VGCC Board Hears Construction At South Campus Ahead Of Schedule

If construction on the addition to the Vance-Granville Community College South Campus continues at its present pace, students could be using the new facilities when Fall Semester begins.

Dan Knight of the architectural firm of Dove, Knight & Whitehurst of Rocky Mount relayed that information to the VGCC Board of Trustees at its meeting Monday evening, May 17.

Knight said the 8,000 square-foot expansion has been framed up, the roof is on, and the walls are being put into place. Once the expansion is completed, the contractor will do extensive renovations to the existing building.

“If work continues as it is going, you should be able to occupy the new building by mid to late August, and renovations to the current building should be completed by late September,” Knight said.

Cosmetology will be moved from the current building into larger space in the expansion, which will also house an extensive computer lab, a nursing assistant lab and several classrooms. The renovated current building will provide a more modern radiography department and a general science lab.

Knight also told the trustees that completion is near of drawings for two new buildings at the Franklin County Campus. These include a biotechnology training and classroom building and a multi-purpose room building. When plans are completed, they will be submitted to the state construction authorities for approval and the job, hopefully, go out for bids by July, the architect said.

J. David Brooks, chairman of the board’s Building Committee, made a motion, which passed unanimously, that VGCC apply for $1 million in state construction funds for building and equipping the two Franklin Campus buildings. The money has been promised, according to President Robert A. Miller, but the school must formally apply.

Ralph Knott, ex-officio member of the board, representing Franklin County, said people in his county are very excited about expansion at the campus, and he is asked almost every day about when work will begin.

THANKS, AND GODSPEED – In the photograph at top right, John K. Nelms, right, chairman of the Vance-Granville Community College Board of Trustees, and Robert A. Miller, left, college president, present a plaque to Spencer Lee Noble of Oxford prior to Monday’s board meeting. Noble, who graduated May 15 with an Associate in Arts degree, has served during the past school year as student representative to the Board of Trustees. He will attend N.C. State University this fall.

HIGH SCHOOL COOPERATION

The board unanimously approved a recommendation made by Henrietta H. Clark, chairperson of the Curriculum Committee, that the college enter agreements with Vance, Granville, Franklin and Warren counties to offer college credit courses for qualified high school students.

These include 27 courses in Franklin County, most of which will be conducted on the college campus there while nine will be held in high schools.

These include vocational programs like cosmetology, welding and electrical, as well as criminal justice, English and history.

Three criminal justice and two computer classes will be offered in Granville County high schools, while eight cosmetology courses will be given at Southern Vance High School along with two criminal justice classes at both Northern and Southern Vance high schools.

The Warren County Campus will be the scene of 10 cosmetology classes offered under the cooperative agreement, along with five electrical courses.

HOUSES FOR SALE

The board approved accepting minimum bids of $25,500 each for two houses built by students in the school’s carpentry program. The houses are each 1,232 square feet with three bedrooms and two baths. Students build the houses as training projects, and they are sold to buy supplies for future classes to build more houses.

Buyers are responsible for moving the houses, setting them up and completing some finish work.

Anyone interested in the houses may contact the VGCC Business Office at 492-2061.