Two-year Emergency Medical Science Degree to Be Offered Next Fall at RichmondCC

Dec. 10, 2019 – Richmond Community College will be offering an associate degree in Emergency Medical Science (EMS) beginning fall 2020 in order to meet a future industry standard that will require licensed EMTs to have a two-year degree.

RichmondCC’s Board of Trustees received a report last week that the State Board of Community Colleges approved the board’s request to implement this two-year degree.

“We are getting out in front of changes at the state level so our paramedics and EMTs will have the credentials that will be required starting in 2023,” Dr. Dale McInnis, College president, said. “There’s a tremendous need for paramedics in our area, and FirstHealth and our partners in Scotland County have been very supportive of this initiative to get the program in place.”

The College will begin the process of hiring staff for the program, identifying clinical locations and making space for EMS students at RichmondCC’s Simulation Learning Center. McInnis also said the College will bridge the EMS program with EMT training offered at the high schools so those students can transition seamlessly into the college program.

Dean of Allied Health & Human Services Janet Sims also informed the board about plans for a transition course for future EMS graduates who want to come into the nursing program at RichmondCC.

“The EMS program could be a stepping stone for them to enter into a nursing career, so we want to provide those students with a seamless transition as well,” Sims said.

Finish for Your Future Campaign

The Finish for Your Future Campaign, a collaborative plan to reduce the number of people in Richmond and Scotland County who do not have an adult high school education, has picked up steam since its initial roll-out in October. John Kester, Dean of College and Career Readiness and Immured Programs at RichmondCC, reported to the board that there has been an increase in calls coming in about adult education and more people have been attending orientation for enrollment.

“What we are finding is about 40 percent are coming back to get their high school education so they can do better for themselves and their families; about 30 percent are coming for career advancement because they can’t move upward without a high school diploma or their employer requires it,” Kester said. “We also have some who are coming back to motivate a younger generation in their family to not go down the same path they did.”

Part of the Finish for Your Future plan includes up to $1,000 in scholarship money for students who complete the Adult High School Diploma or High School Equivalency program and continue on at RichmondCC for further education or career training.

“This generous scholarship from the College’s Foundation has gotten a lot of people’s attention, and we’re grateful for that,” Kester said.

Finish for Your Future is a collaborative effort so Kester has been spreading awareness to community agencies that provide literacy skills, letting them know what resources are available to them through the College’s Adult Education division.

RichmondCC Guarantee

The Board of Trustees also received a report on the growing success of the RichmondCC Guarantee initiative that awards qualified high school graduates two years of free college tuition. Not only are more students taking advantage of the Guarantee, these students also have a higher rate of completion of a degree, diploma or certificate.

Vice President for Student Services Sharon Goodman explained multiple measures that have been put into place to bring more students into the program.

“One thing we’re doing is identifying high school students earlier who have the potential to be a Guarantee qualifier, and we’re encouraging them to work hard and graduate with the required 3.0 GPA,” Goodman said.

Goodman said they continue to track these students along the way and make sure they complete all the necessary steps for receiving the Guarantee.