HAMLET — Dr. Dale McInnis described Richmond Community College as “strong, secure and outstanding” during his speech at Convocation last week.
Convocation is held every fall to present awards to College employees and to present the Alumni of the Year Award. As president of the College, McInnis also reports on the state of RichmondCC to employees and students.
“We set a record this summer in enrollment in short term training, and our total enrollment this fall semester is back up to pre-pandemic levels,” McInnis said.
He noted the addition of two new programs, Surgical Technology and 911 Communications and Operations, and two new facility projects.
“We are designing new facilities to house our best-in-the-state truck driver program near Maxton and the new Hendrick Center for Automotive Training on the Hamlet Campus,” he said.
RichmondCC also received a glowing report from an on-site team from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC), from which the College receives its accreditation. Because the College was in full compliance with the commission’s standards and with its Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP), RichmondCC’s reaccreditation will be officially approved in June 2024.
“We achieved this because we have the right people, doing the right things, the right way, at the right time and place,” McInnis said.
The QEP, which is called “Getting Prepared for Success,” is an initiative to make sure every student has a career plan before they graduate. That career plan may include transferring to another institution to advance their education or going straight into a career after graduation.
“Now it’s on each of us to make it work, so we can prove what a difference it will make for our college and students,” McInnis said.
To wrap up his speech, McInnis announced the winner of the President’s Award, which is presented to an employee whom he selects personally. The winner was American Sign Language instructor Kathleen Rozanski.
“This award goes to someone who personifies our values and inspires me and the whole college community. In just two years as a professor here, Kathleen has created a whole new set of courses, expanded our curriculum and enriched the lives of her students and colleagues with her enthusiasm and energy,” McInnis said. “She has opened up new doors to communication and made our college a more open and inclusive place.”
Other award winners included:
- 2023 Alumni of the Year Tim Hayden – 2000 Business Administration graduate
- 2023 Faculty of the Year Anthony Lynn – truck driver training instructor
- 2023 Adjunct Faculty of the Year Kathleen Wilderman – math instructor
- 2023 Staff of the Year Dr. Angie Adams – Dean of Arts & Sciences
Dr. Bill Carver, retired interim president of the North Carolina Community College System, was the guest speaker for the event. He congratulated RichmondCC on its report from SACSCOC, calling it “quite an accomplishment.”
Carver, who served as president of Nash Community College from 2005 to 2019, also applauded RichmondCC for creating relevant programs and taking new approaches to better serve students and the workforce.
“The future has its challenges but in those challenges are opportunities, and Richmond Community College has never shied away from a challenge. I know that for a fact,” Carver said.
