First Cosmetology Students Graduate from Randolph Community College

The first students graduated from Randolph Community College's Cosmetology program on July 29. Six of the seven graduates already have secured jobs and the seventh is in the interviewing stage, according to Tammy Matthews, the program head and instructor who helped develop and implement the program in August 2009.

Dr. Robert Shackleford Jr., RCC president, welcomed the crowd, which included around 40-50 family members, classmates, and friends, plus several RCC faculty and staff members. "It seems like just a short time ago that we held the ribbon-cutting for this facility," Shackleford said. "These students came in here the first day ready to start…now they are going out of here as trained professionals."
Two of the graduates spoke during the brief ceremony. Chastity Wood Elliott of Denton talked about the "lighter side of what we do. We have covered some serious subjects like anatomy and diseases, but we have done a lot of laughing in these walls," she said. She teased and praised each of the cosmetology instructors in turn and described program head Tammy Matthews as "our fearless leader. She started this program with a dream and a lot of love for her profession."

Angela Wood Knestrick of Sophia adopted a more serious tone in her address to her fellow graduates, saying, "I am very passionate about this school and this program." She said in addition to the technical skills they had learned, "they have given us the tools to be exceptional people." She thanked each instructor in turn and talked about each graduate's individual qualities and talents.

Certificates and pins were presented by Matthews and Cosmetology instructors LaTia Robinson, Dianne Orrell, and Dean Brewer. Matthews concluded, "To say I am proud of these students would be an understatement. They have worked very hard, and I have pushed them very hard, and they have responded."

Matthews compared teaching to coaching and said that in this first class, "I had a stacked team," before categorizing the many talents of her "players." She said that the seven graduates have completed over 2,500 hours of client services, over 1,200 haircuts, and over 500 manicures and pedicures. She advised the graduates to "never stop learning, try out new things, and take on the hardest challenges."

In addition to Elliott and Knestrick, other graduates were Toshia Lee Cox of Ramsuer, Heather Austine Craven of Asheboro, Heather Dawn Gray of Seagrove, Jennifer Ann McCollom of Randleman, and Patricia Ann Wilkerson of Pleasant Garden.

These first seven graduates have finished the 1,200 contact hours (34 semester hours of credit) necessary to obtain their Cosmetology certificate from RCC, which makes them eligible to sit for the State Board of Cosmetic Arts exam and obtain an apprentice license. They still must work under a licensed cosmetologist for six months to obtain their full license. Other students in the first class have opted to continue their studies to obtain their diploma, 1,500 contact hours (44 semester hours), or their associate degree (70 semester hours). Graduates with diplomas can obtain their full license once they pass the state exam, with no apprenticeship required. Associate degree graduates are eligible to go on to advanced studies or teach.

Randolph Community College Cosmetology Students Win Awards

Four Randolph Community College Cosmetology students won awards at the annual Holliwood Hair Wars competition held at the Benton Convention Center in Winston-Salem recently.

Felix McNeil of Asheboro won 1st place with a Rock Star theme; McNeil received a trophy and $100. Also winning trophies were Tiffany Patterson of Asheboro, 2nd place, children's theme, and Michelle Lewis of Asheboro, 3rd place, candy theme. Tuwana Williams of Seagrove won 4th place with a Bratz theme; she received a medal.

RCC's Cosmetology Center is now closed for exams and semester break. The Center will reopen to clients on Wednesday, Aug. 25.

Randolph Community College Receives $5,000 Grant from Greensboro AHEC

Randolph Community College's Associate Degree Nursing program has received a grant of $5,000 from the Greensboro Area Health Education Center (AHEC) to support clinical training for its nursing students.

The money will be used for additional nursing faculty salaries to support 19 students who will rotate hours in clinical training in the maternity unit at the Women's Hospital in Greensboro during the fall 2010 semester, according to Cieanna Hairston, division chair for the Health Sciences and Public Service Division and program head for Associate Degree Nursing at RCC. "The clinical hours at the Women's Hospital will allow our students to participate in more complex nursing situations and to see and participate in the types of care they would not be able to experience at local hospitals," said Hairston.

