Cougar Bytes for Thursday, May 19, 2016

Congratulations May Employee of the Month: R.V. Hight

R.V. Hight strives to leave no one behind. On a regular basis, he stays until the last person leaves our building so they won't be alone--often after his day has finished. Earlier this month, R.V. put his workload on hold to help a fellow employee complete a time-consuming manual task, keeping both employees past the end of the work day, which R.V. didn't even acknowledge. Instead, he talked, smiled, and joked in good spirits not noticing the time. R.V. saved the employee hours of work and made the entire process much more enjoyable. R.V. is a constant rock star, and this is just one example where he's gone above and beyond!

R.V. Hight
Director of Communications

Q.   How long have you worked for CCCC?

A.   Since Sept. 22, 2014.

Q.   What brought you to CCCC?

A.   I have a great appreciation of the college, its mission and its people. When I joined the CCCC family, I thought working here would provide an exciting new challenge after spending 35 years at The Sanford Herald - concluding my tenure there as editor of the newspaper.

Q.   Describe what you do for CCCC.

A.   The Director of Communications is responsible for assisting in publicizing college programs, assisting in identifying and executing key public relations efforts, and providing support to the college media relations efforts. The Director of Communications researches, writes, edits, and photographs information for both internal and external audiences.

Q.   Where were you born?

A.   Moore County, NC.

Q.   Where did you grow up?

A.   I lived in Carthage, NC, until age 7, when we moved to the Deep River area of Lee County. After that, I lived in Chapel Hill, NC, Aiken, SC., and Buies Creek, NC, before moving back to Lee County in 1979.

Q.   Educational credentials?

A.   Graduate of Deep River High School and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (Bachelor degree in journalism, with a double major in radio, television and motion pictures).

Q.   Where do you live now?

A.   Sanford.

Q.   Tell us about your family!

A.   My wife, Bunnie, and I have been married since June 25, 1977. My son and daughter-in-law, Christopher and Jenni Hight, live in Morrisville. My daughter, Holly Hight, lives in Sanford.

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

A.   Spending time with family and enjoying life.

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

A.   The CCCC faculty and staff is indeed a family who cares about the success of the college and about one another. I am proud to be a part of that family.

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CCCC Activity Days

Fun and laughter filled the air as Central Carolina Community College held Spring Activity Days at its Chatham, Harnett, and Lee Campuses.

Chatham Activity Day

Harnett Activity Day

Lee Activity Day

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Fund Drive Success!

Thank you to all who supported the 2016 Campus Fund Drive! With your help, over $25,000 was raised to help support student scholarships, faculty/staff needs, and Foundation awards programs! We appreciate your commitment to the continued excellence of the College!

Special thank you to the Social Committee and Business Services for their hard work and dedication in making the special events possible.

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Voices into Action Mini-Grant Supports CCR Garden Project

by Sandra Thompson, Lee County CCR Coordinator

An ancient proverb states "it takes a village to raise a child," and we would counter "it takes lots of CCCC departments to create a vegetable garden." Lee County's College and Career Readiness program was the recipient of a Voices into Action Mini-Grant that is allowing students to have the first-hand experience of planting, and hopefully, harvesting a plethora of vegetables. If you're in the vicinity of the W.B. Wicker Lifelong Learning Center, stop by and visit our garden.

We'd like to extend sincere thanks to the following coworkers and departments for their assistance with the project.

• Emily Hare and the Foundation Office for serving as the fiscal agent.
• Meghan Brown and the Grants Office for assisting with the grant application.
• Joel Oldham and his staff for building the raised beds, delivering materials, and offering horticulture tips.

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ADN Pinning Ceremony

by Barbara Campbell, Department Chair Nursing

Associate Degree Nursing Program held its pinning ceremony at Saint Luke United Methodist Church on May 12. Thirty-six ADN Nursing Graduates were recognized.

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Financial Aid Door Prize Winners

Financial Aid has awarded door prizes to students who participated in the recent FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) Fridays program. The FAFSA Fridays program was designed to raise awareness of the importance of completing the FAFSA as early as possible, so students were considered for as much aid as possible. Pictured, left to right, door prize recipients: Timothy Hunter, Faith Holmes, Carly Garis, Jennifer Coggins, Gloria Harrington, Whitney Foxx, and CCCC Financial Aid Specialist Dana Diaz Cuellar.

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Play Daze

David Leperi and his Early Childhood Education class, along with instructor Misty Davin, volunteered during "Play Daze" in April to supervise activities designed for children in day care centers across Lee County. Over 600 children attended. It was a fun time for all and a very purposeful experience for our Early Childhood Education students.

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Dreamkeeper Fund Update

Hot off the presses! The Dreamkeeper Fund received more contributions than any other restricted fund during the Camus Fund Drive this year! The Dreamkeeper Fund began a few months ago with a single donation of $500. Now the balance is well over $10,000! Meghan Brown and Kelly Klug are applying for grants to boost the fund from several community foundations. We are excited to see this grow!

