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Liberal arts scholarship awarded to two CFCC students

CFCC Public Information Office — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 19:49:06 +0000

The Cape Fear Community College Social and Behavioral Sciences Department is pleased to announce that Lakita Robinson and Erin Smith were awarded the Sidney Stern Scholarship for Spring 2010. This scholarship is designed for students who demonstrate an interest in the total liberal arts experience.

According to Kay Warren, assistant director of the CFCC Foundation, Inc., the Sidney J. Stern Jr. Memorial Scholarship was established to help CFCC students in the social sciences area who “love to learn.” Students are required to have at least 3.0 GPA. Recipients should exhibit a genuine interest in the study of ideas and people and demonstrate a commitment to the community or concern for others in community.

The scholarship selection committee was made up of members of CFCC’s Social and Behavioral Sciences Department. Each scholarship is worth $1325.

For anyone interested in establishing scholarship support for CFCC students please call Kay Warren in the CFCC Foundation at 362-7331.

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“Greasy Rider” book signing and transportation show this Saturday at CFCC

CFCC Public Information Office — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 13:45:55 +0000

As part of the ‘One Book, One Community’ program, CFCC will host a special lecture by the author Greg Melville, which includes an alternative transportation and sustainability show on Saturday, March 20 from 11 a.m. – 3 p.m. at the North Campus. Melville will speak from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. followed by a book signing.

The mission of “One Book, One Community” is to promote literacy and a love for reading, celebrate diversity, and foster a community of readers by providing opportunities to explore and discuss a common text.

Melville wrote the book ‘Greasy Rider’, which explores the possibility of driving coast-to-coast without stopping at a single gas pump. With his college buddy Iggy riding shotgun, Melville sets out on an enlightening road trip. The quest: to be the first people to drive cross-country in a french-fry car. Will they make it from Vermont to California in a beat-up 1985 Mercedes diesel station wagon powered on vegetable oil collected from restaurant grease Dumpsters along the way? More important, can two guys survive 192 consecutive hours together?

Their expedition on and off the road includes visits to the solar-powered Google headquarters; the National Ethanol Council; the wind turbines of southwestern Minnesota; the National Renewable Energy Lab; a visit to one of the first houses to receive platinum certification for leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED); an “eco-friendly” Wal-Mart; and the world’s largest geothermal heating system.

Part adventure and part investigation of what we’re doing (or not doing) to preserve the planet, Greasy Rider: Two Dudes, One Fry-Oil-Powered Car, and a Cross-Country Search for a Greener Future is upbeat, funny, and full of surprising information about sustainable measures that are within our reach. (Text courtesy of http://www.workman.com/)

The author Greg Melville is a freelance journalist who’s written for such publications as Men’s Journal, Outside, Popular Science, Popular Mechanics, the Wall Street Journal, Money, and National Geographic Adventure.

More information see the One Book One Community website: http://library.uncw.edu/oboc/.

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CFCC Announces New “Green” Technology Program

CFCC Public Information Office — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 13:30:42 +0000

From electric cars to renewable architecture, green technology is spreading into more industries than ever before. To prepare students for careers in the growing number of green industries, Cape Fear Community College will offer a new academic program in sustainable technologies this fall. The Sustainability Technologies program is designed to train students for jobs in environmental, construction, alternative energy, manufacturing, or related industries, where key emphasis is placed on energy production and waste reduction along with sustainable technologies.

CFCC students have been exploring renewable energy for years with a wide variety of projects that include everything from designing award-winning sustainable structures to refitting gas-powered automotive engines to run on electricity.

Current green projects underway include:

A renewable energy project at the North Campus where students are developing a power station using solar power to run lab equipment.
Students in automotive repair are converting an old BMW to run on electricity.
Students have developed a method to make their own bio-diesel from vegetable oil.
Architectural technology students have designed a series of sustainable buildings that have won state and national awards. The buildings have actually been built in the Triangle area of North Carolina.