The Greensboro AHEC serves healthcare professionals in Alamance, Caswell, Chatham, Guilford, Montgomery, Orange, Randolph, and Rockingham counties. The grant funding is designed to support the development of clinical training sites and the number of students who study at these sites. The ultimate goal, based on a report from the North Carolina Institute of Medicine Task Force on the North Carolina Nursing Workforce, is to help North Carolina schools of nursing significantly increase their enrollments.

Randolph Community College Students Have Tuition Payment Options

Randolph Community College students will have to pay a little more in tuition this fall, but the College has several options for students with financial need, including grants, scholarships, and payment plans. RCC's Office of Financial Aid and Veterans Affairs has geared up to serve a record number of students this fall, according to Chad Williams, financial aid director.

The North Carolina General Assembly approved a community college curriculum rate increase of $6.50 per semester hour for in-state residents and $7.20 per semester hour for out-of-state residents with the 2010-11 budget bill. That's an increase of $104 per semester for full-time in-state community college students. But community colleges remain a cost-effective alternative. According to recent news reports, students at UNCG and N.C. A&T will pay nearly $500 more in tuition for the 2010-11 school year, and students at UNC-Chapel Hill and North Carolina State will pay $750 more.

For more on this story, go to http://www.randolph.edu/newevents/2010/2010-07-22.php.

University Center of Randolph County/Pfeiffer Information Session for Criminal Justice July 28 at Randolph Community College

Beginning in the fall semester, students who complete Randolph Community College's two-year Criminal Justice Technology degree will be able to continue their studies at the University Center of Randolph County on RCC's Asheboro Campus and earn a bachelor's degree through Pfeiffer University. RCC Criminal Justice graduates will be able to transfer approximately 63 hours to Pfeiffer University under its bachelor of science in Criminal Justice program, according to Neil Weatherly, Criminal Justice program head at RCC.

On Wednesday, July 28, from 6-8 p.m., representatives from Pfeiffer will hold an Information Session at RCC to speak with individuals interested in a four-year Criminal Justice degree. The session will be held in the Foundation Conference Center on the Asheboro Campus.

"Feel free to stop by as we celebrate another addition to the University Center of Randolph County," said Weatherly. The University Center already offers four-year degree classes in Elementary Education from Pfeiffer and Business Administration from Salem College.

For admissions information for Pfeiffer University, contact Diane Martin, associate director of admissions, diane.martin@pfeiffer.edu, 704-463-3052. For information on RCC's Criminal Justice Technology program, contact Neil Weatherly, Criminal Justice program head, nlweatherly@randolph.edu, 336-633-0319.

Randolph Community College Trustees' Distinguished Service Award Goes to Lenton Slack

Lenton Slack, retired RCC Interior Design instructor and renowned local artist, was the recipient of the Randolph Community College Board of Trustees 2010 Distinguished Service Award, presented at the Board's annual meeting on July 15 on the Asheboro Campus.

To read more, go to http://www.randolph.edu/newevents/2010/2010-07-16.php.

Randolph Community College to Hold Instructor Job Fair July 13

Randolph Community College will hold an Instructor Job Fair on Tuesday, July 13 from 5:30-7:30 p.m. in the Foundation Conference Center on the Asheboro Campus. Qualified individuals interested in teaching part-time curriculum (credit), continuing education (noncredit), and basic skills classes are encouraged to attend this job fair. Potential instructors will have the opportunity to speak with academic department representatives and human resources personnel. Please bring your resume with you. Job applications will be available.

Part-time instructors are needed for future academic Curriculum courses such as English, Math, Biology, Reading, Interior Design, Nursing, Cosmetology, History, Industrial Systems, and Automotive Systems.

Part-time instructors are also needed for a variety of Continuing Education courses such as Phlebotomy, Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA), Office Management, and Microsoft Office Suite. Potential instructors may be interested in teaching personal enrichment courses related to hobbies or special interests such as ballroom dancing, yoga, Pilates, painting, foreign travel, and many others. Come share your passion and experience with adult learners.

In addition, part-time instructors are needed for basic skills classes, including GED (General Educational Development Diploma) and adult high school.

