2016 Winter/Spring A-B Tech Education Journal | Volume 4 | Issue 1

Education A-B Tech

Journal

Winter/Spring 2016

New Ferguson Center Opens to Students A-B Tech Plans Connect NC Renovations Diversity Recruitment Boosts Minority Enrollment

Education

A-B Tech

A-B Tech Education Journal is published by the Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College Office of Community Relations & Marketing.

Journal

Publisher Dennis King, Ed.D. Managing Editor Kerri Glover

Volume 4 | Issue 1 | winter/Spring 2016

4 Diversity Recruiting Phyllis Utley is A-B Tech’s first Diversity Recruiter.

5 Hospitality Chairs Christina Harley and Catherine Horton, both A-B Tech graduates, join the Hospitality leadership team.

6 WRES: No Limits Small Business Center Associate Director Duane Adams joins A-B Tech’s radio show.

Writer Martha Ball Design & Photography Lisa Alford Jennifer Moran Josh Weaver

Board of Trustees Chair Joe Brumit

6 Mission Health/A-B Tech Conference Center Mission Health granted $1 million dollars to the new event center – named the Mission Health/A-B Tech Conference Center.

7 Customized Training A-B Tech works with New Belgium Brewing to prepare its workforce.

8 Ferguson Center Ferguson Center for Allied Health and Workforce Development is open for classes.

10 Computers and Networking Reorganization Computer Technologies offer pathways as Information Technology.

11 NASA Scholars Students Tom Mone and Wes Davis travel to Stennis Space Center.

11 Embedded Entrepreneur Program A-B Tech received a $100,000 grant for its Embedded Entrepreneur Program.

12 Occupational Therapy Assistant A-B Tech’s newest program starts this fall with a full cohort.

13 Summer and Visiting Students A-B Tech welcomes visiting students who need to earn credits over the summer.

14 News Briefs

Vice Chair Don C. Locke, Ph.D. Pamela Baldwin Bruce Briggs Wayne Brigman Mike Fryar Richard B. Hurley Roger Metcalf Kaye A. Myers John Parham Jr., MD. Frances L. Ramsey Mary Ann Rice Nathan Ramsey Mandy Stone Student Government Association President Ana Frady

Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges to award associate degrees, diplomas and certificates. Contact the Commission on Colleges at 1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, Georgia 30033-4097 or call 404-679-4500 for questions about the accreditation of Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College.

Equal Opportunity Educational Institution

15 Calendar of Events

All rights reserved. No parts of the material printed may be reproduced or used in any form or by any means electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by any information storage retrieval system without the permission of the publisher.

128,500 copies printed at a cost of .16 cents each.

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Sunnicrest

A-B Tech Madison

Ivy Hall

A Message from the President As we approach the end of another school year, I am particularly grateful to the voters of North Carolina for approving the $2 billion Connect NC bond referendum in the March primary.

The bond passed easily with two-thirds of statewide votes and with 71 percent of the votes in Buncombe County. This was a vote for our state’s future and especially for higher education, which will receive two-thirds of the money allocated from the bond issue.

A-B Tech will receive $5.4 million from Connect NC on July 1, and we have already begun to plan the repairs and renovations it will fund. I hasten to add that Buncombe Dennis King County voters have been generous to A-B Tech with their approval of a ¼-cent sales tax in 2011, which was dedicated to upgrading our facilities. But that money was allocated to new construction and major renovations, whereas Connect NC will fund “wear and tear” projects and renovations of historic buildings that have been on the back burner for many years due to lack of funding.

The buildings slated for improvements thus far include: • I vy Hall, a gymnasium and auditorium built in 1936 by St. Genevieve-of-the-Pines school, which will be renovated as offices for our Advancement Department and a public meeting space.

•S unnicrest, a R.S. Smith-designed cottage built circa 1895

by George Vanderbilt on Vernon Hill in what was then the township of Victoria, which houses our Human Resources Department.

•A -B Tech Madison Building in Marshall, which has not been upgraded since it opened in 1990.

•B alsam Computer Technology Building, repairing a crumbling exterior staircase.

•C omplete Advanced Manufacturing Center.

• Sycamore Science Building, repairing a crumbling greenhouse wall.

