Education News

Local business endows SCC scholarship

Recognizing the need for talented, qualified and skilled tradespeople, Brad Waldrop and his team at Ward Plumbing, Heating and Air decided to create an opportunity for interested students at Southwestern Community College.

Near the end of August, SCC received a gift from the Sylva-based business in the form of a new scholarship fund. The new Ward Plumbing, Heating and Air Annual Scholarship Fund is worth up to $750 and will give preference to Air Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration students at SCC.

“It is our pleasure and honor to establish the Ward Plumbing, Heating and Air Annual Scholarship Fund,” said Waldrop, co-owner of the business. “SCC has long supported our local community, and demonstrates a commitment to continuing that effort with a highly cooperative approach.”

For more information about the SCC Foundation, contact Woods at b_woods@southwesterncc.edu or 828.339.4241.

Efforts to strengthen teacher pipeline

North Carolina education leaders signed an agreement recently to address the critical teacher shortage in the state. President Thomas Stith of the North Carolina Community College System and President Peter Hans of the University of North Carolina System made a joint announcement of their new Comprehensive Articulation Agreement to increase opportunities for community college students to transfer to teacher education programs within the UNC System. It is effective fall 2021.

The Uniform Articulation Agreement in Teacher Education/Educator Preparation is focused on developing a seamless transfer for students who begin teacher preparation studies in the Associate in Arts in Teacher Preparation and the Associate in Science in Teacher Preparation programs at a community college and then transfer to one of the educator preparation programs within the UNC System to complete a bachelor’s degree and become a licensed teacher in the K-12 system.

The agreement includes 15 universities within the UNC System. At Haywood Community College, the Teacher Preparation degree began this fall. After completing the two-year degree, students can utilize the Articulation Agreement to transfer to the University of North Carolina System with junior status. Students must obtain a grade of “C” or better in each course and an overall GPA of at least 2.7. This teacher preparation degree is available to Career and College Promise high school students and traditional students.

For more information, visit haywood.edu or contact us at hcc-advising@haywood.edu or 828.627.2821.

WCU in top collegiate rankings

Western Carolina University shows marked improvement and is in the top 10 in three categories of the annual U.S. News & World Report rankings of colleges and universities for 2022.

WCU top rankings: Social Mobility, Regional Universities (public and private in the South) – 16, up from 18 in 2021; Top Public Schools, Regional Universities (South) – 9, up from 10; Best Value, Regional Universities (South) – 8, up from 9; Best Colleges for Veterans, Regional Universities (South) – 8, up from 13 and Regional Universities (South) – 21.

“Internally, WCU gives more credence to accreditations, such as our full regional accreditation by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges, whose mission is to assure educational quality and improve institutional effectiveness. Marquee rankings certainly add a desirable feather to a university’s cap because they catch the attention of potential students and their families,” said Phil Cauley, associate vice chancellor for undergraduate enrollment.

HCC vehicles enhance student learning

When Haywood Community College’s next Basic Law Enforcement Training (BLET) students begin their training, they will have an advantage by learning in the newest vehicles used in the field today. HCC recently purchased 2021 Dodge Chargers with the police package to replace outdated vehicles.

In addition, the First Responder students will utilize a 2021 Ford F250 diesel truck to pull a rope trailer for high-angle rope training.

“Haywood County frequently receives calls for assistance for wilderness search and rescue due to the mountainous and remote locations of the parks of our area,” says Dee Massey, HCC Fire Services and Customized Training Coordinator. “Having resources available will help those learning to answer these calls be more effective when the high angle calls and searches for lost citizens come in. It will also help students complete state certification in this subject.”

The BLET course is designed to equip students with the basic skills, knowledge and ability to function as a law enforcement officer in the State of North Carolina. This class is a prerequisite for Law Enforcement Officer Certification in the state.

Jackson secures mental health grant

Mental health services for students in Jackson County Public Schools will soon be expanded thanks to a five-year grant from Project AWARE (Advancing Wellness and Resiliency in Education) also known as Project ACTIVATE (Advancing Coordinated and Timely InterVentions, Awareness, Training and Education).

The federally funded program was created by the NC Department of Public Instruction and the NC Department of Health and Human Services to promote student wellbeing, healthy behaviors and interventions to address mental health problems before they occur.

Pilot sites have been operating for the past three years in Beaufort, Cleveland and Rockingham County Schools. Jackson County Public Schools is part of a second cohort. A financial commitment from county commissioners combined with state and federal funding allowed the district to hire enough school social workers, nurses and counselors to provide adequate basic services to the district’s nine schools.

In the first year, JCPS will receive $322,963 to pay for personnel including mental health clinicians as well as training, travel, supplies and materials. School leaders will also have access to the three pilot districts to learn from their experience and replicate successful practices.

WCU School of Nursing ranked No. 1

Western Carolina University’s bachelor of science in nursing prelicensure program has been ranked first in the state by the Nursing Schools Almanac research team, in part for achieving an almost perfect rate of graduates passing the National Council Licensure Examination, the standard licensure test for registered nurses, on their first attempt.

Nursing Schools Almanac cited the statistic as an “excellent benchmark for comparing the relative quality” of bachelor’s degree programs. Data analyzed from 2013 through 2019 showed WCU had a 98.5% first-time NCLEX pass rate. In recent years, WCU nursing graduates have had a 100% pass rate on their first attempt.

“It really is a great time to get into nursing — the current shortage means there is a lot of opportunity, particularly in specialties that were often hard to break into, such as intensive care and labor and delivery,” said Terrica Durbin, director of WCU’s School of Nursing and an associate professor.

For more information on School of Nursing opportunities, visit nursing.wcu.edu.

SCC gala raises $80,000

Despite a pandemic-induced cancelation for the second straight year, Southwestern Community College’s “Boots, Blue Jeans & Bling” gala raised more than $80,000 to support student scholarships.

The annual gala has raised more than $530,000 since the inaugural event in Cashiers, including more than $120,000 in combined donations the past two years that the pandemic has forced cancelations. All proceeds support students who might otherwise not be able to attend college.

Among this year’s scholarship recipients is Andrew Eastep, a student in Southwestern’s Physical Therapist Assistant program.

For more information about the SCC Foundation and its efforts to support student scholarships at Southwestern, contact Kathy Posey at 828.339.4227 or k_posey@southwesterncc.edu.

Macon schools gifted iPads

Altice USA, parent company of Optimum, presented Macon County Public School District with nearly $8,000 worth of iPads to increase access to virtual classroom opportunities, connectivity, and online curriculum for students.

This donation is part of Altice USA’s $1 million giving to 30-plus school districts as part of its COVID-19 response initiatives to support local communities as they recover from the impact of the pandemic.

“We are very grateful for the additional devices. Our students and families appreciate the assistance in staying connected with their classrooms during the pandemic,” said Macon County Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Christopher Baldwin. “Technology plays a vital role in today’s world and is an important part of our students’ success. The additional iPads provided by Optimum will help our students become more successful in school and better prepared for the future.”