For more information, call Bonnie Columbia at 336-633-7688 or e-mail becolumbia@randolph.edu. Directions and maps can be found at www.randolph.edu.

Randolph Community College Announces 2010 Spring Semester Honor Roll

Randolph Community College announces the President's List, Dean's List and Honor List for the 2010 spring semester.

To be eligible, a student must complete at least 12 credit hours for the session and earn a grade point average of 4.0 for the President's List, 3.50-3.99 for the Dean's List, or 3.00-3.49 for the Honor List. Also, students who complete at least six but less than 12 credit hours for the session and earn a grade point average of 3.00-4.00, excluding Developmental Studies hours and proficiency hours with no incompletes, are eligible for the Honor List.

To see the list, go to http://www.randolph.edu/newevents/2010/2010-07-06.php.

Randolph Community College Meets "Exceptional" Standards for N.C. Community Colleges for the Second Consecutive Year

Randolph Community College was one of 11 community colleges in North Carolina that met "Exceptional Institutional Performance (EIP)" standards in the annual accountability measures for North Carolina's 58 community colleges, according to a report released yesterday. In addition to meeting or exceeding all eight system standards, these 11 schools met additional performance goals. Those goals were achieving the college performance rates of students who began in, rather than transferred into, the UNC System and attaining at least a 70 percent passing rate for students who sit for a licensure or certification exam for the first time. The accountability measures are based on 2008-09 academic year data.

Additionally, RCC was one of only four colleges in the state who achieved EIP two years in a row. "There is not a college president in this state who is more proud of his or her college's faculty and staff," said RCC President Robert S. Shackleford Jr. "These are not easy standards to meet, so that is why 47 schools did not meet them. We knocked it out of the ballpark."

To read more, go to http://www.randolph.edu/newevents/2010/2010-07-02.php .

University Center of Randolph County/Salem College Gear Up Classes for Fall

Salem College's Bachelor of Science in Business Administration program is beginning its third year at the University Center of Randolph County on Randolph Community College's Asheboro Campus, and the program is continuing to grow, according to Ed Hartgrove, executive-in-residence and coordinator of academic advising for the Martha H. Fleer Center at Salem College, and Clark Adams, English/Communications instructor and Salem College liaison for RCC. "The program is growing and classes are filling up," said Adams. "We expect record enrollment this fall." The program is designed to allow students to earn a four-year degree without leaving Randolph County.

Salem will be offering three classes this fall: ECON 201, Money, Banking, and Monetary Policy; WMST 220, Special Topics in Women's Studies; and BUAD 124, Business Ethics. Two information sessions are scheduled for Tuesday, July 13, from 12-1:30 p.m., and Thursday, July 22, from 7-8:30 p.m. in RCC's Computer Technology Center, room 110. Students who are interested in the program will be able to talk with Hartgrove and Adams during the sessions.

For more information, go to http://www.randolph.edu/newevents/2010/2010-07-02a.php .

Randolph Community College Announces SACS Reaffirmation Results

ASHEBORO (July 1, 2010) - Approximately 150 Randolph Community College students, faculty, staff, trustees, and community partners gathered in the Learning Resources Center auditorium on the Asheboro Campus to hear President Bob Shackleford announce that RCC remains fully accredited, but the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools has placed RCC on warning status for the next 12 months - the outcome of the reaffirmation visit by SACS in September 2009. By the end of the meeting in which Dr. Shackleford outlined what had happened during the reaffirmation process and RCC's response to SACS' single compliance recommendation for RCC, it was clear that the extended RCC family agreed with Dr. Shackleford's assessment, "I believe SACS badly missed this call."

That extended family included Bob Morrison, president of Randolph Hospital; Donald Andrews, superintendent of Randolph County Schools; and Randolph County Sheriff Maynard Reid. At the end of the presentation, Morrison stood up and said, "We know the quality of what you are doing (at RCC) because we hire your graduates." Sheriff Reid agreed, "The students we hire from RCC are some of the best officers I've ever had. I'll have to disagree with SACS."

To read more on this story, go to http://www.randolph.edu/newevents/2010/2010-07-01.php.