JSCC News

So declared Dr. Delores Parker, vice president for Academic and Student Services for the N.C. Community College System and featured speaker at the recent James Sprunt Community College annual Community College Month Convocation.

"Were it not for the vision of Dr. Herring, I would not be standing before you now," she told the more than 200 attending the event.

Dr. Herring, a Duplin native, is often referred to as the father of the community college system in North Carolina.

In giving the traditional Dallas Herring Lecture in the Humanities, Dr. Parker also said it takes more than any opportunities the state can provide to be truly successful.

"Your theme this year, "Put Your Best Foot Forward,' is truly appropriate," she said. "To put your best foot forward and be successful takes several steps."

According to Dr. Parker, those include hard work, taking risks, keeping your values and service to others.

"Whatever we do in life, it can't be just about us," she said. "Many in the community have not heard the wonderful story of James Sprunt and how it can change lives."

Dr. Parker leads the division charged with overseeing development, approval and quality control for curriculum programs and basic skills in institutions across the system; financial aid, counseling and other student support services; resource development; and distance learning.

Before joining the System Office in Raleigh in 1999, Dr. Parker was associate director of the Kellogg National Fellowship Program and program director at the W.K. Kellogg Foundation.

Also during the celebration, JSCC honored dozens of students for their participation in various programs and activities, such as working with the Student Government Association, being a tutor or for winning recognition from organizations outside the college.

Those honored were:

· Ambassadors - Antonio Smith, Antonio Bea, Willie Mae Jackson-Jones and Sharon Herring.

· Academic Excellence - Katie Diaz and Johnny Lee Best.

· Basic Skills Student of the Year - Blake Delacerda Jr.

· Male Mentoring Achievement Program - Curtis Sutton. Antonio Smith, Zonnie Gore, Zay Bailey, Demarkus Pearsall and Antron Anthony.

· Phi Theta Kappa - Sharon Herring, Tieasha Warren, Johnny Lee Best, Gwendolyn Coston, Margaret Fennell and Mary Pearsall.

· Student Support Tutor Recognition - Kimberly Fletcher, Eboni Fort, Alice Lapoint, Valeria McCormick, Cherryl Sidney, Jorge Truillo, Jessica Williams, Antonio Bea, Amanda Bond, Leigh Brown, Thomas Earp, Sharon Futrell, Charlotte Hall, Rolanda Jackson, Wanda James, Jessica Williams, Darrell Lee, Polly Parker, Andrew Quinn, Mary Emily Wilson and Jaime Wood.

· Student Government Association - Antonio Bea, Tashia Bennett, Johnny Lee Best, Carolina Boykin, Jessica Boykin, Delores Carr, Lara Coston, Brandon Dobson, Jena Fonah, Zonnie Gore, Lorena Harper, Sharon Herring, Sean Hibbard, Andrea Hill, Frances Hyman, Willie Mae Jackson-Jones, Latoya Jones, Andrea Lee, Shannon Newkirk, Regina Owens, Sharvon Smith, Antonio Smith, Jordan Southerland, Twanda Walker, Tykana Warren and Gregory Wilson.

· Who's Who Among American Junior College Students - Amanda Bond, Altheria Cornelius, Katie Diaz, Charlotte Hall, Sonia Herring, Katrina Hicks, Rashawn Jarmon, Annette Jones, Ella Kennedy, Lakeata Martin, Pandora Matthews, Judy Rackley, Jennifer Jo Ray, Mirana Raynor and Wanda Summerlin.

Following the Convocation there was a reception in the JSCC Community Art Gallery, which is hosting a display of artwork by students of the Advertising and Graphic Design program.

Two receive state Academic Excellence Award

Katie Diaz and Johnny Best both decided to take the plunge and return to school after establishing a pattern in life.

And both have been successful, being selected as this year's recipients of the Academic Excellence Award, which is given to two students from each of the state's community colleges. Both also are the James Sprunt Community College Students of the Month for April.

"Going back was a lot different than I thought," said Mrs. Diaz, Magnolia resident and mother of three.

"After I had my third child, my husband encouraged me to go back to school," Mrs. Diaz explained. "I planned on going to college straight out of high school, but I was pregnant with my first child then, so it got put on the back burner. I actually hadn't thought of it since. But I would recommend going to college - particularly JSCC - even if you'd never considered it before."

Mrs. Diaz started in the Medical Assisting program in August 2006. Though her only other job outside the home was as a Wal-Mart photographer, she said she always knew she wanted to eventually get into the medical field.

"I think I have the personality for it. I want to help people. I just didn't want to jump into it all at once," she said. "This was a good start."

Mrs. Diaz said she was a bit worried about "the blood drawing and stuff. But you get used to it."

