Education briefs

SCC and Mars Hill University partner on degree path

Graduates of Southwestern Community College who want to take the next step in their education by earning a bachelor’s degree now have a direct pathway to do so at Mars Hill University.

MHU President Dr. Tony Floyd and SCC President Dr. Don Tomas signed an agreement, creating the Mountain Lion-Southwestern Promise during an event at SCC’s campus in Sylva.

The program provides a streamlined process for Southwestern’s associate degree graduates to enroll at MHU. It’s designed to help students navigate the intricacies of admissions criteria, determine which community college credits will transfer to the four-year institution, fulfill general education requirements and address other potential issues that may arise when transferring.

The Mountain LionSouthwestern Promise gives SCC students access to information about academic programs faculty and staff at MHU who will facilitate their transition to the university. They will be able to receive admission, financial aid, registration and orientation communications early in the transition process, which will set them up for maximum success at both institutions.

SCC students will need to maintain a 2.0 grade point average, earn an associate degree in a college transfer program or applied program for which there is an articulation agreement with MHU, and enroll at MHU within one academic year after receiving their associate degree.

Students interested in the Mountain Lion-Southwestern Promise may contact Kristan Blanton, Director of Enrollment Management at SCC at k_blanton@southwesterncc.edu or 828.339.4255 or Carolyn Kuzell, Associate Director of Admission at MHU at ckuzell@mhu.edu or 828.689.1589.

Don Tomas, left, SCC president, and Tony Floyd, Mars Hill University president shake hands after signing the agreement to create the Mountain LionSouthwestern Promise.

WCU’s Creasy named executive director

Todd Creasy, former school director, MBA program director and professor in the Master of Project Management program in Western Carolina University’s College of Business, has been named the executive director of the Corporation for Entrepreneurship and Innovation for the college.

Creasy brings to the CEI 12 years of service to WCU and prior business experience, including working with large publicly traded companies and entrepreneurs.

Approved by the University of North Carolina Board of Governors, incorporated in the state of North Carolina and organized on Aug. 28, 2015, the CEI is a for-profit, C-Corporation dedicated to furthering the mission of the university and facilitating regional economic development.

In addition to Creasy, the CEI has doctorate faculty from WCU and experienced industry professionals available to help clients with various business needs.

To learn more about the CEI, visit wcucei.com.

Early childhood program receives re-accreditation

Haywood Community College’s Early Childhood Education Program recently received re-accreditation from the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC). The program first received accreditation in 2015. NAEYC provides a mechanism for early childhood degree programs to demonstrate their commitment to high-quality professional preparation through the higher education accreditation system.

The mission of the accreditation system is to set a standard of excellence for early childhood degree programs and to recognize programs that have demonstrated they meet this standard, thereby benefiting the early childhood profession, young children, families and communities.

At HCC, students can pursue an associate degree or certificate in early childhood administration, early childhood preschool or infant/toddler care. Certificates can be completed in two semesters. The program at HCC is entirely online.

Spring registration is currently open. Classes begin Jan. 11. For more information, visit haywood.edu or call 828.627.2821.

Blue Cross NC commits $10,000 to SCC

In an effort to make sure financial hardships don’t prevent students from completing their degrees, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina (Blue Cross NC) has committed a gift of $10,000 to support Southwestern Community College’s Student Emergency Fund and Student Success Scholarship.

The Student Emergency Fund helps students when they encounter unexpected expenses, such as automobile repairs, that might otherwise make it impossible for them to remain in school.

Likewise, the Student Success Scholarship brings a college education within reach for multiple students every year through the SCC Foundation.

“Training the next generation of workers is important to improving health in North Carolina and giving more North Carolinians the opportunity to be healthy, especially in our state’s rural and underserved communities,” said Cheryl Parquet, Director of Community Engagement and Marketing Activation for Blue Cross NC. “Community colleges help strengthen the state’s workforce. With this investment, we’re helping students who face financial burdens that make it difficult to advance their careers.”

Founded in 1964, Southwestern offers training for more than 40 career pathways as well as the most affordable option for starting toward a fouryear degree. Southwestern students save thousands of dollars in their first two years, compared to a four-year university.

For more information visit southwesterncc.edu, call 828.339.4000 or drop by your nearest SCC location.

Scholarship funds to honor careers of retiring WCU professors

Although the end of the 2022 fall semester brings to a close the careers of two popular Western Carolina University accountancy professors, it does not mean the end of their support for students in the College of Business.

That’s because N. Leroy Kauffman, a WCU faculty member since 1994, and Susan L. Swanger, a faculty member since 1997, have established separate scholarship funds to provide financial assistance to deserving accountancy students.

Swanger, who has served as director of WCU’s FORVIS Master’s Degree Program in Accountancy, has established the Susan Swanger, CPA, Ph.D., Professional Accountancy Endowed Scholarship Fund. The scholarship is designed to provide assistance to graduate students pursuing a career change to professional accountancy after completing an undergraduate degree in a field other than accounting.

Kauffman, a former dean of the College of Business, recently created the Dr. N. Leroy and Judy Kauffman Endowed Scholarship Fund, which will provide financial support to undergraduate students studying accountancy.

Originally launched in 2014, Swanger Scholarships have provided assistance to a total of 16 students to date. Additional contributions to the fund will increase the number of scholarships that can be awarded in the future, Grube said.

The Kauffman Scholarship is newly established, and the Kauffmans are offering to match contributions to the fund on a dollar-for-dollar basis, up to $13,000.

A licensed certified public accountant, Swanger is a member of the American Accounting Association, American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, North Carolina Association of Certified Public Accountants and Association of Certified Fraud Examiners.

To make a contribution to the Susan Swanger, CPA, Ph.D., Professional Accountancy Endowed Scholarship Fund, visit give.wcu.edu/swanger.

To make a contribution to the Dr. Leroy and Judy Kauffman Endowed Scholarship Fund, visit givecampus.com/schools/WesternCarolinaUniversit y/dr-n-leroy-and-judy-kauffman-endowed-scholarship#updates.