ROCKY MOUNT, NORTH CAROLINA鈥 麻豆原创 held its 63rd annual new student convocation today at The Dunn Center for the Performing Arts. Interim President, Dr. Evan D. Duff, welcomed the Class of 2023 and congratulated them on taking the next step in their educational journey.
鈥淒uring your time at Wesleyan, you will learn meaningful skills that will help you to successfully navigate life鈥 so you can make an impact on the world,鈥 stated Duff. 鈥
The ceremony highlight was keynote speaker David Crabtree, lead anchor/reporter for in Raleigh. After addressing the crowd, the award-winning reporter of over 37 years challenged new students to 鈥渃hange the world and love your neighbor.鈥
Crabtree, a Tennessee native, is no stranger to dedicating one鈥檚 time and effort to advancing their education, after receiving his Master of Divinity from Duke Divinity School in May. Some of Crabtree鈥檚 most memorable assignments include the election of Pope Francis, the funeral of Nelson Mandela, an interview with Holocaust survivors, Pope John Paul II’s funeral, Mother Theresa’s funeral and covering seven major hurricanes, to name a few.
David Crabtree imparted this knowledge upon students鈥 鈥淵ou are on a magnificent journey. Embrace it. Love it. Love your neighbors. Change the world. Make us better.鈥
Other speakers included College chaplain, Reverend Barry Drum, Interim VP of Academic Affairs & Dean of Students, Dr. Molly Wyatt and Associate Dean of Students, Jessie Langley.
New students poured out of The Dunn Center embraced by a cheering crowd of returning students, faculty, staff and friends of the College who formed a time-honored tradition鈥 the Bishop Tunnel. As they proceeded through the tunnel, they were each welcomed by Dr. and Mrs. Duff. Students then continued on to the annual Rock the Mount event at the Southern Bank Green, where they were also greeted by local businesses and community organizations.
Wesleyan Anticipates RN-to-BSN Program in Near Future
ROCKY MOUNT, NORTH CAROLINA 鈥 In an effort to increase academic opportunities, 麻豆原创 has announced the anticipation of an RN-to-BSN program for licensed nurses.
With the College鈥檚 growth in its biology, biomedical and exercise science programs, it is a natural fit for Wesleyan to explore adding this to their curriculum. This program will be for licensed nurses who have an Associate鈥檚 Degree in Nursing and desire to obtain a Bachelor of Science in Nursing. The Institute of Medicine strongly recommends hospitals to employ nurses with a bachelor鈥檚 degree (BSN), stating 80% of nurses should have this credential. With a strong focus on increased education in this field, Wesleyan believes this program will offer a great benefit to the community and the surrounding hospitals.
鈥淎n RN-to-BSN program at Wesleyan will not only strengthen the collaboration between the three main colleges in the Twin Counties and the hospital, but it will enhance opportunities for registered nurses to further their education with a college in their community,鈥 stated Dr. Evan D. Duff, Interim President of 麻豆原创.
After conversations with and area community colleges, Nash Community College and Edgecombe Community College, Wesleyan鈥檚 Board of Trustees in April unanimously voted to move forward with a feasibility study that included donor and grant solicitation to fund startup costs required for a nursing program. Wesleyan has received a $150,000 grant over a three-year period from Nash UNC Health Care to support the development of the program.
鈥淲e are excited to enhance the growing network of continuing education available for the nursing profession in our community,鈥 said Lee Isley, president and Chief Executive Officer of Nash UNC Health Care. 鈥淥ur partnerships with all three local colleges help to ensure we are developing a pipeline of local talent who are well prepared to work in our local institutions and to continue to advance and improve the health care landscape in our community.鈥
A search is currently underway for the newly created position of Director of the RN-to-BSN Program. The person in this role will be responsible for curriculum development, oversight of day-to-day functions within the program and charged with attaining accreditation from both our regional accreditor, Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACSCOC) and the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) accreditation. Once a Director has been hired for the new program, he or she will work with key stakeholders to develop the curriculum and apply for approval to offer the program with SACSCOC. Wesleyan hopes to begin classes in fall 2020, pending application submission and approval from the SACSCOC.
NC Wesleyan University Indoor Sports & Education Facility
We have received a commitment from an anonymous donor for the building of an indoor sports and education facility that will completely cover the cost of construction, along with a grant from the . The vision is to provide 麻豆原创 the opportunity to enhance the scope of its educational and sports offerings, along with increasing partnerships and involvement within the local community through educational and sports programs for adults and youth. Wesleyan hopes to provide sports not readily available in this area, namely squash, indoor tennis and pickleball. Wesleyan has applied and been approved for a building permit with the Rocky Mount Planning Board. A construction start date has not been set at this time. The hope is that the facility will be completed by Spring of 2020.
