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              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
August 2012
Vol. 25, No. 1
Page 2
Carpentry Students Build Gazebo for Clarke Elementary
Page 4
Golf Tournament Raises Record-High Amount for Scholarships
Page 7
Board Recognizes Student Trustee’s Service
Vance-Granville Community College is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools to award certificates, diplomas, and 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. The Commission on Colleges should be contacted only if there is evidence that appears to support an institution’s significant non-compliance with a requirement or standard. 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.
The Fall 20112 semester at VGCC begins Monday, Aug. 20. Students can regis­ter on-campus, Monday-Thursday, Aug. 6-9, and Monday-Thursday, Aug. 13-16, or online by going to www.vgcc.edu and clicking on “WebAdvisor.” Students may pay, verify payment or charge tuition and fees online through WebAdvisor or in person at the VGCC Business Office on Main Campus (or at the campus where they are en­rolled) on the same days as registration. The Main Campus Business Office hours of operation during registration are 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. on Monday-Thursday, and 8 a.m. - 3 p.m. on Fridays. The tuition payment deadline is Aug. 16 -- by 5 p.m. if paying in person, or by midnight if paying online through WebAdvisor. Anyone with questions about registration should call Main Campus at (252) 492-2061 or visit any of the other campuses for more information.
Members of the VGCC “Chi Beta Chi” chapter of the Phi Beta Lambda business student organization recently attended PBL’s 2012 National Leadership Conference. They joined students from univer­sities and colleges across the country who participated in various competitions and attended workshops at the conference, held June 24-27 in San Antonio, Texas. VGCC student Theresa Chiplis won the national third-place tro­phy in the “Job Interview” category. The team of stu­dents Jody Hastings and John Pendergrass came home with two awards. They placed fourth in “Marketing Analysis and Decision Making” and placed tenth in “Integrated Marketing Campaign.” The team of Ruthie Davis and Kimberly Dixon placed eighth in the “Business Ethics” competition. In addition to those students, PBL members Diane Power, Thomas Power, Travis Power, and David Henry participated in competitive events at the national conference due to their high scores at the state-level conference, which was held in April. Professional Division members Trudy Hargrove and Gabrielle Norfleet also attended. As a chapter, VGCC was recognized with a trophy for hav­ing the second-largest Professional Division (established business professionals and educa­tors) membership of any local chapter in the nation.
Fall Registration Ends Aug. 16
VGCC Students Bring Home Trophies From National Phi Beta Lambda Conference
NATIONAL AWARDS: VGCC Phi Beta Lambda members pose with tro­phies they won at the recent national leadership conference: from left, Jody Hastings, Trudy Hargrove (a professional division member and VGCC staff member), John Pendergrass, Ruthie Davis and Theresa Chiplis.
All VGCC students are invited to enjoy free refreshments at “Welcome Back” receptions to start off the fall semester. At the re­ceptions, students will also learn about the new Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP) on “Academic Advising and Career Planning.”
RECEPTION SCHEDULE
Tues., Aug. 28,
11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m., South Campus
Thurs., Aug. 30,
4:30-6:30 p.m., Warren Campus
Tues., Sept. 4,
11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m., Main Campus
Tues., Sept. 11,
11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m., Franklin Campus
WELCOME BACK!Page 2 News from June
Students in the VGCC Carpentry program recently completed a service project that will make a lasting im­pact on a local elementary school. Students built a gazebo on the colleges Main Campus to be relocated to Clarke El­ementary School in Henderson, where it will serve as an outdoor classroom in conjunction with raised flower beds. The construction is part of a unique community-wide part­nership that was envisioned as a STEM project for the new elementary school by Pete Burgess of Henderson. A member of the Vance County Farm Bureau board of directors, Bur­gess persuaded his fellow Farm Bureau leaders to lend the organizations financial support to the project. The agricul­ture department at Southern Vance High School contributed plants for the garden, and participants in the Henderson-Vance Chamber of Commerce Leadership Vance program fashioned the raised beds. Meanwhile, Carpentry students devoted about three weeks to skillfully constructing the out­door classroom. Its not often that we are able to do a com­munity service project like this, but in this case, it worked out, and were grateful for the opportunity to help the com­munity, said VGCC Carpentry program head/instructor Keith Tunstall.
