 23
9 a.m.
Tuesday, December 10
5 p.m.
Wednesday, December 4
5:30 p.m.
Wednesday, December 11
5:30 p.m.
Wednesday, November 13
9 a.m. & 5:30 p.m.
Wednesday, January 8
5:30 p.m.
Spring 2014 New Student Orientation Sessions
New Students Must Attend Orientation
New students planning to attend VGCC for spring 2014 should also go to the Orientation page (www.vgcc.edu/AdmissionsOffice/orientation.cfm) to sign up for one of these sessions…
Continued from Page 1
There’s a new re­source at VGCC for students who are com­pleting their GED or Adult High School di­ploma and are looking to move on to college. Anthony Pope, previ­ously the director of Franklin Campus, re­cently assumed the new position of Academic & Career Pathways Advi­sor, also known as the “Transition” Recruiter/Advisor. Pope will sup­port students as they transition from one of the Basic Skills pro­grams to curriculum degree, diploma or cer­tificate programs. He will counsel students regarding admissions, financial aid, placement testing and registration, guiding and direct­ing them step-by-step through the process. Pope reminds GED or AHSD graduates that
New Office Helps GED/Adult High School Grads Continue Education
if financial aid doesn’t cover their VGCC tu­ition and required fees, the good news is that they will be eligible to receive one free se­mester of curriculum classes. Pope will also be involved in VGCC’s Male Mentoring pro­gram. Pope is located in room 8224 in Build­ing 8 on Main Campus and his phone number is (252) 738-3395.
ANTHONY POPE
VGCC Holds ‘Boot Camp’
For Student-AthletesPage 4 News from August
Glen Raven of Nor­lina was recently selected to receive an “E3” scholar­ship through North Caro­lina State University’s In­dustrial Extension Service, based on recommenda­tions by local partnering organizations, including VGCC. This scholarship will support professional assessments that can help Glen Raven save money and become more sustain­able. E3 North Carolina is a federal and state sup­ported initiative to create more competitive and sus­tainable manufacturers. The three E’s stand for the “economy,” “energy” and the “environment.” North Carolina’s E3 model places an emphasis on rural com­munities and relies heavily on local partners, up to 200 of them scattered across
GOOD MORNING!: VGCC students received a tasty “welcome back” to campus shortly after the beginning of fall semester, courtesy of the Student Government Asso­ciation. The SGA and Student Activities department pro­vided breakfast to students at Main (pictured here), South and Franklin campuses, as well as a fried chicken dinner to students at Warren Campus.
Local manufacturer Glen Raven awarded E3 Scholarship
E3 RECIPIENT: Todd Wemyss (right), site manager for Glen Raven in Norlina, speaks during a community forum orga­nized by N.C. State’s Institute for Emerging Issues on the future of manufacturing and workforce development at the VGCC Civic Center on July 18. Listening at left is George Rusincovitch of Vescom.
the state. These partners conduct assessments and present a comprehensive plan with detailed recom­mendations on how to at­tain the sustainability goals through implementation. The team also provides follow-up and tracks the metrics based on the gained efficiencies in order to share with other manufacturers and to continue the trend. Warren County team mem­bers include VGCC, the Warren County Economic Development Commission, and the Kerr-Tar Workforce Development Board.
VGCC and Glen Raven are longtime partners. The college serves the company by providing training pro­grams for employees, on subjects including manage­ment, leadership, safety and technical skills such as industrial maintenance. A strong corporate supporter of VGCC’s Endowment Fund, Glen Raven has en­dowed scholarships for stu­dents as well as awards that recognize faculty and staff excellence.
Students Greeted With Free Food
Meet with your advisor/counselor now to plan for Spring Semester, so that you will be ready to register for classes in November. Remember these dates…
• Nov. 4: Priority Registration for Spring 2014 (for Returning Students with 20 or more credit hours)
• Nov. 5: Registration for Spring 2014 begins (& continues through Jan. 2, 2014)
October is...
ADVISING MONTH!News from August Page 5
Gene Purvis recently retired as Dean of Student Devel­opment at VGCC, after a 32-year career in public education (including 22 years at the college). Purvis first joined VGCC as a vocational counselor in 1991, following 10 years of service as a teacher and counselor in the Granville County Schools system. He also served as coordinator of Financial Aid at the college before becoming assistant dean and later dean of Student Services. Under various titles, Purvis has provided leadership for a division that included departments such as Admissions & Records, Financial Aid, the Registrar, Student Activities and Athletics. He also coordinated all curriculum commencement ceremonies and presided over scholarship ceremonies for many years. During his retirement reception on Aug. 29, VGCC President Stelfanie Williams praised Pur­vis as a dedicated and steady leader, as well as an advocate for students and his employees.
