VAN GRANV 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

January 2012 Vol. 24, No. 6

Page 2VGCC Graduate

Returns to Discuss High-tech

Research

Page 4Play Golf?

Page 7Planning toGraduate?

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.

Welcome to the New Year and a New Semester at VGCC!

The Vance-Granville Community College Board of Trustees held its regular bimonthly meeting on Nov. 21. At that meeting, Ninth District Court Judge Henry Banks administered the oath of office to a new trustee, Danny W. Wright of Hen-derson. Wright, a former Vance County commissioner who owns a public account-ing firm in Henderson, was appointed by Gov. Beverly Perdue to complete the term of retired educator Henrietta H. Clark, also of Henderson. Clark announced in June that she would resign from the Board after 18 years of service. Wright’s term will expire in 2013. Also during the meet-ing, Steve McGrady, Curtis Tyndall and Blondelle Edg-erton, co-chairs of the annu-al VGCC Endowment Fund Faculty and Staff Drive, pre-sented a check to the Board

VGCC students will be able to access several dif-ferent types of services in one new location when the Student Learning and Suc-cess Center opens on the third floor of Building 1 on Main Campus in January.

VGCC Board Welcomes New Members, Accepts Donations from Faculty and Staff

2011 ENDOWMENT FACULTY STAFF FUNDRAISING DRIVE: The Board of Trustees received a check for $17,829 from VGCC faculty and staff at the November Board meeting. Pictured from left: Dr. Angela Ballentine, Interim President; Steve McGrady, Blondelle Edgerton and Curtis Tyndall, co-chairs of the annual Endowment Fund Faculty and Staff Drive; and Donald C. Seifert, chairman of the Board of Trustees.

for $17,829. The money was donated by faculty and staff to fund scholarships for VGCC students. Donald C. Seifert, chairman of the VGCC Board of Trustees, and Jo Anna Finch Jones,

Vice President of Institution-al Advancement and Direc-tor of the Endowment Pro-gram, thanked the faculty and staff for their generosity and continuing support.

VGCC Opens Student Learning and Success CenterThe new center focuses on helping students reach their educational, personal and career goals, incorporating and connecting existing col-lege services such as aca-demic advising, counseling, mentoring, career services

and tutoring. Among the new loca-tions for departments that are now part of the center:• The Career Center will now be located in rooms 1353 and 1354.

See VGCC BOARD, page 3

See STUDENT CENTER, page 3

You’re Invited to VGCC’s

Dr. Martin Luther King Holiday Celebration

Tuesday, Jan. 17, 201211 a.m.

VGCC Civic Center

Featuring a Choir of VGCC Students, Faculty

& Staff, And Students Speaking on the Legacy

of Dr. King.

FREE ADMISSION

Please bring a non-perish-able food item which will be donated to area seniors. Every attendee who brings a food item will be entered into a drawing for a door prize.

Page 2 News from November

VGCC’s Student Gov-ernment Association has elected a slate of officers to serve during the 2011-2012 year. They include, from left, seated, Sec-retary Goldie Davis (a School-Age Education major), Public Informa-tion Officer Rachel Wil-liams (College Transfer) and President Katina Harris (College Trans-fer); from left, standing, Parliamentarian Diane Power (College Transfer) and Vice President Jona-than Marrow (Associate Degree Nursing). Not pictured: Treasurer Brooke Allen (Franklin County Early Col-lege High School). The Student Government Association is designed to promote the general welfare of the college in a democratic fashion and to facilitate com-munication among the student body, the faculty, and the administration. SGA also provides a means through which students can promote interest in student activities.

A VGCC graduate returned to his alma mater on Nov. 23 to talk with stu-dents who now sit where he once did, and to update them on the exciting sci-entific research in which he has partici-pated. Kevan E. Julye, a former Hender-son resident and Northern Vance High School graduate, was a Dean’s List stu-dent in the College Transfer program at VGCC and received a State Employees Credit Union Foundation Scholarship. He completed an Associate in Science degree in Aug. 2008 and then transferred his VGCC credits into Shaw University. Now a senior majoring in Chemistry at Shaw, Julye was one of three students at his university who were selected this summer to conduct chemistry/physics research through a partnership with the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and North Carolina State Universi-ty. As he told a group of VGCC Science faculty and students on Nov. 23, this re-search involved Spintronics, an emerg-ing technological field that studies the spin, magnetic properties, and charge of electrons. “Spintronics research like

VGCC Graduate Returns to Discuss High-tech Research

this could transform our computers into energy-efficient, less expensive, phe-nomenally fascinating hardware with massive memory storage, because we will be able to replace traditional tran-sistors,” Julye said. He is currently ap-plying to graduate schools and would someday like to work as a college pro-fessor.

