Information session scheduled
Are you thinking of a career in a high-demand health-care field? Then you should consider studying at Beaufort County Community College to be a speech language pathology assistant.
BCCC will offer an information session for prospective students in its new speech language pathology assistant program from 12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. Feb. 26 in Room 24 of Building 11 on the BCCC campus.
Potential students will be able to ask questions about the application process, course requirements and other aspects of the new program, according to Daniel Wilson, director of admissions and recruitment at BCCC.
Courses in the speech language pathology assistant program are scheduled to begin in the fall 2013 semester at BCCC in cooperation with Fayetteville Technical Community College.
An associate degree in the program requires 66 credit hours and includes coursework in anatomy and physiology, phonetics and speech patterns, mathematical models, behavior modification, developmental disorders and acquired disorders as well as clinical field work.
About one-third of the coursework required for the degree is available for BCCC students to take either before or after they apply for admission to the program. These courses will be taught by BCCC faculty.
Fayetteville Technical Community College speech language pathology assistant courses will be taught by FTCC faculty based on the BCCC campus.
A student who successfully completes the course work will earn an associate degree in applied science in speech language pathology assisting. Graduates may then take the N.C. Registration Examination for speech language pathology assistants. After passing the exam, they are eligible to register and practice under a licensed speech language pathologist.
Those who complete their studies have several areas in which to work, including school systems, private practices, rehabilitation centers, hospitals and, occasionally, nursing homes.
The speech language pathology assistant program is part of the Allied Health curriculum at BCCC that includes associate degree and practical nursing and medical laboratory technology. BCCC also offers emergency medical technician, basic through paramedic, health-unit coordinator, therapeutic massage, pharmacy technician and nurse-aide courses through its Division of Continuing Education. As with other Allied Health curriculum programs offered at BCCC and FTCC, students must apply for admission.
For more information about the program at BCCC, interested persons may contact Wilson at 252-940-6233 or by email at danielw@beaufortccc.edu.
Information is available by contacting Charisse Gainey by telephone at 910-678-8492 or by email at gaineyc@faytechcc.edu. Information about the speech language pathology assistant program and curriculum is available at the FTCC website at www.faytechcc.edu. FTCC health programs application information is available at www.faytechcc.edu/admissions/HEALTHPROGRAMS.asp.

Learning lab available for tours
A 40-foot learning lab that lets visitors look into the future of science, technology, engineering and mathematics careers will be available for public tours from 4 p.m. to 5:15 p.m. Feb. 26 at Beaufort County Community College.
The lab, dubbed the STEM Bus, will be on the BCCC campus in conjunction with the annual Job and Allied Health Career Fair when, in addition to tours for the public, tours have been scheduled during the morning and evening for BCCC students and fair attendees.
The STEM Bus is part of an outreach program sponsored by the state’s community colleges and the N.C. Bionetwork to generate interest in STEM education and careers by giving visitors of all ages a hands-on look into science, technology, engineering and mathematics-based programs.
It contains equipment — including computer tables, a touch-screen television and a solar panel read-out — that highlights STEM careers available across North Carolina.
“A visit to the bus will give members of the public a unique opportunity to learn more about STEM education and careers by involving them in specific job tasks or experiments a student or employee might perform,” said Sandria McFadden, director of BCCC’s Career Center and coordinator of the visit.
For more information about the STEM Bus or to schedule a group visit, interested persons may contact Jay Sullivan, dean of research and institutional effectiveness, at 252-940-6203 or by email at jayms@beaufortccc.edu.

Two seminars offered
When customers encounter a business owner’s staff, the quality of service and atmosphere influence those customers’ attitudes and likelihood of future purchases. Business owners may learn how to provide outstanding service to those customers at Outstanding Customer Service for Small Business Owners.
The seminar will be offered from 9 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Feb. 27 and again March 26 in the auditorium of Building 8 at Beaufort County Community College.
Participants will learn how to develop customer-centered thinking, how to handle irate customers in a positive manner and how to keep a winning attitude in their business operations, among other topics. The instructor for the seminar is Tim Dannelly, a seasoned sales trainer and author of “Selling the American Dream.”
Attendance is free, but preregistration is recommended in order to reserve seating and to allow the college to adequately prepare materials. To register, contact Eva Peartree at BCCC’s Business and industry Services at 940-6375 or by email at evap@beaufortccc.edu, or contact Lentz Stowe, director of Business and Industry Services, at 940-6306.
The seminar is cosponsored by the Washington-Beaufort County Chamber of Commerce.