January 2009

January 30, 2009

ITEMS OF INTEREST ABOUT GASTON COLLEGE

• Second Chance Classes are still available through March. The majority of these classes are online and can be taken from the comfort of your home via the Internet and are flexible and easy to fit into a day or evening schedule. Visit our website at www.gaston.edu or call 704.922.6232.

• A reception for the artists featured in the James Biggers & Friends Art Exhibit will be held on Thursday, February 5 from 5:30 to 7:30 pm in the Jeanne Rauch Gallery, Dallas Campus. This year’s show, celebrating Black History Month, features 15 artists from North and South Carolina presenting colorful and one-of-a kind paintings, sculptures, ceramics, drawings, folk art, and printmaking. Artists will be available to discuss how they applied geometry and mathematical ratios into their work. The reception is free and open to the public. The exhibit will be on display through February 20, 2009 in the Jeanne Rauch Gallery, Monday thru Thursday, 9 am to 5 pm and Friday, 9 am to 2 pm. This event is sponsored by the Minority Affairs Committee. For more information, call 704.922.6200 or to schedule a gallery tour, call Gary Freeman at 704.922.6344 or email freeman.gary@gaston.edu

• Student Government Association will hold a Blood Drive Tuesday, February 3 from 9:30 am to 2:30 pm in the Myers Center, Room 160, Dallas Campus.

• Gaston College Truck Driver Training registration will be Monday, February 9, from 10 am to 2 pm, Comer Building (CET 30), Room 130. Applicants must be at least 18 years of age with a valid North Carolina Driver’s License and show proof of an 8th grade reading level with a minimum score of 64 on the reading portion of the COMPASS test. Gaston College will offer the COMPASS test on the day of registration from 9 am-11:30 am, Myers Center, Room 212. The test is 45 minutes in length and no appointment is necessary. Tuition is $617 and payable the day of registration.

• The Creative Writing Program will present award winning Poet and writer doris davenport on Thursday, February 19 at 7 pm in the Myers Center Auditorium, Dallas Campus. Ms. davenport is the author of “Madness Like Morning Glories and “A Hunger for Moonlight”. For more information, contact Alicia McCullough at 704.922.6459 or mccullough.alicia@gaston.edu.
  

• Learn how to plan, apply and pay for college at the Gaston College FAFSA Completion Day on Saturday, February 21, 2009 from 9 am to12 Noon, Morris Library, Dallas Campus. This FREE session will help students seeking financial aid for the 2009-2010 academic year who are planning to attend Gaston College. Information on scholarship and grants will be available. Students will need to bring their parents and their own 2008 federal tax returns and W-2 forms, if they are under 24 years of age. For more information, call 704.922.6227 or email: oates.peggy@gaston.edu.

• Gaston College Radio WSGE 91.7 FM will be sponsoring a free training workshop for those interested in becoming on-air disc jockeys. This four week workshop will be held on Tuesday and Thursday from 12 noon until 2 pm starting Tuesday, February 17 on the Dallas Campus. The workshop is limited to ten persons. The application deadline is Monday, February 9. To apply, please download a volunteer application from the station's web site, www.wsge.org and send by mail to WSGE, 201 Highway 321 South, Dallas, NC 28034 or bring to the station Monday - Friday during business hours (8 am - 5 pm). WSGE is located in the CAS Building, Room #115 on the Dallas Campus of Gaston College.

• Career Day 2009 will be held on Wednesday, February 25 from 9:30 am – 12 Noon in the Myers Center Auditorium, Dallas Campus. Employers from Gaston and Lincoln Counties and throughout the Charlotte Metro region will be available. This event is open to Gaston College students and alumni and is not open to the public. For more information, call 704.922.6525.

• Business Success in Tough Times will be held on Tuesday, March 17 from 6:30 - 8:30 pm in the Classroom Bldg., Room 118, East Campus in Belmont. This seminar is sponsored by the Small Business Center.

• Gaston College is now accepting scholarship applications for the 2008-2009 academic year. Scholarship awards can range from $250 to more than $2,500 each through the Gaston College Foundation. More than $100,000 in scholarship assistance is available to students through the Gaston College Foundation. The deadline is March 31. For applications, call the Gaston College Financial Aid Office at 704.922.6227.

• The GED Bridge to College and Careers Program is a course designed for students who need to earn their GED and want to pursue a career in either business or healthcare. While attending classes to earn a GED, the program offers a range of support services including career counseling and college advisement. Once you get your GED, you will work more directly with counselors and staff members to apply to college or certification programs within your career of interest. The class meets four days a week (six hours a day) for five weeks, or four evenings a week (three hours a night) for ten weeks. Students must be at least 18 years old at the start of the program. Classes begin spring semester 2009 on the Dallas Campus. Day and evening classes are available. There is no cost to attend the programs; however, once you are prepared to take the official GED tests, there is a one-time fee of $7.50. For more information on the GED Bridge to Health Technologies and GED Bridge to Business Technologies programs, call 704.922.6320. If you already have your GED and are interested in the program, call 704-922-6537.
  

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January 21, 2009

2009-2010 SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATIONS AVAILABLE NOW
AT GASTON COLLEGE

Scholarship applications for the 2009 -2010 academic year are available at Gaston College until March 31st.  More than $150,000 in scholarship assistance is available to students through the Gaston College Foundation. Scholarship awards can range from $250 to more than $2,500 each.  Many of the awards are based on career interest including, but not limited to, business, accounting, aviation, health-related fields, paralegal studies, mechanical engineering technology, automotive technology, and other areas of study. Applicants will be considered for all scholarships for which they apply.

