Ribbon Cutting/Open House Set for Richard Petty Education Center

A Ribbon Cutting Ceremony and an Open House have been scheduled for Randolph Community College's new Richard Petty Education Center in July.

Seven-time NASCAR Champion Richard Petty and other dignitaries will be in attendance at the Ribbon Cutting Ceremony at 9:30 a.m. on Tuesday, July 21. The ceremony will be followed by a tour of the facility and a short autograph session that is open to the public.

A separate Open House is set for 5-9 p.m. on Thursday, July 23, which will feature product demonstrations, vendors, and food. The public is invited to tour the new 20,000-square-foot facility and view product demonstrations by PPG, Carolina Weld-Tek Inc., SEM Products, Hunter Engineering, and Walter Surface Technologies. Additional vendor booths will include Cornwell Tools, Snap-On Tools, Matco Tools, Carquest Auto Parts, and NAPA Auto Parts.

The Richard Petty Education Center is located on RCC's Asheboro Campus at 629 Industrial Park Avenue. To reach the Asheboro Campus, take the McDowell Road exit off Highway 220 Bypass (Future I-73/I-74), just south of the interchange with Highways 64 and 49.

Class in Freezing/Canning Cancelled

This class has been cancelled due to low enrollment. If you would like to see this class offered again in the future, call (336) 862-7980. Thanks!

More and more people are planting gardens these days whether their goal is to save money at the grocery store or to eat healthier, fresher food. But what happens if you plant too much? And how do you stretch those summer goods throughout the year? Learn about Freezing and Canning Vegetables and Fruits in an upcoming class at Randolph Community College’s Archdale Center.

This two-session class will provide hands-on training in these timeless skills and may inspire you to teach the next generation. Emphasis will be on safety and saving on your grocery bill. A pickled product will be included. Pressure canning will not be demonstrated.

Students may enroll in an evening class, set for 6-9 p.m., Monday, July 13 and July 20, or a morning class, set for 8:30-11:30 a.m., Friday, July 17 and July 24. The registration is $23, plus students will divide the approximately $30 in costs of canning/freezing supplies.

Students may call (336) 862-7980 or (336) 633-0286 to register, or register online at www.randolph.edu/continuinged/schedule.php. The classes will be held at the Archdale Center, located at 110 Park Drive in Creekside Park, just off of Highway 311 south of Archdale.

NCCC Art Exhibition Virtual Tour Open

The 12th annual Community College Art Exhibition has officially opened for viewing at the Caswell Building in downtown Raleigh, and for the first time a virtual tour of the exhibition is available on the NC Community Colleges website.

The exhibition began in 1998, when students, faculty, staff and alumni of the state’s community colleges were asked to submit artwork for display in the system office. Over 1500 pieces were submitted for entry into the 2009 exhibition, with 135 pieces being chosen for display. Forty-five community colleges, from Tri-County to Pamlico, are featured in the current exhibition which includes quilts, pottery, photography, paintings, drawings, furniture, baskets and mixed media.

“The art exhibit is a wonderful way for us to showcase the fantastic talent that can be found at our community colleges,” says NC Community College System President, Dr. Scott Ralls. “Not only do we train the state’s workforce, but we encourage the arts individually and as part of our state’s creative economy.”

A virtual tour of the exhibition is available online at www.nccommunitycolleges.edu. The virtual tour is courtesy of a Wake Technical Community College photography class, under the instruction of Michael R. Schore, instructor of web technologies.

The exhibition features both new and returning artists, and has experienced enormous success over the years, with several pieces being purchased. Since 2002, the North Carolina Department of Insurance has selected pieces from the prior collections for display. In 2006, the North Carolina Museum of Art displayed 19 photographs from previous community college exhibits.

Those interested in learning more about the exhibit should call (919) 807-7100.

Randolph Community College has four pieces in this year's exhibit:

First Floor 101 - "Hurdler" - Photography by Erik Warren, RCC Student
First Floor Lobby - "New York City Boatyard" - Photography by Lauren Welch, RCC Student
Third Floor 301 - "Cold Water Creek" and "Zion Meadow" - Photography by Ashley Fetner, RCC Faculty and Alumnus

Salem College enhances University Center program at RCC

The Salem College Business Administration program, now offered at the University Center of Randolph County at Randolph Community College, will be a greatly enhanced program when classes start again on Aug. 27. One of the most significant enhancements for the fall of 2009 is that students are now able to take three courses per semester instead of two. If students register for all three courses, they can apply for financial aid as full-time students. Students can take one, two, or three courses, but in order to be eligible for financial aid, they must enroll in all three. This major program enhancement allows associate degree graduates to finish their bachelor’s degree in 3 years (3 courses, 6 semesters) instead of 4½ years.

Salem College also offers a Half-Price Grant to all part-time students (taking one or two courses at Salem) without a prior undergraduate degree for the first semester at Salem. If students enroll in one course, the tuition is cut in half. If students enroll in two courses, they pay for one of those courses.

Another program enhancement for fall 2009 is that students will now have the opportunity to choose between two areas of specialization: Marketing or Finance.