“As businesses become increasingly more green-saavy, we need to make sure our students have access to the latest trends and technology so that they can stay competitive in the job market,” said Bob Philpott, CFCC’s Dean of Technical and Vocational Education.

The sustainable technology program is available in three tracks: A two year associate degree program, a one-year diploma and an 18-hour certificate program.

Courses include alternative energy, environmental engineering technology, sustainable manufacturing, and green building technology. Additional topics include sustainability, energy management, waste reduction, renewable energy, site assessment, and environmental responsibility.

Graduates should qualify for positions within the alternative energy, construction, environmental, and/or manufacturing industries. Employment opportunities exist in both the government and private industry sectors where graduates may function as manufacturing technicians, sustainability consultants, environmental technicians, or green building supervisors.

For more information about CFCC’s new sustainable technologies program, call (910) 362-7291 or email jpadgett@cfcc.edu.

CFCC to Offer New Rowing Class

CFCC Public Information Office — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 15:27:49 +0000

Later this month, Cape Fear Community College will offer a new class for people interested in rowing. Entitled, Rowing on the River: An Introductory Course in Recreational Rowing, the class is a four-session introduction to rowing, held in partnership with the Cape Fear River Rowing Club. The course will provide students with the knowledge and skills required to participate safely as a member of a rowing crew. There will be some classroom participation, but the majority of the course will be on the water.

The class will start on March 22 and run through April 7. Classes meet on Mondays and Wednesdays from 5:00 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. Students must be able to swim at least 50 feet and possess enough upper body strength to return to a rowing boat after entering the water. (test NOT required)

Students should wear athletic clothing, appropriate to weather conditions, which allows freedom of leg and arm motion. Socks are required. For more information, contact Morris Elsen at melsen@cfcc.edu or call 362-7301. Class size is limited to eight students.

Human patient simulators help teach anatomy and train for medical careers

CFCC Public Information Office — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 15:30:31 +0000

He’s the perfect patient. He breathes, blinks and even bleeds. He doesn’t complain when the nurse makes a mistake. He doesn’t even mind when he dies.

His name is iStan and he’s the latest technology that is breaking new ground in the health care education field. Students at Cape Fear Community College are now using this robotic mannikin to learn about anatomy, health care and emergency medicine in a way never before possible.

The simulations are about as real as they can get. At first glance, iStan looks much like a regular medical mannikin – that is, until he starts breathing and talking. He can suffer from a wide variety of ailments and injuries – from headaches to cardiac arrest. His suffering is all in the name of education – and CFCC students and faculty are putting it to good use.

Instructors can program iStan to communicate his symptoms both through his voice and vital signs. He has a pulse, blood pressure, breathing pattern and eye reflexes that can give clues to what’s wrong. Once students determine the condition, they can work on finding the proper treatment. iStan even responds to simulated medication.

CFCC is putting this new technology to use in anatomy classes, nursing classes and EMT training.

“The iStan has changed the way we teach anatomy. Instead if studying lifeless skeletons and describing what symptoms a patient would experience, students can experience it for themselves, ” said CFCC anatomy instructor Mark VanCura.

VanCura not only teaches a class using the iStan, he recently co-authored a textbook published by McGraw Hill that serves as the teachers guide to using simulation manikins in the classroom. The book contains step-by-step instructions and dozens of scenarios that teachers can use with their own students.

The college is introducing other medical simulators throughout the college. The EMS program is using a SimMan simulator thanks to a grant from the Cape Fear Memorial Foundation. The nursing department has also purchased units to use to train students in its program.

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CFCC Seeks Aspiring Surgical Technologists

CFCC Public Information Office — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 15:14:15 +0000

Cape Fear Community College will hold two informational meetings for prospective students in the surgical technology program.

