HAMLET — Career and Transfer Center Director Patsy Stanley informed the Richmond Community College Board of Trustees at its meeting Tuesday about new transfer pathways to all 16 schools in the University of North Carolina system as well 20 other public or private universities in North Carolina.

Stanley said the key to a smooth transition into these various pathways is figuring out exactly what RichmondCC classes are needed to transfer into the baccalaureate program at the receiving university. Stanley has mapped out each transfer program’s pathway, starting with the first year at RichmondCC to the fourth and final year at the university level.

In the board meeting, Stanley provided several examples of these new transfer pathways, including the RichmondCC-Appalachian State University Bachelor of Science – Criminal Justice degree, the RichmondCC-UNC-Charlotte Bachelor of Science – Computer Science degree, the RichmondCC-N.C. State University Bachelor of Science – Mechanical Engineering degree, and the RichmondCC-UNC-Chapel Hill Bachelor of Arts – Psychology degree.

“We are matching things up in new ways for the first time with universities such as UNC-Chapel Hill and helping our students piece the steps together to reach their desired educational goals,” said Dr. Dale McInnis, president of RichmondCC. “Navigating the transfer process can be a challenging maze, which is why it’s really critical that we are working with our high school counselors and making sure each student has a career plan in his or her first semester of college.”

McInnis also noted that getting into a university as a freshman is getting tougher each year, which is why RichmondCC is focusing on the credentials transfer students need to get into a baccalaureate program.

“This is why we are improving our advising process so our students aren’t changing majors multiple times and accumulating a bunch of credits that don’t lead to a degree,” McInnis said. “We are also saving students thousands of dollars in tuition if they start here at RichmondCC with a clear career plan and then transfer to a university like UNC-Chapel Hill, Appalachian or N.C. State.”

In Other News

McInnis reported that the college is closing in on final details with FirstHealth on obtaining space for a simulation facility in the former Moore Regional Hospital-Hamlet, which is adjacent to RichmondCC’s main campus in Hamlet.

“This will significantly impact our students in our nursing programs and Allied Health programs, and we are excited to see the potential for having clinical space right next door to the college,” he said.

RichmondCC Network Engineer Jeff Epps also provided information to the Board of Trustees about the college’s summer camps and Saturday Academy. Epps reported that all the camps sold out with 130 students participating.

In the summer camps and the once-a-month Saturday Academies, the students are exposed to coding; electrical, electronic and mechanical engineering; robotics; and art.

“These camps are skills focused, and when we talk about skills, we are preparing and prepping our students with the skills to think not outside of the box, but without a box,” Epps said.

One way the students are being taught strategic thinking is through the game of chess, which has now been incorporated into the Saturday Academy. McInnis, who helped with the last Saturday Academy in November, remarked on the two overflowing classrooms of students playing chess on a Saturday morning.

“This is a very unique way to teach critical thinking skills along with technical skills,” McInnis said.

Wylie Bell is director of marketing and communications for Richmond Community College.

McInnis
https://www.yourdailyjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/web1_McInnis-1-Color-199×300.jpgMcInnis

By Wylie Bell

For the Daily Journal