KEVAN E. JULYE

The VGCC Student Government Association sponsored “Stress Re-lief Events” for students, faculty and staff on Main Campus (Nov. 21), Franklin Campus (Nov. 30) and South Campus (Dec. 1). Participants enjoyed chair massages and healthy refreshments while soothing music played in the background. Attendees received hand-outs providing relax-ation tips. Pictured above: massage therapist Jessica Johnson of Apex and student Scott Daeke of Hen-derson. Other therapists on hand included Claire Weinberg of Oxford and Tracy Dreibelbis of Creedmoor.

Events Bring Stress Relief

to VGCC

SGA Officers Elected

“Don’t limit yourself. Many people limit themselves to what they think they can do. You can go as far as your mind lets you. What you believe, you can achieve.” — Mary Kay Ash

News from November Page 3

An expert from the National Wild-life Federation who helps educational institutions go “green” visited VGCC on Nov. 17 to talk with faculty, staff and students. Carly Queen, Southeast regional campus field coordinator for the NWF Campus Ecology program, was the special guest in the final in-stallment of a series of three “lunch and learn” sessions organized by the VGCC Sustainability Committee dur-ing the fall 2011 semester. The sessions, which also included presentations by Automotive Systems Technology pro-gram head Fred Brewer and Carpentry program head Keith Tunstall, were part of a college-wide focus on conservation and staying up-to-date with the latest economic and environmental trends. Queen called her presentation at VGCC “The Campus as a Sustainable Learn-ing Laboratory.” Queen advocated that sustainability should go beyond the

The Civic Center on VGCC’s main campus was the site for the “Em-ploy-A-Vet” Job Fair on Nov. 9, two days before the Veterans Day holiday. The fifth annual event, organized by the Vance, Granville and Warren County offices of the N.C. Division of Employment Security (formerly known as the Employment Se-curity Commission) with the help of VGCC and other JobLink partners, was designed to help vet-erans of the U.S. armed services find jobs and re-sources. Around 30 busi-nesses and organizations were on hand to receive resumes and talk with potential future employees. VGCC staff members were also on hand to offer information on the college’s various job training programs that can help veterans and other area residents obtain skills and preparation for employment. Pictured above, U.S. Army PFC Percy Cooke of Louisburg reviews college publications with VGCC recruiter Spence Bailey.

Guest Speaker Talks About Promoting Sustainability at VGCC

CARLY QUEEN

internal practices on campus to work-force development efforts that can ben-efit the entire community around a col-lege.

Job Fair Held at Vance-Granville Seeks to Help Veterans

The Board welcomed College Transfer student Katina Harris of Warrenton as the new Student Gov-ernment Association President and Student Trustee. Harris will represent student interests at all Board meetings for a one-year term. In other business, Interim Presi-dent Dr. Angela Ballentine present-ed the college’s annual report to the Board. Dr. Ballentine noted that from July 1, 2010 through June 30, 2011, the college taught 3,510 courses in 116 lo-cations, serving 18,358 students. Dr. Ballentine also noted the large positive economic impact that the College has on the community. With total expendi-tures of $37,748,150.10 during the 2010 - 2011 period, the College employed 845 individuals, paid $18,035,190 in salaries, and awarded $12,324,652 in financial aid to a total of 4,572 students. The next regular meeting of the Board will be held on Monday, Jan. 23, 2012 at 7 p.m. in the Board room on Main Campus.

• The Academic Skills Center, which provides free tutoring services, can now be found in rooms 1359 and 1360.• The Counseling Services Depart-ment will relocate to the center, with Director of Counseling Daniel Alvara-do in room 1353-B. The center will also include a com-puter lab in room 1357. The office of Jennifer M. Johnson, the Dean of Stu-dent Learning and Success, is located in room 1353-A. Business Administration and Ac-counting instructors whose offices were in Building 1 will now be in Building 4, while Office Administra-tion faculty who were in Building 1 are moving to Building 7. Also, as a result of these moves, the Distance Education department is moving to Building 8.

