RCC Archival Collections

1958*-1965 1965-1979 1979-1988 1988-present			Randolph Industrial Education Center Randolph Technical Institute Randolph Technical College Randolph Community College
*3 April 1958 - Date Approved by State Board of Education Fall 1961 - Construction Begins on First Building (Administration/Education Center) 4 September 1962 - Official opening March 1962 - First Training Program: Certificate September 1962 - First Continuing Education Classes September 1962 - First Curriculum Classes: Certificate/Diploma October 1965 - First Degree Programs Offered: A.A.S. 30 October 1980 - Armadillo Mascot Approved; Reflex Blue & Silver Approved as Official School Colors  March 2009 - Orange is added as one of the Official School Colors and a new logo is approved

Spring 1957 - Local business, educational, industrial and civic leaders, including Charles W. McCrary, Sr. made a bid to the N.C. Legislature for funds to locate a vocational-technical school in Randolph County. This was the first formal bid to be made in Raleigh. McCrary was elected to the State Board of Education in 1956.

 

 

Charles W. McCrary, Sr. (1902-1984)

• April 3, 1958 - Randolph County receives tentative approval from the State Board of Education for its vocational-technical school which will open in 1962.

• Spring 1959 - Randolph was selected as one of 11 sites for industrial education centers in the state.

• Spring 1960 - Bond issue provided $350,000 to construct a center.

• Summer 1960 - A joint city-county committee is formed to oversee the establishment and operation of the RIEC. This committee's initial members were Lynn Albright, Ernest C. Routh, Wade H. Harris, W.J. Boger Jr., W. Frank Redding Jr., Guy B. Teachey, Robert L. Reese, and T. Henry Redding.

• December 1960 - A 25-acre tract in the Industrial Park on U.S. 220 South was chosen as a building site.

• December 1960 - Al G. Farkas, a native of Vienna, Austria, and a professor of Civil Technology at NC State College since 1955, is hired as the first director of the Randolph Industrial Education Center. His office is located in the basement of Fayetteville Street School. His time is spent with J.J. Croft, architect, and S.E. Trogdon, contractor, in developing the building plans for the new school. He is also responsible for setting up the curriculum/programs for the new school.

• October 1961 - Farkas resigns and Robert E. Carey of Pennsylvania is named the new director of the Randolph Industrial Education Center.

• November 1961 - Eugenia Gardner is hired as the first secretary of the RIEC and she and Director Carey work out of the Fayetteville Street School office as the new building takes shape.

• January 1962 - The County Board of Commissioners appropriated $51,880 to complete the center and the City Board of Education approved an operating budget of $28,000, $15-20,000 of which was derived from state funds.

• January 1962 - Erman S. Cox is hired as the school's first maintenance supervisor. At this point, the only staff members were Carey, Gardner, and Cox.

• March 1962 - The first out-of-school industrial training program to be organized by the RIEC began with four students. The purpose of the program was to train potential employees for the Asheboro-area Needle Trades Industries. This first class consisted of four women and was taught by Helen A. Prevatte from Thomasville, N.C. The students were issued a certificate signed by the State Supervisor of Trade and Industrial Education upon completing the course.

• June 1962 - Asheboro School Board named Merton H. Branson associate director of the new Randolph Industrial Education Center.  On June 11, 1962, the entire staff--Director, Associate Director, Maintenance Man, and Secretary move in. Final inspection of the 33,000-square-foot, one-story, L-shaped building took place on June 30, 1962. Two wings with classrooms and laboratories in one and shops in the other, were connected.

• July 1962 - The first five instructors were hired. These were Malcolm H. Ritchie, Mathematics; Shelby V. Morgan Jr., Chemistry/Physics; Jack E. Steele Jr., Electronics; Bryant N. Barden, Welding/Sheet Metal; and John L. Roberson, Electricity. The curriculum offerings are established for the opening of the school and these were Automotive Mechanics (2 years); Drafting (2 years); Electricity (2 years); Electronics (2 years); Machine Shop (2 years); and Welding (1 year).

