Cougar Bytes for Friday, April 22, 2016

Congratulations April Employee of the Month: Kelvin Hunt

Kelvin Hunt takes time out of his day, where he could be having lunch or addressing some other needs, and leads an exercise/cross fit group for employees and the occasional student who drops by. Kelvin takes the time to prepare a daily routine so others can benefit from weight loss, cardio exercise, and comradery. Others have felt the impact of his extra work by getting to know people from other departments in the college. Friendships are forged where they may not have otherwise, had it not been for Kelvin creating this group. Kelvin is always enthusiastic and prepared to lead the group and welcomes all who join the exercise experience!

Kelvin Hunt
Director of Student Outreach and Recruitment

Q.   How long have you worked for CCCC?

A.   I have been with CCCC for 11 years this month!

Q.   What brought you to CCCC?

A.   I worked in college admissions at UNC-Pembroke prior to coming to CCCC. I loved admissions, but grew tired of living out of a suitcase and all the travel. I was already serving Lee/Chatham and the Raleigh/Durham areas. I saw that CCCC had a recruiting position open at the time and figured it would be less overnight travel. I applied for the position and the rest is history!

Q.   Describe what you do for CCCC.

A.   I'm responsible for curriculum enrollment at the college. My team and I travel/cover about a 12-county region promoting the college in settings such as high schools, industry career fairs, churches and community organizations, community festivals and too many other places to mention :) If there's an event to be in front of prospective students, we're usually there.

Q.   Where were you born?

A.   I was born in Whiteville, NC.

Q.   Where did you grow up?

A.   I grew up in Chadbourn, NC which is seven miles from Whiteville. It's a small town in southeastern NC. If you've traveled to Myrtle Beach, SC, you probably traveled through Chadbourn and just didn't know it because it's so small. However, it home to the Strawberry Festival and at one time was the "Strawberry Capital of the World."

Q.   Educational credentials?

A.   UNC-Pembroke: B.S. Health and Physical Education/Athletic Training minor.

Q.   Where do you live now?

A.   My wife of 10 years, LaTisha, and our three children reside in Fuquay-Varina, NC. We've been there since 2006. Our kids are Madilyn (7 yrs. old), and twins Jayla and Jacob (5 yrs. old). Jayla's the oldest twin by about 45 seconds. There's never a dull moment with our kids, and I love being their dad.

Q.   What are some of your hobbies or other interest outside of CCCC?

A.   There's not much time for hobbies with three little ones running around! As a former college athlete (baseball), I enjoy all sports and the challenge to defeat Father Time by working out (I'm currently losing that battle by the way) and helping others reach their workout goals. Join the "CCCC Lunch Workout Crew" in the gym each day at 12 if you are interested in working out. I enjoy movies and mostly spending time with my family.

Q.   Anything else you'd like to share with the CCCC family?

A.   It's an honor to be recognized, but I must also thank the team I have around me. They are great and I enjoy working with them to better the lives of our students and the community.

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Dreamkeeper Fund

Dear Friends,

Did you know, in many situations, a relatively small amount of money can mean the difference between a student obtaining his/her degree or dropping out of school completely?

To help these students complete, we've collaborated with the CCCC Foundation to establish the Dreamkeeper Fund, which will award Completion Grants to help students stay enrolled and continue on their path toward graduation. These grants will focus on students who:

• have genuine unmet financial need and have used all other sources of aid,
• are on track for graduation in the next semester or year; and
• have an outstanding financial gap that will require them to drop out.

This model has been successfully deployed at other colleges across the country, with win-win results. National data shows that worthy students achieve their goals, and college enrollment and graduation rates are increased. This program will become part of our larger effort focused on student success at CCCC, and it will further our Strategic Plan's goal of removing barriers to enrollment and progression for our students.

YOU can help! Our dream is to tell our students 100% of Faculty, Staff, Trustees and Foundation Board members contribute to this fund, demonstrating the support of the entire caring college community.