VGCC BOARD, from page 1

STUDENT CENTER, from page 1

Page 4 News from November

In celebration of International Education Week (Nov. 14-18, 2011), the VGCC Global Awareness Committee collected stories from three students who are natives of a country other than the United States and posted these on the college web site (www.vgcc.edu/iew). The students included Egyptian native and current Louisburg resident Abanoub Baselios (College Transfer); Carissa Aguas of Henderson, a native of the Philippines (Associate Degree Nursing); and Panama na-tive Ginella Mitchell, who lives in Butner (Human Services Technology). “Our student population is incredibly diverse in many

Members of the VGCC “Chi Beta Chi” chapter of the Phi Beta Lambda busi-ness student organization attended the state PBL Fall Leadership Development Conference in Greensboro, on November 11-12. The VGCC chapter was recog-nized for having the third-largest membership of any chapter in the central re-gion of the state and for having the largest Profes-sional Division member-ship of any chapter in the state. Professional Division members are established business professionals and educators. VGCC also won the first-place trophy and

VGCC Students Recognized at State Phi Beta Lambda Conference

HONORED CLUB: VGCC Phi Beta Lambda members at-tending the Fall Leadership Development Conference includ-ed from left, in front, Theresa Chiplis, Jody Hastings, Ruthie Davis, advisor LaTonya Steele and Kiwon Harding; and from left, in back, Diane Power, John Pendergrass, Lonnie Brame, William Leman, Dawud Montague and Christopher Todd.

President’s Award for the "Best Recruitment Material Display.” VGCC also had a team participating in the NC PBL “Non-Trivia” Contest. The contest is conducted to encourage local chapter rep-resentatives to learn more about the state and national organizations. Chi Beta Chi was also named a “Gold Star” chapter of NC PBL for meeting initial reporting and participation goals. Phi Beta Lambda is the national organization for college stu-dents who are preparing for a variety of careers in busi-ness. For more information, call LaTonya Steele at (252) 738-3447.

Three Students Spotlighted as VGCC Recognizes International Education

ways, and country of origin is one of those ways,” said VGCC Dean of Business and Applied Technologies Bobby Van Brunt, who chairs the Global Awareness Committee. “More than 75 students enrolled in curriculum programs during the Fall 2011 semester are originally from another country. And when you consider that a recent poll of VGCC faculty and staff revealed that 109 employees have made a total of 653 trips to 97 different countries, you get an idea of how truly international Vance-Granville has become. This is extremely important as we strive to make our graduates competitive in what has become a very ‘flat’ world of opportunity."

Play Golf? Now’s Your Chance to be a college athlete!

Both men and women are invited to join the VGCC Vanguards Golf team. The 2012 season starts soon! For more information, contact Coach Jim Schwab at (919) 475-1542 or schwabj007@aol.com.

News from November Page 5

Around the Thanksgiv-ing and Christmas holidays, VGCC students participat-ed in service projects that helped children and families both in our own backyard and in another country. First, students in the VGCC Christian’s Fellow-ship Organization “adopt-ed” two families in Vance County by providing them each with Thanksgiving din-ner and children’s toys for Christmas presents. Pictured in top right photo, from left, Christian’s Fellowship Orga-nization advisor and VGCC instructor Angela King-Blow and some of the students in-volved in the project — club treasurer America Marrow of Henderson, Jonathan Yates of Henderson, Sarah Robinson of Henderson, president Jonathan Marrow of Henderson, secretary Jen-nie Robinson of Henderson and Rachel Williams of Ox-ford — pose with the food and toys collected during their drive. Meanwhile, student par-ticipants in the Workforce Investment Act program packed shoe boxes with hy-giene products, small toys, school supplies, books and other useful items for under-privileged children in Haiti, as part of the Operation Christmas Child Project. Stu-dents at VGCC’s Main Cam-pus packed seven boxes, with students at the Franklin County Campus contribut-ing another four. Pictured in bottom right photo, from left, WIA Specialist Courtney Cooke and Main Campus WIA students Hannah Davis of Manson, Markeithia Wade

VGCC Students Get into the Spirit of Giving

of Oxford, Tamara Marshall of Henderson and Christara Floyd of Henderson prepare

the boxes to be delivered. Operation Christmas Child is a project of the North Car-

olina-based humanitarian organization, Samaritan’s Purse.