• Any remaining funds may be allocated to additional projects at a later date.

Meanwhile, A-B Tech is continuing to identify new pathways and programs that will better serve our community. In this issue, you will learn about our new Occupational Therapy Assistant program, our diversity recruiting efforts, the continuing success of our “No Limits” radio show, summer semester programs for visiting students, and the customized training program we developed for New Belgium Brewing.

A-B Tech is your community college.

Dennis King President

VISION

Locally Committed, Regionally Dynamic, World-Class Focused

MISSION

A-B Tech inspires, nurtures and empowers students and the community toward a better quality of life through progressive teaching, bold innovation and support collaboration.

VALUES

Excellence, Learning Supportive Environment, Innovation, Inclusiveness, Continuous Improvement A-B Tech EDUCATION Journal | abtech.edu 3

Diversity Recruitment Boosts Minority Enrollment at A-B Tech Phyllis Utley, A-B Tech’s first Diversity Recruiter, focuses on helping underserved communities learn about the college and its programs, as well as helping students navigate admissions and financial aid. Since she assumed the role, Latino enrollment has increased by nearly 3 percent.

“I like to go where people are, where they are congregating and invite people to campus to share information and answer questions,” she said. “I have them meet other people on campus, faculty members, and currently enrolled students so they can share their experience. They can see someone of perhaps a similar background and think ‘Wow, if they can do it, I can, too.’”

Utley often hosts groups of firstgeneration college students on campus.

“I love to have people come on campus because that is part of the equation to let them know this is their school and they have the opportunity to come and learn and take tours,” she said.

“I like to go where people are, where they are congregating and invite people to campus to share information and answer questions,” she said. “I have them meet other people on campus, faculty members, and currently enrolled students so they can share their experience. They can see someone of perhaps a similar background and think ‘Wow, if they can do it, I can, too.’”

Utley, who also speaks fluent Spanish, is active in the local African-American and Latino communities and recruits at local high schools, career fairs, festivals and other events. She also is an advisor for the college’s Minority Student Leadership Academy and co-hosts the A-B Tech “No Limits” radio show on WRES-100.7 FM. She has been with the college since 2010 and was named diversity recruiter in 2014.

A New York City native and graduate of Dartmouth University, Utley believes in the power of education to elevate and transform lives. Her work often extends into evenings and weekends, but she says it is essential to reaching the people A-B Tech hopes to attract.

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While Utley has done plenty of traditional recruiting during her career, her focus on diversity requires her to pursue other more non-traditional approaches.

“There are lots of different events in Asheville and there are meetings for the communities where people come with their concerns in relationship to not being in a majority group,” she said.

“There’s also a collaboration of black and Latino leaders who come together on a monthly basis to discuss different ways in which to empower the community and share resources and information.”

Utley is also an integral part of the Minority Student Leadership Academy, which she says helps students have a successful experience once they are admitted to A-B Tech. The Academy is open to all students, but places special emphasis on the needs of multicultural students, diversity issues, and cultural awareness. It also offers leadership development opportunities and creates networking opportunities for members with individuals currently working in various occupations throughout the Asheville area.

To learn more, visit abtech.edu/admissions or call 828.398.7900.

Hospitality Education Welcomes Alumni as New Department Chairs A-B Tech’s renowned Hospitality Education Department recently welcomed back two alumni as department leaders.

Christina Harley is the new Culinary Department Chair and Cathy Horton was tapped as Hospitality Management Chair.

“This is such an amazing opportunity to work ‘again’ with these women,” said Sheila Tillman said, Associate Dean of Hospitality Education. “They have taken their A-B Tech skill sets to the work force and return to share their knowledge, industry experience and vision for our future.”

After receiving a Culinary Arts degree from A-B Tech, Harley studied Nutrition and Dietetics at East Carolina University, earning a bachelor’s and master’s degree in the subject. For the past 12 years, she has been a registered dietitian and nutritionist with public schools in North Carolina.

“The opportunity to join the high acclaimed Hospitality Education Department of A-B Tech is something I unknowingly began working towards over 15 years ago,” Harley said. “As a first-year culinary student under Chef Tillman, I could only imagine the professional and academic successes for which this program laid the foundation. Now that I’m in the same position that Chef Tillman was then, I could not be more invested in the outcomes for our students.”

