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CFCC adds more classes and offers students another chance to register for the spring semester

CFCC Public Information Office — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 16:13:18 +0000

Students who wanted to enroll at Cape Fear Community College this semester but missed the chance now have another opportunity starting later this month.

CFCC will offer two special mini-sessions with over 100 additional full semester credit courses during the spring semester. The courses are compressed into a shorter time frame, but still cover the same material and offer a full semester of college credit.

College officials decided to offer the mini-session after noticing students who applied to the college were not able to get into the classes they wanted – or not registering at all.

“Some are our classes are in high demand and fill up very quickly. These mini-sessions will give students a second chance to get the classes they need to graduate on time,” said CFCC Vice President of Instruction Dr. Amanda Lee.

Interest among prospective students remains high. New student applications were up by 8% over last year, but enrollment was slightly down.

“This shows us that the interest in the college is still at an all-time high, but many of those students were not able to register due to reasons related to finances, work and family,” Dr. Lee stated.

“For many non-traditional students, taking a full semester-long course is too much of a time commitment. By compressing the course material into a shorter amount of time, we hope to help students strike a balance between education and other obligations,” Dr. Lee explained.

One solution is by offering a “hybrid” class as part of the mini-session. Most of the classes in the mini-sessions are offered partially online and on-campus to help students with busy schedules.

The ten-week session starts on Feb. 17 and an eight-week session starts on March 2. All courses offer a full semester of credit.

For the full list of courses or for more information, visit http://cfcc.edu/pio/minisession2012.html.

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Dr. McKeithan to Retire as of July 1

CFCC Public Information Office — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 01:07:10 +0000

Earlier tonight (Jan. 26) at a Cape Fear Community College Board of Trustees meeting, CFCC President Eric McKeithan announced that he will retire from the college as of July 1, 2012.

In a letter to the board, Dr. McKeithan stated that “the time has arrived for CFCC to find its next president to lead this remarkable instutution to even higher levels of service.”

He has served as CFCC’s president since 1994.

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CFCC to Honor Wilmington’s Railroad Heritage at ‘Topping Out’ Ceremony

CFCC Public Information Office — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 21:55:36 +0000

The public is invited to join Cape Fear Community College to honor Wilmington’s railroad history and look ahead to the future at the ‘Union Station Topping Out’ ceremony next week. The event will be held on Tuesday, Jan. 24 at 12:00 noon at 201 Red Cross St. in downtown Wilmington.

The ceremony will mark a major milestone in CFCC’s Union Station construction project as the last piece of steel is set into place.

The design of the new building was inspired by the look of a railroad depot that stood in downtown Wilmington and was owned by the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad nearly 100 years ago.

Former employees of the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad are expected to participate in signing the beam before it is installed on the building.

Once completed, CFCC’s new Union Station building will be 250,000 square feet and include a student services center, expanded classroom space, and labs for health care training. The facility is expected to be complete in mid-2013.

The public is invited to attend the ceremony and sign the beam before the ceremony. Those who would like to sign the beam may visit the site at 201 Red Cross St. on Monday from 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. and Tuesday from 8 a.m. – 10 a.m.

CFCC drama instructor to appear in new Mark Wahlberg film

CFCC Public Information Office — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 19:40:38 +0000

If you catch the latest Mark Wahlberg film, Contraband, which opens nationwide on Friday, you might recognize a familiar face from Wilmington.

CFCC instructor Jack Landry will appear in a small speaking role in the film.

Landry, who teaches acting in CFCC’s Humanities and Fine Arts Department, auditioned for a role in the film last year and landed the part.

He traveled to New Orleans to shoot his scenes last March and spent two weeks on set, where he worked with JK Simmons (who appeared in Juno, Spider-Man and others) along with Mark Wahlberg.

“From an actor’s perspective, it was an awesome experience,” Landry said.

The director of the film had also done quite a bit of acting, so he really left a lot of room for the actors to improvise and actually contribute their own lines.

“A lot of the lines were improvised, so as an actor, it was a lot of fun,” Landry said.

Being in front of the camera also helped Landry as an instructor too. On set, he recorded much of the behind the scenes activity on his iPhone and talked with the crew to share the experience with students at CFCC.

Landry said that the experience has been especially helpful in his “Acting for the Camera” course at the college.

