By Rebecca Rider

rebecca.rider@salisburypost.com

KANNAPOLIS — Rowan-Cabarrus Community College’s newest nursing skills lab has been named in honor of Novant Health.

“This is a monumental opportunity for us,” college President Dr. Carol Spalding said at the lab’s Monday ribbon cutting.

The lab, located at college’s North Carolina Research Campus location, was named in honor of the five Novant Health facilities who contributed to the college’s “Building a More Prosperous Community” major gifts campaign.

Novant Health Rowan Medical Center, Novant Health Presbyterian Medical Center, Novant Health Huntersville Medical Center, Novant Health Matthews Medical Center and Novant Health Mint Hill Medical Center each donated $8,000 for a total of a $40,000 donation.

Novant Health Rowan Medical Center President Dari Caldwell said during the ceremony that the donation was made because the hospitals “enjoy the fruits of your labor,” by employing nurses who are often trained through RCCC’s nursing program.

At a joint foundation board of directors and college board of trustees meeting before the ceremony, Bill Cannon, co-chair of the finance committee, reported that the college had achieved 87 percent of its major gifts fundraising goal. The campaign, which launched in 2014, had a goal of more than $7 million. The college has currently raised $6.1 million of that, Cannon said.

Novant’s donation, given in February, also aligned with the requirements for the Leon Levine Foundation challenge grant, which the college successfully completed in May.

The Leon Levine Foundation agreed to contribute $300,000 to the Rowan-Cabarrus Community College Foundation for health-care education if the health-care education gifts within the college’s major gifts campaign reached $1.2 million by May 31.

With successful completion of the goal, the Leon Levine Foundation will fulfill RCCC’s $1.5 million health-care education goal with a $300,000 grant.

In kind donations of crushed stone for a walking trail from Vulcan Materials and of mental health first aid training for staff from Carolinas HealthCare System Healthworks also contributed to the challenge grant.

RCCC also recently purchased 6.1 acres of land next to its emergency services training grounds on north campus to create a one-megawatt solar farm. The school received $1 million from a Stanback Solar Donation, and has applied for a $2 million grant with State Employees Credit Union to help fund the project. Remaining funds will be used to install rooftop solar on north campus buildings.

At a board of trustees meeting before the joint meeting the board:

• Recognized several student awards.
• Discussed plans for an advanced technology center which will be built on the 2 acres of land donated to the college by Castle & Cooke North Carolina. Spalding said the lack of land was the “sticking point” for delay in the construction of the planned center.
• Authorized staff to pursue the acquisition of three properties.
• Announced the college’s reaccreditation through the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission. The accreditation is good for 10 years.
• Announced that the college was awarded the Southern Association of College and University Business Officers Best Practice Award for its accounting department’s paperless movement. RCCC was the only community college to receive this award.
• Approved a continuing budget for the beginning of the 2016-2017 fiscal year when the state finalizes its budget.

Contact reporter Rebecca Rider at 704-797-4264.