Harley’s passion began early in the kitchen as an early teen experimenting with food. “As soon as I could work, I went to Richmond Hill Inn and made industry contacts. I was introduced to A-B Tech and fell in to it as a career path and I loved it,” she said.

Once Harley started cooking, she found another love in nutrition education. She is planning to begin nutrition programs at A-B Tech with an emphasis on food science, nutrition and the role food plays in health and wellness.

Graduates would be qualified to work in health facilities, product research and development, and in restaurants focused on serving healthier foods, gluten-free foods, and foods associated with disease prevention and management.

Christina Harley

Cathy Horton

She visited the college for information and walked out having signed up for Computers and Food Science in the summer semester. Tillman was teaching Food Science then, and Horton was hooked by her passion and dedication to the program.

“After graduating, I began working as a line cook for a small independent restaurant in Hendersonville, Blue Water Seafood,” Horton said. “The decision was made to open for dinner and they needed a hostess. I took on the job, continuing to cook during the day. Within two weeks, I realized that my real talent was in the front of the house. I went on to become the general manager, managing all aspects of a small restaurant.”

Horton says older students seeking a second or third degree or a career change are great candidates for hospitality. “You have to start off with a genuine desire to serve people simply put, to make them happy. We can teach you the rest, from safety and sanitation, basic culinary skills, guest management, and more,” she said.

Horton, who graduated with highest honors from A-B Tech in 2008, was most recently the Senior Restaurant Manager for Season’s at Highland Lake and has served as an adjunct Culinary Instructor at A-B Tech. She was also a contributing food writer for Bold Life.

Students obtain an AAS degree in Hospitality in two years and are positioned for entry-level management in their field.

Last year, more than half of graduating Hospitality students had accepted salaried management positions before graduation, she said.

“I want to grow awareness of what hospitality is because it is exploding and it’s not just restaurants or hotels,” Horton said. “One of the really intriguing aspects of Hospitality is that it extends far into so many other areas. Interested in elder care? Retirement and Senior Care facilities are all over the country. Cruise ships, casinos, breweries, country clubs… the list goes on and on. And the best part? Hospitality can’t be outsourced. You can ship many other jobs overseas, but you need that smiling face at the ready when guests walk through your doors.”

Horton credits Walter Rapetski, a seasoned Hospitality Management Instructor, for the strength of the program.

“Over the years, he has developed a network of industry professionals that engage with our students throughout their academic time with us. Biltmore Estates, the Omni, Aloft Hotels, Harrah’s and more are invested in our students’ success and participate in co-op work experiences, site visits and guest lectures on campus. Many times, the contacts that our Hospitality students make with these industry professionals leads to their first career opportunity.”

Horton was considering her “second act” in life and decided to get a brochure on the culinary department at A-B Tech.

For more information, visit: abtech.edu/brewing-culinary-hospitality.

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Adams Joins “No Limits” Radio Show

Mission Health Donates $1 Million

TO NAME NEW CONFERENCE CENTER Mission Health recently donated $1 million dollars to name A-B Tech’s new conference center, now called the Mission Health/A-B Tech Conference Center.

Construction of the spacious conference center and its adjoining parking garage was funded by a 1/4-cent sales tax approved by Buncombe County voters. Opened in January, the conference center is located at Victoria Road and Fernihurst Drive near the Mission Health complex and behind Asheville High School.

“Mission Health is honored to support the conference center, which will be a great, multifunctional resource for so many in our region,” said Ronald A. Paulus, M.D., President and CEO of Mission Health.

“We continually look for opportunities that will have a positive impact on the community we are so privileged to serve and that we value dearly.”

Hayes, Utley, Cooper, Leonard and Adams in front of WRES Radio on Patton Avenue.

Duane Adams, Associate Director of the A-B Tech Small Business Center, has joined the college’s bi-weekly radio show, “No Limits,” as co-host with Phyllis Utley, the college’s Diversity Recruiter.

The show has been airing on WRES 100.7 FM since September 2013, covering a wide range of topics related to the college, education and careers. Station owner John Hayes began the program to showcase all that A-B Tech has to offer the community.