As for the future, after she graduates in May, Mrs. Diaz said her dream job would be in a small office where she could do a little bit of everything - office work as well as clinical work.

"I like the organization of the office," she explained. "And I like the hands-on working with people in the clinical."

With a 3.82 grade point average, Mrs. Diaz said she'd like to return to school for an Associate Degree in Nursing.

After graduating from the Criminal Justice program at JSCC, where he now holds a GPA of 3.3, Mr. Best said he hopes to get a bachelor's in the topic from either Mt. Olive College or Fayetteville State University. Eventually, he said, he wants to become a lawyer.

Mr. Best, a Kenansville resident, is on his second tour at JSCC. After working at National Spinning in shipping and receiving, he studied Advertising and Graphic Design and was eventually recruited by Quinn Wholesale to run their advertising department. While at JSCC he served as acting president and then vice president of the Student Government Association.

He also serves as the vice president of the JSCC chapter of Phi Theta Kappa, an international honor society for two-year schools, and has received the George Garner Scholarship.

Mr. Best's resume also includes 19 years as a store manager for Winn-Dixie and a stint as owner of his own restaurant in Warsaw.

"But I've always liked the law," Mr. Best explained. "I like to speak and I thought I had what it takes to be a lawyer."

He said he'd like to eventually be a criminal defense attorney, though he can see himself getting involved in all aspects of the law.

"What I want is to be looking out for the poor and disadvantaged," Mr. Best explained. "If you're poor, you can't get good legal help for things like wills or divorce."

As for improving oneself in college, "The ball's in your court," Mr. Best said. "We all have the same opportunity out here."

Mrs. Diaz and Mr. Best, along with the other Academic Excellence Award winners, will be honored at a banquet April 16 in Raleigh.

For information about the Medical Assisting or Criminal Justice programs, call 910-296-2500.

McDonald's franchisee wins President's Award

Caison Enterprises Inc., the local McDonald's franchise owner in Duplin County, was named the 2008 recipient of the President's Award for leadership in business and education partnerships by James Sprunt Community College.

Nearly 60 government and business leaders and JSCC staff attended the recent Legislative and Industry Appreciation Breakfast at the college, during which the award was announced.

In presenting the 17 th annual award, JSCC President Dr. Lawrence Rouse likened it to the Academy Award for Duplin County business and industry.

Caison Enterprises owner E.F. "Hugh" Caison II "has funded the Earl and Lynette Caison Scholarship Endowment and has helped sponsor activities for the Minority Male Mentoring Achievement Program, the college Open House and other activities," Dr. Rouse said.

Mr. Caison and others in his family are graduates of what was formerly known as Sampson Technical College - now Sampson Community College. He went on to graduate from the University of North Carolina at Wilmington and was in pharmaceutical sales before buying the McDonald's franchise.

"So I understand the value of a community college and what it can do to improve the lives of individuals and the community as a whole," Mr. Caison said in accepting the award.

Also during the gathering, State Sen. Charlie Albertson and State Rep. Russell Tucker urged those attending to support the ¼-cent sales tax referendum, which will be on the Duplin County ballot May 6. The proceeds will be used to improve public school and JSCC facilities, replace aging buildings and modular classrooms and keep up with technology upgrades and improvements.

As for the other speakers at the breakfast, the theme seemed to be unity in the cause of economic development.

"We have a splintered county," said Jim Harris, commissioner on the Duplin County Economic Development Board. "That must change. And we are heading in a new direction."

Mr. Harris said the different organizations involved in economic development in Duplin County must work together for success. He said the primary needs are:

· Hire a new director of the Economic Development Commission. Long-time director Woody Brinson has recently retired.

· Promote fundraising from individuals, business and industry to take the pressure off the county government and the taxpayer.

· Encourage a governing board that will "establish a relationship with everybody in the county."

"We are coming together in ways I've never seen before," said Al Delia, president and chief executive officer of the N.C. Eastern Region Development Commission. "But our educational system has to be up to global standards."

Mr. Delia said his organization has identified 20 countries on four continents that have about 1,300 companies that could be interested in investing in Eastern North Carolina. The most promising areas for business expansion and new jobs would be in boat building, tourism, defense, biotechnology and value-added agricultural products.

"We need to do more to improve the quality and quantity of our workforce," he added. "And community colleges are the lynchpin."

Frances Hyman, JSCC student and president of the Student Government Association, told the group she knows the college is her lynchpin, her "bridge to success."

"I came to JSCC with a dream," Ms. Hyman, a General Education student, said. "We have to take the opportunities in life. And opportunity is right here at JSCC. It's our bridge to the next level in life."

JSCC scores high on statewide performance test

James Sprunt Community College continued to play David to the Goliaths of the N.C. Community College System, meeting performance standards required by the State Legislature.

