Cougar Bytes for February 17, 2012

New CCCC Homecoming Tradition

Alumni and friends recently attended CCCC's first homecoming event, BluePrint Days. Brian Merritt, Director of Alumni Relations, working with the staff of the Foundation and the assistance of many volunteers, planned three busy days that provided opportunities for career development, networking events, and a chance to show Cougar pride as CCCC took on its local rival in basketball.

Lisa Duncan, Richard Love, and the paralegal students w/ paralegal graduate, Alessandra Bortolotti Jones '97. Alessandra told the group how her CCCC training prepared her for a competitive career in immigration law in New York City.

Piedmont Biofuels research director Rachel Burton, Lee County Sheriff Tracy Carter, and Central Carolina Community College lead history instructor Dr. Anthony Harrington are the recipients of CCCC's first Distinguished Alumni Awards. The announcement of their selection is a prelude to the official Distinguished Alumni Award recognition ceremony, which will take place June 28 at the Dennis A. Wicker Civic Center during the college's 50th Anniversary Gala. Tickets to that event are now available from the CCCC Foundation by contacting Associate Director Emily Hare at ehare@cccc.edu or (919) 718-7230.

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Ellen Bland One of Top Five Instructors in NCCCS

Ellen Bland

Ellen Bland has been selected as one of the top five instructors in the North Carolina Community College System.

"You are among a select group of instructors who represent the best teachers employed in the NCCCS," said Sharon Morrissey, the system's senior vice president and chief academic officer over Academic and Student Services, in announcing Bland's selection.

In September, Ellen was chosen by the full-time faculty at CCCC as the winner of the college's 2011 Instructor of the Year Award. She then competed against the winners from the other 57 community colleges in the NCCCS for the system's 2012 Excellence in Teaching Award. She was chosen as among the top five.

"As a career teacher, I'm really honored to be among the top five," she said. "There are so many great instructors in the North Carolina Community College System."

The NCCCS employs about 3,000 full-time faculty at its 58 colleges that serve all 100 of the state's counties.

"We have known for a long time that Ellen is among the finest instructors in the NCCCS," said CCCC President Bud Marchant. "We are delighted that she has now been recognized as such. Ellen has a strong reputation for excellence in service to students, the college, and her community. She has helped CCCC to be the outstanding community college it is."

Ellen, a Pittsboro resident with a master's degree in communication, has been motivating humanities, communication and theater students at CCCC for 20 years. She said her favorite classes to teach are interpersonal communication, public speaking, and acting. Prior to coming to the college in 1992, she taught at Marshall University and Northwood High School.

She has taught at the college's Chatham and Lee campuses, earning high praise from her students and co-workers for bringing out the best in her students, increasing their self-confidence, and giving them skills that carry over into everyday life.

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Confucius Classroom Visiting Professor

Confucius Classroom Visiting Professor Ling Huang was all smiles at the Shanxi University Art Delegation performance Feb. 1 at the Dennis A. Wicker Civic Center. Not only did she enjoy the performance by a university from her homeland, but also got to introduce her husband, Bingshan Chen, to some of her coworkers at CCCC. He is a journalist for the Zinhua Daily newspaper and will be visiting in Sanford until August. Their son, Qianfan ("Fan" for short) Chen, also enjoyed the performance - and having his dad here. He is a student at East Lee Middle School.

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Evangeline Smith Earns Doctorate

by Theresa Cry, Director of Organizational & Professional Development

Dr. Evangeline Smith

Evangeline Smith, College and Career Readiness coordinator for Central Carolina Community College in Lee County, has been awarded her Doctor of Philosophy in Education: Higher Education Leadership from Capella University. Her dissertation was "Community College Leadership Crisis: Identifying and Preparing Future Leaders Through Succession Planning In Selected North Carolina Community Colleges."

Evangeline has worked at CCCC for 14 years, starting in 1997 as the Basic Skills coordinator.