Over the last two and half years, the show has covered admissions, financial aid, job opportunities, how to start your own business, scholarships, academic programs, and more.

Adams’ first show featured Philip Cooper from A-B Tech’s Student Services division and Gerry Leonard from the YWCA discussing the Stand Against Racism Event held at the College on April 7. Segments are broadcast live every other Wednesday at 11 a.m. and rebroadcast several times throughout the following week.

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A-B Tech President Dennis King said the college is grateful for the gift, which will be used to purchase equipment and furniture for the conference center. “This gift is a result of the close relationship we have maintained with Mission Health and its previous entities since 1960,” King said. “Several thousand students from our Allied Health programs have received their clinical training at Mission; and, in keeping with our workforce development mission, many of those students graduated and began their first professional jobs at Mission.”

Mission also supports A-B Tech through financial aid for students, equipment donations and a variety of joint programs, according to King.

New Belgium Brewing Teams with A-B Tech to Grow Its Workforce When New Belgium Brewing, the nation’s fourth-largest craft beer brewer, announced in 2012 that it would build a brewery in Asheville, its plans included making a huge capital investment and hiring 150 workers.

Through A-B Tech’s Economic and Workforce Development (EWD) Department, New Belgium learned about North Carolina’s NCWorks Customized Training Program (CTP). CTP is funded by the state legislature and orchestrated through a partnership with the 58 N.C. community colleges. It has become a key tool for companies looking for ways to address the “skills gap” that could otherwise stymie attempts to hire qualified workers.

“Fortunately, North Carolina recognizes the importance of supporting businesses that are growing jobs in the state, and they partner with community colleges to help,” says Annie Korenjak, the human resources manager for NBB’s Asheville location.

The role of EWD at A-B Tech is to work with companies to create customized training programs to help screen, interview, on-board, and train workers with the skills companies need.

Kevin Kimrey, A-B Tech’s Workforce Development Director, and other college representatives visited New Belgium’s headquarters in Fort Collins, Colorado to conduct a needs analysis to understand the types of skills the brewery would need in its workforce and how to create a customized program to address those needs.

“Fortunately, North Carolina recognizes the importance of supporting businesses that are growing jobs in the state, and they partner with community colleges to help,” says Annie Korenjak, the human resources manager for NBB’s Asheville location.

“Most companies know how to do what they do very well,” says Kimrey. “But they don’t always know what they need in terms of training people to do those things. We help with that process.”

A-B Tech has worked closely with New Belgium to implement several programs in conjunction with the college’s Craft Beverage Institute of the Southeast, faculty and other experts to streamline the hiring and onboarding process for the brewery’s newest hires, while also keeping it fun and intimate.

One of the first collaborative projects was a series of preemployment screening programs. With A-B Tech’s help, New Belgium was able to access resources on the A-B Tech campus, where they hosted 20 to 30 candidates at a time for interviews and assessments. Job categories included

packagers, material handlers, and liquid center representatives. A-B Tech and New Belgium identified 101 pre-hire trainees.

Jeff Irvin, director of the Craft Beverage Institute, taught a “Brewing 101” class where new hires learned about everything from the history of beer to what they could expect from working in a brewery. Additional training classes also are lined up for the next three years. Broad categories include safety, hazardous communication, jobspecific functions, leadership, and quality assurance. Forbes magazine recently profiled the successful New Belgium and A-B Tech collaboration.

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Ferguson Center for Allied Health and Workforce Development Opens to Students A-B Tech’s new Ferguson Center for Allied Health and Workforce Development, located on the former St. Genevieve-of-the-Pines property off of Victoria Road on Genevieve Circle, opened in January and now serves more than 1,000 students.

The Ferguson Center houses 18 Allied Health programs, as well as several healthcare workforce programs and continuing education classes. It sits adjacent to the Ivy Building, an auditorium built in 1936 as part of St. Genevieve-of-the-Pines School.

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“We are pleased to see this building completed and opened to students who comprise the healthcare workforce for hospitals and medical offices throughout Western North Carolina,” said A-B Tech President Dennis King. “Since its founding in 1959, A-B Tech has graduated more than 8,000 students from Allied Health programs.

