Page 12 - Robeson Living Summer 2020

Robeson Community College Expands

Academic Programs

Eight new academic programs and more than 10 new certifica- panding, multi-billion-dollar hospitality industry,” says Lester
tion/diploma programs have been added to the fall 2020 cur- Locklear, Program Director, Culinary, Baking & Pastry Art,
riculum at Robeson Community College. RCC hopes the new and Hospitality Management. “Students will begin classes in
additions will bring more students to its campus and increase their major the first semester and benefit from a curriculum
online enrollment. designed with input from local leading hospitality companies.”

“We are pleased to add these programs to our already diverse The AAA and AAS in Teacher Preparation are two new aca-
array of academic and workforce development offerings. This demic college transfer programs. The degree programs consist
academic year brings the promise of new and exciting oppor- of courses intended for transfer to baccalaureate programs that
tunities for our students,” says Melissa Singler, President of lead to North Carolina Teacher Certification.
RCC.
Expansion is also taking place in the information technology
The new academic programs include: Associate of Applied curriculum with two additional tracks. The AAS in Informa-
Science (AAS) in Mechatronics Engineering Technology, AAS tion Technology-Cyber Security and Network Management
in Air Conditioning, Heating and Refrigeration Technology, curriculum prepares graduates for employment in the technol-
AAS in Hospitality Management, AAS in Surgical Technol- ogy sector as designers, testers, support technicians, system
ogy, AAS in Information Technology-Cybersecurity, AAS in administrators, developers, or programmers with an emphasis
Information Technology-Simulation and Game Development, on cyber security.
and an Associate of Arts (AAA) and AAS in Teacher Prepara-
tion. The AAS in Information Technology-Simulation and Game
Development and Network Management curriculum prepares
“We are so excited to add these new programs to our academic graduates for employment in the technology sector in a variety
offerings. We want students to see RCC as its natural college of roles including developers, support technicians, and system
of choice,” states Patrena Benton Elliott, Ph.D., Vice President administrators with an emphasis on simulation and game de-
for Instruction & Student Support Services and Chief Academ- velopment.
ic Officer. “In an effort to do so, we want to ensure that our
programs continue to be relevant and necessary to meet stu- Graduates from each program would qualify for employment
dents educational and workforce pursuits.” in entry-level positions with businesses, educational systems,
and governmental agencies which rely on computer systems to
For those interested in pursuing a career in the hospitality in- design and manage information.
dustry, RCC’s AAS in Hospitality Management will prepare
individuals to understand and apply the administrative and In addition to information technology, new courses are avail-
practical skills needed for supervisory and managerial posi- able in the Industrial Technology Department. The AAS in Air
tions in hotels, motels, resorts, inns, restaurants, institutions, Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Technology curricu-
and clubs. lum provides the basic knowledge to develop skills necessary
to work with residential and light commercial systems. Areas
“Hospitality Management is designed to help you build a ca- of focus include: mechanical refrigeration, heating and cool-
reer that can take you wherever you want to go in an ever-ex- ing theory, electricity, controls, and safety. Graduates should

Page 12 Robeson Living ~ Summer 2020