Students Celebrate Community College Day at the General Assembly

by 05/11/2015

Photo Caption: (Left to Right) Dr. Patricia Skinner, President of Gaston College, Dr. Sylvia P. Rios Husain, Vice President of Student Affairs and Enrollment Management, Leonardo Vargas, Senator, Gaston College Student Government Association, Mildred Brunt, Secretary, Gaston College Student Government Association, Senator Kathy Harrington, Renita Johnson, Student Government Association, Advisor and Coordinator of Student Activities and Special Projects for Gaston College and Jose Solano, student at Gaston College.

RALEIGH, NC – Student Government Association leaders from Gaston College joined SGA representatives from community colleges across North Carolina, who visited the General Assembly on Tuesday, April 28, 2015, to voice their support for raising instructor pay, funding community colleges for year-round instruction and maintaining affordable tuition rates.

“The affordability, the quality and the accessibility offered to me during my community college experience paved the way for my success,” said La’Quon Rogers, a student at Pitt Community College in Greenville and President of the North Carolina Community College Comprehensive Student Government Association (N4CSGA). “Instructors go above and beyond to ensure that their students have everything they need to enter the workforce or transfer to a university.”

Mildred Brunt, Secretary for the Gaston College Student Government Association said, “Gaston College has a group of dedicated faculty members who give of themselves to ensure that students have the required skills necessary to succeed in a new career. Many of the instructors teach an average of 18-21 credit hours during the fall and spring semesters.”

She added, “This dedication to students should be rewarded with a faculty pay increase. Gaston College students do not wish to lose valued staff members to other states, as he or she seeks to financially provide for the family.”

Students from Gaston College attended Community College Day. During their visit, students had the opportunity to meet with their district’s legislators, attend a meeting of the N.C. House’s Education – Community Colleges Committee and be formally recognized by both chambers. The Gaston College students met with Senator David Curtis and Senator Kathy Harrington, Representative Dana Bumgardner, Representative Kelly Hastings, Representative John Torbett and Representative Jason Saine.

N4CSGA representatives also presented a petition with more than 1,000 student signatures and Gaston College student leaders presented 250 signatures to the leadership of the General Assembly, symbolizing the broad student support for the budget priorities related to tuition rates and instructor pay.

About Gaston College

Celebrating nearly 50 years of service, Gaston College is one of 58 community colleges in the North Carolina Community College System. Serving both Gaston and Lincoln counties, Gaston College enrolls over 6,000 students each term in curriculum programs and averages over 16,000 annually in its Economic and Workforce Development and Continuing Education programs. Gaston College offers over 100 fields of study to obtain a degree, diploma or certificate. To learn more about the College’s services and programs, visit the Gaston College website at  www.gaston.edu. •

Print Friendly, PDF & Email