Only seven colleges of the 58 in the state exceeded JSCC's score in 2006-2007.

"The goal is always to meet or exceed the standards," said Dr. Lawrence Rouse, JSCC president. "But for a small community college like JSCC to succeed in 11 of the standards - exceeding the performance of community colleges with far greater resources - is truly a statement about the efforts made by the college faculty and staff on behalf of the community."

This is the third consecutive year JSCC has met or exceeded 11 of the 12 standards. The college also met the five funding standards, qualifying for the "Superior Performance Funding" designation.

The 11 standards JSCC aced are:

· Business/industry satisfaction with customized training.

· Employer satisfaction with graduates. Community college students are good employees.

· Student satisfaction.

· Employment of graduates. Community college students get jobs.

· Goal completion by those attending a community college.

· Progress of Basic Skills students in literacy, English as a Second Language and other non-curriculum areas.

· Program enrollment.

· Curriculum student retention and graduation.

· Performance of College Transfer students.

· Passing rates in developmental courses.
· Success rate of developmental students in college level courses.

"This annual report card is our opportunity to prove the value of JSCC to Duplin County and demonstrate how we have responded to the changing education and workforce preparedness needs of our community," Dr. Rouse said.

The complete 2007 Critical Success Factors Report is available on the N.C. Community College System Web page at: http://www.nccommunitycolleges.edu/Publications/docs/Publications/csf2007.pdf.

JSCC offers virtual field trips

Amanda Hernandez was amazed. She'd never spoken to anyone on video before.

Amanda and the rest of her fourth grade class from Chinquapin Elementary School were recently on a virtual field trip to the N.C. Museum of History in Raleigh via the Distance Learning Center at James Sprunt Community College.

"It's cool," she said. "It's almost better than being there because we get to touch the artifacts," she added, demonstrating by shaking a rattle made of bones strung on a leather string.

The students in Miriam Summerlin's class were learning about American Indians in North Carolina. Brett Lanier, also a teacher at Chinquapin Elementary, brought her fifth graders the week before to learn about amphibians from an instructor who was in Raleigh at the N.C. Wildlife Commission.

Virtual field trips are made possible by the Distance Learning technology, which allows an instructor at another location to interact with the class through video and audio.

Heather Lanier, JSCC Distance Learning coordinator, said classes are available that are suitable for K-12. The primary agencies offering them are the N.C. School of Science and Math, the N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences as well as the Museum of History and Wildlife Resources.

"All these enrichment programs are aligned with the competencies and objectives listed in the N.C. Standard Course of Study," Ms. Lanier explained.

"This is a wonderful opportunity for the students," Brett Lanier said. "We are planning a lot of trips. The students are enjoying it and they get a lot of information in a short time."

Teachers interested in a virtual field trip should contact Ms. Lanier at JSCC for information, 910-296-1334 or hlanier@jamessprunt.edu. Once a specific program is decided on, Ms. Lanier will work with the teacher and the agency to set up a suitable time.

Information about the enrichment classes offered is available at the agency websites:

· School of Science and Math - http://www.dlt.ncssm.edu/distance_learning/Enrich.htm

· Museum of History - http://ncmuseumofhistory.org/edu/DistLearn.html

· Museum of Natural Sciences - http://www.naturalsciences.org/education/distance.html

· Wildlife Resources - http://www.ncwildlife.org/fs_index_08_education.htm

JSCC receives grant to plant vineyard

James Sprunt Community College has received a $25,000 grant to establish a demonstration vineyard on its campus.

The muscadine vineyard will be built and planted by students of JSCC's Viticulture and Enology Technology program. Viticulture is the production of grapes and the various uses of grapes, while enology is the making of wine.

The vineyard - dubbed the Southeast N.C. Regional Muscadine Education and Demonstration Vineyard - also will be available to the Agricultural Extension Service.

The grant is from the Golden LEAF Foundation, a nonprofit corporation established to help North Carolinians make the transition from a tobacco-dependent economy. The money comes from the master settlement agreement with cigarette manufacturers. The foundation gives priority in grant making to tobacco-dependent and economically distressed counties.

"This is a great opportunity for us to provide hands-on training in the grape and wine industry," said June Davis, JSCC dean of Curriculum Services. "Grape growing is fast becoming a major industry in North Carolina. And muscadine grape production has longstanding roots in the region."

Ms. Davis said the program would be of interest not only to farmers who are changing over to new crops, but also to those who may be interested in grape/wine production as a hobby or a side business.

Some students in the program have hopes of selling their product to companies that use the muscadines in health products, while others hope to start a winery in conjunction with a bed and breakfast.

The program currently offers a one-year certificate, though the college is working toward a two-year Associate Degree program.

