Barnes Student Lounge before renovations.

91ӣ����Ƶ will host a ribbon cutting ceremony for its newly renovated student lounge located in the Barnes Building on the Rocky Mount campus. The ribbon cutting will be held Wednesday, Jan. 7 at 11 a.m.

The public is invited to see the state-of-the-art renovations and learn more about the commercial-grade kitchen and new food vendor, as well as the additional upgrades now offered in the redesigned lounge.

The upcoming celebration marks a significant milestone in ECC’s ongoing commitment to enhancing student life and providing modern, welcoming spaces for learning, relaxation and community.

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Esports room at 91ӣ����Ƶ

In an effort to enhance campus life by creating spaces where students can more effectively connect and collaborate, 91ӣ����Ƶ has designed three new areas and relocated an additional space. The public will have an opportunity to explore these newly designed locations on the Tarboro campus, known as the Eagles Empowerment Zone, during an official unveiling. The event will take place Wednesday, Sept. 24 from 12 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. in the Charles S. McIntyre building on the Tarboro campus.

The first student-centered addition is the Student Life and Leadership Suite. A meeting space for ECC clubs and organizations, the suite is comprised of computers so that it may also be utilized as a study space. With pictures of graduates and the ECC mascot adorning the walls, administrators hope the area will foster teamwork, enhanced communication and student engagement.

The college’s former mailroom has been transformed into a Wellness Center. The multifunctional full-body workout gym is equipped with treadmills, stationary bikes, an elliptical trainer, a multi-station weight set, yoga mats, an ab roller and more. The room has become a serene health and fitness space to improve the physical and mental health of students and staff.

Among the most anticipated openings is the Esports gaming room. Previously a classroom space, the room now includes gaming center computers, 42-inch televisions, Sony Interactive Entertainment PlayStation 5 video game consoles, a Nintendo Switch and Xbox. Noise reduction barriers and window tinting allow students to have the full experience.

ECC’s Esports program started in the fall to provide an opportunity for team building and to prepare participants for jobs in web development, general management, coaching, marketing and more. ECC’s team is already a member of the National Junior College Athletics Association of Esports, designed to meet the needs of two-year, technical and community colleges in collegiate Esports.

Also new to the McIntyre Building is ECC’s Academic Success Center. The center supports the academic success of students outside the classroom, ranging from free tutoring and navigation services that provide guidance with online platforms for registration, to test proctoring and more. The Academic Success Center was previously located adjacent to the library on the Tarboro campus.

With the Eagles Empowerment Zone, all of ECC’s student resources are together, in one facility. If you would like to see how ECC continues to support students personally and academically, please join us at the unveiling of these spaces Wednesday, Sept. 24 from 12 p.m. to 1:30 p.m.

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The Esports room at 91ӣ����Ƶ is equipped with 42-inch televisions, PlayStation 5 video game consoles, a Nintendo Switch, Xbox, window tinting, noise reduction barriers, gaming center computers, tables, and chairs.

91ӣ����Ƶ has transformed a classroom space in the Charles S. McIntyre Building on the Tarboro campus into a room for Esports. It is equipped with 42-inch televisions, Sony Interactive Entertainment PlayStation 5 video game consoles, a Nintendo Switch, Xbox, window tinting, noise reduction barriers, as well as gaming center computers, tables and chairs. It is all in preparation for ECC’s Esports program set to begin in the fall.

“I think Esports will provide a team environment for students who otherwise simply play these games on their own,” says Denise Batts, information technology instructor and ECC’s gaming coach. “I believe it will provide students with more opportunity for scholarships and team building, provide the community with a better educated workforce pool, and give students more confidence in their skills.”

Batts says players will compete against other colleges in the state. The team is already a member of the National Junior College Athletics Association of Esports. According to the NJCAAE website, the organization is designed to meet the needs of two-year, technical and community colleges in collegiate Esports. And while Esports is not considered a curriculum program, students may still receive scholarships to help pay for their education.

Aside from being a professional gamer, the Esports industry also prepares participants for jobs in web development, general management, coaching, marketing, journalism and more.

“Being a part of Esports provides an understanding of technology as it relates to connectivity, applications, and flexibility of a changing environment that is prevalent in all work environments,” states Batts.