Friday, April 9, 1;00 pm – Room L-303
Tuesday, May 4th , 2:00 pm – Room L-311

CFCC’s two-year surgical technology program prepares students to assist surgeons in a wide variety of procedures in an operating room setting.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, there were about 84,000 Surgical Technologists working in 2004. About 7 out of 10 jobs for surgical technologists were in hospitals, mainly in operating and delivery rooms. Other jobs were in offices of physicians or dentists who perform outpatient surgery and in out patient care centers, including ambulatory surgical centers. A few know as private scrubs, are employed directly by surgeons who have special surgical teams, like those for liver transplants. Still other opportunities include medical device companies and educational institutions.

The job outlook for surgical technologists is strong. Employment of surgical technologists is expected to grow much faster than average for all occupations through the year 2014 as the volume of surgeries increases.

The application period for the program starts March 1 and runs through May 28. For more information, call 362-7718 or email dgautsch@cfcc.edu. For more information about the program, visit www.cfcc.edu/sur.

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CFCC Hosts Sustainable Activities as Part of ‘One Book, One Community’ Project

CFCC Public Information Office — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 16:54:13 +0000

Cape Fear Community College is going a bit greener later this month as part of the annual “One Book, One Community” event, which focuses around the topic of sustainable technologies.

The book for this year’s project is “Greasy Rider: Two Dudes, One Fry-Oil-Powered Car, and a Cross-Country Search for a Greener Future.”

A forum on green design will be held on Thursday, Feb. 25 from 3- 5 p.m. in room L-107 in the Health Sciences Building at 215 N. Second St. Topics include green building techniques in construction, interior design and architecture. The panel featuring Patricia Battershill, Interior Design instructor, Ron Wilson, Architectural Design instructor, and Jonathan Begue, Construction Management instructor at the college.

CFCC will host a special lecture by the author Greg Melville, which includes an alternative transportation and sustainability show on March 20 from 11 a.m. – 3 p.m. at the North Campus. Melville will speak from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. followed by a book signing.

In addition, an exhibition of recycled art will be on display by Cape Fear Community College faculty, staff and students in the downtown CFCC Library.

‘Greasy Rider’ explores the possibility of driving coast-to-coast without stopping at a single gas pump. Journalist Greg Melville is determined to try. With his college buddy Iggy riding shotgun, this green-thinking guy-who’s in love with the idea of free fuel-sets out on an enlightening road trip. The quest: to be the first people to drive cross-country in a french-fry car. Will they make it from Vermont to California in a beat-up 1985 Mercedes diesel station wagon powered on vegetable oil collected from restaurant grease Dumpsters along the way? More important, can two guys survive 192 consecutive hours together?

More information see the One Book One Community website: http://library.uncw.edu/oboc/.

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CFCC reaches all-time record enrollment

CFCC Public Information Office — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 16:27:49 +0000

Nearly 9,000 students taking classes at Cape Fear this spring

There are more students enrolled at Cape Fear Community College than ever before. As of today, CFCC has the largest student body in its 52-year history. Currently, CFCC has 8,886 students enrolled in credit classes. That last previous record was set in the fall of 2009 when the college enrolled 8,860 students.

College officials report that the slow economy and poor job market have increased the demand for job training and higher education.

“Its not unusual to see enrollment increase during times of economic troubles. CFCC’s programs are designed to help give people specific skills needed for a variety of occupations. It’s why community colleges are here,” said CFCC Public Information Officer David Hardin.

In fact, enrollment at community colleges all over the state have grown to record levels. Compared to last year, NC’s community colleges have grown collectively by 27,000 students – that’s the equivalent of adding the student body of UNC-Chapel Hill.

At CFCC, the most popular technical programs prepare students for careers in health care, business, computer technology, culinary arts, early childhood education, criminal justice, and marine technology.

CFCC’s college transfer programs have also increased in popularity. Over 3,700 students are currently enrolled in CFCC’s associate in science, associate in science or general education programs. Since courses taught in the college transfer program are accepted at all public and many private four-year institutions in the state, the program has become more attractive to students pursuing a four-year degree. This option can also save thousands of dollars in tuition and fees compared to a four-year college.

