Tansey Topics: A weekly look at what's happening at BCCC | Eastern North Carolina Now

    NCCCS Support Team

    A team of 12 Subject Matter Experts (SME) from the N.C. Community College System visited Beaufort County Community College June 1-4 to conduct a Full Usage Assessment. The goal of the College User Support Team is to provide training and support for college staff on the Colleague system to reduce errors and increase efficiency.

    Ellucian Colleague is a software system for integrated student management, designed to provide secure, easy access to the information institutions need to manage assets more efficiently and allocate resources more effectively. Divisions of the college that use the software and participated in the usage assessment include finance, procurement, financial aid, registrar, student records, curriculum, human resources, payroll and continuing education.

    Each year, the College User Support Team identifies two colleges out of the 58 community colleges in North Carolina that would benefit most from a full usage assessment. BCCC President Dr. Barbara Tansey contacted NCCCS in January 2014 to ask for BCCC to be considered. The SME team spent four days on campus conducting a comprehensive workflow analysis for all college business divisions.

    "What we have learned will help us improve efficiency and communication throughout our campus," says Dr. Tansey. "We know that there is a lot more work to be done, and that we will have to maintain the momentum that we have built, but there is no doubt that the spark the team has provided will prove invaluable."

    Key participants met together at the end of the week to discuss where efficiencies are being realized and where improvements can be made. The college will also receive a detailed report from the support team to provide the information needed to make the best possible use of the Colleague software in the future.

    "The purpose of this visit is ultimately to provide the best possible service to our students," adds Dr. Tansey. "That's why we're here."

    Continuing Education

    The Continuing Education division worked with SMEs Rosallene Massey and Wayne Madry to identify potential areas of improvement and to develop procedural changes to take advantage of the resources available within Colleague. Future editions of Tansey Topics will outline the changes in other divisions that participated in the Usage Assessment.

    Several tangible changes are in the works as a result of the input and efforts of Massey and Madry, along with the Continuing Education staff. First, the registration form for ConEd courses now includes the student's full Social Security number. Funding for some programs is tied to tracking students after completion of the program, whether they move into a curriculum program, employment or elsewhere. Students can opt out of providing the number, but it is now requested as a means of tracking outcomes.

    The Continuing Education staff received training in keying in their own sections and printing contracts out of Colleague. In the past, one individual handled all of the paperwork to create new sections, resulting in a potential bottleneck.

    "Now each coordinator has the training and access to create a section, print a contract and run a class," says Stacey Gerard, Vice President of Continuing Education.

    The staff is continuing to work with the SMEs on developing routines to print certificates of completion and labels for class folders out of the new Colleague interface. The customized routine that was previously used required logging into the old interface, resulting in unnecessary steps.

    Another change that will help streamline workflow processes is that registration fees for each section will be set automatically within the system based on the number of course hours. The formula also ties in to the current pricing schedules set by the System Office.

    "These changes will really make a lot of our workflow smoother," Gerard says. "Being able to create sections and print contracts has made the most noticeable difference so far, and has also made everyone more aware of the information that's required for that process."

    College for Kids

    The worlds of art, beekeeping, sailing, hunting, sewing, video games and woodworking are among the activities young people can explore during College for Kids 2015 at Beaufort County Community College.

    The Division of Continuing Education will offer 21 classes, generally, in one-week blocks, from June through August. The pre-registration deadline is June 30. Classes will be offered on the BCCC campus unless otherwise indicated.

    The class schedule includes 4-H STEM Camp; Art! Be Creative!; The Art of Visual Communication; Aviation History, Careers and Aerodynamics; Beekeeping; Beginning Spanish; Boating Safety; Woodworking Basics; CPR/First Aid; Google Computer Science First Co-op with Friends; Google Computer Science First Game Design; Kayaking; Knitting; Healthy and Creative Cooking; Hunter Safety; Math Refresher Camp; Reading and Writing Refresher Camp; Business Owners of Tomorrow Camp; Sewing for Fun - Beginner; Sewing for Tweens and Teens - Intermediate to Advanced; and Sports and Fitness.

    Some camps may require the purchase of supplies in addition to the registration fee. A supply list will be available upon registration.

    Because class size is limited, admission to College for Kids 2015 is available on a first-come, first-served basis. The registration fee will be refunded only if a class is canceled. Materials lists are available once classes have met their minimum enrollment.

    For more information about these classes or for a College for Kids 2015 brochure and application, contact Justin Rose, Special Projects coordinator, at 252-940-6262 or by email at Justin.Rose@BeaufortCCC.edu. 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, NC 27889.