VGCC’s first-ever Health Sciences Boot Camp and second annual Science Camp were both held in June. The boot camp al­lowed 23 campers from Vance County middle schools to learn about the important roles of various health-care professionals, including nurses and radiologic technologists, and about what it takes to succeed in those professions. The camp was supported by an $8,260 grant from the N.C. Community College System. Fac­ulty members from VGCC’s Associate Degree Nursing, Practical Nursing and Radiography programs conducted the camp, with assistance from volunteer Katelyn Johnson, a student at the N.C. School of Science and Mathematics.
At Science Camp, a total of 32 rising sixth, seventh and eighth graders from Vance, Granville and Warren counties enjoyed nu­merous hands-on experiments and activities, designed not only to be fun but also to pique students’ curiosity about higher edu­cation and careers in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). Although the Natural Sciences and Bioprocess Technol­ogy departments took the lead on the camp’s sessions, students were exposed to a wide range of different sciences thanks to con­tributions from instructors from other disciplines, including Au­tomotive Systems Technology, Carpentry, Computer Education, Electronics Engineering Technology, English and Pharmacy Tech­nology. In addition to Katelyn Johnson, volunteer student leaders included Martin Mondou, Julie Mondou, and Michael Mondou, and all current or incoming students at N.C. State University.
VGCC Carpentry Students Build
Gazebo For Clarke Elementary School
GAZEBO FOR CLARKE ELEMENTARY: From left, VGCC Dean of Business & Applied Technologies Bobby Van Brunt, VGCC President Dr. Stelfanie Williams, students Cullin Butler, Jerrel Rogers, Quindarius Rainey, David Emery, Jake Walk­er, and (in back) instructor Keith Tunstall. Not pictured: student Walter McCaskill.
Summer Camps at VGCC Helped Students Explore STEM and Health
LEARNING THE ROPES: One of the Health Sciences Boot Campers checks the vitals of the Simbaby during hands-on learning sessions at the Simulation Lab of Maria Parham Medical Center.
TESTING THE WATERS: During the second annual Science Camp one partici­pant takes water samples as part of the hands-on experiments and activities held that week.News from June Page 3
Maria S. Orsini, an instructor for the VGCC Associate Degree Nursing program, recently completed the Ed.D. (Doctorate in Educa­tion) program in Educational Leadership through the University of Phoenix. The road to her doctoral degree started at a community col­lege not too different from the institution where she now teaches the next generation of nurses. Orsini recently spoke to high school stu­dents. Her message to young people is that, based on her own expe­rience, “anything is possible with determination.” Orsini grew up in poverty in Puerto Rico. In order to attend classes at a community col­lege in the city of Bayamon, she walked two miles in the early morn­ing each day to catch a crowded public van that had no air condition­ing. Orsini excelled academically, earning scholarships that helped her transfer to earn bachelor’s degrees in biology and nursing at the University of Puerto Rico. She came to North Carolina in 1996 while on active duty with the United States Public Health Service. Then, she had to overcome a new challenge: becoming fluent in English. “All through these situations, I never complained, because I knew that all the sweat, coping, and determination would take me to a happy and productive place,” Orsini said. She worked in the nursing profession for eight years while also earning a master’s degree in nursing from the University of Phoenix. Orsini has taught at VGCC since 2002.
A new certificate option that trains information technology professionals will be available at VGCC when the fall semester begins on Aug. 20. The Net­working Specialist Certificate will be offered as part of the college’s Information Systems Security program. Six courses are required for the certificate. Curriculum certificates like these offer short-term training within programs already available at VGCC. The credits that students earn also count toward diplomas or degrees in that field. For more information on the new certificate and other VGCC Computer Education offerings, call Spring Tucker at (252) 738-3292.
