RichmondCC Strong and Vibrant Due to Innovative Actions

Oct. 25, 2019 - Recovery and discovery was the theme of Dr. Dale McInnis’ State of the College address at Richmond Community College’s Convocation on Oct. 23.

Recovering from hurricanes and network issues, the College has come out stronger, McInnis said, noting that despite these obstacles, RichmondCC’s enrollment did not decline this year.

“After recovery, comes discovery, and in the next year, many discoveries will be made. Our communities will rediscover our college, seeing us in a new light,” he said.

One of those discoveries is the Finish for the Future campaign, a college-wide effort aimed at helping more adults complete their high school diploma or high school equivalency.

“This is a huge social and economic issue for Richmond and Scotland counties, with more 11,000 people 25 or older not holding at least a high school diploma. To put that in perspective, it is more than one out of every five adults here,” McInnis said.

He also talked about physical changes to the College to come: an expanded campus in Scotland County, a new building in downtown Rockingham, and a cafeteria and a “new front door” for the Hamlet campus.

“We are making powerful things happen through the ideas and plans being created by our faculty and staff,” the president said. “The state of our college is strong and vibrant, and our future prospects are like the talent and commitment of our students and employees — boundless and unlimited.” 

System Office Guest Speaker

Jennifer Haygood, Executive Vice President and Chief of Staff for the NC Community College System, echoed McInnis’ praises for the innovative actions being made at RichmondCC.

“In 2010-11, as our state grappled with the aftermath of the Great Recession, our System hit our peak enrollment. Last year only two colleges had higher enrollment as compared to that peak year: No. 1 Wake Tech – no surprise and No. 2 RichmondCC,” Haygood said. “RichmondCC isn’t among this elite duo by accident.”

The reason for RichmondCC’s success, Haygood said, can be attributed to things such as the RichmondCC Guarantee, which was the first free college tuition program of its kind in the state, and the Career and College Promise program, which allows high school students to take free college classes.  Other things she mentioned included offering programs and scheduling classes with students’ needs in mind and offering programs that lead to jobs.

“National survey data shows that the number one reason that students go to college is to be able to get a better job. Therefore, we must continuously seek to understand what skills and credentials employers value and design our programs around that information,” Haygood said.

Haygood also applauded RichmondCC for the partnerships it has formed, such as the one with Caldwell Community College and Technical Institute for truck driver training.

“Instead of struggling to replicate a high-cost program, leveraging Caldwell’s equipment and faculty expertise allows RichmondCC to offer students an in-demand program with higher quality and lower resource investment,” she said.

While McInnis focused on recovery and discovery, Haygood’s focus was on community colleges changing the way they do business in order to meet educational needs.

“I commend Richmond Community College for its innovation – you are indeed changing and adapting,” she said.

Awards and Honors

At Convocation, several awards were announced. The Foundation’s Outstanding Alumni Award winner was Dr. Yolanda VanRiel, a nursing graduate who is the Interim Department Chair of Nursing at North Carolina Central University.

Staff of the Year nominees were Lee Montrose, chief information officer; Birgit Godfrey, PC technician; and Tim Smoot, print technician for the campus print shop. Recipient of the award was Montrose.

Faculty of the Year nominees were Bill Frye, HVACR program coordinator; Ian Allred, math instructor; and Donna Tedder, IT instructor. Recipient of the award was Allred.

The President’s Award went to Myra Locklear, administrative assistant.