BCCC closing early May 30

Beaufort County Community College will close at 2 p.m. Wednesday, May 30, due to inclement weather.

Two BCCC graduates make history

Maurita Harris of Fairfield, left, hugs fellow Beaufort County CommunityCollege graduate Maggie Anderson of Lake Landing before graduation exercises. The two are the first Early College High School students to earn degrees at the college.

Two Hyde County students made history Friday, May 11, at the 45th annual Beaufort County Community College graduation exercises.

Maggie Anderson, of Lake Landing, and Maurita Harris, of Fairfield, became the first Early College High School Students to earn associate degrees from BCCC which they earned along with a high school diploma.

For their efforts they received a standing ovation from the crowd of some 1,000 students, family members and BCCC officials, faculty and staff members who at- tended the graduation exercises at Washington High School.

“Many students will take the opportunity to attend the Early College High School and graduate,” said Wesley Beddard, BCCC dean of instruction, in introducing the two to the audience. “But you will always be the first.” Anderson and Harris completed the five-year program in four years - a year ahead of their fellow ECHS classmates - thanks to a grueling academic schedule and honed time management skills, the two said in an interview before the graduation ceremony.

“I’ve learned to manage my time and not procrastinate,” said Anderson, 18, who, this fall, is scheduled to attend the University of North Carolina at Wilmington where she will study speech therapy and special education.”

“I feel like I have accomplished something,” said Harris, 18, who is scheduled to attend N.C. State University this fall and pursue degrees in psychology and textiles while also studying Spanish.

The two have been best friends and have helped encourage each other through- out their high school and community college studies and can even finish each other’s sentences.

Anderson and Harris said they are looking forward to attending university and believe the study skills they learned during their high school years will serve them well as they continue their studies.

“I think it will be better for us,” said Harris.

Added Anderson: “That’s because we already have the work ethic that we will need.”

BCCC offers students in Beaufort, Hyde and Tyrrell counties the chance to take high school and tuition-free community college courses and graduate in five years with a high school diploma and an associate’s degree in the field of their choice.

The students face a rigorous schedule of classes in the ninth grade – equivalent to honors courses in a traditional high school – that prepare them to begin taking community college courses as early as the 10th grade.

“It’s difficult to say how proud I am of Maggie and Maurita,” said Lisa Hill, BCCC liaison to the early college high schools. The fact that these students are the first early college high school graduates in the history of the college is by itself an accomplishment. But to earn both a high school degree and an associate’s degree in just four years, is remarkable!

“I admire them for their perseverance and hope that other early college high school students will follow in their footsteps,” she said. “I feel confident both girls will be successful as they continue their education at the universities of their choice.”

That night, BCCC awarded some 239 degrees, diplomas, certificates and high-school equivalency degrees at its commencement exercises held at Washington High School.

Beaufort County Community College graduates received advice from one of the top officials in the N.C. Community College System, Kennon D. Briggs, the system’s executive vice president and chief of staff, pictured at the podium. Briggs spoke about beginnings and endings and challenged the graduates to make the region a better place to live, to work and to raise a family.

The graduates received advice from one of the top officials in the N.C. Community College System, Kennon D. Briggs, the system’s executive vice president and chief of staff.

Briggs manages the day-to-day operations and the 210-person staff of the system office and provides direct supervision to the system’s chief financial officer, director of human resources, director of audit services, general counsel, executive director of the state board, director of governmental relations and associate vice president for research, among other duties.

He talked about beginnings and endings - highlighting the changes that have occurred in Beaufort County and else- where in North Carolina over the last 50 years as the economy has transitioned from manufacturing in which workers could earn a good living without advanced training or higher education.

But throughout North Carolina today, he said, most good jobs require additional studies or training.

“One way of life was ending and another way of life was beginning,” he said. He called on the graduates to help improve the quality of life in Beaufort County and the surrounding region as it continues to transition to a new economy. “I challenge you on our graduation night to make Beaufort, Hyde, Washington and Tyrrell counties better places to live,

better places to work and better places to raise a family,” he said. “Your education at Beaufort County Community College has made it possible to make a difference.”

Morgan Roberson, president of the BCCC Student Government Association, presided over the ceremony. Dr. David McLawhorn, BCCC president, welcomed those attending the graduation exercises. Mitchell St. Clair, chairman of the BCCC Board of Trustees, conferred the degrees diplomas and certificates on the graduating students.