Gene Purvis Retires After 22 Years Serving VGCC Students
PURVIS HONORED: VGCC Board of Trustees member Donald Seifert, Sr. of Henderson (left) congratulates Gene Purvis at his retirement reception.
The VGCC Early Childhood Education Department
Presents
Fall 2013
Meet & Greet Sessions
Come join us and find out more about the Education profession!
Session 1: Resources to Support Successful Students
• Date: Monday, October 14, 2013
• Time: 6:30 p.m. to 7:45 p.m.
• Location: VGCC, V-Net Rooms on Main, Franklin, South, and Warren Campuses
Information will include:
• Career Services
• SmarThinking Online Tutoring
• How to Locate Professional Resources
This session is open to current and potential students interested in the
education field and interested in attending Vance-Granville Community College.
Tracey Bennett,
Department Chair, Education,
252-738-3471
Tina Dekle,
Instructor, Early Childhood Education
252-738-3617
Connie Lawhorn,
Instructor, Early Childhood Education
252-738-3455
Beth Vick,
Instructor, Early Childhood Education
252-738-3378
GET
VGCC NEWS
IN YOUR
INBOX!
Stay informed in a sustainable way: sign up for VGCC’s new electronic VanGran newsletter by sending an email to news@vgcc.edu Page 6 Upcoming News
APPLIED TECHNOLOGIES EXPO 2013
Tuesday, October 15, 2013 • 9 a.m. - 3 p.m.
Vance-Granville Community College Civic Center • Main Campus
Visit for a fun-filled day of career exploration!
• See hands-on demonstrations for Air Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Technology; Automotive Systems Technology; Bioprocess Technology; Carpentry; Electrical Systems Technology; Electronics Engineering Technology; and Welding Technology.
• Talk directly with teachers and students in these career fields.
• Meet with representatives from area industries who hire graduates from these programs.
Determine what career path is right for your future!
To learn more about the event, please see your advisor or call
Wesley Williams at 252-738-3256.
October 1988 (25 Years Ago This Month): VGCC dedicated two new sat­ellite campuses: Warren County Campus (Oct. 14, 1988) and the current South Campus (Oct. 21, 1988).
TRIVIA
&
TIDBITS:
This Month in VGCC History
TO GET
A JOB?
Work-Based Learning, formerly known as Cooperative Work Experience (Co-op), is a great way to gain work experience and earn academic credit toward graduation. Talk with your advisor now to plan for the spring semester. If you are already working in a job related to your program of study, it is not too late to enroll for the fall semester. Eligibility requirements include, but are not limited to, enrollment in a program offering COE as a major elective and approval by the program/department head. Applications and complete eligibility requirements are available in the Career Center, located in the Student Learning & Success Center (Building 1) on Main Campus. Applications are available online at www.vgcc.edu/CareerServices/coop-application.pdf. For more information, e-mail fletcherl@vgcc.edu.
NEED
WORK
A member of the National Junior College Athletic As­sociation (NJCAA), VGCC fields teams in three sports: women’s volleyball, men’s basketball, and golf, which is open to both men and women. Student-ath­letes must be enrolled full-time (at least 12 semes­ter hours) in a curriculum program and meet various NJCAA requirements.
For more information, con­tact Director of Student Ac­tivities and Athletics Jas­mine Hightower at (252) 738-3445.
Join the Vanguards! Become a
Student-Athlete!Upcoming News Page 7
CELEBRATE
HISPANIC
HERITAGE
MONTH!
• Wednesday, October 2 •
12:15 - 1:30 p.m.
Lobby Near the Elevators, VGCC South Campus
• Thursday, October 3 •
Noon - 1 p.m.
Student Lounge, VGCC Franklin Campus
• Wednesday, October 16 •
10 a.m. - 1 p.m.
Gazebo, VGCC Main Campus
• Monday, October 21 •
5 - 6 p.m.
