Keeping BCCC up-to-date

 

The faculty and staff of Beaufort County Community College work constantly to ensure that the college keeps up with the times. From updating equipment to fostering student success, these are just a few of the initiatives in the works at BCCC.

Keeping equipment and technology up to date on campus is an ongoing challenge, but an important one, as students need to be familiar with the equipment and tools that they’ll be using once they enter the workforce. In recent months, BCCC has purchased law enforcement vehicles for the BLET program, while the Business and Industrial Technology Division has added new virtual welding machines and a precision robotic arm.

Through the Success NC program, BCCC is working with other community colleges to initiate statewide policies that foster student success and develop new performance-based student success measures. The goals are to increase the number of students leaving with a job-ready credential, provide increased student access to post-secondary education and training programs, and continually improve the rigor, relevance and quality of all academic and training programs.

In Continuing Education, class and program offerings are frequently revised and updated, and more and more new courses are being offered online. Many Small Business Center seminars can be viewed online through a live streaming service.

BCCC is also developing a completely new website and utilizing new software and technology applications to streamline coordination and processes across campus. The new web portal is being designed from the ground up using best practices and ensuring compliance with ADA regulations. SharePoint is being used to improve accessibility of documents, forms and content both on- and off-campus. Other software improvements include grant management and reporting, as well as research and reporting tools for monitoring the college’s performance metrics.

New ideas and input are always needed, and the BCCC Foundation welcome new and current members to an orientation session on Aug. 5 to bring in fresh perspectives on scholarship fundraising and events. The college’s Board of Trustees also had several new members appointed this summer. Interaction with the community is a two-way street, and the college brings in students and members of the community on a regular basis to discuss local topics and areas of concern with staff and faculty. Currently out for bid is a project to install an electronic sign that will help keep the public informed about campus news and events, as well as weather-related closings and hurricane evacuation routes.

Keeping BCCC up to date as a college is not a goal with an endpoint, it’s an ongoing mission. The faculty and staff are continually working to improve the experience and outcomes for the benefit of its students.

 

Cosmetology students take advantage of business workshop 

Beaufort County Community College’s Small Business Center hosted a June 2015 workshop in partnership with the Washington Daily News on “Improving the Online Presence of Your Small Business,” and in the audience was a group of students from the college’s cosmetology program.

Velma Worsley, Lead Instructor, Cosmetology, says she took the students to the workshop because they will soon be responsible for managing their own businesses, and she wanted to teach them the importance of proper social media networking. One of the students already owns a business and was interested in using Google’s business listing service.

“The workshop was right here on campus, and it was free, so it was a great opportunity for our students,” she adds. “We enjoyed it and got a great deal of information from it.”

The workshop was presented by Daryl Hively of 252 Digital, a 29-year media veteran, and covered a variety of topics including search engine optimization, social media and digital advertising.

For more information on Small Business Center programs and workshops, visit BCCC’s Website at https://sites.google.com/site/conedbccc/small-business-center or contact Stowe at 252-940-6306 or by email at Lentz.Stowe@BeaufortCCC.edu.

 

Pharmacy Technician Classes

BCCC is offering two sections of Pharmacy Technician classes: an evening class beginning July 23, and a morning class beginning July 27. This 45-hour course is geared towards preparing students to enter the pharmacy field as a Pharmacy Technician 1. The July 23 evening class meets Tuesday and Thursday evenings from 6-9 p.m. and concludes Sept. 10. The July 27 morning class meets Mondays and Wednesdays from 8:30-11:30 a.m. and concludes Sept. 16.

To register, contact Eva Peartree, Building 8, BCCC main campus, 252-940-6375. Class registration is $125. Textbook is not included in this fee and can be purchased in the BCCC bookstore for $106.25.

Funding assistance may be available through NCWorks. Interested persons must apply to the NCWorks office in their home county. Beaufort County residents should call the NCWorks Career Center at 252-946-3116 for application information.

 

Small Business Center Core Classes begin Aug. 3

Beaufort County Community College’s Small Business Center will offer a class on How to Start a Business with Brian Cooke, who will be teaching four of the SBC’s five core classes this fall. The class will be held in Room 828 of Building 8 from 6-8 p.m. on Monday, Aug. 3.

“Small business ownership remains one of the most difficult, yet most rewarding, endeavors a person can entertain,” says Cooke. “However, many people do not appreciate that starting a business requires a series of steps be followed. My seminars will illustrate these steps and show how each element builds upon the previous discoveries or achievements.”

Students should achieve a better understanding of where they are in the process and where to concentrate their future efforts, Cooke adds.

The first workshop is designed to help budding entrepreneurs start their own businesses. The topics to be discussed include the following: advantages and disadvantages of owning a business; factors to be considered in starting a business; how to obtain permits and licenses; where to find tax information; and how to know if you are ready to start a business.

These SBC Core Classes are co-sponsored by the Washington/Beaufort County Chamber of Commerce. Attendance is free of charge, but pre-registration is recommended in order to reserve seating and to allow the college to adequately prepare materials. Check this space in the coming weeks for information about the other core classes.

To pre-register, contact BCCC’s Business and Industry Services at 252-940-6375 or email Eva Peartree at Eva.Peartree@BeaufortCCC.edu.

For more information, visit BCCC’s Website at  https://sites.google.com/site/conedbccc/small-business-center or contact Lentz Stowe, SBC director, at 252-940-6306 or Lentz.Stowe@BeaufortCCC.edu.

 

PAL STEM Camp tours college

A group of sixth, seventh and eighth graders toured the campus of Beaufort County Community College on July 1 as part of a summer camp offered by the Beaufort County Police Activities League (PAL).

The four-week camp is designed to introduce underrepresented children in Beaufort County to science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) topics and activities, including aviation, sailing and snorkeling.

“The students in the group were from several Beaufort County Schools,” says Pauline Godley, Law Enforcement Programs Administrative Assistant, who led the tour. “We focused on the Criminal Justice Curriculum and Basic Law Enforcement Training (BLET), but they also got an overview of other programs and buildings on campus.”

Godley showed the students the “blue guns” that BLET students carry during training. These artificial weapons are designed to simulate the size and weight of the real thing. There was also a demonstration of how to do a low crawl, and then the students each performed the activity. Some also ran a short version of the Police Officer Physical Ability Test course.

“We went out to one of the police cars and set off the lights and siren; the kids were very excited about that,” Godley says. “They also got to talk on the car’s loudspeaker.”

The tour included the Allied Health building, Cosmetology, Mechanical Engineering and Automotive areas. A Mechanical Engineering student showed the PAL campers some of the projects he had been working on and explained how they were done, and Automotive Systems Technology Lead Instructor Bryan Van Gyzen gave an overview of his program’s curriculum. Finally, the group toured the Early College High School.