• Sept. 4, 1962 - RIEC opened its doors for classes with an enrollment of 115 full-time students who ranged in age from 16 to 45 years, eight faculty members and four staff members. Three new faculty members were on board by the end of August. These were: Lowell M. Whatley, Auto Mechanics; Clarence M. Frazier, Machine Shop; and Frances F. Taylor; English/Speed Reading/Communicative Skills.  When the school opened, its original service area included Anson, Montgomery, Stanly, and Randolph counties.

The first class met  in what is now room 115 of the Administration/Education Center. Standing from left to right are Robert E. Carey (Director of the Randolph Industrial Education Center) and Merton H. Branson (Associate Director). Seated from left to right are Guy B. Teachey (Superintendent of Asheboro City Schools); Dr. Frank Edmondson (Chairman of Asheboro City School Board); T. Henry Redding (Chairman of the Randolph Industrial Education Center Advisory Board); John L. Roberson (Electrical Technology Instructor); Malcolm H. Ritchie (Mathematics Instructor); Shelby V. Morgan, Jr. (Chemistry/Physics Instructor); Jack E. Steele, Jr. (Electronics Technology Instructor)l; Clarence M. Frazier (Machine Shop Instructor); Bryant N. Barden (Welding Instructor) and Lowell M. Whatley (Auto Mechanics Instructor). 

• September 1962 - The first extension courses (Continuing Education) classes are offered. 

• September 1962 - Two new faculty members are added: Joe H. Anderson, Drafting and Calvin Brower, Drafting. Both men worked at General Electric. Iris Ragland, bookkeeper/librarian, also joined the staff. 

• November 1962 - The Randolph Industrial Education Center's first student placements came in November of 1962, two months after the school opened, from a Drafting class taught by Joe H. Anderson, superintendent of the General Electric plant drafting room. The students were Alvin Williamson of Asheboro and C.B. Grimes of Ramseur. Both men were employed at Moore-Gardner & Associates, Engineers. 

• February 11, 1963 - The school's first satellite center, a Knitters' Apprenticeship Training School, began in Troy, NC at the old Page Street School. This program was operated in conjunction with the Montgomery County Knitter's Association.  Clarence Boylen served as coordinator with a group of 7 instructors. The satellite center operated until 1967, when Montgomery Community College was established. 

• April 1963 - The official dedication of the Randolph Industrial Education Center took place with a welcome at the Masonic Lodge. Dallas Herring, Chairman of the State Board of Education and one of the founding fathers of the NC Community College System spoke at the event. An open house was held at the school to showcase the facilities. 

• July 1963 - Future RCC President Larry K. Linker was hired as agricultural technology coordinator. 

• September 1963 - City and county school boards appointed four members and the county commissioners appointed four members to serve as the eight trustees for the school. The first trustees were J.W. Plummer, chairman; Cleveland H. Thayer, vice chairman; Richard B. Sweeney; Lynn Albright; Ernest Routh; T.A. Johnson; David S. Underwood; E.S. Millsaps; and John N. Ogburn Jr., board attorney. 

• October 1963 - The newly formed Board of Trustees of the Randolph Industrial Education Center hold their first meeting.  J. W. "Willie" Plummer is elected chairman. He will go on to serve on the board until 1996.  

• November 1963 - Diplomas were presented to the first full-length course graduates. These six students completed a one-year program in Welding, attending three-hour classes five days a week. Welding instructors were Bryant N. Barden and Paul H. Newby. 

• December 1963 - Director Robert E. Carey resigned and Merton H. Branson was elected director of the RIEC on January 1, 1964. By that time, Larry Linker had joined the staff as agricultural technology coordinator and was appointed assistant director of instruction in 1964.

• January 1964 - Randolph Industrial Education Center becomes the first IEC in the state to establish a Learning Lab.  The primary purpose for which the learning lab was set up was to provide all necessary materials and facilities for adults to obtain their high school equivalency diplomas.

• April 1964 - The first class of adult basic education began.

• August 1964 - The first formal graduation exercises are held Sunday, August 16, 1964. Thirty-six students received diplomas and graduated from the two-year Automotive Mechanics, Drafting, Machine Shop, and Welding Programs. The wives of the first two-year graduates in 1964 received "GoodWife" diplomas presented by Larry Linker and John L. Roberson. Linker, who was assistant director of the RIEC at this time, introduced the wives and spoke of the recognition to which they were entitled for helping their husbands with the difficulties of combining work, home life and study.