This new facility assures that we can continue to expand our programs and provide state-of-the-art training.”

The building was named and dedicated in honor of Jack and Carolyn Ferguson, longtime A-B Tech supporters who donated $5 million in 2013 to help fund equipment and furnishings for the new facility. The couple also have given more than $1 million for endowed and general scholarships, and Jack Ferguson continues to serve on the A-B Tech Foundation’s Board of Directors.

“Knowing this building will help so many students find careers in healthcare is a dream come true for us,” said Carolyn Ferguson, who spoke at the dedication ceremony. “Our daughters graduated from A-B Tech with nursing degrees and our goal is to provide future generations of students with that same opportunity.”

A highlight of the new building is the ability for programs such as Nursing and Pharmacy Technology to collaborate instead of working in separate departments. “The multi-disciplinary aspect of this building is critical,” said Ron Paulus, CEO of Mission Health. “That training will happen here and students will learn to work with others before going in the workplace. Education is the great gateway to changing lives.”

Paulus said the education provided by A-B Tech is critical because Mission Health currently has 1,000 unfilled positions due to nurses retiring at a faster rate than in past years.

Construction of the 169,543-square-foot building cost $37.9 million and was funded by a ¼-cent sales tax from Buncombe County. It was designed by Padgett & Freeman Architects, PA, and built by American South General Contractors and H&M Constructors. The building contains five stories, including four finished floors and a fifth floor shell that will be completed at a later date.

The Ferguson Center was designed to meet U.S. Green Building Council standards and the College is pursuing Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification.

Facts about the Ferguson Center • H ouses Allied Health, Economic/ Workforce Development and Continuing Education programs • S erves nearly 800 students in 18 Allied Health programs • S erves students in healthcare workforce programs (Certified Nursing Assistant and Ophthalmology Assisting) and continuing education classes • 1 69,543 total square feet • 5 floors (one unfinished) • 3 44 parking spaces • T otal cost of $37.9 million • D esigned by Padgett & Freeman Architects, PA of Asheville • C onstructed by American South General Contractors and H&M Constructors of Asheville

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Computers and Networking

UNDERGOING CHANGES TO BETTER REFLECT JOB MARKET VISIT THE COMPUTER TECHNOLOGIES EXPO from noon to 2 p.m. on Friday, May 6 in the Mission Health/A-B Tech Conference Center.

A-B Tech’s new Computer Technologies Chair Brenda McFarland says the department is undergoing changes that will include restructuring and a name change in the fall semester.

All of the department’s existing stand-alone programs will now fall under the banner of Information Technology, with the exception of Digital Media. For example, different pathways will be called Information Technology: Web Technologies or Information Technologies: Information Technology.

“One of the attractive things about this alignment is that we have managed to lay out our curriculum in a way so that the first and second semester, many of the students are taking a lot of the same courses. So if someone comes into one program and takes a few classes and decides that wasn’t the pathway for them, they are not going to lose a lot of credits, switching to another program,” McFarland said.

The other advantage of the new alignment is if students wants to pursue a dual degree, they can do it without having to stay for two more years. They could complete another degree in an additional two semesters rather than five., McFarland said.

“We are also looking more toward industry-recognized certificates so the students don’t walk out with just an academic credential, but (graduate) with a professionallyrecognized certificate,” said Associate Chair Marlene Roden.

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“We are also beginning to work in the Center for Academic Excellence,” said McFarland. It’s a set of things called knowledge units and we will map our curriculum to knowledge units to show that everything is in our curriculum and once we’ve shown them that we can meet all their standards, they will have a seal that will go on everyone’s degree who graduates from Networking or Security. Those students will then have a recognized certification that meets industry standards, The Department of Defense especially recognizes it.”

Information Systems Security is a particularly fast-growing program, Roden said. Companies looking for cyber security employees cannot get them trained fast enough to meet the demand, she said.

To learn more about A-B Tech’s programs, visit the Computer Technologies Expo on Friday, May 6 from noon to 6 p.m. in the Mission Health/A-B Tech Conference Center.