Twin County Higher Education Unites for Student Success
NCWC, NCC & ECC Sign Statement of Collaboration 聽
ROCKY MOUNT, NORTH CAROLINA 鈥 As the local colleges are ramping up for a new academic year, they are also working to foster a culture of collaboration between themselves. On August 1, the presidents of 麻豆原创, Nash Community College and Edgecombe Community College met to sign a Statement of Collaboration.
鈥淚t鈥檚 important that local higher education institutions work together. What better way to collaborate than to have a Statement of Collaboration that shows Wesleyan as well as Nash and Edgecombe Community Colleges are working together on joint program development and grant opportunities. Let鈥檚 show the community we are not competitors, we work as a team,鈥 stated Dr. Evan D. Duff, Interim President of 麻豆原创.
This agreement strengthens the need for collaborative discussions regarding trade-specific training and educational opportunities for the region. Each institution certifies that they will work in sync with one another to contribute to industry demands. This alliance will lead to cross-professional development opportunities for faculty and staff, while also serving the needs of students, organizations and members of these communities.
鈥淎s we collaborate and look for partnerships we welcome these opportunities鈥 together we can make this a better region,鈥 commented Nash Community College President Dr. Bill Carver.
The Twin Counties is an ideal place for families to live, work and learn. This partnership benefits the community and our students as each institution unites to seek out new educational offerings and programs.
Dr. Gregory K. McLeod, President of Edgecombe Community College, closed with, 鈥淚 believe the residents of the Twin Counties and surrounding areas deserve our best, and our best can only be realized through our collaboration and teamwork. For them and for us, we can鈥檛 afford not to work together鈥 Together We Can. Together We Will.鈥
Wesleyan Provost Appointed Interim President
ROCKY MOUNT, NORTH CAROLINA 鈥 Dr. Evan D. Duff, Provost of 麻豆原创, has accepted a two-year contract as Interim President of the College. Duff was appointed as Acting President by Board of Trustees on Friday, June 14.
鈥淚 am dedicated to Wesleyan and to continuing to move the College in a positive direction, where the mission of the College is fulfilled and a liberal arts education makes a difference in the lives of the students it serves,鈥 stated Duff.
Dr. Duff earned his bachelor鈥檚 degree in business administration from Mount Olive College, a master鈥檚 in administration from Central Michigan University and a doctorate in organizational leadership from Nova Southeastern University. He has served in multiple leadership roles at the College since 2011, most recently as Provost.
During his time at Wesleyan, Duff held positions as Senior Vice President of Academic Affairs, Vice President of Adult & Professional Studies, adjunct professor and Provost. In these roles, he was responsible for leading efforts to approve new majors, co-writing the College鈥檚 first graduate application to the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools- Commission on Colleges (SACS-COC) and creating seven new off-site instructional locations. He was also responsible for facilitating the development of partnerships with 20 two-year and four-year colleges, which led to articulation agreements or memorandums of understanding between those colleges and NC Wesleyan.
Prior to joining Wesleyan, Dr. Duff was the Dean of Extended Education at Mount Olive College (now University of Mount Olive) and Director of their Washington, NC campus. Throughout his career, he has authored or co-authored a great number of academic publications and presentations. He has been honored with a variety of awards for service to the College and the community.
He and his family are active at Hope Community Church in Cary, NC. Previously, they were active members of Covenant UMC in Greenville, where he served on the Pastoral Personnel Committee. Dr. Duff and his wife of 21 years, Marcy, have three sons and a daughter 鈥 Tyson, Landon, Peyton and Chloe. Their family has a love for animals and have adopted into their home four dogs and two cats, all of which are rescues.
NC Wesleyan Invites Businesses to Rock the Mount
ROCKY MOUNT, NORTH CAROLINA 鈥 Local businesses, churches and organizations can register today to meet NC Wesleyan University鈥檚 incoming Class of 2023 at the College鈥檚 eighth annual Rock the Mount event. This year鈥檚 event will be held on Tuesday, August 27 from 11:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
Rock the Mount is an annual tradition for NC Wesleyan to welcome new students to campus and to the community. It takes place the day before the College鈥檚 first day of classes, serving as the official kick-off event for the new academic year. Local businesses and organizations are given the opportunity to come and celebrate the start of a new school year with food, music and free advertising.