If you regularly give to the Campus Fund Drive, please consider designating all or a portion of your contribution to Dreamkeeper Fund.

If you haven't given to the Campus Fund Drive in recent years, please consider a small contribution to the Dreamkeeper Fund. The Foundation will accept contributions of $1 per month or even $1 total.

To participate, please designate "Dreamkeeper Fund" in the space provided on the Campus Fund Drive donation form, or simply fill out the attached donation form and forward it to Abby Walker in the Foundation.

Many community college students face more than their share of life's challenges. Please considering contributing in honor of a struggling student you have known, and know this fund has the potential to transform lives. We'd like this potentially life-changing gift to be from ALL of us.

Many thanks for ALL you do to help our students thrive and succeed, and Keep Dreaming!

The Dreamkeeper Committee

Heather Willett, Dean, Student Support Services
Emily Hare, Executive Director, CCCC Foundation
Ken Hoyle, VP, Student Services
Meghan Brown, Associate Director, Grants & Strategic Initiatives
Linda Scuiletti, AVP, Student Learning & Strategic Planning
Kelly Klug, Project Management Specialist
Tamara Joyner, Controller

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Staff Members Visit White House

Two staff members visited the White House and the Department of Education on April 4-5 to showcase plans for its $9.2 million First in the World grant project, awarded in October 2015.

Dr. Brian Merritt, Vice President of Student Learning and Chief Academic Officer, made a presentation in the White House about the plans for the grant to an audience that included Under Secretary of Education Ted Mitchell. Merritt and project co-director Sarah Hoffarth also visited the Lyndon B. Johnson Education Building to engage with other project directors and learn about the Department of Education's goals and expectations.

Nationwide, only two First in the World validation grants were awarded to test, at a broad scale, college student interventions supported by significant evidence. The First in the World program was designed to support President Obama's goal for the United States to once again have the highest proportion of college graduates in the world by the year 2020.

Read the full news article.

Dr. Brian Merritt, CCCC Vice President of Student Learning and Chief Academic Officer, made a presentation in the White House about the plans for the grant.

First in the World project co-director, Sarah Hoffarth, visited the White House and the Department of Education

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Dunn Easter Egg Hunt

by Rebecca Parker, Site Coordinator, Dunn Enrichment Center

The Foundation worked with the Social Committee to come up with several events for 2016 that would show their appreciation of the employees of CCCC's continuous commitment. In March, we had "Marchant Madness" Kick Off Week!, then the Easter Egg Hunt on March 24 at the Dunn Enrichment Center. We partnered with the Dunn Head Start program, the Dunn Housing Authority, and the Dunn PAL program with this group effort. We had a great day and hope to expand and improve the event next year. We are currently working on plans for improvement for next year.

Visit the CCCC Foundation Facebook page for more photos from the 2016 Easter Egg Hunt.

Other events coming up as a part of 2016 Campus Fund Drive!!!

• April 29, Golf Tournament for faculty and staff, Carolina Lakes
• June 2, Sweet Celebration 4-6 p.m. Cafe' 121, Sanford
• August, Back to School Cookouts
• October 31, Halloween Celebration
• November 30, Christmas Tree Lighting Siler City
• December 1, Lee County Christmas Tree Lighting

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Leadership Institute

CCCC held a year-long Leadership Institute for employees with three main goals - promote college unity, develop leadership qualities, and help each other gain insight and confidence needed for leadership effectiveness. Daisha Gaines, CCCC Director of Organizational Development, said participants far exceeded all expectations and set the bar high for future participants.

Participants of the Leadership Institute were, left to right: front row, Daisha Gaines (facilitator), Amy Gustavson, Barrett McGehee, Constance Boahn, Susan Johnson, Trinnette Nichols-Jones, and Rhonda Jones; middle row, Morgan Steele, Wrenn Crowe, Pamela Fincher, Denise Martin, Angela Crisp-Sears, and Matthew Smith; back row, Kevin Pearson, Lauren Weaver, Angela Nicholson, Kristy Baggett, and Ronnie Measamer. Not pictured are David Foster, Tommy Holder, Daniel Loges, Crystal McIver, Mike Spivey, and James Thomas.