Approximately 50 students in Computer Information Technology, Digital Media Technology, Healthcare Business Informatics and Web Technologies will present their capstone projects. It is showcase complete portfolios to present to potential employers. The expo is free and open to the public to see the cumulative work of the students. It is a drop-in event with refreshments.

For more information, contact Brenda McFarland at brandahmcfarland@abtech.edu or 828-398-7669.

Funding Received

TWO A-B TECH STUDENTS

Selected to Visit NASA A-B Tech students Tom Mone and Wes Davis have been selected to travel to NASA’s Stennis Space Center this spring to participate in the NASA Community College Aerospace Scholars project (NCAS).

They were two of 216 community college students from across the U.S. to be part of NCAS. They are also the sixth and seventh students A-B Tech has had selected for this prestigious honor.

A-B Tech was awarded a $100,000 grant from the A-B Tech Educational and Entrepreneurial Foundation for its Embedded Entrepreneur program.

Davis is interested in transferring to a four-year college to complete his degree in mechanical engineering. “I have been working in construction for eight years since I left high school and want a change. I was building a lot when I was little,” he said.

“I don’t want to just earn a paycheck; I want to make a difference.”

The Embedded Entrepreneur Program offers an innovative approach to assisting startup and growth-stage companies in reaching new levels of success. Five companies were selected for the pilot year of the program.

Mone has wanted to do something with NASA since he was 7. “I never stopped the dream,” he said. After earning a bachelor’s degree in film and working in the industry, including a three-year stint on a cruise ship, he found himself in Western North Carolina, interested in earning an engineering degree.

Wes Davis Mone was one of the first students to receive an S-STEM (Scholarships in STEM) from A-B Tech, funded by the National Science Foundation. Dr. Jon Wiener, Associate Dean of Arts and Sciences at A-B Tech, is the principal investigator of the NSF grant and was the one who told Mona about the NASA opportunity.

The five-week scholars program culminates with a four-day on-site event at Stennis Space Center and offers students the opportunity to interact with NASA engineers and others as they learn more about careers in science and engineering.

While at NASA, students form teams and establish fictional companies interested in Mars exploration. Each team is responsible for developing and testing a prototype rover, forming a company infrastructure, managing a budget, and developing communications and outreach.

Tom Mone

FOR EMBEDDED ENTREPRENEUR PROGRAM

The on-site experience at NASA includes a tour of facilities and briefings by NASA subject matter experts.

NASA Community College Aerospace Scholars is a project funded in part by the Minority University Research and Education Program, or MUREP, which is committed to the recruitment of underrepresented and underserved students in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) to sustain a diverse workforce.

With this project, NASA continues the agency’s tradition of investing in the nation’s educational programs. It is directly tied to the agency’s major education goal of attracting and retaining students in STEM disciplines critical to NASA’s future missions, which include missions to Mars and beyond.

“NCAS not only inspires community college students to advance in STEM fields, but it also opens doors for future careers at NASA. NCAS has a legacy of alumni moving from NASA internships to and ultimately entering the NASA workforce.” Tania B. Davis, Minority University Research and Education Project (MUREP) Manager.

“Unlike many entrepreneur support programs that can only hit the high spots by providing guidance in short meetings and limited work sessions, the Embedded Entrepreneur Program (EE) intends to move participating companies forward by changing the typical support equation,” said Steve Poland, Director of the Embedded Entrepreneur Program.

Poland will work in each of the companies over the course of an entire year, helping company founders reach new milestones.

The participating companies are WEMA Global, 5th Element Camping, Big Boom Design, AsheVillain and Simple Shot Shooting Sports.

There is no cost to the program participant, but they must meet certain criteria such as having been in business for at least one year, be a for-profit company based in Western North Carolina, be revenue generating and have at least the founder working full time in the business.

The Embedded Entrepreneur Program is a program of the A-B Tech Small Business Center and Business Incubation program.

“Example program elements include the high-level One on One Technical Support & Embedded Work,” said Poland. For example, skills development will cover time management coaching, delegation skills, critical path analysis, team building and employee retention.

Other areas include business and financial training, execution guidance, lender and equity funding preparation.

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Occupational Therapy Assistant Program LAUNCHES THIS FALL UNDER CHAIR JANE BLOUNT

The new Occupational Therapy Assistant (OTA) program at A-B Tech has accepted its initial cohort of 20 students for Fall 2016 to be led by Jane Blount, Chair of Occupational Therapy Assisting.

