Beaufort County Community College operates on a budget funded by the N.C. General Assembly and the Beaufort County Board of Commissioners, and setting the budget each year is an intricate process.

The state funds its 58 community colleges based on enrollment, but since community colleges accommodate different kind of students — including full-time, part-time and Continuing Education — it’s far more complex than simply tallying the total number of students enrolled at each school. Enrollment numbers are standardized using a formula called Full-Time Equivalent (FTE). One FTE equates to a full-time student taking 16 credit hours for two semesters.

Since the average community college student takes fewer hours than that, it takes more than one student to generate one FTE. The Continuing Education division, which provides programs such as workforce development and personal enrichment, uses a separate formula for FTE.

“Everything we do is driven off of FTE”, says Mark Nelson, Vice President of Administrative Services. Nelson and his staff, along with the BCCC Board of Trustees and its property and finance committees, are responsible for setting and managing the college’s budget.

Each community college receives a base allocation that equates to about six full-time faculty for curriculum programs, one for Continuing Education, and salaries for the president and essential administration. Everything beyond that is based on enrollment. For the 2014-2015 school year, BCCC received about $11.5 million in state funding. The General Assembly has yet to finalize its budget for the new fiscal year, but administrators are preparing for decreased funding.

Beaufort County, which owns the land and buildings housing the college, also contributes to its funding. It pays for maintenance of the buildings and systems, as well as salaries for certain employees including maintenance, custodial, police and campus operations.

“We develop a 10-year plan of what we think we’ll need, and send a budget request to the county each year,” Nelson says.

The Beaufort County Board of Commissioners then allocates funding based on that request. It recently approved an allotment of approximately $3 million for the current fiscal year.

Grants for specific programs and special projects account for approximately 5 percent of the college’s budget. Other funding sources such as endowments and donations from the community are handled through the BCCC Foundation and are generally used for scholarships and emergency grants.

BCCC has a large service area covering four counties and more than 2,000 square miles, and it serves thousands of students each year. The college relies on both the state and the county to ensure that it can continue to address the educational needs of its students and the workforce needs of the region.

 

Learn mechanical drafting and design

BCCC’s Division of Continuing Education is providing an opportunity for students to learn the basics of two-dimensional mechanical drafting and design. The class will illustrate basic board drafting techniques with a transition into computer-aided drafting using AutoCAD 2015. Students will learn how to use AutoCAD to produce working drawings according to ASME (American Society of Mechanical Engineers) standards. This class will conclude with an introduction to three-dimensional solid modeling using Autodesk Inventor.

The class will be held on from 5:30-8:30 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays from Sept. 8 to Oct. 20 in Building 4, Room 104. The registration fee is $125 with a $5 technology fee.

For more information contact Justin Rose at 252-940-6262 or Justin.Rose@BeaufortCCC.edu.

 

Scholarship recipients announced

The Beaufort County Community College Foundation has announced its scholarship recipients for the Fall 2015 semester. These scholarships are made possible by generous donors in the community, and they support educational opportunities for students who will become productive members of the community — tomorrow’s nurses, technicians, teachers, first responders, and more.

The BCCC Foundation has awarded 68 scholarships totaling $59,720. Scholarship recipients for Fall 2015 include:

 

Helen Thorne Brooks Boyd Memorial Scholarship

David Jimenez of Bath, who is pursuing a nursing degree, is the recipient of the Helen Thorne Brooks Boyd Memorial Scholarship.

The Helen Thorne Brooks Boyd Memorial Scholarship was established in 1997. Mrs. Boyd was a resident of Belhaven and a BCCC trustee and Foundation board member until her death. The scholarship is restricted to a full-time student, with financial need, who is enrolled in an associate degree program, is in good academic standing at the college and is a resident of Bath or Belhaven.

 

Grey and Jarl Bowers Scholarship

Millie Ebron of Washington, who is pursuing a business administration degree and plans to seek her bachelor’s degree, is the recipient of the Grey and Jarl Bowers Scholarship.

Grey Worley Bowers was a native of Pink Hill, and Jarl E. Bowers was a native of Washington. They were active members of civic and social organizations in Washington. In addition to the scholarship endowment, their charitable contributions included bequests to St. Peter’s Episcopal Church and the George H. and Laura E. Brown Library.

 

Lou Tyer Memorial Scholarship

Rahaeem Shelton of Chocowinity, a Southside High School graduate who plans to transfer and pursue a bachelor’s degree at N.C. A&T, is the recipient of the Lou Tyer Memorial Scholarship. He is the son of Rudolph and Patricia Shelton.

The Lou Tyer Memorial Endowment was established in 2000. Tyer was a beloved developmental math instructor at BCCC. The scholarship is generally awarded to a developmental education student working toward a degree.

 

Robert “Bobby” E. Farish Memorial Scholarship

Victoria Ortiz of Williamston, a student in the criminal justice program, is the recipient of the Robert “Bobby” E. Farish Memorial Scholarship and plans to be an advocate for victims of domestic violence.

Rebecca Farish established this endowment in 2005 to honor the memory of her husband with scholarships that are reflective of his talents and interests in life. The scholarships are awarded to students in the business, criminal justice or automotive technology programs each year, and are based on need.

 

Tri-County Foundation Scholarship

Wendy Sales of Williamston and Brenda Adams of Greenville are the recipients of the Tri-County Foundation Scholarship.

Sales works as a telecommunications officer at the East Carolina University Police Department while pursuing an Associate’s Degree of Nursing at BCCC, and plans to continue on to a bachelor’s degree.

Adams is pursuing an Associate in Applied Science degree and plans to get a Bachelor’s Degree in social work.

The Tri-County Foundation is the philanthropic branch of the Tri-County Telephone Membership Corporation of Belhaven.

Look for more scholarship recipients in this space in the coming weeks. To learn more about the numerous scholarships available through the BCCC Foundation, call 252-940-6218 or visit http://www.beaufortccc.edu/founda/fndhome.htm. For more information on establishing a memorial or honorary scholarship, contact Foundation Director Serena Sullivan at 252-940-6326.