• Fall 1965 - The Center had grown to 11 staff members, 13 full-time and 27 part-time faculty members and had served approximately 2,700 people.

• October 20, 1965 - The Board of Trustees adopted Randolph Technical Institute as the new name and were authorized to award Associate in Applied Science degrees.

• Fall 1965 - With the change from an Industrial Education Center to a Technical Institute, RTI could award an Associate in Applied Science Degree. Students could only be granted a diploma before the change.

• Fall 1965 - A Technical Institute was required by law to have 12 trustees instead of the eight-member board previously needed. In 1965, Gov. Dan K. Moore appointed four new members.

• 1966-67 - School Year-RTI enrolled 142 curriculum students and 2,122 continuing education students.

• January 1967 - RTI trustees authorized the drawing of plans and specifications for the first major building program.

• Fall 1967 - The first of the College’s specialty programs, Interior Design, was initially offered. Photography and Photofinishing, Commercial Graphics and Floral Design/Commercial Horticulture followed in the next three years.

• October 1967 - RTI officials broke ground for the new 9,635-square-foot addition that would house administrative offices, a teaching auditorium, a library, and student and faculty lounges.

• Spring 1968 - The school's first organized sports team, a baseball team, is organized.  It is coached by faculty members Benny Hampton and Vernon Felton.

• September 1968 - RTI's addition to the original building, which now serves as the main entrance to the Administration/Education Center opens.

• February 1969 - RTI received its charter from the N.C. Department of Community Colleges. Later that year, RTI was selected as a center for high school equivalency testing by the N.C. Department of Public Instruction in cooperation with the American Council on Education.

• January 1, 1970 - RTI offers its first ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) classes. 

• June 1970 - RTI added college transfer courses through a contractual agreement with the University of North Carolina at Greensboro.  The first two classes offered were English 101 and History 101.

• 1972 - The Visiting Artist program begins.  This program is made available throughout the community college system and RTI receives a new visiting artist each year. Robert Guthrie, classical guitarist, is RTI's first Visiting Artist and is shared with Davidson County Community College. The program continues until funding dissolves in 1995. 

• September 1973 - RTI was accredited by the State Board of Education. The accreditation meant that the institution met all academic and other standards of the State Board and that RTI graduates would be able to more easily transfer their credits to certain four-year institutions. Also, the contractual agreement with UNCG was upgraded to allow for the transfer of up to 64 semester hours of credit from RTI.

• September 1974 - The school added 19,620 square feet with a larger student lounge, new photography and design studios, classrooms, a campus store and two metal buildings.

• December 1974 - RTI was accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.

• March 1978 - Randolph County citizens approved a $2.5 million bond referendum funding construction of a learning resources center, a vocational-technical building and a student services center.

• 1978-79 - School Year-RTI enrolled 1,218 curriculum students and 6,604 continuing education students.

• July 1979 - In the midst of the building program, RTI was renamed Randolph Technical College.

• 1979 - The Randolph Technical College Foundation, a private nonprofit organization, was established to receive tax-exempt donations and channel them into areas which would benefit the college and, in turn, the community.

• 1980 - The Board of Trustees approved the armadillo as the official school mascot and the official school colors of silver and blue.

• Fall 1984 - RTC had its official open house of rented facilities to provide an extension office in Archdale. The center, located on Highway 62 between Highway 311 and Flint Hill Road, consisted of two classrooms for instructional purposes and an office.

• Fall 1985 - RTC received funding for a Small Business Center to serve Randolph County citizens. The center was located in the Asheboro/Randolph Chamber of Commerce building on Dixie Drive until January 1991, when it was moved onto the Asheboro Campus.

• December 1987 - The seven-year-old Foundation had an Endowed Scholarship Fund of $154,675, an Associate Degree Nursing Fund Endowment of $387,380, and a Matching Funds Endowment for Excellence valued at $321,037. Total assets exceeded $864,900.