Congratulations to Evelyn Hall, coordinator of the Aca­demic Skills Center, who was recently honored by Phi Theta Kappa, the international honor society of the two-year college, in recognition of her ten years of service as advisor for the VGCC “Alpha Sigma Chi” chapter of PTK. She is seen at left with VGCC President Dr. Stelfanie Williams holding the service award pin that the organization sent for Hall, who has been one of the chapter advisors since 2002.
VGCC Instructor Hopes Her Story Inspires Students
MARIA S. ORSINI
Hall Recognized By PTK
VGCC Introduces
Networking Certificate
TEAS
Attention: Pre-Health Students — Sign up Now!
TEAS Tests will be administered on:
Thursday, Sept. 20 at 8:30 am & Tuesday, Sept. 25 at 1:30 pm in Building 8, Room 8239
Please contact Maria Bailey at
252-738-3343 or Lori Forsythe at
252-738-3370 for an appointment.Page 4 News from May and June
VGCC re­cently nominated Goldie J. Davis of Henderson, a stu­dent in the college’s School-Age Educa­tion program, for the North Carolina Community Col­lege System’s Gov­ernor Robert W. Scott Student Lead­ership Award. Each year, the N.C. As­sociation of Com­munity College Presidents bestows the honor on one community college student in recognition of his or her academic and leadership achievements. Davis has been active in the VGCC Student Government Association, serving as public information officer during the 2010-11 year and as secretary during 2011-12. She has also served as secretary (2010-11) and later as vice president (2011-12) of the VGCC chapter of the Student North Carolina Association of Educa­tors. Davis was inducted into Phi Theta Kappa, the international honor society for students of two-year colleges, in 2010. As a PTK member, she was one of VGCC’s nominees for the 2012 All-USA Academic Team and a recipient of a Coca-Cola “Leaders of Promise” Scholarship.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT:
NEW DEPARTMENT HEADS
VGCC named several new program and department heads earlier in the year. They are:
• Steven Woodworth, program head of Global Logistics Technology (A.A.S. and B.S., Alfred State Col­lege/Alfred University; M.B.A., St. Bonaventure University).
• Donna Gardner, program head of Medical Assisting (A.A.S., Kal­amazoo Valley Community College; B.S. and M.P.A., Western Michigan University).
• Betsy Henderson, head of Fine Arts & Humanities Department (B.F.A., University of Southern Mis­sissippi; M.F.A., University of North Carolina at Greensboro).
• David Wyche, head of English Department (B.A., Appalachian State University; M.S., North Caro­lina State University).
VGCC’s 28th an­nual Endowment Fund Benefit Golf Tournament generated approximately $33,250 from entry fees and from sponsors to help fund scholarships for de­serving students at the college. That result set a new record as the highest-grossing golf tournament in VGCC history. A total of 120 players formed 30 teams to play in either the morning or the afternoon round on May 8 at Hen­derson Country Club. “We greatly appreciate the sup­port of all the golfers and business sponsors who made this our college’s most successful tourna­ment ever,” said VGCC President Dr. Stelfanie Wil­liams. Winners included, in the morning round, first place: Professional Strip­ing & Seal Coating (Philip
A VGCC graduate re­cently returned to the col­lege’s Franklin County Campus to provide current students with information on domestic violence and related issues. Renale Wil­liams Giles, who graduated from VGCC with an associ­ate degree in Human Ser­vices Technology in 2005, now works for Safe Space, Inc. as an advocate for chil­dren and victims of sexual assault and domestic vio­lence. She said that career
VGCC Graduate’s Career Brings Her Back to Speak to Students
VGCC Nominates Student for Statewide Leadership Award
GOLDIE J. DAVIS
RENALE WILLIAMS GILES
came about because of her
VGCC Golf Tournament Raises Record-High Amount for Scholarships
Shope, Grayson Casteen, Scott Bradsher and Charles Phelts); second place: Don­ald C. Seifert, Sr., Buddy Finch, Buddy Thomas and John Norwood; third place: Mike Rainey, Steve Wright, Onnie Gore and Robert Hubbard; in the af­ternoon round, first place: Institutional Interiors (Tim Hill, Mike Baskett, Billy Stanton and Matt Wil­liams); second place: Rose Oil (Chip Watkins, George Watkins, Morgan Watkins and Chick Young); third place: Coca-Cola (Kenny Abbott, David Fairey, Ju­nior Manning and Lee Hight). Scott Bradsher and Karter Yutzy took the longest-drive prizes. Don­ald C. Seifert, Sr. and Al Blalock won the closest to the pin prizes. Steven Brame was the winner of the 50/50 Putting Contest.