“We will open the book. Its pages are blank. We are going to put words on them ourselves. The book is called Opportunity and its first chapter is New Year's Day.” — Edith Lovejoy Pierce

The VGCC Christian’s Fellowship Organization members pose with the items collected for two needy families.

Workforce Investment Act students and staff pack shoe boxes for underprivileged children as part of the Operation Christmas Child Project.

Page 6 News from November

Trivia & Tidbits

Here are more facts and figures from the just-re-leased VGCC President’s Report for 2010-2011.• The average age of a curriculum student in 2010-11 was 28. The av-erage age of a Commu-nity & Economic Develop-ment student was 37.• Most curriculum stu-dents (64.7%) were fe-male last year, but most Community & Economic Development students (56.5%) were male.• The most common home counties for our curriculum students were Granville, Vance, Frank-lin, Warren, Wake and Durham, in that order.

Students in the VGCC Criminal Justice Technology program recently took what they have been learning in the classroom into a simulated real-world setting through a “mock trial” exercise. VGCC students in a Court Proce-dure and Evidence (CJC 132) played the parts of prosecu-tors, defense attorneys, defen-dants, witnesses, bailiffs, court reporters and jurors. First, on Nov. 2, students practiced in class, with Ninth District Court Judge Quon Bridges presiding. The judge applauded instructor Tony Clark for conducting the ex-ercise, saying that future law enforcement officers could use more training about testifying in court. On Nov. 4, the mock trial itself was held at the War-ren County Courthouse in

Mock Trial Gives VGCC Criminal Justice Students Courtroom Experience

MOCK TRIAL: From left, VGCC Criminal Justice student Maria Clark acts as the “prosecutor,” local assistant district attorney Allison Capps presides as the “judge,” student Wy-att Senter describes evidence while playing a “law enforce-ment officer” on the witness stand, and student Tamary Tuck acts as the “court reporter” during the mock trial at the War-ren County Courthouse on Nov. 4.

Warrenton. Allison Capps, as-sistant district attorney for the Ninth District, served as the judge. Student Maria Clark of Oxford argued the case as the

prosecuting attorney. Rashod Moss of Oxford represented a defendant accused of dispos-ing of the corpse of her late husband, who had committed

suicide, in order to take ad-vantage of insurance money. The prosecutor called student Wyatt Senter of Franklinton to testify as the law enforcement officer who investigated the crime, and she introduced var-ious pieces of evidence. In the end, the jury of students found the defendant not guilty. “I’m very proud of our students for the creativity and skill that they demonstrated during the mock trial,” said Andrea Ferguson, the head of the VGCC Criminal Jus-tice program. “In addition to the students, I would like to thank Sheriff Johnny Williams and Clerk of Court Richard Hunter for allowing us to use the courtroom, and I am grate-ful to Judge Quon Bridges, Allison Capps and Instructor Tony Clark for coordinating the mock trial exercises.”

Vance-Granville Community College Campuses, Properties, Grounds and Vehicles are 100% Tobacco Free.

Beginning October 2011 the Col-lege will institute a citation pro-gram to address smoking and to-bacco use on campus. Violations will result in the following actions:

1. First Violation: Warning citation issued to student.

2. Second Violation: Required confer-ence with the Vice President of Stu-dent Affairs or Campus Dean.

3. Third Violation: Five day suspension

Any subsequent violation will result in suspension for the remainder of the current term.

POLICY UPDATE

TOBACCO-

FREE

Attention: Pre-Health Students — Sign up Now!TEAS Tests will be offered on:

January 18, 26, & 31at 8:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. in Building 8, Room 8239.

Please contact Maria Bailey at 252-738-3343 or Lori Forsythe at 252-738-3370 for an appointment.

Up-Coming News Page 7

NEED TUTORING?

Then you should Apply for Graduation Now through February 2012!