Awards went to Kristina Kay Carpenter and Angel B. Emerson, who were recognized with the highest academic average in the college transfer programs and Charles Stephen Gravely and Kellie Renee Lozano, who were recognized with the high- est academic average in associate in applied science degree programs. Carpenter and Emerson earned associate in arts degrees; Gravely, an associate’s degree in criminal justice technology, and Lozano, an associate’s degree in business administration.

As at graduation ceremonies everywhere, the experience was bittersweet for some students who enjoyed their college experience but are relieved to be finished.

“I’m glad to be graduating and getting on with my life,” said Roberson, of Williamston, prior to the ceremony. “But it’s going to be different to not see all of my friends as often.”

It was also a bittersweet evening for McLawhorn, who will retire May 31 after 11 years at the helm of the community college. “I have some of every emotion you can think of. I’m sad, I’m happy,” he said before the ceremony. “But it’s not about me. It’s about the graduates.”

Briggs is BCCC graduation speaker

Kennon D. Briggs, executive vice president and chief of staff for the N.C. Community College System, will deliver the commencement address at the 45th graduation for Beaufort County Community College.

Briggs, of Raleigh, will serve as the keynote speaker for the ceremony set for 7 p.m. Friday, May 11, in the auditorium at Washington High School.

Briggs earned a bachelor’s degree in sociology from N.C. State University in 1978 and a master’s degree in urban management from NCSU in 1980. He has also completed post graduate studies at the Institute of Government at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Briggs has served in his current position with the state community college system since 2008. He manages the day-to-day operations and the 210-person staff of the system office and provides direct supervision to the system’s chief financial officer, director of human resources, director of audit services, general counsel, executive director of the state board, director of governmental relations and associate vice president for research, among other duties.

Prior to his current position, Briggs served as chief financial officer for the state community college system, managing a staff of 30 employees with responsibilities for accounts payable, purchasing, financial reporting, funds allocation, capital improvements and internal service functions.

Briggs was also a senior budget analyst at the N.C. Office of State Budget and Management, the Yadkin County manager, and Jones County administrator.

His civic activities include membership on the University of North Carolina at Asheville National Parents Council, the Barry K. Sanders Awards Committee and the advisory board of the State Employees Credit Union Salisbury Street Branch, among other activities. He has also served as a coach for the Capital Area Soccer League and as the parent representative for the Athens Drive High School Cross Country Team. He has also served on several United Methodist Church boards and committees.

In his spare time, Briggs enjoys gardening, competitive running, hiking, and volunteering.

He and his wife, Kimberly, have three daughters – Karlie, a graduate and employee of East Carolina University; Karoline, a senior at Birmingham-Southern College, and Kasey, a freshman at UNC-Asheville.

Admission to the BCCC graduation ceremony is by ticket only available from members of the 2012 graduating class.

BCCC announces summer hours

Beaufort County Community College has announced its operating hours for the summer. The official daytime operating hours for the college will be 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Monday through Thursday, beginning Monday, May 14, and ending Thursday, Aug. 2. Evening classes will operate Monday through Thursday nights. Two holidays will be observed during the summer schedule – Memorial Day, Monday, May 28, and Independence Day, Wednesday, July 4. The college will be closed on Fridays. BCCC President David McLawhorn said the scheduled will allow the college to “maximize the financial and human resources available to conduct the college’s essential work during the summer term.”

Introduction to Computers offered

The Division of Continuing Education at Beaufort County Community College will offer a class designed to introduce beginning students to computers from 9 a.m. to noon, on Tuesdays and Thursdays, beginning June 19 and ending August 9, in Room 822 of Building 8, on the BCCC campus.

Pre-registration is required. The registration fee is $120, and the technology fee is $5. The registration fee may be waived for one course per semester for individuals 65 years old or older. The technology fee applies to all students.

This class is designed for older students who want to enter the world of computing but have little or no experience with computers. The class will cover a variety of topics including what a computer is and what it can do. Students will receive tips on computer software as well as networks and how to navigate the Internet. Tips on buying a computer will also be discussed. The instructor is Lisa Evans.

