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.
奥别蝉濒别测补苍鈥檚 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, 奥别蝉濒别测补苍鈥檚 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 奥别蝉濒别测补苍鈥檚 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 奥别蝉濒别测补苍鈥檚 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.
Presidential Transition
On Monday, June 10th, the Executive Committee of the 麻豆原创鈥檚 Board of Trustees received and accepted President Dewey Clark鈥檚 resignation. The Board of Trustees and the College community appreciate the many accomplishments and milestones reached during Dr. Clark鈥檚 tenure, all of which have helped make Wesleyan the college it is today. After dedicating over 30 years of his life to Wesleyan as a student, employee, board of trustee member and President, Dr. Clark now wishes to explore other opportunities.
The Chair of 奥别蝉濒别测补苍鈥檚 Board of Trustees, Dr. Dan Crocker, commented that Dr. Clark has worked tirelessly since he became president. His love for the college is reflected in the improvements made on campus, just one of a number of successes. All the Wesleyan Trustees wish Dr. Clark and his family the very best as he pursues other endeavors.
Effective immediately, Dr. Evan Duff will become 奥别蝉濒别测补苍鈥檚 Interim President.聽 Dr. Duff has served Wesleyan over the last eight years in the capacities of Vice President of Adult and Professional Studies, Interim Provost and currently as the College鈥檚 Provost/Senior Vice President of Academic Affairs.聽 Combined, he has over sixteen years of higher education experience.
Wesleyan Broadens Logistics Program
ROCKY MOUNT, NORTH CAROLINA鈥 麻豆原创 announces the expansion of its Logistics and Supply Chain Management concentration into an official major. Starting this fall, Wesleyan will offer a Bachelor of Science in Logistics and Supply Chain Management on its main campus in Rocky Mount and online. According to universities.com, the program will be one of two baccalaureate level institutions in the state to offer the degree, with Wesleyan being the only private college in the state providing the declared major.
In August 2018, the NC House Appropriations Committee awarded the College a grant to assist with the program expansion. John Check, Senior Advisor to the President together with Board Member Jeff Collins and Lt. Governor Dan Forest were instrumental in helping secure the grant. These funds enable Wesleyan to hire an admissions representative, a full-time faculty member, issue new classroom software and complete additional classroom enhancements.
Alumna, Cheryl Barnhill joined 奥别蝉濒别测补苍鈥檚 team this past September as an Aspire Recruiter for the program and Dr. Zhaoqiong 鈥淛ulie鈥 Qin will come aboard in August 2019 as a full-time Assistant Professor of Logistics. Qin holds a Ph.D. in Transportation Management from Jersey Institute of Technology, a Master鈥檚 of Science in Logistics and Operations and Bachelors of Material Engineering from Southwest Jiaotong University of China.
With CSX and Triangle Tire both expected to break ground this quarter, 奥别蝉濒别测补苍鈥檚 new program comes at the ideal time for potential partnerships with the two. The Bachelor of Science in Logistics and Supply Chain Management program allows residences of the community and surrounding areas access to a quality education with opportunities for employment right here in their hometown.
Dr. Evan Duff, Wesleyan Interim President stated, 鈥淭he Bachelor of Science in Logistic and Supply Chain Management degree builds upon NCC and ECC鈥檚 programs and provides students with coursework at the senior institution level, opening the door for middle and senior level management positions. In most cases, students from NCC and ECC can transfer in up to 60 hours from their AAS degree.鈥 N.C. Wesleyan is leading the way with their commitment to providing students with the best quality programs in the state. To learn more about the new Bachelor of Science in Logistics and Supply Chain Management programs contact the Office of Admissions at 252.985.5200.
North Carolina Wesleyan, Wake Tech Announce Degree Completion Program for Exercise Science Students
ROCKY MOUNT, NORTH CAROLINA 鈥 麻豆原创 and recently announced a new partnership allowing graduates of Wake Tech鈥檚 Associate of Applied Science degree in Health and Fitness to earn a Bachelor of Science in Exercise Science degree from N.C. Wesleyan. The comprehensive agreement includes all college transfer degrees (AA/AS), as well as over 25 AAS programs.
Dr. Evan Duff, Wesleyan Interim President, said, 鈥淲e are excited to enhance our long-term partnership with Wake Tech to expand the educational opportunities for their students. Our goal at Wesleyan is to align our mission and resources to meet the ever-changing needs of students in our communities. For Wake Tech students seeking a four-year degree, this program provides a clear path and seamless transition while maximizing each student鈥檚 financial investment in their education.鈥
Through this partnership, students complete Exercise Science coursework over the summer at Wake Tech鈥檚 Northern Campus or online and general education requirements during the fall and spring semesters at 奥别蝉濒别测补苍鈥檚 Durham campus or online. Wake Tech will provide 2-3 classrooms, along with access to their Exercise Science Laboratory at the Northern Campus, during summer terms.
鈥淲e are excited to expand our education partnership with NC Wesleyan through this agreement! This greatly impacts our student-body by providing students the opportunity to continue their education without leaving their city. Agreements like this improve the health and wellness industry in the triangle.鈥 commented Chris Kacyon, Department Head of Health and Fitness Science at Wake Technical Community College.
Wesleyan also offers Wake Tech students the ability to transfer their associate鈥檚 degree in Supply Chain Management or Healthcare Business Informatics to 奥别蝉濒别测补苍鈥檚 bachelor degree programs in Logistics and Organizational Leadership with a concentration in Healthcare respectively.
奥别蝉濒别测补苍鈥檚 Exercise Science Program is accredited by the , the largest external, programmatic accrediting body of the health sciences professions. The accredited program is one of three in the entire state and one of 64 in the United States to receive such recognition. 鈥淭here鈥檚 tremendous growth in the health sciences sector and Exercise Science is one of our most sought-after programs,鈥 noted Dr. Meir Magal, Program Director and Professor of Exercise Science. 鈥淪tudents have a wide array of career options in fields such as cardiac rehabilitation, pulmonary rehabilitation, corporate fitness/health, personal training in public and corporate settings, corporate wellness and strength and conditioning. Our program also prepares our students for acceptance into physical therapy, occupational therapy and other graduate programs.鈥