college education. “VGCC opened the door for me, because while I was a stu­dent, I did my internship at Safe Space,” Giles recalled. She has worked full-time for the non-profit organi­zation, which is based in the Franklin County court­house, since 2005. She vis­ited the campus in Louis­burg during April, which is Sexual Assault Awareness Month, to emphasize that Safe Space is a resource for sexual assault victims. News from May Page 5
Seventeen cadets graduated on May 22 from the Basic Law Enforcement Training (BLET) course at VGCC in a ceremony held in the Civic Center. Tony Pendergrass, the VGCC coordi­nator of law enforcement train­ing, praised the class for complet­ing 624 hours of grueling training over 16 weeks. Chief John Wol­ford of the Oxford Police Depart­ment served as the guest speaker for the graduation ceremony. Ca­det Seth Bryan, the class leader, spoke on behalf of his fellow graduates. Pendergrass handed out three student awards: the “Top Gun” Award for having the highest accuracy score in weap­ons firing, the Physical Train­ing Award for scoring highest in the various fitness tests the ca­dets undergo, and the Academic Achievement Award for having the top grade average in the 35 written tests each cadet must take and pass. As it happened, Seth Bryan received all three awards. Pendergrass said that in his 22 years of being associated with the Vance-Granville BLET program, this was the first time that one ca­det had earned all three honors.
On May 10, VGCC honored 14 students who completed the Certified Nursing Assistant I pro­gram on a daytime schedule and six other who completed the program on an evening schedule at the college’s South Campus. Day class graduates included Mahalia Anderson, Michelle Andrews, Chrystal Bailey, Kenneth Crabtree, Vanessa De­graffenriedt, Sharon Harris, Deborah Johnson, Alan Manley, Karmanisha Manley, Jean Middleton, Ken­tra Montgomery, Randall Perkinson, Shirley Thom­as and Rebecca Van Hook. Evening class graduates included Crystal Painter, Rebecca Roberts, Sandra Bennett, Steve Lilyquist, Kayla Evans and Ellen Lilyquist.
VGCC Graduates 17 Law Enforcement Cadets in School’s 94th BLET Class
BLET GRADUATES: Graduates of VGCC’s Basic Law Enforcement Training Class 94 included, front row, from left: James Lynwood Tapp (Granville County Sheriff’s Office), Emily Brooke Abernethy (N.C. Parks & Recreation), Kevin Michael Rigsbee (Butner Public Safety), Taniqua Danielle Teasley (Franklin County Sheriff’s Office), Michael Tucker Wilder (Henderson Police Dept.) and Michael Raymond Currier (Person County Sheriff’s Office); second row, from left: Seth Jacob Bryan (Granville County Sheriff’s Office), Richard Benbury Ellington (Granville County Sheriff’s Office), William Thomas Robinson (Oxford Police Dept.), Jason Lee Harris (Oxford Police Dept.), and Bobby Ray Shelton, Jr. (Butner Public Safety); third (top) row, from left: Michael Ryan Strickland, Brandon Scott Ray, Jeremy Edward Wells, Colby Scott Rice, Worth Edward Taylor and Brandon Derrick Davis, with law enforcement training coordinator Tony Pendergrass.
Twenty Graduate from CNA
Programs at VGCC South Campus
OUR COLLEGE’S MISSION & VISION
VGCC Mission Statement: The mission of Vance-Granville Community College is to provide excellent, outcome-based edu­cation and training programs that promote and sustain the global competitiveness and the intellectual, economic, social and cul­tural development of our students and communities.