For more information about this course, contact Lou Stout at 252-940-6307. Students may register by calling 252-940-6375 or in person in room 802 of Building 8 on the BCCC campus. BCCC accepts Visa and MasterCard. Checks payable to Beaufort County Community College may be mailed to the attention of Eva Peartree, P.O. Box 1069, Washington, NC 27889. For more information about other Continuing Education classes, visit BCCC’s Website at www.beaufortccc.edu.

BCCC Foundation Trip for Wicked

The Beaufort County Community College Foundation is sponsoring a day trip Sunday, May 6, to see the award winning musical, “Wicked,” at the Durham Performing Arts Center and the Alexander Calder Exhibit, “Form, Balance, Joy,” at the Nasher Art Museum. The trip will include brunch at Vin Rouge, orchestra seating for the show, a tour of the Calder Exhibit, and round trip van transportation. The cost per person will be $180. Van seating is limited to twelve. Please contact the foundation office at 252-940-6218 or via email at marcian@beaufortccc.edu.

Board of Trustees names Dr. Barbara Tansey as new BCCC president

Dr. Barbara Tansey, vice president of Academic and Student Services at Fayetteville Technical Community College, has been named as the new president of Beaufort County Community College.

Dr. Tansey's appointment was announced Friday by Mitchell St. Clair, chairman of the BCCC Board of Trustees in an email to college faculty and staff following her approval by the N.C. State Board of Community Colleges earlier in the day.

When Tansey assumes her duties June 1, she will be the first woman to head the college, located about five miles east of Washington, in its 45 year-history. She succeeds Dr. David McLawhorn who will retire May 31 from the post, a position he has held for about 11 years.

"I am very confident in the decision the Board of Trustees has made in choosing the next president of the college," St. Clair said in announcing the board's choice. "I know we have the best candidate to move the college forward in an exciting new era.

"Dr. McLawhorn has been a great president and the passing of the baton is certainly bittersweet," St. Clair said. "But the Board of Trustees is looking forward to working with Dr. Tansey in her new post."

In a statement released Friday afternoon Dr. Tansey said she was looking forward to being a part of the community and a partner in the education of its citizens. She said she is looking forward to meeting the faculty, staff and students, exploring and becoming an active participant in the community.

Dr. Tansey has served as vice president of Academic and Student Services at Fayetteville Technical Community College for four years. Before that, she served over three years as vice president of Student Learning at South Piedmont Community College in Polkton, N.C.

Dr. Tansey began her career in education as a teacher in rural Missouri and later became director of a program serving single parent displaced homemakers while she finished her doctorate.

Dr. Tansey in addition to her experience as an educator, Dr. Tansey has experience in the private sector. She worked several years as director of corporate training for an international construction company before accepting the position as a dean at Pima Community College in Tuscon, Ariz., and another position as a dean at Arapahoe Community College in Littleton, Colo.

Dr. Tansey earned a bachelor's degree in education and a master's degree in education from Northwest Missouri State University in Maryville, Mo. She earned a doctorate in from the School of Practical Arts and Vocational Education at the University of Missouri in Columbia, Mo. Her doctorate dissertation was entitled Strategic Planning in a Regional Technical Education Center: A Community Based Model.

Dr. Tansey currently serves as vice president of the Cumberland/Fayetteville Arts Council and Chairman of the Arts Council's Strategic Planning Committee. She is a member of Rotary and the Women's Giving Circle.

Dr. Tansey has been an active participant in the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools as a member of numerous review teams. She successfully led Fayetteville Technical Community College through its 10-year review in June 2001. Next month, she plans to travel to Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, to serve on a SACS review team.

Dr. Tansey has two sons and five grandchildren. Her husband, Tom, is the chief executive officer of Tansey and Associates, a company that conducts training and certification programs for managers and supervisors in the construction industry. He has two children.

Dr. Tansey's salary as BCCC president will be $150,324. She was one of 48 people who applied for the position and was the unanimous choice of the BCCC Board of Trustees for the post, St. Clair said.

Dr. McLawhorn said he wished "the very best for Dr. Tansey and the students, faculty and staff at BCCC." He said he hopes that the Beaufort County Board of Commissioners and other community leaders will continue the strong support of the college that they have shown in the past 11 years that has led to a period of unprecedented growth of the college.

With an annual budget of some $22.7 million, BCCC serves a four-county area that includes Beaufort, Hyde, Tyrrell and Washington counties. The college employs some 360 faculty and staff members and has 1,873 curriculum students and about 4,500 students through its Division of Continuing Education.