"I really enjoy working with staff, students, and the Lee County community here at CCCC," Evangeline said. "It is wonderful to come to work each day and love what you do. Right now, I am just taking a great sigh of relief that I have accomplished my goal in obtaining my Doctorate of Philosophy. Capella University is an excellent university whose professors and staff provided me with an outstanding educational experience. I have learned that education is a wonderful instrument with which to transform an individual, community, nation, and the world!"

Evangeline currently resides in Raleigh with her husband, Charles.

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CCCC Celebrates Black History Month

by Vadrin Colvin-King, Sociology Instructor

The college is celebrating Black History Month with special events and educational opportunities on all three of its main campuses. For complete information, click here.

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CCCC NCAEOP Heart in the Heart Workshop

by Sue Whitman, Industry Services and SBC Assistant

Central Carolina Community College's Association of Educational Office Professionals held their annual Heart in the Heart Workshop, on Monday, February 13, 2012 at the DAWCC. There were approximately 80 EOP members in attendance from local counties to include, Scotland, Montgomery, Lee, Harnett, Cumberland, Moore, and Chatham. The all-day workshop provided six PSP credit hours for the EOP members. All attendees enjoyed a day of food, fellowship and learning.

The presenters for the workshop included, Chef Gregg Hamm, Director of Hospitality and Culinary Program, Jamie Wicker, Justice Studies Instructor, Wilma P. Greene, NC PSP Registrar, David Foster, Director Dennis A. Wicker Civic Center, Cathy Swindell, Director of Industry Services, Laura Lauffer, Sustainability Coordinator, Andrew McMahan, Bio-Fuels Coordinator, and Tim McNeill, CCCC Board of Trustee Member, Chairman, BRAC Regional Task Force.

Attendees at Heart in the Heart Workshop. Wilma Greene is presenting.

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Emily Hare Honored by Tomorrow Fund

by Diane Glover, Foundation Executive Director

Emily Hare, Associate Director, Foundation, and her husband, Walter, attended the Tomorrow Fund Gala in Durham, NC. Emily was a special guest in honor of her work with Hispanic students at CCCC. This year, $13,000 was awarded to CCCC students qualifying for these scholarships.

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CCCC Transfer Students Perform Well At Other Institutions

by Linda Scuiletti, Coordinator, Institutional Effectiveness & Research

Each year the System Office tracks the performance of our college transfer students who transfer to UNC system universities compared with students native to the UNC universities, as one of the Performance Funding Measures. Individual community colleges have the option of submitting data from other private or out-of-state colleges and universities to be included with the data from the UNC System. Two separate cohorts are tracked: students who earned an Associate's Degree from CCCC (including AS, AA, and AAS), and students who earned at least 24 or more hours of articulated college transfer credit hours at CCCC but did not complete the degree. This year, we were able to track performance for 33 of our former CCCC students at private and/or out-of state colleges and universities. The results are overwhelmingly positive:

CCCC Associate Degree Performance: 14 of 15 students for whom we could obtain information earned a 2.0 or better GPA at the 4-year institution after two subsequent semesters of enrollment = 93%

CCCC 24+ Hours Cohort Performance: 18 of 18 students for whom we could obtain information earned a 2.0 or better GPA at the 4-year institution after two subsequent semesters of enrollment = 100%

CCCC overall performance: 33 of 33 students for whom we could obtain information earned a 2.0 or better GPA at the 4-year institution after two subsequent semesters of enrollment = 97% !!!!

The performance standard for this measure is 83%, but the performance level required for "Exceptional Institutional Performance" changes from year to year based on the performance of native UNC System university students. Last year, the performance of native UNC students was 87% earning a GPA of 2.0 or better. That puts CCCC's transfer students attending private and/or out-of-state colleges and universities significantly higher this year that native UNC System students.

Performance data for our students who transferred to UNC System universities is not yet available. When it becomes available, the System Office will add the performance for our private/out-of-state students above to the UNC System transfer students to calculate our score for this year, and determine whether we meet the performance standard and the Exceptional Institution standard.