Overall, the number of faculty and staff contributing to the Campus Fund Drive is up 16% over last year. We are happy to be a part of that!

It's not too late to contribute. The Foundation will continue to accept donations to the Dreamkeeper Fund in amounts of $1 and above. All "Dreamkeepers" will be receiving a special thank-you from the committee.

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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Leadership Conference

by Megan Sherman, Student Success Advocate, TRiO Student Support Services Programs

In April, TRiO Student Support Services and Student Support Services STEM took a group of students to NC State University to participate in the North Carolina Council of Educational Opportunity Programs 2016 Student Initiatives Conference.

Students participated in the Leadership Conference, a community service project, and toured NC State. At NC State, students attended sessions on study skills, leadership in diverse cultures, and supported North Carolina Troops with a large donation of new socks. Our students earned a certificate of participation as well as knowledge on the transfer process from CCCC to NC State after they complete an Associate of Art or Associate of Science.

Student Support Services (SSS) will host many other transfer visit opportunities in the future. If you or a student you know needs support transferring, encourage them to apply to Student Support Services. SSS supports students from first generation and low income backgrounds as well as students with disabilities.

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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. Tickets not 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 serve our nation's veterans, service members, and their family 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 understand the military experience and the issues and concerns faced by military-affiliated students.

The conference is on Wednesday, June 15, at the Dennis A. Wicker Civic Center in Sanford. To register, please visit ncveteransworkinggroup.org/event/nc-strive-2016-conference. Registration is on a first-serve basis, so please register early! Free lunch is 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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Join SECU

As a Central Carolina Community College employee, you and your family can become member-owners of State Employees' Credit Union (SECU). Join today!

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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 efforts of the QEP team are coming to fruition as we prepare for our summer pilot. The pilot will include administering a career inventory to every student that participates in one of the upcoming new student orientations. The results from the career inventory will be used for new student orientation activities and to initiate conversations with students regarding how their interests align with their program selection. This initial conversation is integral as our College continues to focus on achieving higher levels of student success.

Members of the QEP team have presented to the President's Council, attended conferences, and received feedback from other colleges and organizations. The consensus has been that we are absolutely on target with our QEP!

View more information on the QEP implementation at www.cccc.edu/qep/.

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Student Leadership Training

by Talia Friday, AAC Coordinator

Tutors, supplemental instruction (SI) leaders, peer mentors, and lab assistants from Lee, Harnett, and Chatham campuses had the opportunity to participate in a unique experience, a day of professional development aimed at students working at the college.

Student Leadership Training was held on May 10 and covered topics such as communication skills for leaders and customer service best practices. A relaxing lunch session focused on ways to help peers manage stress. Afternoon sessions were dedicated to solution-oriented problem solving and allowed students to work in groups to discuss common concerns and develop strategies for addressing them in the upcoming academic year. They later regrouped and presented the ideas they generated as well as steps necessary to implement these ideas.

Central Carolina Community College commits to providing learning opportunities. Those opportunities are not found only in the classroom. Student Leadership Training provides student employees with an opportunity to connect with each other and grow as leaders and future professionals while making a difference here at CCCC.

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DA/DH Faculty Achievements

Vicky Wesner, Dental Assisting Program Director, has been nominated for the role of Assistant Secretary for the North Carolina Dental Assisting Association.

Danielle Bruner, Dental Hygiene Adjunct Instructor, has been appointed to the Durham-Orange Dental Hygiene Association as treasurer.

Jessica Scott, Dental Hygiene Program Director, recently published a chapter titled "Microbiology and Immunology" in Darby's Comprehensive Review of Dental Hygiene, 8th edition.

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2016 Campus "Fun" Drive Employee Golf Tournament

A wonderful time was had by all at the 2016 Campus Fund Drive Employee Golf Tournament on April 29 at Sanford Golf Course.

A total of 19 teams comprised of current college employees, retirees and their guests played in the tournament combining fun, fellowship and a little golf on a beautiful day on the greens! The winners from the tournament were:

1st Place Team
Joey Shue
Frank Stewart
Gene Wright
Brad Wilson

Men's Longest Drive: Larry Foster
Women's Longest Drive: Lauren Braly

Closest to the Pin #2 - Wayne Robinson
Closest to the Pin #6 - Gene Wright
Closest to the Pin #11 - Lori Rainforth
Closest to the Pin #14 - Scott Hunt

2016 Toilet Bowl Champions (Last Place Team)
Kevin Pearson
Sandra Thompson
Linda Shepard
Paciddia McDonald

Winning Team picture (left to right): Gene Wright, Joey Shue, Frank Stewart, and Brad Wilson

Toilet Bowl Team picture (left to right): Sandra Thompson, Sanford Golf Course Pro, David Von Canon, Paciddia McDonald, and Linda Shepard. (Kevin Pearson not pictured.)