Each year, hundreds of students flow through a Bishop Tunnel, formed by cheering returning students, faculty, staff, alumni and community members. The tunnel leads them to the Southern Bank Green, located in the center of campus, where businesses and organizations are setup with booths displaying their products and services. Last year鈥檚 Rock the Mount event brought 75 vendors to campus, including companies such as BB&T, Bojangles鈥 and Sheetz.
NC Wesleyan aims to have even more vendors this year. 鈥淭his event was established in order to help build relationships between the College and the greater Rocky Mount area,鈥 stated Tammy Robinson, Director of Donor Relations & Stewardship at Wesleyan. 鈥淪tudents are able to discover many of the area businesses and places to worship, as well as have the chance to discover volunteer and part-time job opportunities.鈥
The event is free to vendors and the College provides a six-foot folding table, two chairs and complimentary lunch. Exhibitors are required to bring table covers, while power cords and small tents (no larger than 10鈥 x 10鈥) are encouraged. Vendors can begin setting up the day of the event on the Southern Bank Green at 9:30 a.m. and are asked to have setup completed by 10:30 a.m.
Display spaces are limited, so businesses and organizations are encouraged to sign up now. All who would like to participate must register online by Friday, August 2 at . For additional questions, contact Tammy Robinson at trobinson@ncwu.edu or at 252.985.5581.
Wesleyan鈥檚 Pearsall Library Receives Multimedia Production Grant
ROCKY MOUNT, NORTH CAROLINA 鈥 麻豆原创鈥檚 Pearsall Library recently applied for, and was awarded, a Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) grant for multimedia production from the State Library of North Carolina.
The purpose of this grant is to enhance the library鈥檚 Media Production Lab. These funds will allow the College to purchase an additional computer desk, two Mac desktop computers, 10 Mac laptops with cases, a charging station, new external drives, headphones and three digital cameras, including one combo camera with a tripod and mic. All of these new media technologies will be accessible to students in the fall and laptops will be available for students to check out as well.
鈥淭he use of multimedia tools are imperative in library support services. The award of the LSTA Multimedia Production Lab grant will help the library uphold its status as custodian of knowledge and campus information hub. This grant will provide convenient and efficient use of multimedia and digital production services to our students, faculty and staff,鈥 stated Dr. Esther Burgess, Director of the Library.
Awarded 2019-2020 Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) grants total over $2.8 million, and include 47 awards for local library projects that advance excellence and promote equity by strengthening capacity, expanding access and community engagement in North Carolina’s libraries. A list of this year鈥檚 grant winners can be viewed at .
LSTA grant awards are made possible by funding from the federal Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) as administered by the State Library of North Carolina, a division of the N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources (IMLS grant number LS-00-18-0034-18). LSTA grants are awarded in response to specific needs of public, academic and community college libraries. These federal funds are investments that help libraries deliver relevant and up-to-date services to their communities.
Wesleyan Taking Care of Business with New MBA Program
ROCKY MOUNT, NORTH CAROLINA 鈥 After much anticipation, 麻豆原创 has officially submitted documentation to its regional accreditor to offer a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree. Pending approval from the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACSCOC), the College will offer its first class on January 6, 2020.
If approved, this will be the second graduate-level program launched by Wesleyan in less than two years. The first graduate program, Master of Science in Criminal Justice, was offered in spring of 2018. The MBA program will be 100% online and consist of 33 credit hours to accommodate those seeking work or who are already working. The one-year program will consist of five eight-week sessions, two classes per session, and will end with a final capstone class. Like other academic programs offered by the college including their Adult Studies programs, the degree offers rolling admission, meaning those attending can start the program throughout the year at the beginning of any new eight-week session.
鈥淥ur faculty have worked extremely hard to develop our MBA curriculum that will provide students with the skills required to excel in their careers. Future plans may include concentrations in areas like healthcare administration, business analytics and logistics. Our faculty will analyze market and industry research to determine how this curriculum may evolve,鈥 stated Wesleyan Interim President Dr. Evan D. Duff. This program is the only MBA offered locally to the Twin County region and will serve as a great asset to our community and those interested in advancing their career. NC Wesleyan will begin accepting applications into the program beginning August 1, 2019. Those who are interested in learning more about the MBA program can contact Dani Somers, Director of Graduate Admissions, at DSomers@ncwu.edu.
Strong Storms Cause Damage to College
At approximately 4:00 p.m. this afternoon a strong line of thunderstorms moved through the Rocky Mount area causing damage at the College. Thankfully, all damage was isolated to the sports fields and no one was injured or buildings harmed.