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New Award for Excellence in Advising

by Daisha V. Gaines, Director of Organizational Development

It is with great pleasure that I announce we will begin accepting nominations for the Faculty and Staff Members of the Year, as well as our new award for Excellence in Advising. These awards provide an important recognition of the contributions these individuals have made to the betterment of the quality and advancement of our college.

The nomination process is open specifically to permanent full-time faculty and staff, excluding temporary or part-time employees, adjuncts, and past award recipients.

The Faculty, Staff, and Advisors of the Year will be recognized during our Professional Development Day.

To nominate a deserving employee, complete the nomination forms below no later than close of business on Monday, May 2.

View all nomination forms and guidelines for faculty, staff, and advisor, on the intranet under Helpful Files By Department, Faculty, Staff & Advisor of the Year: http://www.cccc.edu/intranet.

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Sensory Bottles

by David Leperi, Early Childhood Instructor

The EDU_151 Early Childhood Education class of Creative Activities completed a fun project called "Sensory Bottles." The picture attached shows the finished product and the students involved. This is a wonderful and fun activity to do with young children and adults alike. In the picture are Jessica Watson, Alejandra Ceron, Ahilet Z. Hernandez, Lorena Alvarado, David Leperi, Alexandra Dick, Yaneli Morales, Ruth Mendoza, Katy Hogrefe.

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The Lion King

by Kimberly Brzozowski, Academic Coach, Student Support Services

On Friday, March 11, CCCC's Student Support Services, Student Support Services STEM Health Sciences, and Upward Bound Math and Science students traveled to the Durham Performance Arts Center to see the sold out musical, Disney's The Lion King.

Student Support Services and Student Support Services STEM Health Sciences is a new TRiO program to CCCC that serves currently enrolled students at the college and this was their first group cultural event.

Students were given the opportunity to explore the historic site of the American Tobacco Campus prior to the show. After taking in the historic sites, the students settled in to watch the amazing performance filled with captivating choreography and elaborate costumes.

Prior to the trip, the Upward Bound Math Science students completed an assignment looking at a math/science major associated with a job related to theater production. The Student Support Service and STEM students attended a theater etiquette workshop so they could represent CCCC and get to see the world's number one musical. It was a truly remarkable experience.

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Join Us for LEC's 2016 Commencement!

Lee Early College Graduation will be held on Monday, May 23, at 7 p.m. in the Main Hall of the Civic Center. This will be LEC's largest graduating class to date, with the highest number of Associate Degrees earned. CCCC faculty and staff have been instrumental in LEC students' academic success and are welcome to attend. No tickets are required.

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NC STRIVE Conference

by Ashley Tittemore, Executive Director of College Access Programs & Director of Upward Bound Math and Science

NC STRIVE (Student Transition Resource Initiative for Veteran's Education) is a FREE conference for higher education professionals (faculty and staff), which highlights best practices to better serve our nation's veterans, service members, and their family members in seeking higher education.

This conference will include Green Zone Training for Community Colleges during the morning session which you can't miss! Green Zone Training is an opportunity for higher education professionals to better understand the military experience and the issues and concerns faced by military-affiliated students.

The conference will be held on Wednesday, June 15, at the Dennis A. Wicker Civic Center in Sanford. To register, please visit: http://ncveteransworkinggroup.org/event/nc-strive-2016-conference/. Registration is on a first-come, first-served basis, so please register early! Free lunch will be provided. View the Save The Date and Conference Agenda.

If you have any questions, please contact Tim Peedin, TRiO Veterans Upward Bound Director, at tpeedin@cccc.edu or ext. 7539.

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Spelling Bee

The Central Carolina Community College team recently won the Delta Rho Spelling Bee -- it's third consecutive win. The winning word was "gallimaufry." Team members are pictured, left to right: Becky Parker, Paul Haspel, Sarah Hoffarth, and Amanda Carter.