“It’s great to be able to use something I have a real passion for and apply it to the classroom. Students really respond when you can use a real-life situation to demonstrate what you are trying to teach,” Landry said.

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CFCC offers new Heritage Arts classes to teach traditional crafts

CFCC Public Information Office — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 16:15:52 +0000

Cape Fear Community College will offer a series of heritage arts courses to teach traditional crafting skills, as it name suggests, to allows artisans the opportunity to explore the heritage and tradition of their craft along with exploring new innovations.

Students learn from the experienced instructors and gain hands-on experience in a wide range of mediums. As well as learning the crafts, students learn the business skills to help make their trade profitable.

Courses include crocheting, knitting, sewing, rug hooking, wood carving, wood turning, air brushing, glass bead jewelry making, glass mosaics, glass blowing, guitar and steel drums.

Course will cover a specific skill level such as introductory, intermediate, or advanced levels. Course work will include discussion on the history and trends of the art, practice in selected heritage arts, and information to build and supply appropriate studios. Upon completion, students will be prepared to either advance to a higher skill level or to fabricate and market their goods.

Most classes will be offered at the North campus beginning in January and February 2012.

The cost per class is $68 plus parking and materials. Classes are FREE to seniors ages 65 or over (Maximum of one course per semester, but materials and parking fees will still apply).

Contact Paula Williams to register by email at paulawilliams@cfcc.edu or call (910) 362-7589.

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CFCC’s Holiday Helpers program brightens the season for families in need

CFCC Public Information Office — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 14:42:17 +0000

Hundreds of local children will have brighter holiday season thanks to scores of generous donors and Cape Fear Community College.

Since 2005, the CFCC Foundation’s “Holiday Helpers” program has provided extra financial assistance for CFCC students with children in special need.

This year, the program was able to help 139 student families and over 300 children with donations of $14,000 in gifts, food, clothing, everyday supplies and scholarships – all given by donors from the community.

“Many CFCC students have families of their own and work very hard to get an education to better provide for their children,” said Kay Warren, who helps coordinate the program through the CFCC Foundation.

“Many of them work during the day or evening, and the extra financial burden that the holidays place on them is significant,” Warren explained.

“We are so grateful to all the donors who participate each year. Students have been extremely touched by the generosity of our community,” Warren said.

To qualify for assistance, students must apply ahead of time and are selected based on financial need.

The Cape Fear Community College Foundation exists solely to support the students, teachers, programs and mission of the College. The Foundation secures and manages gifts, including cash contributions, deferred gifts, securities, donated services, and equipment and supplies for educational purposes.

For more information, call Kay Warren at 362-7331.

Space continues to tighten at CFCC as student applications grow

CFCC Public Information Office — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 19:31:02 +0000

More people are continuing to turn to Cape Fear Community College for education and job training. According to the most recent application figures from CFCC’s admissions office, student applications are up by 8% over this time last year.

Over the past several years, enrollment at CFCC has grown dramatically - topping out at just over 9,600 students last fall compared to 7,470 in 2006.

College officials site the tight job market and low in-state tuition of $66.50 per credit hour as two major factors that are drawing in new students.

“With over 60 job training programs in a wide range of occupations, CFCC is a popular choice for people who want to improve their job skills and train for a new career,” said David Hardin, CFCC public information officer.

As a result of the influx of new students, college classrooms and parking spaces are at a premium. Last year, CFCC had 62 academic square feet (ASF) per student FTE (Full Time Equivalency), down from 74 ASF in 2006. On average, N.C. community colleges have 82 ASF per student FTE with a goal of 100.

The largest challenge is finding room for the additional students. To help provide more instructional space, the college has leased a building at 254 N. Front St. and increased the number of online and hybrid classes. Classes run from 7 a.m. – 10 p.m. Monday through Saturday.

“We will accommodate as many people as we can,” Hardin said.

Help is on the way in the not too distant future. A new 1,200 car parking deck is expected to open in March 2012 in downtown Wilmington. A new 250,000 square-foot classroom building, Union Station, is currently under construction and is expected to open in the fall of 2013.

The last day to register for the spring semester is Jan. 3. For more information, visit www.cfcc.edu.

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Business leaders attend CFCC’s “BIG” Symposium

CFCC Public Information Office — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 15:38:05 +0000

Dozens of local area business leaders visited the Business, Industry and Government (BIG) Symposium at Cape Fear Community College on Tues., Dec. 13 at the McKeithan Center at CFCC’s North Campus.