Blount, who has been in OT for 20 years, received her bachelor’s degree from UNC and master’s in occupational therapy from Springfield College in Massachusetts. She started her career right out of school at a rehabilitation hospital that is now part of CarePartners, “Within my first four years I worked in inpatient, outpatient and long term care, which is unusual by I was thankful for the experience. I tell students to learn as much as you can from as many people as you can while on the job,” she said.

Blount is preparing for the students by arranging for them to come to spring orientation at the college and by creating a handbook full of the information specific to OTA students, including the immunizations and CPR training needed and the community service she will expect from her students.

Occupational Therapy Assistants work under the supervision of Occupational Therapists providing treatment for people of all ages who have had trauma or disease that inhibits their ability to function normally. Occupational Therapy helps them adapt and regain functional ability to perform daily tasks.

“One thing I am excited about is lots of changes in legislature which will acknowledge occupational therapy as mental health providers,” Blount said. “There will be many more job opportunities over the next several years.”

Occupational Therapy Assistant is one of the nation’s fastest growing professions. The US Department of Labor estimates 12 abtech.edu | A-B Tech EDUCATION Journal

that the demand for OTAs will increase 40% by 2024, much faster than the average for all occupations. The nationwide median pay is $52,300 per year.

OTAs work in a variety of locations, primarily in outpatient clinics, hospitals, schools, home health and nursing care facilities. “Many rural areas don’t have full time OT staff and there is a significant need for traveling therapists,” Blount said.

The A-B Tech OTA program has applied for accreditation and has been granted Candidacy Status by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) of the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA).

“Because we are going through the initial accreditation, this class will be a part of that. We are preparing them for that,” Blount said, The program must have a pre-accreditation review, complete an on-site evaluation, and be granted Accreditation Status before its graduates will be eligible to sit for the national certification examination for the occupational therapy assistant administered by the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT)/ After successful completion of this exam, the individual will be a Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant (COTA). In addition, most states require licensure in order to practice; however, state licenses are usually based on the results of the NBCOT certification examination.

For more information, visit abtech.edu/OTA.

Summer Semester Classes Available For Visiting Students May to July A-B Tech welcomes students from other institutions to pick up a few transferable credits at a low cost through online, hybrid or regular summer courses.

The College’s top-notch faculty and staff, beautiful facilities, online courses, flexible scheduling, and comprehensive academic and student support, make it easy to get the credits needed.

“For a student coming home from a university for the summer, there is no better alternative for earning college credits at a fraction of the cost of the four-year school. Summer is also an opportunity for visiting and non-degree seeking students to explore new career interests and/or to build skills in their existing career by taking courses at A-B Tech,” said Dr. Terry Braiser, Vice President of Student Services at A-B Tech.

Convenient distance advising services are available to students who do not live in Buncombe, Madison, or an adjacent county. Please contact distanceadvising@abtech.edu if you need assistance as a distance student.

“For a student coming home from a university for the summer, there is no better alternative for earning college credits at a fraction of the cost of the four-year school. Summer is also an opportunity for visiting and non-degree seeking students to explore new career interests and/or to build skills in their existing career by taking courses at A-B Tech,” said Dr. Terry Braiser, Vice President of Student Services at A-B Tech.

“Whether students want to catch up or jump ahead in credits, they can turn to A-B Tech for affordable, high-quality coursework that puts them one step closer to their educational and career goals,” Braiser said.

If you need to document a prerequisite or placement for a summer course, you will need to provide a copy of your college transcript from the college at which you took the prerequisite course(s) or a copy of your placement test scores. Unofficial copies are typically sufficient. An advisor can assist you if you are unsure of the documentation required.

In order to take advantage of the low-cost courses, students need to do the following:

• Schedule and complete the New Student Orientation including the SmarterMeasure Online Readiness Assessment: www.abtech.edu/nso • Obtain a copy of your college transcript only if you are requesting prerequisite or testing waivers (Please bring the transcript(s) with you when you come to meet with an advisor in the Bailey Student Services Building).

