Rowan-Cabarrus Community College plans to offer an associate degree program in fine arts, pending approval of the N.C. Community College System and the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.
The RCCC board of trustees approved plans for the associate in fine arts (AFA) program at its meeting Monday. The college hopes to open the program in the fall of 2009, the school said in a press release.
RCCC is designing the AFA program to be a college-transfer program. Students who complete the two-year program at RCCC will have the credits needed to transfer to a bachelor’s degree program in fine arts at a four-year college or university. The program will focus on visual arts, including painting, drawing, photography and digital photography.
The college also intends for the AFA program to become a platform for art education throughout Cabarrus and Rowan counties. At the same time, the program will give RCCC students not majoring in art more opportunities to take art classes and gain a greater appreciation for the arts.
RCCC anticipates graduates from the AFA program will transfer to nearby bachelor’s degree programs at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, the University of North Carolina at Greensboro and Pfeiffer University.
RCCC currently offers a wide range of arts courses, including drawing, painting, watercolor, photography, digital photography, design, art appreciation and a survey of American art. For more information and course descriptions, visit the RCCC website at www.rowancabarrus.edu.
NCCAT Seminars
Several area educators recently attended seminars at the N.C. Center for the Advancement of Teaching in Cullowhee.
They are Jan H. Goforth, Mount Ulla Elementary School; Bryan T. Graff, South Rowan High School; Tamara D. Jones, Millbridge Elementary School; Victor I. Norman, Central Davidson Middle School; Elizabeth W. Pless, Faith Elementary School; Staci S. Tatum, Cooleemee Elementary School; and Lynette M. Wilson, Southeast Middle School.
In addition, several attended support seminars for teachers pursuing certification from the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards. They are Prerna Gupta, Southeast Middle School School; Melissa G. Pleasants, Kannapolis Intermediate School; and Kiyana R. Roberts, Overton Elementary School.
Firemen scholarships
The Salisbury Firemen’s Relief Fund has awarded 2008 scholarships valued at $1,000 each to children of current or retired Salisbury Fire Department members.
These scholarships are named for three former Salisbury fire chiefs, W.A. Brown, Charles Burkett and Fred Shipton. Three are in honor of fallen Salisbury firefighters Joseph Payton Jenkins (1971), Victor Isler (2008) and Justin Monroe (2008). One is in memory of friends of the Salisbury Fire Department, Jim and Willene Lyerly.
Recipients to be recognized at a future Salisbury Fire Department awards ceremony are:
– Chandee and Casey Payne, daughters of Kenny Payne, a retired Salisbury fire captain, and Cathy Payne.
– Adam Parnell, son of Salisbury Fire Chief Robert Parnell and Tonya Parnell.
– Steven Keller, son of Salisbury Fire Engineer Ken Keller and Sonja Hayes.
– Melissa Moore, daughter of Salisbury Fire FCS Ray Moore and Vicky Moore.
– Nadia Herion, daughter of Salisbury Fire Engineer Ron Herion and Paula Herion.
– Melisa Thompson, daughter of Salisbury Fire Capt. Mark Thompson and Peggy Thompson.
Collegiate scholar
Robert Samuel Powell of Salisbury has accepted membership in the National Society of Collegiate Scholars and will be inducted this fall at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte.
The society is the only interdisciplinary honors organization for first and second-year college students. Membership is by invitation only based on grade-point average and class standing.
Powell is the son of Robin Powell and the late Sam Powell.
Outstanding program
The agriculture program at West Rowan High School has been selected as the 2008 North Carolina Outstanding Middle/Secondary School Agricultural Education Program.
Clark Adams and Jason Chester serve as instructors for the program.
This award, given by the National Association of Agricultural Educators, recognizes the nation’s most successful agricultural education programs by highlighting the local programs and teachers that achieve success.
Winners are educators who have developed an outstanding agricultural education program at either the middle or high school level. Applicants are judged on a variety of criteria, including teaching philosophy, effective classroom and experiential instruction, development of partnerships and professional growth.
West Rowan High School will compete against Outstanding Middle/Secondary School Ag Ed Program award winners from surrounding states for the opportunity to be named the 2008 NAAE Outstanding Middle/Secondary School Ag Ed Program for Region V. Regional winners will receive a cash award and expense paid trip to attend the 2008 conference in Charlotte.
The Outstanding Middle/ Secondary School Ag Ed Program award is sponsored by the National FFA Alumni Association, as a special project of the National FFA Foundation.
NAAE is the professional association for agricultural educators with its office on the University of Kentucky campus in Lexington, Ky.
Wingate honor lists
One Rowan County student has been named to the spring semester president’s list and five to the dean’s list at Wingate University.
Austin Lowe of Salisbury was named to the president’s list for earning a 3.8 or higher grade-point average.
Those named to the dean’s list for earning a 3.3 or higher grade-point average are Meghan Galloway of China Grove, Phillip Hilliard and Brittany Honeycutt of Salisbury, Brian Ingold of Rockwell and Traviks Morgan of Gold Hill.
Randolph honor lists
Five area students have been named to academic lists for the spring semester at Randolph Community College in Asheboro.
William Allen of Lexington and Heather Snight of New London were named to the president’s list with 4.0 grade-point averages.
Wendy Hicks of Cleveland, Michelle Pace of New London and April Lewis and Sherrie McClintock of Lexington were named to the dean’s list with grade-point averages between 3.50 and 3.99.
Furman dean’s list
Two local students have been named to the spring semester dean’s list at Furman University in Greenville, S.C., for earning grade-point averages of 3.4 or higher.
They are Kerianne Springer of China Grove and Katharine Doran of Salisbury.