Earlier in the day an alert was sent out by the College regarding the possibility of severe weather. As the storm approached, coaches became concerned, cancelled an active sporting event and others sought shelter in the Field House. The storm resulted in significant damage to Brackettville Softball Field, the most prevalent being downed fencing, moved and damaged bleachers, a torn down scoreboard and the home field dugout was destroyed. Other areas of campus such as the Bauer Baseball Field and Vernon T. Bradley Practice Football Field also sustained fence damage.
Power on campus went out due to power lines being down along Thomas A. Betts Parkway. At this time, emergency generators with limited power are being utilized on campus with hopes that power will be restored by Friday. Approximately fifty trees were broken off or down in the woods along the highway. The National Weather Service in Raleigh has been advised of the incident and may assist in determining whether this was straight line winds or a possible tornado.
Though the College is on summer break, there were still several camps and overnight guests on campus. Many from the Wesleyan family quickly poured in and assisted in removing debris, gathering equipment and collecting field maintenance gear from the damaged softball storage house adjacent to field.
NC Wesleyan Announces Reorganization Plans
ROCKY MOUNT, NORTH CAROLINA鈥 Responding to the changing landscape in higher education, 麻豆原创 plans to unveil a reorganization plan that will become effective July 1. The plan will redirect vital resources toward efforts to equip Wesleyan students with the life skills necessary for their success in a society that is increasingly dependent upon highly educated citizens.
Dr. Evan Duff, Wesleyan鈥檚 new Interim President, spoke about the reorganization to the College鈥檚 faculty and staff last Friday in a 鈥渟tate of the college鈥 address. He said, 鈥淲e need to be our best self as a college and help our students to become their best. Becoming our best requires us to look closely at multiple facets of Wesleyan鈥檚 operations. As we navigate this journey to become our BEST, it is time to evaluate the organization by examining roles and responsibilities, infrastructure and programs. While some changes will be made, we must maintain a laser focus on the reason behind this reorganization鈥.our students. Providing the best college experience for our students to learn and develop as an individual, regardless of age, has to be our number one priority.鈥
Dr. Duff further stated, 鈥淚t is up to all of us to attract and retain not just the brightest minds but anyone who has a desire to learn, grow as an individual, and make an impact on their community. We want our students to be transformed and leave with the life skills required to be successful citizens in the world. I know you will step up to the challenge because you love this College, this community and most importantly, our students. We absolutely cannot let them down.鈥
Dr. Dan Crocker, local physician and Chairman of Wesleyan鈥檚 Board of Trustees, introduced Dr. Duff to the faculty and staff. He said that the members of the Trustees鈥 Executive Committee are unanimous in their support of Dr. Duff and have every confidence that he will help propel NCWC to new heights.
He told the assembly that, 鈥渢he Board of Trustees is fully aware of the challenges facing small colleges and universities nationwide, challenges that have been brought on by changing technology and rising costs. The Board must maintain strong leadership, leadership with vision, leadership with the business savvy to create resources that can be invested in new, innovative programs of study.鈥
Dr. Crocker continued, 鈥淎t all levels, it is paramount that NCWC be student-centered and focused. You, the faculty and staff, hold the keys to making this happen. Your commitment, ingenuity and willingness to develop new academic programs and to adapt to the new forces such as changing technology are essential to the success of this institution. The faculty and staff are also the keys to building the spirit and pride of the College by embracing the students, providing a new home away from their own and providing life lessons beyond their course work. With drive, determination, will and pride we can create a New Wesleyan in Eastern North Carolina.鈥
Board Chairman Crocker also introduced Mr. Charles 鈥淐huck鈥 Taylor. Mr. Taylor will serve Wesleyan as the president鈥檚 Chief of Staff. He has spent his entire career of more than 50 years in higher education. A Rocky Mount Native, Taylor was the first chief financial officer at Nash Technical Institute, now Nash Community College. He served Meredith College as its Vice President for Business and Finance and later its Executive Vice President for seventeen years. Before his retirement in 2011, he was Executive Vice President and CFO at Wingate University for eleven years. Since then, he has been a consultant for several North Carolina independent colleges and the NC Association of Independent Colleges and Universities. In March of 2015, Taylor was awarded the Order of the Long Leaf Pine for his service to higher education in North Carolina.
On Tuesday, June 18, the Wesleyan Trustees officially endorsed the reorganization plan. The College will move quickly to implement the plan so that the faculty and staff will be ready to welcome the new incoming and returning students in August.