• Convenient distance advising and registration services are also available – please contact admissions@abtech.edu for a referral to these services.

• Register for your desired course.

• Check with your own college or university first to learn the necessary credit transfer process and find out which credits will be accepted.

• Ask for a copy of your A-B Tech transcript to be sent to your home college/university upon completion of the course.

Click here for transcript ordering instructions.

• Review our course offerings and all prerequisite/placement test requirements.

For transcript ordering instructions, see: abtech.edu/visiting-students.

• Complete our application process www.abtech.edu/apply.

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News Briefs AVIATION STUDENT EARNS WINGS, PROGRAM JOINS SOCIAL MEDIA Bruce MacDonald became the first A-B Tech Aviation student to earn a private pilot’s license on March 17. MacDonald is a member of the first class admitted to the program, begun by A-B Tech and WNC Aviation in August 2015. Four other Aviation students subsequently earned pilots licenses in March. Follow A-B Tech Aviation on Facebook and Twitter (@fly_abtech).

ANNUAL SCHOLARSHIP LUNCHEON HONORS A-B TECH STUDENTS A-B Tech’s 2016 Scholarship Luncheon was held March 15 at the Crowne Plaza Expo Center.

Speakers included scholarship recipients Patricia Downey (pictured) and Philip Cooper. Patricia, a single parent of five, received three scholarships from the GEM Fund created by the Asheville branch of the American Association of University Women, the Lavender Fund for single parents, and the new four-year CORE scholarship created in conjunction with UNC Asheville.

Philip, a recipient of the Grace Joan Love Schneider Endowed Scholarship, graduated from A-B Tech in 2013 with a degree in Human Services Technology, but is now pursing a transfer degree. Philip also works in A-B Tech’s Student Services department and serves as a mentor to students in the Minority Student Leadership Academy.

MISSION HEALTH, A-B TECH AWARD CNA-I SCHOLARSHIPS Mission Health and A-B Tech announced eight recipients of the “Mission Grows” CNA-I scholarship. The competitive program was open to Mission Health staff and their dependents, participants in Mission’s student programs including School At Work®, Mission Possible and Students@Work, and area high school students and community members. The scholarship covers full costs for the CNA-I certification program at A-B Tech. The students’ clinical rotations will be offered at Mission Health and students who complete the program will be fast-tracked for CNA-I jobs at Mission.

Pictured are, from left, are recipients of the “Mission Grows” CNA-I scholarship, Anna Grace Barefoot, Brittany Pressley and Latasha Johnson.

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News Briefs TAPP NAMED HEAD OF VET TECH Lori A. Tapp, D.V.M., M.S. is the new chair of the Veterinary Medical Technology at A-B Tech. She has been on the faculty of the program since 2007. Tapp has worked in various capacities as a veterinarian since 1986 including running her own private practice in Veterinary Homeopathy and Nutrition. She received a master’s and Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine from the University of Florida.

FRISBEE NAMED BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION CHAIR Marlene Frisbee has been named Chair of the Business Administration department at A-B Tech. She previously served as a Marketing and Retailing Instructor and is a co-advisor of the college’s chapter of Phi Beta Lambda. She received bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Montreat College.

HICKMAN SELECTED AS RAMP COORDINATOR Abigail Hickman has been selected as the RAMP (Raising Awareness of Manufacturing Possibilities) initiative at A-B Tech. Hickman came to A-B Tech in 2011 as an adjunct faculty member and tutor for the Writing Center. She will work with area public schools, economic developers, and community-based organizations to create career pathways for high school students to raise the technical skills level of American workers.

Hickman’s previous experience lies in pairing social and pragmatic service providers with underserved or marginalized populations in urban centers including Atlanta and London.

Calendar of Events April 14 Find your Future Open House & Career Fair 3 to 7 p.m., Mission Health/A-B Tech Conference Center

April 15 Find your Future High School Visitation April 25 Open Registration for Summer Semester Begins May 6 Computers and Networking Technologies Student Showcase Noon to 2 p.m., Mission Health/A-B Tech Conference Center

May 14 Commencement 2 p.m., U.S. Cellular Center

May 23 Summer Semester Classes Begin May 30 Memorial Day, College Closed

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