Vol. 3, Issue No.4                                                                                                                                                
March 6, 2015   
From the Hawk's Nest is distributed on the first and third Friday of each month. We need your input!  Please send your ideas for stories on upcoming events, reports on attendance at conferences, awards and honors received, photos or information on outstanding employees or students to Elizabeth Belcher, ebelcher@newriver.edu or Kelly Taber, ktaber@newriver.edu. The deadline for the next issue is 4 p.m. on Wednesday, March 18. 

Classified Staff Field Day on March 16     

 

This year's Classified Staff Field Day will be held at the Raleigh County Campus on March 16. The event, themed "You're An Important Piece", will give classified staff a chance to see and tour the new campus; hear insightful speakers presenting on topics such as leadership, retirement readiness, diversity, and inclusiveness; and provide an opportunity to meet and interact with colleagues from other campuses.  

 

In addition, several representatives from our benefit vendors, FBMC and The Health Plan, will be on hand to answer questions and provide information.

 

Attendance by classified staff is required. Please work with your supervisor to ensure your area/office is covered for the day. Please check with your Regional Director of Operations regarding transportation from your campus. Dress for this event is casual.

 

We are looking forward to a full day of insightful and inspiring speakers, team-building activities, camaraderie, and good food. If you have any questions, please contact abaker@newriver.edu or extension 6717.

 

Receive Free Jr. Frosty at Wendy's and Support Endowment for Adopted or Foster Care New River CTC Students at New River CTC

 

Owners of the Wendy's franchises in Beckley, Beaver, and Princeton, W.Va and Bluefield and Pearisburg, Va. have created a scholarship endowment for New River CTC students who have been adopted or in foster care in honor of Wendy's founder, Dave Thomas.

 

For $3, they are selling Jr. Frosty key tags, $2 of which goes to the New River CTC scholarships.  

 

Throughout 2015, any time you show your key tag at a participating Wendy's, you will receive a free Jr. Frosty.

Key tags are available at the Wendy's locations or New River CTC's Office of Institutional Advancement.

 
It's Almost Tax Time ... Have You Considered the Neighborhood Investment Program?

 

The New River CTC Foundation is offering WV state tax credits through the Neighborhood Investment Program (NIP) offered by the West Virginia Development Office. The NIP scholarship program benefits disadvantaged students (with incomes 125% of the Federal poverty level or less). Donors of $500 or more receive half of their gift back as 2015 state tax credits.

 

The entire gift is fully tax deductible from Federal income taxes. In other words, donors can make sure their tax dollars go directly to assist New River students. The out-of-pocket cost of a $1,000 gift is just $267 to $375, depending on the donor's tax bracket.

 

Please make your gift by March 12. Online giving by credit or debit card is available at www.donate.newriver.edu. The WV Development Office also will accept a promissory letter dated by the March 12 deadline if the letter states a commitment to make a gift before June 30 and the intended amount and date of the gift.

 

This is a great way to help New River CTC students who are seeking a better life through education.

Vanessa Bailey and Medical Assisting Students Advocate for Health Workers in Charleston, W.Va.


Vanessa Bailey, Allied Health Instructor at New River Community and Technical College, recently attended West Virginia Rural Health Workforce Day at the Capitol in Charleston, W.Va. with five of her students in the Medical Assisting program.

 

Bailey, a registered nurse with a bachelor's degree in nursing, also is a board member of the West Virginia Rural Health Association. She and her students set up a table at the Capitol and interacted with lawmakers in session about the importance of health care in the state.

 

Bailey, a resident of Frankford, W.Va., teaches at the Greenbrier Valley Campus of New River CTC.

 

"I really see the need to reach out to these rural areas. It's very difficult to keep our workforce in West Virginia. A lot of young people want to leave," Bailey said. "We want to keep and increase the number of health care professionals so that there is accessibility - no matter where you live, you can get the health care you need."

 

Attending events such as the Rural Health Workforce Day encourages students to become engaged and try to improve the state rather than leaving their rural communities, Bailey said.

 

"There are people out there working to make things better," she said. "Too often people get in their own little bubbles and don't realize that there are people working behind the scenes every day to make rural health care available."

  
Vanessa Bailey, front, stands with Medical Assisting students at the Capitol in Charleston, W.Va.
New Hires

 
Janelle Schofield started her new position as Registrar of New River Community and Technical College on Feb. 9. Previously, she worked as Office Assistant II for the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources and as Director of Student Records for Mountain State University. Schofield also worked in customer service for Applied Card Systems in Beckley, W.Va. and for the State Employee Credit Union in Charlotte, N.C. She received her bachelor's degree in Organizational Leadership from Mountain State University.

 

 

 

Jenni Canterbury joined New River Community and Technical College's Office of Communications as Public Relations Manager on Feb. 2. She previously worked as the Marketing Communications and Fund Development Director of the YMCA of Southern West Virginia. She has worked in higher education serving in both administrative and instructional roles, as a Marketing Specialist at Mountain State University and an Instructor of Communication Arts at Concord University. Canterbury holds a bachelor's in Communication Arts from Concord University and a master's degree in Global Marketing, Communication and Advertising from Emerson College in Boston.

 

 

 

Kelly Taber joined the Office of Communications as Writer and Editor on Feb. 2. She previously worked as an Adjunct Instructor, including at New River CTC's One Room University, and a freelance writer for a variety of publications. Taber also has worked as an Analyst for a U.S. Department of Energy contractor and as a Program Assistant, Writer/Editor and Communications Specialist at West Virginia University, where she received her master's degree in Communication Studies. She received a bachelor's in Political Science and Journalism from University of Mary Washington and started her career as a business reporter at daily newspapers in Virginia and West Virginia.

 

Welcome Jan, Jenni, and Kelly!

"Day of Research" at RCC 

 

Dr. Kristi Dumas' Sociology 210 class will hold a Day of Research event in order to conduct studies, gather data, and live out the scientific method process from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on March 11 in the rotunda at Raleigh County Campus.

 

The students are excited about the day and their research topics. They developed informed consents and survey questions for participants. A professional dress code and presentation for the student researchers also has been established for the Day of Research event.

 

About 20 students will be handing out surveys, which will take less than three minutes to complete. Please give these budding social scientists a few minutes of your time.

 

Research topics include:

  • Utilization of Blackboard Mobile App.
  • Public Media consumption
  • Access and dependence on computers for school success
  • Efficacy of Hawk's Learning Program

Results of the research will be published and shared with college administration in the hopes of making recommendations to enrich the learning process.

 
"Barnwood Builders" episode featuring New River CTC welders

 

The "Barnwood Builders" series premiered on the DIY Network Sunday, March 8 at 9 p.m.

 

New River CTC's welding program will be highlighted in an upcoming episode. The air date for the episode on building a portable container cabin including the New River welding program has not been scheduled yet. We will keep an eye out and keep you posted.

 

The full schedule of shows is listed here: http://www.diynetwork.com/barnwood-builders/show/index.html