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Interested In a Work Study Student?

by Ken Hoyle, Vice President of Student Services

If you are interested in some help by having a work study student for next school year, please apply and send your request to Dana Diaz in the Financial Aid Department.

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QEP Update: My Academic Pathway

by Jamee Stiffler, Dean of Admissions

The QEP team is at a pivotal point in the initial phase of implementation. The College will begin to see the road being paved to MAP during the summer. A summer pilot is being planned in order to collect initial data and to identify any processes that need to be adjusted.

The team carefully considered seven career assessment tools and one has been selected to use for the summer pilot. The tool focuses on three steps:

1. whether a student likes or dislikes particular work activities,
2. groups those activities based on six interest areas, and
3. identifies programs within each interest area.

The team's excitement will continue into the next month as we discuss the process and assessment for the pilot. Further information on the QEP implementation can be viewed at www.cccc.edu/qep/.

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Educational Day at Carowinds

The Upward Bound Math and Science program took a group of students to experience Educational Day at Carowinds on April 8. Students were exposed to the science that is involved in creating and operating an amusement park. Students conducted hands-on experiments that allowed them to see first-hand the engineering that goes with creating amusement park rides. Some of the topics discussed were air resistance and gravity, centripetal force, friction and momentum, and Newton's law of motion.

Sharneace Stewart, 10th grader at Western Harnett High School, and Trezivont Woods, 11th grader at Harnett Central High School, try the roller coaster experiment.

Brenyln Hudson, 10th grader at Western Harnett High School, tries the sling shot experiment.

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2016 Campus Fund Drive Employee Golf Tournament

Mark your calendars for the 2016 Campus Fund Drive employee golf tournament! The day will be filled with fun, food, and fellowship among current coworkers, retirees, and friends of the college! Get your team ready and contact us today!

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Educational Office Professional of the Year Awards

by Peggy Cotten, Library Assistant - Circulation

Congratulations to Kay Faucette! She was awarded Educational Office Professional of the Year at Central Carolina Community College. Kay was presented this Award from Linda Spivey, CCCCAEOP Awards Committee Chairperson, in March.

Congratulations to Martha Wilkie! She was awarded the NCAEOP Educational Office Professional of the Year Award at state conference in Winston-Salem in March. Martha will continue on to the national level of the competition.

For more information about North Carolina Association of Educational Office Professionals and to join, visit ncaeop.org.

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New Student Orientation - Coming Soon!

by Adam Wade, Lead Success Coach

Before you know it, the semester will be over and we will be preparing to welcome a whole new group of incoming students at New Student Orientation. New Student Orientation dates have been confirmed. Please see the dates below.

Lee Campus
June 15, 22, 29 (Evening Session)
July 19, 28 (Evening Session)
August 3, 4 (Evening Session), 19, 22 (Evening Session)

Chatham Campus
June 28, July 14

Harnett Campus
June 21, July 20

Over the past year, the New Student Orientation Advisory Committee has been hard at work, planning for NSO 2016! One of the additions to New Student Orientation this year will be student Orientation Leaders. The College Success Center is in the process of recruiting, interviewing and hiring eight Orientation Leaders. In addition to assisting new students as they transition to CCCC, these students will also serve as Peer Leaders in ACA courses in fall 2016 and assist with Success Workshops.

Be on the lookout for NSO T-shirts! We will open up orders for all faculty and staff that would like to order a T-shirt beginning May 1.

In collaboration with Distance Education, the College Success Center is also working toward creating an Online Orientation module for distance learners. This will go live for all incoming students beginning June 1.

If you should have any questions, please let us know.

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SSS / SSS STEM Attends Transfer to Teal Tour

by Kimberly Brzozowski, Academic Coach, Student Support Services

On Friday, April 15, Student Support Services and Student Support Services STEM Health Sciences traveled to the University of North Carolina at Wilmington (UNCW) to attend a Transfer to Teal tour. Students in our program were able to eat just like other Seahawks in Wagner Dining Hall, attended an information session designed specifically for transfer students, and went on a tour with current UNCW students who recently transferred.

