Reminder to Vote
Jackson, Pat
Ben Shirley, Alamance CC
I'm Ben Shirley. I'm currently the ACA Department Chair and the University Transfer Coordinator for Alamance Community College (ACC). I have been working in the NCCC System since 2001 and at ACC since 2003. As the University Transfer Coordinator, my role is to provide updates and professional development for advisors in the University Transfer Program. I previously was a Central Representative for the CTPA and I would like to hold that position again, if possible. It has been a rewarding experience working with others on the CTPA who are passionate about transfer and promoting the transfer process.
Catherine Ward, Durham Tech CC
As the C3 Liaison between Durham tech and NC State and a biology instructor, I advise and teach our transfer students daily. C3 is the Community College Collaboration, dual enrollment between NC State and community college partners. Along with partners at NC State, I work to ensure transfer is seamless, minimizing credit loss and time to graduation. Whether ensuring my biology classes align with their equivalents at a 4-year institution, talking with students about Foreign Language placement and requirements, doing practice interviews for scholarships, or putting a student in contact with a major-specific transfer advisor to answer a particular question about prerequisite classes, if I’m doing my job correctly, my students will be confident about their path to a bachelor’s degree.
Transferring is a complex process involving over 60 schools, hundreds of majors, and thousands of courses. But at the end of the day, a student doesn’t care about all of that. A student cares that they can plan for the future with accessible information, change their plans as circumstances change, access supports (financial, social, academic) and complete desired credentials. Whether it’s a prerequisite for a class, issues of equity in class completion, a question about how Ds interact with the CAA, or the transferability of an online science lab, there are always new situations and a diversity of opinion on the best way to handle them. As a representative from the Central Region, I look forward to collaborating with colleagues from around the state to continue to improve the student’s experience.