Tansey Topics: A Weekly Look At What's Happening At BCCC From President Barbara Tansey | Eastern North Carolina Now

    Sixteen students at Beaufort County Community College were recognized as "BCCC's Best" in a ceremony on the college campus this week. Twelve students were cited for displaying the character trait "respectful," and four, for the character trait "trustworthy." Those honored as respectful were Elton Wynn of Bath, Charles Martin of Belhaven, Brandi Porter, Jennifer Agustin, Kizzy Clark and Shelton Rahaeem of Chocowinity, Daniel Garza Salazar of Columbia, Jacob Sadler of Pantego and Lori Daniels, Nicholas Griekspoor and Fashikie Freeman of Washington. Those honored as trustworthy were Jasmin Flores of Belhaven, Thomas Brabble of Chocowinity, Gregory Ramsey of Hookerton and Ashley Moore of Washington. Congratulations to all of these outstanding individuals and thanks to Vice Presidednt of Student Services Rick Anderson and his team for their work on behalf of "BCCC's Best."

    Here's what else is happening at BCCC:

• The first-year Associate Degree Nursing students feted the graduating Associate Degree and Practical Nursing students with a luncheon Tuesday attended by BCCC nursing students, faculty, administration and members of the BCCC Board of Trustees. Thanks very much to all of those who participated in honoring our nursing graduates with this event!

• Dust off your croquet mallets! Plan now to join the BCCC Foundation for the 12th Annual Cutthroat Croquet Tournament Saturday, May 16, along the waterfront in Bath beginning at 9 a.m. Once again, the event will include a buffet luncheon from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. catered by Chef Paul Cyr. The tournament will be held in conjunction with Bath Fest, a day-long series of activities that will also include historic demonstrations, home tours and a crafts show all within walking distance in Bath. The registration fee for the tournament is $35 for each player. The fee includes at least two rounds of croquet and lunch. Spectators may join participants for lunch for a fee of $25. I hope to see you all at Bath for this tournament!
• The BCCC Foundation is also beginning to plan two day-trips for the upcoming season at the Durham Performing Arts Center, which recently announced its 2015-2016 Suntrust Broadway Series. And Foundation Director Serena Sullivan wants to hear from you! The schedule includes the following: Beautiful - October 3, 205, and The Lion King - March 12, 2016. If you would be interested in a day trip to either of these performances, please contact Sullivan at 940-6326 or by email at serena. sullivan@beaufortccc.edu or Foundation Specialist Marcia Norwood at 252-940-6218 so they can begin planning day trips to see the performances. These trips cost $200 per person which includes - transportation, lunch, theater ticket and snacks and beverages on the bus. A $100 non-refundable deposit is required to secure your seat on the bus for all of the DPAC day trips.

• BCCC Police Chief Chris Harrison reminds all BCCC students, faculty and staff that you must complete a lost property report whenever you wish to report something missing. To report lost property, please complete the Police Lost Property report found on the forms page of the BCCC website and submit it to the BCCC campus police. Please be sure that your address and telephone number are accurate in the college's records. For more information, visit http://www.beaufortccc.edu/gneral/police/records.htm.
• The inaugural Coffee with a Cop will be 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. today in the BCCC Police Department headquarters, Room 114, Building 1. Join your campus police officers for coffee and conversation.