Congratulations to everyone in the Instructional Division for your phenomenal success in preparing these students for the rigors of study at their four-year institutions

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Foundation News

by Emily Hare, Associate Director, Foundation

The Foundation kicked off the 2012 Annual Fund Drive at its recent board meeting held at the Dennis A. Wicker Civic Center. "With the help of the community, we can continue to support scholarships and other important programs that help advance the mission of the College," said Diane Glover, Foundation Executive Director. This year 2,000 letters from President Marchant were mailed to past and prospective donors in our service area. Glover added, "Please let the Foundation office know of leads you may have for any particular program, and we will gladly have them included."

The Foundation also welcomed two new board members from the Harnett County area. Emily Hare, Foundation Associate Director, said "Both individuals are very enthusiastic, and we predict they will be fantastic advocates for CCCC and the Foundation!"

John D. Snipes II - John and wife, Ashley, live in Dunn. John is President of Snipes Insurance Service, which is a family business that began in 1952. He has been very active with the Dunn Chamber and served as a past President.

Linda Andrews - Linda and husband, Dan, live in Fuquay Varina on their family's farm. Linda is the National Legislative Director for NC Farm Bureau. She also serves on the NC State Cooperative Foundation Board. Her father-in-law, Dan Sr., currently serves as a Harnett County Commissioner.

Mark your calendars! Get ready to hop and run! Sign up today for the first annual Rabbit Run 5K in Pittsboro. Click here for more information.

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Join Us To Train For A 5K Race

by Janelle Cosgrove Hart, Coordinator of Accreditation & QEP

Have you ever thought about getting in shape, but doubted your ability to avoid injury in the process? Have you already pushed aside you New Year's resolution to exercise more? Would you like to challenge yourself to better health in a friendly learning environment?

We have a great opportunity to exercise together, learn proper techniques and train to complete a 5K race (that's only 3.1 miles). A new addition to the Continuing Education course list is the "Running your First 5K" course set to begin March 1st. This Thursday evening class, led by certified fitness trainer Chris Knodel, combines technical instruction with the art and practice of running. Beginning and returning runners are welcome. The cost is only $29.00 for the two-month course, and the "final exam" is to compete in the Rabbit Run 5K during CCCC's 50th Anniversary Celebration in Chatham County (separate registration fee). Details of the course are below. To sign up for the course, call the Lee County Continuing Education office at (919) 777-7793.

Running Your First 5K

• You can learn the proper and pain-free way to run - for weight loss, good health, and pleasure. Final class and evaluation will be participation in the Rabbit Run 5K as part of CCCC's 50th Anniversary Celebration on Saturday, April 28, in Chatham County ($20 registration fee for 5K not included).
  • Course #: L-1248
  • Start * End Date: 03/01/12 * 04/28/12
  • Day: Th
  • Time: 6:45P - 7:30P
  • Cost: $29.00
  • Location Code: ESTC
  • Building Location: ESTC
  • Instructor: Chris Knodel

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Send Us Your Marketing Ideas

by Marcie Dishman, Director of Marketing & Public Affair

Have you got a good marketing idea for us? We are always looking for innovative and effective ways to communicate the essence of CCCC to the markets we serve. Send your ideas to marketing@cccc.edu.

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News From The Office of Grants & Sponsored Programs

by Brian Merritt, Director of Grants & Sponsored Program

Congratulations to the Physical Plant staff members, Ronnie Measamer and Joel Oldham, and the entire Green Team, for receiving a $3,675.00 State Agency Recycling Grant from the NC Department of Environment and Natural Resources. The purpose of this grant project will be to implement a comprehensive recycling workflow model for internal paper, aluminum, and plastic recycling at the largest sites in Lee County (main campus and WB Wicker) so it can be refined and spread to the smaller, remote sites after the one-year project ends. Funding will help purchase more bins for paper, aluminum, and plastic recycling including under-the-desk bins for faculty/staff.

Congratulations to Sustainable Farming Coordinator, Robin Kohanowich, for receiving a $2,864.00 grant from the Southern Sustainable Agriculture Working Group. This funding allowed Robin to take CCCC students/local farmers to the Practical Tools and Solutions for Sustaining Family Farms Conference in Arkansas from January 23-26, 2012. See a recap from this wonderful learning experience by visiting the conference www.ssawg.org/jan12-conf.