Information Sessions on the Salem College program will be held on RCC's Asheboro Campus on Friday, June 26 from 12-2 p.m., July 16 from 7-8:30 p.m., Aug. 5 from 12-2, and Aug. 11 from 7-8:30 in the Student Services Center conference room. Those who attend the sessions on June 26 and Aug. 5 are encouraged to bring their lunch with them. Drinks will be provided at these sessions.

For more information, visit www.randolph.edu, contact Ed Hartgrove, at (336) 917-5855 or ed.hartgrove@salem.edu, or contact Clark Adams, RCC's Salem College liaison for the Business Administration program, at (336) 633-0328 or wcadams@randolph.edu.

Learn to Drive a Truck at RCC

A representative of Crosscountry Truck Driving School is now available every Tuesday at Randolph Community College to answer questions about the Truck Driving Training program offered at RCC. The recruiter will be on the Asheboro Campus from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. each Tuesday to answer questions, preapprove potential drivers, and walk students through the application process.

Students should call the Asheboro Campus at (336) 633-0268 or go to www.randolph.edu/truckdriving for more information.

Gain a competitive advantage with E-Notary

Do you offer Notary Public services? Do you want to gain a competitive advantage for your business? Take an electronic notary class at Randolph Community College in Asheboro. It is scheduled for Friday, July 17. For more information, click here.

Meet RCC's Student Ambassadors

Randolph Community College's Foundation Ambassadors for the 2009-10 school year are (from left) Sarah Elizabeth Blackwell, 19, of Asheboro; Susan Parent, 33, of Asheboro; David Luther, 19, of Asheboro; and Jennie Turner Stevens, 34, of Trinity.

Sarah Elizabeth is a 2008 graduate of Asheboro High School, where she was a member of the band and served as an officer and drum major; a member of the Key Club, Beta Club, and Drama Club; and a member of North Carolina Teenage Republicans, for which she served as chairman and treasurer. While in high school, Blackwell received the Tillman Award, the John Philip Sousa Band Award, the Key Club Member of the Month Award, and the AHS Band Member of the Year award. At RCC, she is an Associate in Arts (College Transfer) major with plans to transfer to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill to finish her undergraduate degree. Sarah Elizabeth wants to go to the UNC-Chapel Hill School of Law and eventually become a judge.

An Associate in Arts (College Transfer) major at RCC, David graduated from Walter's Grove Christian Academy. In addition to his studies, Luther holds two part-time jobs, as a music instructor for Monroe's Music and as a laborer for Laco Builders. He plans to transfer to a four-year college and double major in psychology and sociology. David also plans to earn his master's degree; he is interested in the field of criminal psychology.

A graduate of Wilkes Central High School, Cape Fear Community College, and the University of North Carolina at Wilmington, Susan is enrolled in Randolph Community College's Photographic Technology program. She served in the U.S. Air Force as a member of the Air Crew Life Support from January 2003 to May 2007. She completed Basic Still Photography training at the Department of Defense Information School and then served as public affairs photographer for the U.S. Air Force Reserves from May 2007 to March 2009. At RCC, she is a member of the Phi Theta Kappa honor society and has photographed firefighter training classes for RCC's Continuing Education and Marketing offices. She hopes to become a commercial photographer.

Archdale-Trinity native Jennie Stevens is a Business Administration major at RCC. She is on the Dean's List and is a member of the Phi Theta Kappa honor society. She attended Trinity High School and earned her GED from Guilford Technical Community College. Jennie is the mother of Jonathan Stevens, a 7th grader at Archdale-Trinity Middle School, and Savannah Stevens, a 5th grader at Trinity Elementary School. She is a member of the Wheatmore High School Athletic Booster Club and was named PTSA Volunteer of the Year at Trinity Elementary in 2007. Jennie is a substitute teacher for Randolph County Schools, working with elementary through middle school.

Biotech Camp Held June 22-24 at RCC

Twenty-two ninth-graders attended a four-day Biotechnology Basics Camp at Randolph Community College this week. The students were introduced to DNA (the genetic material in living things) and proteins, and they learned about environmental monitoring. Hands-on activities included using a green fluorescent protein from jellyfish to detect bacteria with a specific DNA sequence, said Perry, a technique for which developers received the 2008 Nobel Prize in Chemistry. The students also isolated the DNA from a banana and took plant tissue cultures from Venus's-flytrap plants.

Malt-O-Meal of Asheboro has provided funding to operate this year's Biotech Camp.

RCC offers an associate in applied science degree in Biotechnology in collaboration with Alamance Community College. The program is designed to prepare graduates to serve in three distinct capacities: research assistant to a biologist or a chemist, laboratory technician/instrumentation technician, and quality control/quality assurance technician. All first-year classes may be taken at RCC, then students transfer to ACC for all second-year courses and completion of the program.

For more information or to apply for entry into the Biotechnology program, contact RCC's Information Center at 336-633-0200.

See photos from the Camp.

President's, Dean's & Honor Lists Published

Randolph Community College has published its spring 2009 President's, Dean's and Honor Lists. We're very proud of our students! Click here to read the full list.