Corporate Express Donates Equipment to VGCC

Students in Vance-Granville Community College’s information technology-related curriculum programs, including Computer Information Technology, Information Systems Security, Networking Technology and Web Technologies, will benefit from state-of-the-art networking equipment that was recently donated to the college by Corporate Express.The complete rack mount system includes a Sun Microsystems Workgroup Server, network management port server, network storage SCSI disk array library equipped with a media changer robotic arm, and camera-based vision system for barcode scanning. The technology is valued in total at approximately $10,000.Wendy Bailey, head of VGCC’s Web Technologies program, thanked Corporate Express Technical Support Specialist Frank Briles for arranging the donation. Instructors will be able to use this equipment to enhance student learning of computer and networking hardware and applications, according to Bailey.Donna Gill, a Networking/Security instructor, said that she looked forward to enhancing the college’s programs with the equipment. “Our students will be excited to have the opportunity to work with this equipment. We plan to start using this in our advanced classes this fall.” The fall semester at VGCC begins on Aug. 16.Joe Speakman of Henderson, a VGCC Information Systems Security student, was impressed with the system. “This will be a great opportunity for us [students],” Speakman said. “Not many students have an opportunity to even see equipment such as this until they begin working in the field.”Corporate Express is one of the world’s largest business-to-business suppliers of essential office and computer products and services, including office and computer supplies, office furniture, facility supplies, document and print management, desktop software, imaging and computer graphic supplies, promotional products and other similar products. The company’s distribution center in Henderson is located on Poplar Creek Road, directly across from the main VGCC campus.For more information on Vance-Granville’s Computer Information Technology or Networking Technology curricula, contact Billie Evans at (252) 738-3216. For more information on the Web Technologies or Information Systems Security curricula, contact Wendy Bailey at (252) 738-3259.Above: Kelly Johnson (left) of Oxford, a student in VGCC’s Networking Technology program who works in maintenance for Corporate Express, and Keith Bolton (right) of Warrenton, a Corporate Express delivery driver, present the donated equipment to VGCC instructor Spring Tucker (center) on June 19. (VGCC Photo)