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Sanford Women's League Holds Annual Fundraiser

by Bianka Rhodes Stumpf, Director of Distance Education

The Sanford Women's League (SWL), a local civic group of like-minded women who commit to community service projects each month, is having it annual Flapjack Fundraiser on Sat., Feb. 18 from 7:30 a.m. to 10 a.m. at the Sanford Applebee's Neighborhood Grill and Bar at 1325 Plaza Blvd. Proceeds will fund SWL's outreach efforts to groups like HAVEN, Christian United Outreach Center's Food Pantry, Backpack Pals, the Enrichment Center, and the Boys and Girls Club. Tickets are $7 for a pancake platter that includes sausage and drink. You can dine in or take out. For tickets, you can contact one of CCCC's SWL members:

• Bianka Stumpf (bstumpf@cccc.edu)
• Ginger Harris-Pike (gpike@cccc.edu)
• Amanda Carter (abcarter@cccc.edu)

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News From The Office of Alumni Services

by Brian Merritt, Director of Alumni Services

BluePrint Member Savings Program Launched

You are invited to register now to get your official BluePrint Member Card recognizing you as a member of the CCCC Alumni Association. Remember, a CCCC alumnus is defined as anyone who has taken a course at the college. Current and future alumni are encouraged to register online!

Take a look at the list of businesses (www.cccc.edu/alumni/services/savingsprogram/) participating the in Member Savings Program, and start saving today!

Business owners: Sign up to be a BluePrint Member Savings Member! Send an email to alumni@cccc.edu, or call (919) 718-7426 for more information.

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Correction

Andre Mapp, who was our Cougar Profile for January, attended St. Augustine's College in Raleigh, NC. We apologize for the error.

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Cougar Pets News

by Jonathan Loftis, Animal Facilities Manager

Is there room in your family and your life for a pet? The animals waiting patiently for permanent homes at the CCCC veterinary medical facility are healthy, have all their shots, and have been spayed/neutered. They are ready to love you.

Visit the Cougar Pets website at cougarpets.webs.com/index.html for more information and pictures of pets available for adoption. Call 919.718.7465 or email jloftis@cccc.edu if you want to adopt.

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Cougar Profile

Kathy Sheffield
Business Services Assistant

Almost everyone who works on the Sanford campus will recognize Kathy Sheffield by sight, if not by name. She is a smiling, helpful presence in the Business Services offices, one of a team whose goal is to solve your problem, whatever it may be. Kathy started working in the department as an intern, then as a part-time employee. On February 14th, she accepted a full time position as Business Services Assistant.

"The college has been so good to me," Kathy told us. "I want to give something back. I love working here."

Kathy was born and grew up in Sanford, graduating in the last class that graduated from Sanford Central High School (now Lee County High School). She started her working life in the textile industry. As the textile business began to disappear, Kathy went back to school, to CCCC, earning an Associate Degree in the paralegal program, and then a second Associate Degree in marketing. Kathy's husband, Gary, works for Mount Arie Hatchery here in Sanford. Kathy and Gary have a son and a daughter, who live and work in the Sanford area.

When we asked Kathy what the Sheffield family did for fun, she replied, "We have seven grandchildren, the loves of our life." The kids, ranging in age from 14 to 2 years of age, take up any spare time Kathy and Gary have. That's the way they like it.

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Birthdays

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Things For Sale, For Adoption or for Free

For Sale:5-Pc Home Theatre System by KLH, Model SS025, Never taken out of original box. Price: $30, Call Diane at (919) 718-7231 or email at g2consign@gmail.com

For Sale:Fitness Utility Bench by IMPEX, Model - Marcy SB 241, Price: $45, Call Diane at (919) 718-7231 or email at g2consign@gmail.com

Wanted:Recumbent exercise bike. Call Irene Smith, (919) 718-7518 or (919) 777-9668.

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