The purpose of the event was to educate business owners and managers about the customized services and educational programs that the college offers to help business continue to prosper and grow in our local area.

According to Bill Kawczynski, CFCC’s Workforce Development Coordinator, businesses of all sizes can take advantage of the training programs CFCC can provide.

“Whether the company is a multi-million dollar corporation or a small family-owned business, having a highly skilled workforce is the key to staying competitive,” Kawczynski said.

The event allowed business leaders to meet with CFCC staff and network with other business representatives who have used college services.

“Our mission is simple. From learning a new software program to understanding how to operate specialized equipment, CFCC is here to provide employees with the skills they need to stay competitive in their field,” Kawcynski said.

Best of all, most of the services are offered at no cost or very low cost to businesses.

For more information, contact (910) 362-7901 or (910) 362-7912.

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CFCC Student Receives First-Ever Scholarship From Alliance Credit Union

CFCC Public Information Office — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 15:28:50 +0000

WILMINGTON – Hampstead resident Karmen Palmer recently received a $1,000 scholarship from Alliance Credit Union, which serves residents of New Hanover, Pender, and Brunswick counties.

Palmer, a Cape Fear Community College business major focusing on project management, very much appreciated being selected as the credit union’s grant recipient.

“By awarding me this scholarship, you have lightened my financial burden which allows me to focus more on the most important aspect of school, learning,” said Palmer, a single mother of three who plans to graduate in the spring of 2012 and pursue a career in project management. “Your generosity has made a difference not only in my life, but in the lives of my children as well.”

“This was the first year we have offered this scholarship, and we are pleased to have been able to support Karmen’s dream of embarking on a new career path in business,” said Rachel Lee Robinson, Alliance CU North Carolina business development officer.

The scholarship was offered to a second?year business student with a minimum 3.0 GPA, and who was a resident of New Hanover, Pender, or Brunswick counties. Applicants had to submit an essay answering the following questions: “Why did you choose this area of study?” and “How will this scholarship benefit you?”

Students also had to list community outreach projects they had been involved with in the past year. The winner was selected by the Cape Fear Community College Foundation.

About Alliance Credit Union: Alliance Credit Union is a not?for?profit, member?owned financial cooperative that exists to help our members and individuals in our communities build a sustainable financial future. Established in1952, the credit union serves more than 38,000 members, and is open to membership for any individual who lives, works or worships in Santa Clara, San Mateo and Alameda counties in California, and New Hanover, Brunswick and Pender counties in North Carolina. For more information, visit www.alliancecreditunion.org.

CFCC Awards Ten Merit Scholarships to Local High School Students

CFCC Public Information Office — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 18:14:52 +0000

Cape Fear Community College awarded ten merit scholarships to worthy New Hanover and Pender County high school seniors for the 2011-12 academic year. The recipients of the CFCC Merit Scholarship have demonstrated academic excellence and leadership throughout their high school career.

To be selected for a Merit Scholarship, a student must be a current high school senior within New Hanover or Pender County and must have applied or been approved to enroll in Cape Fear Community College. A student must have proof of academic potential shown by high school grades, class rank, and/or aptitude test results. Involvement in extracurricular activities, community service and work are also a consideration for a recipient. This award proves that a student can excel in a college setting as they begin to pursue their educational goals.

The recipients this year are Sam Hasse, Leslie Ortego, Emily Painter, Mary Thomas, and Trevor Todd from Topsail High School, Jessy Harrell and John Lewis who attended Laney High School, Margaret (Megan) Knoerzer from Pender High School, Sarah Nelson who graduated from Ashley High School, and Victoria Warren from New Hanover High School.

Merit Scholars benefit from extra support provided by the CFCC Foundation Board and meet several times throughout the semester to track each student’s progress. Recipient Knoerzer stated, “I was a little scared to start that first semester, but being a part of the Merit Scholars group made me feel like I was really connected and already a part of something big on campus. I am also loving my experience of playing on the volleyball team.”

Merit Scholars receive $900 each semester, which covers most of the costs for tuition, fees, and books. Each student must maintain a 3.0 grade point average and complete twelve credit hours during the fall semester to stay eligible for the spring semester.