Randolph Community College Adult High School Diploma /GED Graduation Set for December 16

Elbert Lassiter, plant manager for Goodyear and a Randolph Community College trustee, will be the guest speaker at Randolph Community College's Adult High School Diploma/General Educational Development (GED) fall graduation ceremony set for 7 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 16, at the Asheboro High School Performing Arts Center.

The Basic Skills Division holds three graduation ceremonies throughout the year for Adult High School Diploma and GED graduates who finish their studies at various times throughout the year. A ceremony was held May 13 for spring graduates and Aug. 16 for summer graduates.

Approximately 25 students are expected to participate in Thursday's ceremony out of 116 GED graduates and five Adult High School Diploma graduates who were eligible in December.

For more information on the ceremony and a list of graduates, go to http://www.randolph.edu/newevents/2010/2010-12-10.php.

Randolph Community College Converts JobsNOW Programs Into Ongoing Certificate Programs

Randolph Community College will be converting its JobsNOW programs into Occupational Extension certificate courses beginning in January. They will include courses in Electrician Assistant, HVAC, Hospitality and Tourism, and Administrative Assistant.

Elizabeth Kremer, director of occupational extension for RCC, said that instructional hours have been added to all the programs to increase the employability of the graduates. Funding for the JobsNOW program, which came from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), ends this month.

Human Resources Development Career Exploration courses have been scheduled for people who are unsure what training area they might be interested in. Fees for the Career Exploration courses are waived for individuals who are unemployed, have received notification of pending layoff or who meet income requirements. The Career Exploration courses, which include Hospitality and Tourism Career Exploration, Electrical/HVAC Career Exploration, and Administrative Assistant Career Exploration, will be held from 8:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m., Monday-Friday, Jan. 24-28, on the Asheboro Campus.

The certificate program courses are scheduled to begin at the end of January.

For more on this story and a schedule of courses, go to http://www.randolph.edu/newevents/2010/2010-12-09.php.

Randolph Community College Foundation Provides Over $195,000 in Scholarship Funds to Curriculum Students

The Randolph Community College Foundation has awarded over $146,898 in scholarships to 112 students for the 2010-2011 academic year. An additional $1,182 is available to award during the spring semester. These awards include various scholarships funded by individuals, businesses, and organizations, plus Foundation Ambassador scholarships, and High School Achievement scholarships. They are for Curriculum (credit) students pursuing a degree, diploma, or certificate program. The Foundation also provided $47,000 to RCC's financial aid office for unrestricted scholarships to help Curriculum students who have financial need but do not qualify for traditional financial aid.

Most of the Foundation's scholarship funds come from endowments that enable the Foundation to award scholarships each year. The principal in these scholarship funds is invested and a portion of the earnings is used to award scholarships. Currently, an investment of $10,000 will fully endow a scholarship to assist RCC students in perpetuity.

The Foundation also accepts designated scholarships in which contributions to the fund are paid out to students. Designated scholarships may be established in any amount.

To read more on this story, along with a list of scholarship recipients, go to http://www.randolph.edu/newevents/2010/2010-12-08a.php.

Randolph Community College to Hold Graduation Dec. 15 for JobsNOW, Medical Office Assistant Graduates

Randolph Community College's Corporate and Continuing Education Division will hold a combined graduation ceremony for JobsNOW and Medical Office Assistant program (noncredit) graduates at 6:30 p.m., on Wednesday, Dec. 15, in the R. Alton Cox Learning Resources Center on the Asheboro Campus.

RCC President Robert S. Shackleford Jr. will be the keynote speaker, with Anne Hockett, vice president for instructional services, providing the welcome and introduction. Robert Leslie, dean of corporate and continuing education, will provide closing remarks. A reception will follow the ceremony in the Armadillo Café.

For a list of students graduating, go to http://www.randolph.edu/newevents/2010/2010-12-08.php.

Randolph Community College's Cosmetology Program Records 100% Pass Rate

Randolph Community College's Cosmetology program has a 100% state board pass rate to date, according to the National-Interstate Council of State Boards of Cosmetology for North Carolina. Tammy Matthews, program head and instructor for the Cosmetology program, said the NIC notifies her of the results each time one of RCC's students or graduates takes the exam.

To date, two RCC Cosmetology graduates have passed both the written and practical tests, one graduate has passed the written exam, and nine RCC students still enrolled in the program have passed the written exam. Current students can choose to take the written exam after 1,000 hours of instruction, said Matthews, but must wait until they graduate to take the practical exam. Graduates then have up to six months after they graduate to take the practical exam.

