SALISBURY ó Rowan-Cabarrus Community College opens its doors to the Rowan and Cabarrus communities next week with two open houses.
ěRCCC has much to celebrate and share with the community right now,î said President Dr. Carol S. Spalding. ěRecord enrollments, passage of a $12 million bond referendum, opening of RCCCís first 21st century LEED classroom and laboratory building and the second set of graduates from the Biotechnology program are important milestones indicative of the progress and recent successes of our institution.î
The theme for this yearís open houses is a celebration of technology. Instead of using a more traditional method for getting the word out about these events, RCCC developed a new technology-driven strategy.
ěIn order to reach the maximum number of people in the community, weíre making an effort to communicate in several different ways,î said Gary Bigelow, head of the open house committee and dean of Industrial and Engineering Technologies. ěThese open houses give us an opportunity to pilot a Facebook-focused recruitment and retention program we hadnít yet tried. Weíre not doing it exclusively online, but we are expanding our presence.î
In lieu of printing a large quantity of postcards to be mailed to every graduating senior in the two counties, RCCC printed a smaller amount to be distributed in businesses around the community. RCCC then focused its efforts on reaching the community via Facebook with messages to the collegeís current fans and advertising efforts.
Members of the community can RSVP to the open houses on the RCCC Facebook page. Click ěI’m Attendingî on the North or South Campus open house event pages and be entered to win a special ěFacebook Onlyî door prize.
ěItís cool that RCCC is using Facebook to promote events. It definitely makes me think that theyíre trying to expand the audience that they reach,î said Latisha Rhodes, current RCCC student studying radiology who plans to attend the North Campus open house.
The open houses will offer guests a lively atmosphere ó complete with a DJ and refreshments ó as well as an opportunity to discover what new programs and career fields RCCC has available. Members of the community will also have the opportunity to talk with instructors and check out financial aid options.
ěThese open houses are not just a recruiting tool,î said Bigelow. ěThey also serve as an eye-opener to current RCCC students as a significant number are unaware of the many programs we offer. By bringing together every program offered by the college, we can showcase our wide variety of programs to both current and potential students.î
The first open house will be held from 4 to 7 p.m. Tuesday at the North Campus in Salisbury and from 4 to 7 p.m. Thursday at the South Campus in Concord.
Thanks to RCCCís sponsors, there will be several giveaways, including a completely free class (including tuition, books and fees) and a digital camera. Event sponsors for the open houses include Food Lion, Barnes & Noble, BB&T, F&M Bank, Cheerwine and the RCCC Foundation.