VGCC Vision Statement: Vance-Granville Community College is a leader in educational services that support the local economy by preparing a globally competitive workforce and developing stu­dents’ academic and life skills.
40 years ago this month: On Aug. 20, 1972, Vance County Technical Institute (which later became VGCC) conferred two-year degrees at commencement for the first time. Among the first class of three graduates was James Wheeler (A.A.S., Business Administration), who later returned to VGCC as an instructor and administrator. U.S. Congressman L.H. Fountain was the commencement speaker.
TRIVIA & TIDBITS: This Month in VGCC HistoryPage 6 News from May
RADIOGRAPHY GRADS: Members of the 2012 Radiography graduating class who received their pins May 7 included, front row, from left: Michelle Adcox, Tanya Beal, Anne Abraham, Pa­tricia Clark, and Brittany Collier; second row, from left: Kirst­en Berkley, Jeana Thomas, Amanda Boydston, Anna Crews, Courtney McGhee, Toni Crandon and Cherita Edmonds; third (top) row, from left: Timothy Powell, Erica Brewer, Angela Fuller, Denise Liles, Theodore Wilkins and Victoria Alford.
VGCC recognized 43 students who graduated this spring from the Associate Degree Nursing program with a pin­ning ceremony in the Civic Center on May 9. Among those honored with distinctive nursing pins at the ceremonies were six who graduated through the LPN to ADN Completion Program, or “transition program,” which helps Licensed Practical Nurses to continue their education with the Associate Degree Nursing program and then become Registered Nurses.
Class president Amanda Moody spoke on behalf of her classmates. Class vice president Angel Yauchzee announced that as a gift to the college, the class had made a donation in VGCC’s name to the Make-a-Wish Foundation of Eastern North Carolina.
Vance-Granville Pins Nursing Graduates
ADN CLASS OF 2012: Members of the 2012 Associate Degree Nursing class who received their nursing pins on May 9 included, seated in front, from left: Diana Waddle, Michael Yauchzee, Chasity Harrison, Mallory Halsey, Ileen Johnson, Alicia Robinson, Brooke Cleaton, Dani Burton, Tina Ohuche, Russell Ventenilla, Kailyn Reams and Ashley J. Loyd; stand­ing in middle row, from left: Renee Sanford, Crystal Church, Keisha Cheatham, Jelessia Marshall, Hana Meyer, Kimberly McClure, Rebecca Miller, Ousman Jassey, Cristiano Mondello, Sarah Fisher, Candis Carter, Jon Baumgardner, Brooke Darnell, Cynthia Kiger, Sherry Moss, Caroline Sawyer and George Gikera; standing in top row, from left: Leisa McCright, Christina Shearin, Angel Yauchzee, Jennifer Apple, Gregory Miller, Ashley M. Loyd, Amanda Moody, Syreeta Latta, Helen Samuel, Lauren Johnson, Renee Connelly, Stacy Lewis, Chandra Seward and Felicia Tapp.
VGCC Honors
Radiography Graduates
Eighteen graduates of VGCC’s two-year Radiography pro­gram were honored in a May 7 pinning ceremony in the Civic Center. The guest speaker for the ceremony was Anthony Twis­dale, a VGCC Radiography alumnus who works as a radiogra­phy staff supervisor at Duke University Medical Center and is a part-time instructor for the program. Class president Theodore Wilkins gave a response on behalf of his fellow students. He also made a special presentation on behalf of the class to ex­press their appreciation to the security personnel at South Cam­pus, Charles Thompson and Dennis Small, and he paid tribute to instructor Jennifer B. Johnson as she prepared to retire.News from May and June Page 7
Tutoring Could Help You Get Started Out On the Right Track This Fall!
Visit the Academic Skills Center in
Room 1360, Building 1, Main
Campus, or See Your Campus Dean or
Counselor at Franklin, South & Warren Campuses
Or go Online to use VGCC’s new
online tutoring resource: SMARTHINKING.
