VGCC Reports Record Spring Enrollment, Plans Future Growth at Trustees Meeting

Growth in enrollment and impending growth in facilities were among subjects discussed at the meeting of the Vance-Granville Community College Board of Trustees Monday, Jan. 28.

President Robert A. Miller reported to the trustees that enrollment in curriculum classes for Spring Semester, which began Jan. 10, was 3,680, an all-time high for spring. This also represents a 13 percent increase over Spring Semester 2001 enrollment of 3,255.

Job market losses in Vance-Granville’s service area had some impact on increased enrollment since more people are re-training to qualify for new employment, Miller said. “But, Vance-Granville has seen steady growth and enrollment has increased in each of the last 10 years,” he said. “In fact, curriculum enrollment at Vance-Granville Community College has increased 50 percent in the past 5½ years.”

Enrollment for spring also increased at all four of VGCC’s campuses – in Vance, Granville, Franklin and Warren counties. Growth was recorded in almost all program areas with Vocational programs showing a 22 percent increase and Technical fields recording a 14.5 percent jump.

However, enrollment of high school students in college or dual enrollment programs showed the highest percentage gain – 38 percent. When Trustee Clarence Lemons asked why this area showed such a big increase, President Miller explained that Vance-Granville staff had been doing a better job of coordinating the program with area high schools.

CONSTRUCTION PLANS

David Brooks, chairman of the trustees Building Committee, reported that Dove, Knight & Whitehurst architects of Rocky Mount have completed design and development drawings and written specifications for the classroom building to be constructed on VGCC’s main campus.

The architects are to submit the project to the State Construction Office by Jan. 31. The timetable calls for review of the plans and approval to be received by March 15. Then the project will go out for bid by April 15, and construction is hoped to begin one month later.

“We cannot depend on this timetable, but we believe we are ahead of most other community colleges because we started planning sooner,” Brooks said.

The 50,000 square-foot building will be the first of four to be constructed, one on each of VGCC’s four campuses, from $17.1 million allocated to Vance-Granville from the Higher Education Facilities bond referendum passed in November 2000. Planning has begun for the second building, to be constructed at the Warren County Campus in Warrenton.

BUDGET UPDATE

The trustees approved mid-year amendments to the 2001-2002 college budget, which increases by $2,768,642 to a total of $35,331,857.          

Budget Committee Chairman John M. Foster pointed out that a great deal of the increase came as a result of the state budget being passed so late that many of the funds were not available when the original college budget was approved. These include $1,082,054 in current operating funds, of which $754,684 are new industry projects allotments. These are to aid the college in helping train employees for new and expanding industries.

Vance-Granville has also received $1,370,315 in state and federal equipment allotments. Much of this are funds unspent from last year’s budget and carried over into 2001-2002.

EQUIPMENT AUDIT 

President Miller told the trustees that Vance-Granville has received another excellent equipment audit report from the state.

N.C. Community College System officials reviewed the fiscal year 2000-2001 equipment audit of VGCC and found that its equipment losses were well below the system average. Sharon Rosado, assistant director for Administrative Services for NCCCS, wrote: “You and your staff are to be commended for the commitment and dedication it takes to maintain the high level of security required in this achievement.”