Room W324, VGCC Warren Campus
Native American
Appreciation Day
The VGCC Health Sciences Admissions office will hold a Nursing
Admissions Information Session on Main Campus in Room
8229 on Thursday, October 10 and a Radiography Admissions
Information Session on South Campus in Room 133/134 on Thurs-day,
October 17. Each session is scheduled from 3-5 p.m. Any stu-dents
who would like to learn more about our Nursing or Radiogra-phy
programs are encouraged and welcomed to attend. For more
information, contact Evelyn Hall at halle@vgcc.edu or 252.738.3343.
TEAS TEST:
The TEAS test will be administered on Main Campus (room 7338) on
the following dates:
Tuesday, October 22 at 1:30 p.m.
and Wednesday, October 23 at 8:30 a.m.
Please contact Evelyn Hall at 252-738-3343 or Lori Forsythe at 252-
738-3370 for an appointment.
LPN STEP EXAM:
The LPN STEP Exam will be administered on Main Campus (room
7338) on the following dates:
Tuesday, October 29 at 2:00 p.m.
and Wednesday, October 30 at 8:30 a.m.
Please contact Seletha Pherribo at 252-738-3317 for an appointment.
Featuring performances by
The Haliwa-Saponi Tribe
Please stop by and sample Native American
food and check out the cultural displays.
Interested in Applying to the Nursing
or Radiography Programs?
Are You
Ready for
the Test?
• VGCC’s Celebration of
Native American Heritage Month •
Friday, November 15
9 a.m. - 1 p.m.
Civic Center, Main Campus
For more information, please contact
Tomeka Moss
at (252) 738-3357 or mosst@vgcc.edu
Enjoy authentic Latin American music,
food, and games!
Pre-Health Students Sign Up Now!
2013
VanGran News October 2013
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SEPTEMBER 2013
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HOME MATCH:
WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL
TRI-MATCH
1:30 p.m.
Aycock Rec. Center
LAST DAY OF
1ST 8-WEEK MINI-TERM
SGA MEETING
1 p.m.
STAY CONNECTED WITH VANCE-GRANVILLE!
Like us on Facebook!
facebook.com/vancegranville
Follow us on Twitter!
twitter.com/vancegranville
Watch us on YOUTUBE!
youtube.com/VanceGranvilleCC
Visit us at
www.vgcc.edu
FALL BREAK FOR STUDENTS
FACULTY PROFESSIONAL
DEVELOPMENT DAY
(NO CLASSES)
NURSING ADMISSIONS
INFORMATION SESSION
3 - 5 p.m.
MEET AND GREET
VGCC EDUCATION FACULTY
6:30 p.m.
V-Net Rooms
on all campuses
APPLIED TECHNOLOGIES
EXPO
9 a.m. - 3 p.m.
Civic Center
HISPANIC HERITAGE CELEBRATION
12:15 - 1:30 p.m.
Lobby Near the Elevators
South Campus
HISPANIC HERITAGE CELEBRATION
Noon - 1 p.m.
Student Lounge
Franklin Campus
HISPANIC HERITAGE CELEBRATION
10 a.m. - 1 p.m.
Gazebo, Main Campus
RADIOGRAPHY ADMISSIONS
INFORMATION SESSION
3 - 5 p.m.
FALL 2ND 8-WEEK MINI-TERM
CLASSES BEGIN
LAST DAY DAY TO ADD AN
8-WEEK CLASS SMALL BUSINESS SUMMIT
5:30 - 8:30 p.m.
Civic Center, Main Campus
HOME MATCH:
WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL
6 p.m., Aycock Rec. Center
CENSUS DATE FOR
2ND 8-WEEK MINI-TERM
ADVISORY COMMITTEE MEETINGS
(Reception in Civic Center, 5:30 p.m.)
Main Campus
ENROLLED NEW STUDENT ORIENTATION
5:30 p.m.
Building 4, Warren Campus
ENROLLED NEW STUDENT ORIENTATION
1 p.m. & 5:30 p.m.
Civic Center, Main Campus
ENROLLED NEW STUDENT ORIENTATION
2 p.m., Room F100, Franklin Campus
ENROLLED NEW STUDENT ORIENTATION
1 p.m., Room G134, South Campus
NEW STUDENT ORIENTATION
9 a.m., Civic Center, Main Campus
TEAS TEST
1:30 p.m.
Room 7338,
Main Campus
TEAS TEST
8:30 a.m.
Room 7338,
Main Campus
LPN STEP EXAM
2 p.m.
Room 7338, Main Campus
LPN STEP EXAM
8:30 a.m.
Room 7338, Main Campus
HISPANIC HERITAGE CELEBRATION
5-6 p.m.
Room W432, Warren Campus