Students can still receive traditional in-person tu­toring through the Academic Skills Center. The Center on Main Campus is open Monday - Friday. On Mondays and Thursdays, the Center is open 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. On Tuesdays and Wednesdays, the Center is open 8 a.m. - 7 p.m., while on Fridays, the Center is open 8 a.m. - 3 p.m. If you’re look­ing for tutoring, come by the Center or visit www.vgcc.edu/Academics/academic-skillcenter.cfm
To participate in SMARTHINKING, VGCC students must request a user name and password from the Academic Skills Center.
Nine graduates of the VGCC Child Care Center on Main Campus were honored in ceremonies on June 1 as they prepared to enter kindergarten this fall. The 2012 gradu­ates included, seated, from left: Tess DeZurik, Kate De­Zurik, and Koy Billings (marshals); Hannah Twisdale, Camden Wyatt and Addison Wilkins; standing, from left: Sahara Wilson, Emily Eckenrode, Kennedy Taylor, Chloe Clayton, Benjamin Mustian and Davis Faulkner. Standing in back are (left) Child Care Center director Denise Gill and (right) lead teacher Deborah Harris. Not pictured: marshal Olivia Grace Morris.
The VGCC Board of Trustees held its bimonthly meeting on May 21 at Main Campus. During that meet­ing, the Board approved new rates for the college’s Child Care Centers. VGCC offers child day care at the Main Campus and the Franklin County Campus. The new rate for one-year-old children will be $575 per month. For all other children (ages two through five years old), the rate will be $545 per month. The new rates were effective July 1.
In other business, the Board announced its 2012-2013 meeting calendar. The regular meetings of the Board are held bi-monthly, generally on the third Mon­day, at 7 p.m. in the Board
Board Recognizes Student Trustee’s Service
SGA PRESIDENT HONORED: VGCC Board Chair Donald C. Seifert, Sr. (left) recognizes outgoing Student Govern­ment Association President and Student Trustee Katina Har­ris (right) for her service on the Board.
Room in Building 1 on Main Campus, unless otherwise noted. Committee meet­ings are held on the same day, beginning at 5 p.m. The 2012-2013 meetings will be held as follows: July 16, 2012; September 17, 2012; November 19, 2012; January 28, 2013; March 18, 2013; and May 20, 2013.
Also during the meet­ing, the Board recognized Student Government Asso­ciation President and Stu­dent Trustee Katina Harris for her service on the Board. Harris, a College Transfer student from Warren Coun­ty who graduated in May, joined the Board in Novem­ber 2011 and has represented student interests at all Board meetings since that time.
VGCC Child Care
Students Graduate2012
VanGran News August 2012
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JOIN US ON FACEBOOK AND TWITTER!
www.facebook.com/vancegranville www.twitter.com/VanceGranville
SUMMER TERM ENDS
PRACTICAL NURSING PINNING
5 p.m.
Civic Center
Students: Use the new Car Pool & Book Exchange Corner!
Interested in exchanging books with other students or carpooling to save money on
gas? The bulletin board outside of the Student Learning & Success Center on the 3rd
floor of Building 1 on Main Campus is now the place to post this information! To con-serve
space, please use paper no larger than 4x6 when posting (index cards preferred).
Car Pool & Book
Exchange Corner
NEW STUDENT
ORIENTATION
9 a.m. & 5:30 p.m.
Warren Campus MEDICAL ASSISTING
PINNING
11 a.m.
Franklin Campus
NEW STUDENT
ORIENTATION
5 p.m.
Civic Center, Main Campus
NEW STUDENT
ORIENTATION
10 a.m. & 5:30 p.m.
South Campus
LATE REGISTRATION
TUITION PAYMENT
DEADLINE
FALL CONVOCATION
FOR VGCC
EMPLOYEES
LAST DAY FOR FULL
TUITION REFUND
FALL SEMESTER BEGINS LAST DAY TO ADD A CLASS
LATE REGISTRATION
WELCOME BACK RECEPTION
FOR STUDENTS
4:30-6:30 p.m.
Warren Campus
WELCOME BACK RECEPTION
FOR STUDENTS
11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m.
South Campus