"I'm really proud of my group," said Matthews. "They have done really well. The students actually said my tests were harder than the state boards, which was my goal."

After 1,200 hours of instruction, if a student passes the exam with a score of 70 or higher, he/she is licensed at an apprentice level, but then must work under a licensed cosmetologist for six months. After 1,500 hours of instruction, if a student passes the exam with 75% or higher, he/she becomes a full licensed cosmetologist. Matthews said that Randolph Community College students have passed with scores of 87 and above.

For more information about enrolling in Randolph Community College's Cosmetology program, contact RCC at 336-633-0224. Spring semester classes begin Jan. 10.

Randolph Community College Faculty Association Collects 241 Coats for Charity

The Faculty Association at Randolph Community College just completed a Give a Kid a Coat campaign drive on the Asheboro Campus. The faculty members collected 241 gently used or new coats to donate to the campaign drive held annually by A Cleaner World, Fox8/WGHP, 107.5KZL, and The Salvation Army.

Dahlia Oldham, an RCC student who helped with the campaign, collected over 70 coats from family and friends. "I never gave (our coats) away before," said Oldham of her family's coats, which numbered about 20. She even gave up one of her own favorite coats. "I told my husband that someone else could wear it," she said. "My heart is really full."

RCC faculty members Carra Miskovich and Maria LeBaron delivered the coats to A Cleaner World on Dec. 2. "Carra and Maria were really the driving force behind this project," said Jennifer Macy, president of the RCC Faculty Association. "I would like to thank everyone who donated coats to this campaign, which will make difference in our community this winter."

Randolph Community College Continuing Education Spring Schedule Online

Randolph Community College has posted its spring 2011 Continuing Education schedule of courses online.

RCC's Continuing Education courses include noncredit courses in workforce development, business and industry training, teacher renewal, personal enrichment, and basic skills. They include certification courses in areas such as emergency medical services, fire services, law enforcement, electrical, automotive inspection and safety, and welding. Personal enrichment classes include such topics as painting, photography, pottery, sewing and stitchery, T'ai Chi Ch'uan, and Zumba.

Classes are available on the Asheboro Campus, at the Archdale Center, at the Emergency Services Training Center, and at various locations throughout the county. To browse RCC's spring Continuing Education offerings, go to www.randolph.edu/continuinged/programs/ .

For more information on specific courses, or to register, call 336-633-0268 in Asheboro or 336-862-7980 in Archdale. Online registration is also available.

Forty-Six Randolph Community College Students Inducted Into Honor Society

Forty-six students were welcomed into Beta Theta Rho, Randolph Community College's Five-Star Phi Theta Kappa chapter, during the fall induction ceremony on Tuesday, Nov. 30, in the R. Alton Cox Learning Resources Center auditorium on the Asheboro Campus. RCC President Robert S. Shackleford Jr. was the guest speaker at the ceremony, and Anne Hockett, vice president for instructional services, made closing remarks.

For more on this story, a list of the new inductees, and photos, go to http://www.randolph.edu/newevents/2010/2010-12-01.php.

Scholarships for Community College Students and Recent Alumni Offered

Randolph Community College students and alumni who earned a degree since spring 2006 and have not since transferred to a four-year college are eligible to apply for the Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship Program through the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation.

The private foundation will award up to $30,000 annually per recipient to help students and recent alumni from community colleges and two-year institutions pursue four-year degrees at any accredited college or university in the United States. Last year, the Foundation received approximately 500 nominations for these awards.

While 45 percent of all college students in the United States attend community colleges, few private funds are available to help top community college students transfer to four-year institutions, in spite of their high levels of ability and need. The Jack Kent Cooke Foundation scholarships can provide funding for tuition, room and board, required fees, and books for the length of the undergraduate degree, generally two years. Award amounts will vary based on such factors as the cost of the institution each recipient attends.

The Foundation plans to award approximately 60 scholarships through this program in spring 2011, a 50% increase over 2010. It will renew awards each year based upon student performance.

The application deadline is January 7, 2011. An online application is available on the Foundation's Web site, www.jkcf.org. All candidates for the scholarship must be nominated by a representative at their college. RCC students with questions can contact Julie New, financial aid specialist, at jhnew@randolph.edu or 336-633-0364.

The Jack Kent Cooke Foundation is a private foundation dedicated to helping young people of exceptional promise reach their full potential through education. The Foundation provides challenging opportunities to high achievers from lower-income families through its Young Scholars Program, generous scholarships for undergraduate and graduate study, and grants to nonprofit organizations and educational institutions.