For example, CFCC’s tuition and fees for one semester is $664 for a full-time student. Tuition and fees at NC’s public four-year universities range between $2,000 and $2,600 per semester.

The quality of education and affordable tuition make community colleges an increasingly popular option.

In recent years, the college has been able to accommodate more students by increasing class sizes and offering more online and hybrid courses. CFCC also plans to build several new classroom buildings in downtown Wilmington and at the North Campus in Castle Hayne.

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LM Restaurants Provides CFCC with Scholarship for Hotel and Restaurant Management Program

CFCC Public Information Office — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 13:56:49 +0000

LM Restaurants recently provided a gift of $8,800 to the Cape Fear Community College’s Hotel and Restaurant Management program. Fifty percent of the gift will be applied to tuition scholarships for students in the program and fifty percent will purchase program supplies.

Mindy Amerson, marketing coordinator for LM Restaurants, stated that she hopes “this contribution to Cape Fear Community College’s Hotel and Restaurant Management Program will help enrich lives of students by improving the school’s resources and relieving the stress of tuition of those in need.”

CFCC’s hotel and restaurant management program is one of the most popular programs at CFCC and trains employees for many local eateries in our area. While in the program, students get hands-on training is restaurant management at their own restaurant, “Our Place,” located in downtown Wilmington, which serves a wide variety of regional and international cuisine once a week during the fall and spring semesters.

LM Restaurants is the parent company of many award-winning restaurants including Eddie Romanelli’s in Wilmington and Leland, Bluewater Grill and Oceanic in Wrightsville Beach, and Henry’s in Wilmington. LM Restaurants also manages AQ Catering and Events located in Wilmington. Carolina Ale House is also a part of LM Restaurants, which just opened its new location on November 11, 2009 on South College Road in Wilmington.

CFCC is one of the oldest and largest in the North Carolina community college system. Approximately 27,000 students take classes at the college each year. Studies show that for every dollar spent education CFCC students, more than $2.36 is returned back to the local community. Additionally, CFCC helps boost the economy of New Hanover and Pender counties by generating an additional $435 million business sales and $192 million in labor income.

For more information about the College, Foundation, endowments, or scholarship opportunities, please contact the Cape Fear Community College Foundation at (910) 362-7331 or visit www.cfcc.edu/foundation.

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CFCC silent auction raises thousands for earthquake relief

CFCC Public Information Office — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 19:04:56 +0000

On Friday, Jan. 29, hundreds of people turned out for CFCC’s silent auction which earned an estimated $3,800 to benefit survivors of the Haiti earthquake. The event was coordinated by the CFCC art department and other employees at the college.

A wide variety of items were donated, including drawings, paintings, photographs, pottery and jewelry made by artists from CFCC and the local community.

The highest bids for individual items were $150, which went to a hand-sculpted ceramic bowl, and $125 for a painting called “Mad Emu.”

The auction was held in the college’s cafeteria, which donated 10% of its lunch specials along with pizza and popcorn sales by student clubs.

Since 2005, the college has held charity art auctions for a variety of causes – a Katrina follow-up in 2006, a fund raiser for Dreams of Wilmington in 2007, Leo Hodson medical fund in 2009 and now Haiti in 2010 – one a year since the 2005-2006 school year.

According to art instructor Ben Billingsley, it’s important for students to realize the value of their work to help others.

“As an artist and as a teacher I thought it was important to find a way to let people at CFCC use their creative abilities to help those in need – furthering students artistic skills in the name of public service/service learning,” Billingsley said.

He added that ”so many of our students don’t have the financial means to donate much to relief organizations – but they could make and donate art.”

Overall, Billingsley was pleased with the event and is grateful to the support from the student artists and bidders who participated.

“I feel this project involved more students, more members of the community, and raised more money than we ever have before – to me it was an unqualified success,” he said.

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