CAMPUS NEWS | November 2024
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At Blue Ridge Community College, we transform lives through the power of learning.
Campus News keeps you informed about our latest stories and opportunities.
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A Message from Our President | |
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Like many of you, I’m not sure I slept the night the hurricane swept into Western North Carolina. Instead, I thought of our students, employees, neighbors, businesses, and the many nearby families facing unthinkable circumstances.
Following the storm, Blue Ridge Community College sprung into action, first verifying the safety of our students, faculty, and staff. When our roadways were cleared, we quickly shared campus resources with emergency responders, search and rescue teams, and FEMA workers, many of which we still host to this day. With help from other community colleges, we established a resource distribution center to ensure students had access to essentials like food, water, and clothing. Our Educational Foundation launched an ongoing fundraising effort to assist those hit the hardest. When we finally reopened Blue Ridge on Oct. 14, we were thrilled to not only continue instruction, but also to provide relief through access to water, electricity, internet access, and much more.
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And just today, we've announced two new initiatives: First, we're helping college students stay in school through Student Emergency Grants, benefiting both local families and our state's workforce. Second, the new Build Your Future Grant will make tuition free this spring semester for many of our students, new or returning, who were financially affected by the storm. I'm grateful to the forward-thinking actions of our NC General Assembly and the NC Community College System for making these recovery efforts possible.
Something striking throughout this season of recovery has been this: When disaster struck, we immediately turned to community college graduates. We relied on our first responders, healthcare professionals, electricians, engineers, construction tradespersons, plumbers, roofers, HVAC technicians, masons, and the list goes on. Many of the heroes who literally saved our lives or who are now rebuilding our homes and infrastructure gained their invaluable skills here at Blue Ridge or a neighboring community college. This gives me immeasurable pride in the work we do to educate and train the next generation of our essential workforce.
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While it will take years for Western North Carolina to fully recover, we are doing our best to advance our mission of building a strong workforce, knowing that this work will ultimately help to restore our community faster. In less than a month, we will celebrate the graduation of our Fall Class of 2024, and our community has never needed their services more. The persistence of these students to press on to Graduation Day under these circumstances is unmatched!
To be sure, this has been one of the most difficult seven weeks our community has ever faced, but we’ve also seen incredible resilience, collaboration, strength, and generosity. Simply put, this tragedy has shown us the best of humanity. I thank each of you who has provided encouragement, assistance, or resources to our college and greater community during this historic time. You are helping to rebuild our community, and I am proud to stand with you in this journey of recovery.
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Dr. Laura B. Leatherwood, President | |
Free Spring Tuition Through New 'Build Your Future Grant' | |
The Build Your Future Grant is a new opportunity for eligible individuals looking to rebuild or advance their careers following the impact of Hurricane Helene. Through this grant, education and career training is accessible at no cost while resources allow. Whether you’re interested in short-term Workforce Continuing Education programs or pursuing a diploma or associate degree, this grant offers a pathway to skill-building and career growth. | |
Honoring Employee Veterans: A Special Veterans Day Tribute | |
As we observed Veterans Day on November 11, 2024, Blue Ridge Community College extends its heartfelt gratitude to all veterans who have served in our nation’s armed forces. Their dedication, bravery, and commitment have helped shape the freedoms we hold dear today. At Blue Ridge, we are proud to have a team of full-time employees who have served in various branches of the military. Their leadership, resilience, and sense of duty continue to enrich our college community. | |
Blue Ridge’s Educational Foundation Calls for Support in Wake of Hurricane Relief Efforts | In the wake of Hurricane Helene, which left many in the Western North Carolina community struggling to rebuild their lives, the Educational Foundation of Blue Ridge Community College is stepping up to rally support for affected students, employees, and community members. Here's how you can help. | |
Small Business Center Offers Vital Assistance to Entrepreneurs and Business Owners Following Helene | With extensive damage caused by flooding, mudslides, and power outages, many local businesses are struggling to recover. Blue Ridge's Small Business Center offers a range of services and assistance with accessing emergency funding opportunities to help businesses rebuild and stabilize during this challenging time. This article was also published by WNC Business. | |
Community Colleges Step Up to Provide Hurricane Relief | |
The generosity and support of other community colleges has been a great encouragement to our students and employees. Here are three recent stories highlighting these relief efforts:
• Brunswick Community College
• Alamance Community College
• Spartanburg Community College
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Weathering the Storm: Preparing for Inclement Weather | Prior to Hurricane Helene, our police and communications departments released this timely article sharing tips for inclement weather preparedness. As possible wintry weather approaches in the months to come, these precautionary measures could help you protect individuals, pets, homes, and property. | |
Blue Ridge and Transylvania County Schools to Increase College Access | Blue Ridge Community College and Transylvania County Schools have a long-standing partnership to prepare students for higher education and successful careers – a partnership further strengthened by a new grant through Appalachian State University’s GEAR UP grant program. Here's an update on this work from mid-September. | |
$400k Grant for Emergency Medical Services Programs | To bolster its Emergency Medical Services programs, Blue Ridge Community College has been selected to receive a $400,000 grant from the NC Community College System. For decades, the College has served the public safety community, training the first responders of many agencies in the emergency medical, fire and rescue, and law enforcement fields. | |
Program Additions to Boost Local Workforce | |
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Scenes of RECOVERY.
Since Hurricane Helene devastated our community, we've seen our neighbors, supporters, and friends of the College - near and far - rise to the challenge to provide assistance where needed. Pictured here are just a few of these moments of #WNCStrong collaboration, compassion, and companionship we've experienced during Blue Ridge's cleanup and return to learning.
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Now Hiring: Part-Time Adjunct Faculty
Skilled and experienced adjunct instructors are critical to the work we do to build the workforce and transform lives through higher education. Blue Ridge Community College is currently accepting applications for instructors in numerous disciplines, such as practical nursing, communications, early childhood education, engineering technology, machining, history, business administration, and much more! View all current full- and part-time openings at blueridge.edu/careers, or you can view all adjunct faculty openings.
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