To join ECC’s Esports program, call (252) 618-6526.

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Additional state-of-the-art renovations will soon start on 91ӣ����Ƶ’s Rocky Mount campus. The student lounge, located in the Barnes building, will be completely modernized. Construction is slated to begin this month, with completion anticipated approximately 180 days after the start.

Rocky Mount students will be treated to a more modern and inviting space, including new device charging stations, a new tv and other cosmetic fixes, according to Andrew Votipka, vice president of finance and administrative services at ECC.

“The student lounge will also be renovated to increase its seating capacity,” says Votipka. “A commercial grade kitchen will be added that will allow for a vendor to offer breakfast and lunch options to students and staff.” Currently, Votipka’s office schedules food trucks for the Rocky Mount campus as an option for students.

Votipka says he hopes the added space will give students more room for relaxing, studying and enjoying good food. It will also easily accommodate ECC students and students in the Edge Academy of Health Sciences, also housed on the ECC campus. Other aspects of the renovation include the addition of a new entrance and replacement of the outdated glass wall, ultimately helping with climate control.

The renovations will be completed by Waters Contracting Company based in Bogue, N.C, with oversight of the project from JKF Architecture of Greenville, N.C. JKF also served as the architect firm for the completion of the auditorium and the renovation of the Barbering Building on ECC’s Rocky Mount campus.

“The lounge is in close proximity to the recently updated campus store, library, and other student services,” says Votipka. “So, we hope it will invite more students to take advantage of those great services.”

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John Farkas of JKF Architecture speaks with ECC leaders about facility needs.

“As times change, students change, and the needs of our community change,” stated Dr. Greg McLeod, president of 91ӣ����Ƶ, during a recent Facilities Master Plan meeting held at ECC.

JKF Architecture led the discussion that will ultimately lead to the creation of a plan for the next five to 10 years.

“On one level, we want to talk about the educational programming,” noted John Farkas, president and principal architect at JKF. “A Facilities Master Plan is in support of this. It also determines if we are using existing buildings in the most efficient way.”

ECC has been gathering input from students, board members, faculty and staff for a Facilities Master Plan. Participants have discussed the characteristics they like and dislike about campus, facilities they would like to see, existing facility needs and overall campus improvements.

Some suggestions have included a new welding space; expanding the space for cosmetology, CNA labs and agribusiness; more parking at the Rocky Mount campus; reimagining the space for the Early College High Schools; and expanding the footprint of key workforce training programs.

Before a Facilities Master Plan is completed, JKF says they will examine data, share all conversations with Dr. McLeod and the management team, determine the priorities for ECC and funding needs. Capital expenditures will focus on key priorities.

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“Charging stations on our campuses will help meet the car charging needs of our students, employees, and the community at large while also allowing ECC to enhance its automotive systems technology, electrical systems technology, and Steps4Growth Clean Energy Pre-Apprenticeship programs,” says ECC President Dr. Greg McLeod. “Having these charging stations on ECC’s campuses will provide valuable access and opportunity for students to learn how to install, maintain, and operate the stations.”

According to a press release provided by the USDOT, “the project will expand community-based EV charging in economically distressed counties while supporting high-quality workforce development programs at participating community colleges.”

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Brad Hill, chief information officer and director of computer services at 91ӣ����Ƶ, says a recent state grant will strengthen the college’s IT infrastructure.

91ӣ����Ƶ has received nearly $20,000 in Rural College Broadband funds that will strengthen IT infrastructure and provide network security enhancements.

These funds were made available by the State Board of Community Colleges, which recently approved the additional grant funding to support rural community colleges.

According to Brad Hill, chief information officer and director of computer services at ECC, the college has been awarded $19,610 to implement a next-generation firewall (NGFW) to protect the Amazon Web Services environment hosting the college’s Enterprise Resource Planning servers. The funds will cover initial implementation as well as licensing for the next five years.

“This NGFW solution represents a significant advancement in safeguarding ECC’s information systems, including those vital for academic administration, student services, finance, and human resources,” Hill explains. “By leveraging this grant, ECC will enhance its cybersecurity posture, ensuring the integrity and confidentiality of our institution’s data.”