The process of applying for graduation is outlined on page 40 of the VGCC Catalog. Graduation exercises to award de-grees and diplomas are held each May for VGCC students who have met or will meet graduation requirements by the end of the summer semester. The deadline to apply for par-ticipating in the May 2012 graduation ceremony is Feb. 29, 2012. The student should first see his/her Academic Advisor to determine the completion status of all academic require-ments, and obtain an Application for Graduation. When this form has been completed by the student and signed by the advisor, the student will meet with a counselor, who will cer-tify the student for graduation. This process can be complet-ed at any of the VGCC campuses. Final graduation checks are completed by the Registrar’s Office once all final grades are received. There is a $15 diploma fee which is due at the time of application and additional fees are required to pur-chase cap and gown at the bookstore by early April.

Friday, Feb. 3: Black History Month Kick-off, noon-2 p.m., Stu-dent Lounge, Main Campus. Interim President Dr. Angela Ballentine to make remarks. Fifth Annual Poetry Slam & Trivia Challenge for prizes! Enjoy tasty samples of Soul Food prepared by our very own Culinary students, while quantities last.

Wednesday, Feb. 8: Scavenger Hunt — Turn in answers to Scav-enger Hunt questions for a prize! Please visit www.vgcc.edu/bhm to find Scavenger Hunt questions. Answers must be turned in by 6 p.m. Feb. 8 to the front desk of each campus in designated boxes labeled “Black History Month Scavenger Hunt”. Prizes awarded to one winner at each of the four campuses. Winners will be announced on Feb. 10.

Wednesday, Feb. 15: Essay Contest — Please click on the “Black History Month” link on the VGCC website to view the topic and rules for the contest. A prize will be awarded to the winner. Essays are due by 6 p.m. Feb. 15. Winner will be an-nounced on the website on Feb. 17.

Monday - Friday, Poster Judging — Please stop by the second floor front lobby of Building 7 (near Basic Skills) to view Black History Month posters and cast your ballot for your favorite Black History Month poster. Winners will be announced on Feb. 27.

Submission for Black History Month Posters: Due Jan. 31 at 6 p.m.

BlackEventsHistory Month

at Vance-Granville Community College

Ongoing Events: Black History display in Student Affairs Lounge, Bldg. 8, Main Campus

Note: Events may be subject to change and/or cancellation. Please call Tieren Evans at 252-738-3350 for information.

Feb. 20-24:

Starting Jan. 10, visit the Academic Skills Center in our NEW location: 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.

To participate in SMARTHINKING, VGCC students must request a user name and password from the

Academic Skills Center.

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 look-ing for tutoring, come by the Center or visit www.vgcc.edu/Academics/academic-skillcenter.cfm

PLANNING TO GRADUATE IN MAY 2012?

Watch “Vance-Granville Today,” the monthly video show all about VGCC!

It is broadcast Thursdays at 8 p.m. on Time-Warner Cable Channel 7 in parts of our four-county area, or you can watch online at www.vgcc.edu (click on “News & Media”).

In January, the program takes a look back at the 2010-2011 year.

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JOINUSONFACEBOOKANDTWITTER!www.facebook.com/vancegranville www.twitter.com/VanceGranville

Men’s BasketballVGCCvs.RockinghamCC

7 p.m.Aycock Rec. Center

SPRINGCONVOCATIONFORFACULTY&

STAFF

PIZZALUNCHEONProvided by SGA

11:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.Student Lounge, Main Campus

LATEREGISTRATION

SPRINGSEMESTERBEGINS

LASTDAYTOADDACLASS

PIZZALUNCHEONProvided by SGA12:30-1:30 p.m.

Student Lounge, South Campus

SGAMEETING1 p.m.

Bldg. 8, Conference RoomMain Campus

DR.MARTINLUTHERKING,JR.HOLIDAY

(VGCCCLOSED)

DR.MARTINLUTHERKING,JR.PROGRAM

11 a.m.Civic CenterMain Campus

PIZZADINNERProvided by SGA

5-7 p.m.Student Lounge, Franklin Campus

Men’s BasketballVGCCvs.CatawbaValleyCC

3 p.m.Aycock Rec. Center

BOARDOFTRUSTEESMEETING7 p.m.

Main Campus

Men’s BasketballVGCCvs.SandhillsCC

3 p.m.Aycock Rec. Center

COLLEGEREOPENS