“HCC: A Community Jewel”
Dr. Ervin V. Griffin, Sr.
President, Halifax Community College

With my being new to the community, I wanted to introduce myself to Roanoke Valley citizens. I am extremely blessed to have the opportunity to serve as the next President of Halifax Community College. I believe all of us involved with HCC - trustees, faculty, staff, administration, and community partners - want the same thing. We are all dedicated to improving the lives of our students and our community.

The College has a great strategic plan in place, and I am very focused on doing what I can to move that plan forward. I am involved in many aspects of the campus including updating the campus master plan, enhancing enrollment management, creating new student success and early college programs, and developing greater partnerships with business and industry. I plan to spend the next several months becoming acquainted with our students, faculty, staff, and community supporters. I want to reintroduce HCC to the community and find out what the College can do to make this wonderful community even better.

The College has already had 40 successful years educating those in our area. This year, we are celebrating that milestone in a number of different ways and encourage everyone to visit campus and see what we have to offer. Personnel in different departments around HCC are planning events to commemorate our 40th anniversary or sharing unique insights about the college. Stay tuned to the newspaper for those announcements and departmental articles. At this juncture in our history, I believe that it's important for each person to take a minute and ask: “Have I taken a course at HCC?” “Have I enrolled in a program?” “Have I been on campus recently” If you can answer “no,” then we invite you to come out to campus.

Many of you might be asking, “What is a community college?” In response, I offer that it is an opportunity center for people of all ages, and that anyone will fit in on our campus. We have a number of Associate Degree Programs, Associate in Applied Science Degree Programs, diploma and certificate programs as well as adult and continuing education programs from which to choose. HCC also offers the Teacher Preparation Partnership Program in elementary education with Elizabeth City State University and a four-year degree completion program in business or social science through Chowan University. Academic advisors are available to assist students, and financial aid is also available for those who qualify.

Our programs are offered at an affordable price, conveniently located on campus—and many are online. There is no reason for anyone in our community to not take advantage of this chance to better his or her life through the pursuit of education. We hold fast to our mission to improve the quality of life and the educational and economic base of this service area.

Due to the strong tie to local businesses and industries, each of our programs offers our students the opportunity for a well-rounded, interesting and practical education. HCC supports the notion that learning is a life-long activity.

This year, HCC has been recognized as one of only seven community colleges in the state to meet all 12 Performance Measures set by the North Carolina Community College System. These standards review measures including the employment status of graduates, performance of college transfer students, retention and graduation rates of curriculum students, satisfaction of employers, and the progress of basic skills students.

So, what is all of this education worth to you? According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics data from 2002, individuals who earn at least a two-year, post-secondary vocational or technical degree can expect to earn almost $1.5 million over a 40-year career. A two-year college degree can average just over $1.5 million. Compare this figure to that of a high school graduate who will earn around $1.2 million or, more importantly, the dropout who will earn only about $800,000 over the same time period. That is a significant difference and shows that higher levels of education and training substantially boost lifetime earnings.

In closing, thank you for allowing me to reintroduce Halifax Community College to the community we serve. From the President's Perspective, let me reassure you that HCC is a proven provider of quality educational programs and continues to be the place where Learning Comes To Life. That is a goal we take very seriously. If you have comments about HCC or ideas to share, please email me at president@halifaxcc.edu. I look forward to meeting many of you in the coming months on campus and in the community.