The University of North Carolina at Wilmington currently has a transfer population of 44 to 46 percent. The university has the highest graduation rate for transfers in the UNC system, making it a great opportunity for students to transfer after they complete their university transfer Associate's degree at CCCC.

Our students finished their day by taking in the culture of Wilmington at a brief stop at Wrightsville Beach. The full day of education and fun allowed students to get a true feel for what it would be like to transfer to UNCW.

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Notes from Institutional Effectiveness & Research

by Amy Gustavson, Assistant Director of Institutional Effectiveness & Research

In the Spring 2015 College Services Survey, many of you asked "What is Institutional Effectiveness & Research (IE/R)?!?" We're happy to fill you in on who we are and what we do! Here is our exciting news for this month.

Project of the Month: IPEDS Spring Submission

IPEDS stands for Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System. During the IPEDS Spring Data Collection, we work with dedicated CCCC staff to report data for Fall Enrollment, Finance, Human Resources, and Academic Libraries. It's a lot of work! Thank you to everyone who helped! Interested in looking at IPEDS data for CCCC or other schools? All data is available to the public through the IPEDS Data Center.

Training Event: Compliance Assist Workshop

On Tuesday, April 12, IER provided a workshop on using Compliance Assist (CA), doing assessment, and writing student learning/service outcomes for reporters. CA reporters from Student Learning, Student Services, and Economic and Community Development attended the session. The session goals included: explaining the importance of assessment, constructing outcomes, and completing the 2015-2016 Annual Program Planning & Review. Thank you to all those who attended and actively work to "Close the Loop!"

Before you go...
Don't forget to check out our weekly "SACSCOC Tip of the Week" on the CCCC Staff Announcements!

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News From The Library

by Tara Guthrie, Director of Library Services

Harnett Library Computer Lab Grand Opening

The Harnett Library held a grand opening on April 12 and 14 for the new library instruction computer lab during National Library Week. Students and faculty stopped by to see the new lab and enjoyed some treats. The lab is now open for student use and for library instruction classes.

National Library Week

The Lee Library held several activities last week for National Library Week. Librarians had a Lemon-AID stand on April 12 and 13 to offer research and citation help, as well as lemonade packets.

(Left photo) Samantha O'Connor, Public Services Librarian, and Caroline Hallam, Instruction & Electronic Services Librarian. (Right photo) Students visiting the Library Lemon-AID stand. "If finals are giving you lemons, let the library give you Lemon-AID!"

Sonya Moore, Lead Tutor in Academic Assistance, won our jelly bean jar count contest this year! We hear that she has a secret formula for counting the jelly beans!

Legos and coloring activities provided students with some much needed de-stress time.

As part of the National Library Week theme, Libraries Transform, students and faculty told us why they use the CCCC Libraries. As a result of all the responses we received, Caroline Hallam, Instruction & Electronic Services Librarian, compiled all of the transformation stories and created the video below illustrating the library's value to our users.

First Annual Library Maker Fair

Library Makerspaces are creative DIY spaces where people gather to create, invent, and learn. In libraries, they often have 3D printers, software, electronics, craft and hardware supplies and tools, and more. To give CCCC students a taste of the types of activities a Makerspace offers, the library held its First Annual Maker Fair on Student Activity Day at Harnett and Lee. Below are a few of the activities students enjoyed and some photos from the event.

Creating with 3D pens:

Light table to trace pictures:

Library Survey Ends Today

Today is your last chance to participate in our Library Survey to give us feedback on how we are doing and what we can do to improve. Thanks again for your input!

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Paragon Award from the National Council for Marketing & Public Relations

Central Carolina Community College has won a first-place national Paragon Award from the National Council for Marketing & Public Relations (NCMPR) in the category of Government Relations or Community Relations Project. Dr. Marchant (middle) holds the Paragon Award. Joining Dr. Marchant in the photo are members of the CCCC Marketing and Public Affairs staff, left to right: Neil McGowan, Graphic Artist & Multimedia Specialist; Marcie Dishman, Associate Vice President of Marketing and Human Resources; Dr. Marchant; Morgan Steele, Director of Web and Creative Strategy; and R.V. Hight, Director of Communications.