• Registration for College for Kids 2015 is continuing via the Division of Continuing Education's website., so don't forget to register your children or any grandhildren visiting for the summer for one or more of the 21 campus. They include such camps as a 4-H STEM Camp, art classes, beekeeping, beginning Spanish, boating safety, woodworking, kayaking, knitting, cooking, sewing, sports and fitness classes and refresher camps in math and reading and writing. The classes will run from June through August. Registration will begin soon and will be on a first-come, first served basis. To register, visit http://www.beaufortccc.edu/coned/contin.htm and click on Schedule of Classes link and College for Kids on the left side of the page.
• The division has a new schedule of English as a Second Language and high school equivalency classes for spring that will allow students to improve their English while working towards a high school diploma. A daily schedule of classes is as follows: 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Thursday in Room 827; 6 to 9 p.m. Monday and Wednesday in Room 813, and 6 to 9 p.m. Tuesday and Thursday in Room 813. All classes are held in Building 8 on the BCCC campus. Classes are free of charge and are open to adults 18 years old and older. Those 16 and 17 years old may attend free of charge with the permission of a parent or guardian. For more information about BCCC's ESL or high school equivalency classes, contact Penelope Radcliffe, Basic Skills Assessment and Retention Specialist, at 940-6325 or Marion Porter, Basic Skills Retention and Registration Specialist, at 940-6299.
• Another new class offered by the division is for those wishing to obtain their eNotary certifications. It will be 6 to 9 p.m., Tuesday, April 14, in the auditorium of Building 8 on the BCCC campus. The threehour course is designed for individuals who are already certified Notaries Public in North Carolina. An eNotary is a Notary Public who notarizes documents electronically using a digital signature and digital notary seal. The registration fee is $70. For more information about the class, contact Lou Stout, director of Workplace Initiatives, at 940-6307. Students may register by calling 940-6375 or in person in Room 802 of Building 8 on the BCCC campus. BCCC accepts Visa, MasterCard and Discover. Checks payable to Beaufort County Community College may be mailed to the attention of Eva Peartree, 5337 U.S. Highway 264 East, Washington, N.C. 27889.
• Small Business Center Director Lentz Stowe and Special Projects Coordinator Justin Rose recently traveled to Ocracoke to present a workshop for business owners on the island - Resources for Prospective and Current Small Businesses. BCCC is working hard to help make businesses throughout our service area stronger and to foster economic growth and stability on the island. We hope that this and future efforts, combined with the use of online classes and live streaming of workshops can make a difference to the economy of the island. Thanks very much to Lentz and Justin for their work on this.

• Community College, economic development and education officials from across the region gathered for a presentation in Greenville on Tuesday about the role East Carolina University plays in economic development in the region. The presentation was to unveil ECU's portion of a study that showed the contributions to the economy of the state's education systems. The study shows that ECU programs alone create $2.8 billion of revenue for North Carolina. That's the equivalent of more than 42,000 jobs for one year. The money pumped into the economy also helps students at the school see at least a 12 percent return on their educational investment. Speakers at the event not only praised ECU, they also noted the work that BCCC does in promoting economic development in our area. Thanks to all of our faculty and staff for their hard work in training students who are "work ready!"

• A reminder that the deadline for registration for the Miss Gullfest Pageant has been extended until Tuesday, March 31. The pageant is scheduled for 6 p.m., Saturday, April 18, in the Multi-Purpose Room of Building 10. The registration fee is $75 for each contestant, which will be refunded if the contestant raised $150 in sponsorships from family, friends or local businesses. For more information about the Miss Gullfest 2015 Pageant, a packet of information and registration forms are available for downloading by clicking on the Gullfest logo on the BCCC website at http://www.beaufortccc.edu.

• The 2015 Beaufort County Senior Expo will be coming to the BCCC campus Thursday, April 2. The event will feature a keynote motivational address by Dr. John Inzerillo in the auditorium of Building 8 at 9 a.m.; displays by vendors in the Multi-Purpose Room from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and lunch from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Campus Cafe for a cost of $5. Attendees can also sign up for appointments with the Cosmetology School for manicures from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Shuttle transportation will be provided by BATS.

• Women's History Month was celebrated Wednesday with a panel discussion by some of Beaufort County's leading women who shared their stories to inspire the next generation. On the panel were local attorney Watsi Sutton, BCCC librarian Saundra Pinkham and Washington High School Assistant Principal Patricia Horton-Albritton. The moderator was Lynn Wingate, Washington Tourism Director. The event was sponsored by students Striving to Succeed through Leadership, the Student Government Association and BCCC's Sociology and Human Services classes. Thanks to all who arranged this event and those who attended.

March 27	TRiO Sponsored ECU Campus Tour.
March 27	Coffee with a Cop, 9 a.m. to 11 a.m., Room 114, Building 1/
March 30-31	Study Abroad Silent Auction, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., Student Lounge, Building 9.
March 30	Registration for Summer Term and Fall Semester 2015 begins.
March 30-31	BCCC Travel/Study Group Silent Auction, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., Student Lounge, Building 9.
March 31	Men of Success, noon, Room 112, Building 1.
April 2	Senior Expo, various times, locations and buildings on the BCCC campus.
April 6	Holiday.
April 7-10	Student/Faculty Vacation.
April 7	BCCC Board of Trustees, Board Room, Building 10, committees meet consecutively beginning at 5 p.m.; dinner, 6:30 p.m., meeting, 7 p.m.
April 13	BCCC Board of Trustees and Beaufort County Board of Commissioners meeting, 8:30 a.m., Multi-Purpose Room, Building 10.

    Beaufort County Community College is a public comprehensive community college committed to accessible and affordable quality education, effective teaching, relevant training, and lifelong learning opportunities for the people served by the College.