The Rural College Broadband Project has bolstered broadband access on 45 rural college campuses throughout the state over the last two years. The project implemented critical, college specific IT infrastructure and network security improvements. Multiple improvements were tailored to each college, including fiber cable installation, WiFi access point additions, cybersecurity, network power supply and security support, and firewall checks.

Hill adds, “We are grateful for the support provided by the State Board of Community Colleges and are committed to utilizing this funding effectively to strengthen ECC’s IT infrastructure and better serve our students and community.”

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Renovations to the Barbering Building on the Rocky Mount campus are among the numerous updates to 91ӣ����Ƶ facilities and grounds in recent years.

Barber instructor Rufus McKoy is happy to have a teaching venue worthy of its clippings.

“It’s a state-of-the-art facility,” McKoy says of 91ӣ����Ƶ’s renovated Barbering Building on its Rocky Mount campus. It’s one of a spate of capital improvements undertaken at the college’s two campuses over the last several years.

Students and visitors “are really amazed and happy with the changes,” McKoy assures.

The $580,000 renovation includes 16 new barber chairs and stations, up from the previous 11, and new shampoo stations, new dryers, improved lighting, a new HVAC system, and new roofing. Students of the tonsorial arts gather in a remodeled classroom and break room, and the facility also features new restrooms and lockers. Up to 20 students can now be instructed at one time.

The barbering program had previously shared the building with the cosmetology department, but with the latter’s move to the Tarboro campus, “the learning environment is more conducive to the barbershop setting,” according to McKoy.

Improvements like this have been popping up all over at ECC, thanks largely to the vision and efforts of the college’s Board of Trustees, ECC President Dr. Greg McLeod, and recently retired Vice President of Finance and Administrative Services Debbie Batten. The goal has been to strengthen teaching and learning while also making the college’s campuses more inviting for all who spend an hour or a day there.

Worn flooring in the Barnes Building, Rocky Mount’s main administrative and classroom building built in 1987, was updated for $450,000.

The Barnes Auditorium got a $400,000 remodeling. The auditorium hosts lectures, Phi Theta Kappa inductions, and other college and community events.

The Barnes Building elevator, a wheezing dinosaur that had been out of service more often than not for several years, was restored to reliable ups and downs at a cost of $98,000. “The elevator was beyond its life cycle and we could no longer get parts to repair the mechanics,” Batten explains. “We had to completely modernize it.”

In Tarboro, the 1970s-era McIntyre Building, the main administration building and a focal point of student activity, had grown as outdated as bell bottoms and disco. A battery of projects yielded newly painted walls, new flooring, a repaired ceiling in McIntyre Auditorium, remodeled restrooms, and a new cashier window. The old bookstore was transformed into a new and inviting Campus Store, among other improvements.

“One former employee came back to visit . . . and could not believe how McIntyre had been transformed,” Batten says. “He said ‘it had never been painted or flooring updated in over 30 years!’”

Five faulty HVAC units in the Cosmetic Arts Building were replaced for $390,000, and an office was built for the esthetics instructor, who’d been working from a desk in the student lab.

Among other Tarboro upgrades:

• Repainting and repairing the paint booth used in the collision repair and refinishing program
• Repainting the Norfleet House, an 1810 farmhouse used for the college’s historic preservation classes
• New restrooms and showers for the Basic Law Enforcement Training program in the Havens Building
• New carpet and furniture in libraries on both campuses
• New and refurbished parking lots
• A new loop road to provide better access to all campus buildings

To effect these upgrades, the college accessed a wide range of funding sources, including NC Connect Bonds, State Capital and Infrastructure Fund money from a 2021 appropriations bill, and emergency federal COVID-19 funding.

Back in Rocky Mount, McKoy said he’s delighted to see the convergence of the new, upgraded teaching facilities and a return to normalcy after the pandemic, combined with a relocation to the Barnes Building during renovations, cut off customer traffic for several years.

“It’s been a while since we were able to serve live clients,” he says. While at Barnes, “We had to resort to working on mannequins and working on each other. Each of us was getting a haircut every other day.”

Tyree Foster, who completed the barbering program in December, says the transition time was “challenging, for sure, an adjustment for all of us . . . but now with the renovation, we’re all super excited.”