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Spring Professional Development Sessions

by Daisha Gaines, Director of Organizational Development

Spring Professional Development sessions continue through May 13. Seating is limited, so don't forget to register now by clicking on the registration link in the attachment.

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Summer Schedule

The college's 4-day/10-hour work days will begin Monday, May 16, with the following Friday closures:

• May 20
• May 27
• June 3
• June 10
• June 17
• June 24
• July 1
• July 8
• July 15
• July 22
• July 29

The eight-hour work day schedule will resume Monday, August 1, 2016.

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Special Populations Accommodation Plan Change Effective Fall 2016

by Emilia I Guerrero, Special Populations Coordinator

Advisors for students with disabilities will be carbon copied on the accommodation notice distribution. It is for informative purposes only. Advisors will be better prepared in course planning with this information and do not have to return a signed copy.

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Welcome New Employees!

New employees as of March 30

• Dominique Anderson,Tutor
• Jaqueline Desmarais, Tutor
• Jessica Dixon, Kennel Worker
• Jonathan Hensley, Fire-Rescue Instructor
• Clarence Johnson, Security Guard Pittsboro
• Zilma Lopes, Financial Aid Director
• Porche Martin, AHS/GED Instructor
• Takara Oldorff, Tutor
• Donna Pelham, Community Service Instructor
• Andy Rodriguez, Tutor
• Frank Scutiere, Student Athletic Coach
• Adam Simeth, Tutor
• Kevin Smith, Fire-Rescue Instructor
• David Theriot, Community Service Instructor

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Birth Announcement

The Foundation has grown by two adorable little feet! Caroline Adams Hare has arrived. Caroline was born on March 30, weighing in at 8.5 pounds, and 21.5 inches long. Mom, baby, dad, and big sister Delaney are all doing well! If you would like to send a card to Emily Hare and family, please send to Abby Walker and we will get them along. Thank you!

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Birthdays

Birthday list provided by Human Resources

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Bereavements

Coping with the death of a loved one can be very difficult. Your Employee Assistant Program is here to assist you during this difficult time.

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Dates to Remember

April 29 Golf Tournament for faculty and staff, Sanford Golf Course

May 1 Request for Work Study Student due.

May 2 Last day for Faculty, Staff, and Advisor nomination

May 12 Graduation Day

May 16 Begin Summer Hours

May 23 Lee Early College Graduation

June 15 NC STRIVE Conference

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Blogs, Facebook, Twitter, and more.

Do you write a blog for your course? Do you have a Twitter account or Facebook page for your department or classroom? Share your link! Email Cristina Oliver at coliver@cccc.edu and we will add to our list.

• I am CCCC Facebook
• Learning First Blog, Brian Merritt, VP of Student Learning
• Cougar Pets Facebook
• ESL at Central Carolina Community College Blog
• CCCC Foundation Facebook

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Cougar Pets News

Sheldon is a young male orange cat whose super sweet and would love to make your home, his home.

Are you interested in adopting Sheldon or another pet? Anyone interested please visit our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/CougarPets for more information and pictures of all the animals that need homes.

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Things For Sale or For Free!

Are you looking to clean out your attic or basement? CCCC-Bay is happy to post your items, for sale or give away, here in Cougar Bytes! Send an email (with photos if you would like) to Cristina Oliver at coliver@cccc.edu and we'll feature in next month's publication.

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Contribute to Cougar Bytes

Cougar Bytes is a monthly newsletter distributed to staff and faculty. Is there a college event you would like to promote? Perhaps you have a success story you would like to share? We welcome any events, stories, photos, or shout-outs in our next issue. Please submit any contributions to marketing@cccc.edu.

Our deadline for contributions is May 17 for the May issue. Thank you!

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