To be eligible, applicants must satisfy all Gaston College admissions requirements including any required placement tests for their program of study. Scholarship recipients will be selected based on community involvement, character, academic standing, and financial need.

The following information must be submitted to the Gaston College Financial Aid Office no later than Tuesday, March 31st by 12 noon.

*    A Gaston College Foundation Scholarship Application. Applications are available on the Gaston College website, Financial Aid office on the Dallas campus, in the Office of the Dean on the Lincoln campus, and East Campus in Belmont.
*    A free Application for Federal Financial Aid is available on the web at www.fafsa.ed.gov.  Applicants should use Gaston College’s code #002973. Also applications are available in the Gaston College Financial Aid Office by calling 704.922.6227.
*    An official copy of your high school transcript (for new students only) or an official copy of other college transcripts (excluding Gaston College).
Scholarship funds through the Gaston College Foundation are made possible through the gifts of local donors that include individuals, businesses and foundations. The Gaston College Foundation, Inc. encourages and secures financial gifts in support of Gaston College and its programs. Gifts to the Gaston College Foundation are tax-deductible to the fullest extent of the law.  For more information on making a gift in support of Gaston College, call 704.922.6511.

Gaston College will hold a FAFSA Completion Day on Saturday, February 21, 2009 from 9 am to 12 Noon, Morris Library, Dallas Campus. This FREE session will help students and parents seeking financial aid for the 2009-2010 academic year, learn how to plan, apply and pay for college. Also, information on scholarship and grants will be available. Last year, Gaston College awarded $5.7 million in financial aid and scholarships to students.  For more information on Gaston College’s FAFSA DAY, call 704.922.6227 or email: oates.peggy@gaston.edu.

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January 21, 2009

Nominations are being sought for the 2009 Altrusa Award for Excellence which recognizes Gaston College employees. 

The award established by the Altrusa Club of Gastonia through the Gaston College Foundation provides a plaque and cash prize award to a full-time employee of Gaston College who personifies the mission of the college and the ideal of lifelong learning. Gaston College students, alumni, employees and others in the community are eligible to submit nominations. Nominees will be judged on their involvement with students and their impact on the educational life of Gaston College. Completed nomination packets must be received in the Gaston College Foundation office by Monday, March 2.

The Altrusa Club of Gastonia established an endowment to support the award in 1993, and the first recipient was selected in 1995.  More than $8,000 has been distributed to recipients since it began.  The winner of the 2009 Altrusa Award for Excellence will be announced at the Gaston College Faculty/Staff Recognition Reception on May 1.

“We are pleased that the Altrusa Club of Gastonia has chosen to invest in Gaston College and its employees,” commented Dr. Patricia Skinner, Gaston College president.  “We are grateful to the club for its support and are appreciative of their many contributions to the community.”

Past award recipients are:  Linda Greenlee, 1995; Brenda Falls, 1996; Roland Ball, 1996;
Vicki Greene, 1997; Rhonda Smith, 1998; Judith Cole, 1999; Peggy Trueman, 2000; Louise Davis, 2001; Judy Jennings Beam, 2002; Bill Bambach, 2003; Bob Blanton, 2005; Amy Davis, 2006; Nancy Porter, 2007; and Audrey Sherrill, 2008.

Nomination forms and award criteria are available here.  Also, forms are available in the Morris Library and Student Services, Dallas campus; information Desk, Lincoln Campus; and reception desk, East Campus, or by calling (704) 922-6511.

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January 20, 2009

GASTON COLLEGE CUSTOMIZED COMPUTER INSTITUTE OFFERS PROFESSIONAL HIGH-END COMPUTER COURSES

The Community Education program at Gaston College has developed a new
Customized Computer Institute designed for the working professional. The institute will provide a variety of high-end computer courses in one-day sessions held on a weekday and repeated on the weekend.

A series of classes on the Fundamentals of Microsoft Active Directory 2008 will be offered starting Spring semester. The first set of classes is scheduled on Wednesday, January 21 and Saturday, January 24 from 8 am to 5 pm. The classes will focus on design and implementation to help computer users understand the fundamentals and the best practices for installing this program. Also, the Domain Name System (DNS) and its integration with Active Directory as well as site topology and replication will be studied in detail. A basic knowledge of networked computer systems is required for this class.

Part II of the series will focus on the Expanded Knowledge of Microsoft Active Directory and will be held on Wednesday, February 25 and Saturday, February 28 from 8 am to 5 pm.
In this series, learn about the roles commonly implemented on Microsoft Active Directory servers and how they impact a design. In addition, explore the concepts of objects and Active Directory trusts and expand your knowledge of Group Policies and how to troubleshoot them. A basic understanding of Microsoft Active Directory is required for this class.

The final session, Understanding Microsoft Active Directory Security, Monitoring and Certificate Services will be scheduled Wednesday, March 25 and Saturday, March 28 from 8 am to 5 pm. This class will help lay the foundation to obtain a better understanding of the Techniques and Technologies associated with securing and monitoring Microsoft Active Directory. Information about how to install and leverage Microsoft Certificate Services and other details will be provided. A basic understanding of Microsoft Active Directory is required for this class.

Demonstrations of the Microsoft Active Directory software will be provided during each class. The cost is $52 per class and materials are included in the price. To register for this series, call Beth Hollars at 704-922-6250 or email hollars.beth@gaston.edu.

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