“We’re all kind of learning together,” he adds. “But it’s been a great experience.”

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US Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack speaks during the Investing in Rural America Town Hall held recently at 91ӣ����Ƶ. Seated from left are White House Domestic Policy Council Director Neera Tanden and US Congressman Don Davis.

National and state officials converged at 91ӣ����Ƶ last week for an Investing in Rural America Town Hall.

Held February 21 on the college’s Tarboro campus, the town hall featured remarks by US Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack, White House Domestic Policy Council Director Neera Tanden, and US Congressman Don Davis.

Vilsack and Tanden joined Davis in announcing more than $770 million in agriculture department funds that will help rural communities access affordable high-speed internet, improve water and wastewater infrastructure, and create jobs and economic opportunities.

ECC President Dr. Greg McLeod, who introduced several of the speakers, shared how the college works to support and fulfill the mission and vision of the USDA through its programs, resources, partnerships, and initiatives. The Small Business Center supports local entrepreneurs and start-ups, he said, and customized training programs strengthen local manufacturing through targeted workforce training.

In addition, Dr. McLeod highlighted the college’s robust program in agribusiness technology. Launched in 2020, the program has grown to about 50 students and offers degree, diploma, and certificate credentials. The curricula provide the entrepreneurial and technical skills necessary to manage a profitable, environmentally sound, community-based small farm or agricultural business.

During a meet and greet held prior to the town hall, officials met agribusiness student Jaileea Knight. A senior at Tarboro High School, Knight is taking ECC courses through the Career and College Promise Program, which enables qualified high school students to take college courses tuition-free.

She is studying toward a certificate in animal science. “I have taken four courses in this amazing program,” she says. “They have taught me so much, including introduction to animal science, animal nutrition and feed development, animal healthcare, and animal waste management. My instructors are the best.”

Knight plans to attend either NC State University or NC A&T State University to major in agriculture education.

The town hall was the first of the Biden-Harris Administration’s fourth Investing in America tour. Following the town hall, a resource fair was held and featured vendors from ten federal departments and agencies.

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Attending the recent 91ӣ����Ƶ Campus Store ribbon-cutting on the Rocky Mount campus were (from left) ECC officials Kenny Parker, Debbie Batten, and Dr. Greg McLeod, and Rocky Mount Area Chamber of Commerce leaders Sam Bass, David Farris, Jennifer Shrimper, Nina White, Nikkie Allen, and Dianna Clarke.

91ӣ����Ƶ bookstores have been transformed into campus stores to better serve students, employees, and the public.

The ECC Campus Store, located in the McIntyre Building on the Tarboro campus and the Barnes Building on the Rocky Mount campus, carries general merchandise including fan gear, apparel, school supplies, gifts, snacks, ice cream, and beverages, including a coffee bar.

Textbooks for college classes are purchased online. Students order online and textbooks are shipped to their home or to campus. Digital course material is emailed.

“This project was four years in the making,” noted Debbie Batten, vice president of finance and administrative services. “The project included renovations to the space once occupied by the bookstore and the transition to a campus store. We hope the new ECC Campus Store is a positive experience for our students.”

The Rev. Jerry Spruell, chair of the 91ӣ����Ƶ Board of Trustees, and Eddie the Eagle check out an ECC T-shirt in the new Campus Store on the Tarboro campus.

Local dignitaries, college officials, and other members of the college community attended recent ribbon-cuttings on both campuses. The Rev. Jerry Spruell, chair of the ECC Board of Trustees, said, “The new Campus Store is certainly going to be an enhancement to ECC.”

“The Campus Store looks amazing,” added Tina Parker, downtown and commercial development coordinator for the Town of Tarboro.

Renovations to the former bookstore on the Tarboro campus include new flooring, installation of slat walls, and painting. Slat walls were added to the former bookstore on the Rocky Mount campus. New counters and gondolas for merchandise were added on both campuses.

“We are proud of our new Campus Store and believe this reimagined bookstore offers much more to students and the college community than just books,” said ECC President Dr. Greg McLeod. “We invite the public to visit either campus to check out our new Campus Store, especially the college merchandise. The Eddie the Eagle stuffies are my favorite!”

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