    Information about other continuing education classes at BCCC is available at www.BeaufortCCC.edu/coned/contin.htm.

    BCCC Foundation

    • The deadline for submitting an application for Foundation scholarships for the Fall 2015 semester is June 25. The BCCC Foundation maintains 53 individual endowments that generate a variety of scholarships for BCCC students. Some are general scholarships, while others are based on degree field, financial need, academic achievement or other criteria. A full list of current scholarship endowments is available at www.BeaufortCCC.edu/founda/scholar.htm. Applications are available online and should be returned by June 25 to Building 1, Room 113 on BCCC's campus.

    • You can still attend the BCCC Foundation's inaugural lawn and garden tour from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, June 20. The tour will begin on the BCCC campus with a rededication of the Rosa "Rosebud" Roberson rose garden in front of Building 1. Self-drive and group transportation options will be available for those who want to tour 14 beautiful gardens in the Washington and Chocowinity areas. To purchase tickets, call Marcia Norwood at 252-940-6218 or Serena Sullivan at 252-940-6236. Tickets will also be available on June 20, at 721 W. Main St., Washington, and 102 Saint Johns Court, Cypress Landing, Chocowinity. Those picking up last-minute tickets are asked to bring exactly $20 in cash.

    • Plans are being made for a trip to Italy in April, 2016 sponsored by the BCCC Foundation and the Washington/Beaufort Chamber of Commerce. An informational meeting on the trip is scheduled for 6 p.m., Tuesday, September 1, in the Multi-Purpose Room of Building 10. Trip brochures will be available soon from the Foundation office. Watch for more information about this exciting opportunity for travel.

    • For more information about these upcoming events, contact Foundation Specialist Marcia Norwood at 252-940-6218 or Foundation Executive Director Serena Sullivan at 252-940-6326.

    Robotic Arm

    • The Beaufort County Community College Mechanical Engineering Technology Program has received a precision robotic arm made by Nachi and donated by Cummins of Rocky Mount. The arm is computer controlled, has a 15-foot reach and can rotate 360 degrees, says the program's lead instructor, Matthew Lincoln. Students will learn to program and operate the arm to complete "pick-and-place" tasks. A comparable arm would cost an estimated $50,000-$60,000 if purchased new, and approximately half that on the used market. Cummins, a diesel manufacturer, tries to support community colleges in its region, particularly those that develop the workforce for today's jobs, says Cummins maintenance planner James Guy. Cummins will also help install the robotic arm and supply training once it is in place and operational.

    Personal and personnel notes!

    • BCCC is currently seeking applications for the following positions. Please share these postings with anyone you know who may qualify and be interested. Visit the BCCC Employment Opportunities page (https://jobs.beaufortccc.edu/) for additional position announcements and information about how to apply.

    • Purchasing Coordinator (Full-time)

    • Staff Accountant (Full-time)

    • Medical Office Administration/ Office Administration - Instructor (Full-time)

    • Microsoft Office Specialist Instructor - Continuing Education (Part-time)

    • Adobe InDesign Instructor - Continuing Education (Part-time)

    • WordPress Instructor - Continuing Education (Part-time)

    During the summer, Tansey Topics will appear every two weeks instead of every week. Watch your email for the next edition on Thursday, July 2.

    BCCC Board of Trustees

    The BCCC Board of Trustees has moved its meeting time up by one hour. Committee meetings will now begin at 4 p.m., and the full board meeting will begin at 6 p.m. The next meeting is scheduled for Aug. 4.

    And in the coming weeks, watch for the following:

        •  June 20 - BCCC Foundation Garden Tour, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., various locations

        •  June 25 - New student orientation, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., auditorium, Building 8

        •  June 30 - Last Day to Drop without grade penalty for Summer Term

        •  July 1 - PAL STEM Campus Tour

        •  July 2 - Holiday

        •  July 7 - New student orientation, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., auditorium, Building 8

        •  July 8 - Summer Blood Drive, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Building 10

        •  July 15 - Summer Term ends

        •  Aug. 1 - New student orientation, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., auditorium, Building 8

        •  Aug. 4 - Board of Trustees Meeting, 4 p.m. Committees, 6 p.m. Board, Building 10 Board Room

        •  Aug. 12 - New student orientation, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., auditorium, Building 8

        •  Aug. 18 - First day of Fall 2015 classes

        •  Sept. 1 - Italy Trip Informational Meeting, 6 p.m., Building 10 Multi-Purpose Room

        •  Sept. 7 - Holiday
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