The Viticulture program is only the second in the state. Surry Community College offers a program that deals with grapes other than the muscadine.

The scuppernong variety of the muscadine grape, however, was the first grape cultivated in the nation. It was first written about in 1584 by explorers to the Cape Fear region, who wrote that there were "many vines growing naturally."

Information about the Viticulture and Enology Technology program, or others available at JSCC, is available by calling 910-296-2500.

Investment in community colleges brings good return to state's taxpayers, study says

Greg Norris thought life was set. High school was far behind and he had been able to find good work as a parts manager and shop foreman and had managed a hog farm.

Then he went blind.

“I didn't know what I was going to do,” said Norris, a Chinquapin resident. “When I first lost my sight, my counselor at Vocational Rehabilitation asked me if I'd ever considered going back to school. And I really hadn't.”

It didn't take long to decide, and only a year after going blind Norris was enrolled at James Sprunt Community College studying Business Administration.

That was four years ago, and Norris is now enrolled in College Transfer courses at JSCC with plans on continuing toward a bachelor’s degree at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington in the fall.

To help him reach his goal, Norris said he has received regular help from JSCC's Student Support Services, including note takers, readers and tutors. Tuition help has come from Vocational Rehabilitation and Norris receives disability payments.

“I've received a lot of help, particularly from JSCC,” Norris said. “I don't know where I'd be right now without them. But the basic plan once I graduate UNCW is to find a job. There is a whole lot I can't do physically, but there is still a whole lot I can do,” he said. “I want just a job and to pay my own bills.”

Stories like Norris' are duplicated thousands of times across the state. And according to an independent study released today, North Carolina community colleges return significantly more to the state's economy than they take out.

As part of the system's comprehensive response to state lawmakers' requests for increased educational accountability, the NC Association of Community College Presidents worked with NCCCS to commission the study in October 2004 to measure the performance of the statewide community college system, college by college, throughout the state. The study documents the actual dollar impact of the community colleges from three important economic perspectives:
1) Impact on students
2) Return on investment to taxpayers
3) Contribution to the North Carolina communities it serves.

Governor Mike Easley commented in a prepared statement, "This study demonstrates the tangible results of our ongoing commitment to improve the lives of our people by supporting our strong Community College System. Our investments in our knowledge, skill and talent by providing educational opportunity will pay off in the global economy."

The report was unveiled today, January 18, at a briefing Building hosted by Rep. Joe Tolson (D- Edgecombe) at the Legislative Building. "Community colleges are doing a great job for the State of North Carolina," said Tolson. "Our state is drastically changing and the tremendous needs of our displaced workers are being met by our community colleges."

System President H. Martin Lancaster shared some impressive numbers. Higher wage earnings are a direct outcome of investment for community college graduates. For every dollar a student invests in North Carolina's community colleges, there is an 18.6% annual rate of return. Stated differently, for every dollar invested by a student they will receive $4.24 back in future, higher earnings. Few investments offer students this level of return.

Lancaster offered similar figures for dollars invested by the State of North Carolina. For every dollar invested by the state, the state's taxpayers receive a 16.8% annual rate of return. Every dollar of state and local tax money invested in North Carolina community colleges by taxpayers generates a return of $2.74 in direct state and local tax receipts (over the next 32 years). This is especially noteworthy in light of the fact that often state governments undertake activities needed by the public, but which are unprofitable in the marketplace.

"The Community College System provides opportunity, affordability, accessibility and versatility to accommodate the needs of our businesses, workforce, and our citizens interested in higher education and lifelong learning," said Sen. Walter Dalton (D-Rutherford) in a prepared statement. "We must continue to build upon the solid foundation it gives in order to have a ready workforce for the future."

According to the study, North Carolina community colleges account for $1.4 billion in the North Carolina economy (equal to approximately 52,000 jobs).

President Lancaster predicted the economic impact of community colleges will continue to grow. "I'm proud of those numbers. But I am much more impressed with what those numbers represent. It's our job to work with you to guarantee that the promises we made together four years ago become promises kept for the millions of North Carolinians who voted with their dollars to support community colleges."

This comprehensive study, prepared by CCbenefits, a highly-respected national economic research firm, is entitled the Socioeconomic Impact Model (SEIM). It measures the economic contribution of each of the 58 colleges in NCCCS and the collective contribution of the system as a whole. The findings of the study reinforced the value many citizens and leaders intuitively felt inherent in NCCCS but had previously not measured.

The North Carolina Community College System is the state's primary provider of workforce training, adult education and literacy programs. The System's 59 institutions enroll more than 800,000 adults. For details about this release and the overall work of the system, contact the Public Affairs Office in Raleigh, 919-807-6962.