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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 are confirmed.

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.

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

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

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"Back To School" Cookouts

Mark your calendar! "Back to School" cookouts to welcome Faculty & Staff back from summer break sponsored by the CCCC Foundation! Watch this space for more details to come!

• Monday, August 8 - Chatham Campus
• Wednesday, August 10 - Harnett Campus
• Thursday, August 11 - Lee Campus

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Notes from Institutional Effectiveness & Research

by Amy Gustavson, Assistant Director of Institutional Effectiveness & Research

In the Spring 2015 and 2016 College Services Surveys, many of you asked "What is Institutional Effectiveness & Research (IER)?" We are happy to fill you in on who we are and what we do!

Project of the Month: Submitted SACSCOC Prospectuses

IER worked with outstanding partners across the college to finalize and submit prospectuses for Building Construction Technology and Health & Fitness Science this month! Pending SACSCOC and Department of Education approval, these programs will start in the 2016-2017 school year. SACSCOC requires notification of any substantive changes (a significant modification or expansion in the nature and scope of CCCC).

Tip of the Month: Request your Data Today!

Summer is a GREAT time to request data to assist with your 2016-2017 planning. We are here to support your data-informed decision making. Contact IER with your request today!

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

Personnel News

Barbara Wood, Library Assistant at the Harnett Campus, will retire on June 1 after 25 years of service to CCCC. On May 3 a surprise retirement/birthday party was held in her honor. Although she will be deeply missed, we wish her all the best in her retirement!

Summer Reading

Summer reading begins May 16 and runs through August 1. Challenge yourself and win prizes. Faculty, staff, and students are invited to sign up online. Need book suggestions? Try the online reading recommendations feature for suggestions by your CCCC librarians.

Book Sale

The Lee Library is having a book sale. Books are only 5¢ each. Come get the good ones before they are gone! You may even find some titles to help you with your summer reading list!

Library Instruction

Library instruction classes are available this summer. Request a session online, or contact the librarian for your campus to schedule.

• Lee Campus:
• Caroline Hallam challam@cccc.edu
• Samantha O'Connor soconnor@cccc.edu
• Harnett Campus:
• Jennifer Seagraves (beginning June 1) jseagraves@cccc.edu
• Chatham Campus:
• Dana Haven dana.haven@chathamlibraries.org

New Introduction to the Library Video

The Library has a new "Introduction to the Library" video that is perfect for new faculty, staff, and students to learn more about what resources and services we offer. (See below.) Feel free to share in your classes and link to the video in your Blackboard courses.

Summer Hours

Our summer hours are now posted on the library web page.

Library Newsletter

The Summer Library Newsletter is now available online.

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Summer Schedule

The college's 4-day/10-hour work days has begun 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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Welcome New Employees!

New employees as of April

• Zilma Lopes,Financial Aid Director, Lee Main Campus
• Susan Macklin, Emergency Training Center Coordinator, Emergency Services Training Center, Sanford

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Birthdays

Birthday list provided by Human Resources

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A Big Thanks

To Dawn Tucker, Meghan Brown, Emily Hare, and Abby Walker:

The garden is planted and the students had a blast! Everyone, come by and see the garden in person if you're in the area. Thank you so much for your help with the grant!

Sandra Thompson, Lee County Coordinator, College and Career Readiness

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Bereavements

We regretfully announce the passing of Ken Hoyle's father, Kenneth Richard (Dick) Hoyle, Sr., 89, on May 15. A funeral service was held at St. Luke United Methodist Church, Sanford. Please keep Ken and his family in your prayers.

Jonathan Loftis remembered. Ken Hoyle Jr. (right), Vice President of Student Services, memorialized former Veterinary Medical Technology staff member Jonathan Loftis by recognizing his wife, Kelley (left), at the Central Carolina Community College graduation on May 12. "Kelley, we all miss Jonathan and the College has fully shared in your loss," said Hoyle. "Please know that as each new student is admitted to the Vet Med program, as each graduate receives their diploma, and as each animal is then touched and healed by these graduates, Jonathan's legacy will go on and on." Jonathan Loftis served as Animal Facilities Manager and Instructor in the CCCC Veterinary Medical Technology program. Pictured next to Kelley Loftis is CCCC VMT Chair Kim Browning.

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Dates to Remember

May 16 Begin Summer Hours

May 23 Lee Early College Graduation

June 2 Sweet Celebration 4-6 p.m. Cafe' 121, Sanford

June 15 NC STRIVE Conference

August 8 Back to School Cookout

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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

Grant is an intact male Chihuahua mix. Come by and meet him!

Are you interested in adopting Grant 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 June 21 for the June issue. Thank you!

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