• December 1987 - RTC was serving more that 1,700 students in the curriculum programs each year and another 7,700 in continuing education, adult education and industry training programs.

• January 1988 - The college's fourth name, Randolph Community College, was adopted.

• April 1988 - The new 11,800-square-foot Business Education Center opened for classes.

• June 1988 - President M.H. Branson retired after 26 years with the College, 24 as president. Dr. Larry K. Linker took over as president of RCC, becoming the College's fourth leader.

• November 1990 - RCC opened its Archdale Campus and the 14,500-square-foot Computer Technology Center on the Asheboro Campus.

• November 1993 - A statewide community college bond referendum was approved by voters, providing funds for a new building program at RCC.

• December 31, 1994 - Dr. John L. Roberson, Dean of Student Services since 1965, and RCC employee since July 1962, retires.  Roberson was the last original employee of the College who was hired before the College opened.

• August 1995 - The school opened a 15,744-square-foot addition to the photography studio in the Administration/Education Center on the Asheboro Campus. The state-of-the-art addition effectively doubled the space devoted to this curriculum, which draws students from all over North Carolina and beyond.

• 1995-96 - School Year-Randolph Community College enrolled 10,930 students, 1,930 in curriculum programs and 9,000 in continuing education.

• February 1996 - RCC's Hosiery Technology Center opens.

• June 1996 - J. W. Plummer retired from the Board of Trustees; Tyler Lisk was elected chairman.

• July 1996 - RCC launches the college's website, which included general information about the College, its services and facilities, Curriculum and Continuing Education course offerings, information on the RCC Foundation and campus maps.

• January 1997 - The new 21,060-square-foot Health & Science Center and a 6,600-square-foot addition to the Design Center were opened. The College's facilities have grown to a total square footage of 267,899.

• October 1997 - RCC opened a 2,800-square foot, two-classroom addition to the Archdale campus.

• Fall 1997 - RCC began offering its own autonomous Associate in Arts (College Transfer) program. The previous program had been a contractual agreement with the University of North Carolina at Greensboro.

• July 1998 - Jerry W. Tillman was elected as the new chairman of the RCC Board of Trustees, when former chairman Tyler R. Lisk retired.

• 1998 - Long time staff member, Vice President Allan Edwards retires after 33 years with the College.

• January 1999 - RCC offered its first Internet courses with the launch of its Virtual Campus. The initial offering included eight courses.

• January 1999 - The Randolph County JobLink Career Center, located on RCC's Asheboro Campus, received its charter from the Regional Workforce Development Board.

• Spring 1999 - A 3,720-square-foot Campus Store opened behind the Student Services Center, connected by a covered walkway.

• November 1999 - Beta Theta Rho, RCC's chapter of Phi Theta Kappa, is chartered.  Dacia Murphy-Price and Amanda Rivers, both English instructors at RCC, were the chapter's first advisors. 

• December 1999 - RCC receives reaffirmation of accreditation from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.

• July 2000 - Dr. Larry Linker retires as president of the College after spending 37 years in administrative positions, 12 years as president.

• July 2000 - The RCC Board of Trustees chose Dr. Richard T. "Dick" Heckman as the new president and fifth leader in the history of the College.

• 2000-2001 School Year - Randolph Community College enrolled 12,023 students, 2,469 in curriculum programs and 9,374 in continuing education.

• Fall 2001 - RCC's long-awaited Emergency Services Training Center opened on a 60-acre site on Old Cedar Falls Road, just east of Asheboro.

• May 2002 - RCC awarded over 600 degrees, diplomas and certificates to students in its Curriculum, Adult High School and General Educational Development programs.

• July 2002 - The RCC Board of Trustees honored former RCC President Merton H. Branson and former Board Chairman J.W. (Willie) Plummer with its first Distinguished Service Award.

• July 2003 - The RCC Board of Trustees presented Dr. Larry Linnker, retired RCC President, with its Distinguished Service Award.

• July 2003 - Foundation Conference Center opens. Bell and Clock Tower placed in front of Foundation Conference Center.

• October 12, 2003 - Foundation Conference Center and JB Davis Bell and Clock Tower dedication. JB Davis was employed at the college from 1968-1970 as a Student Services counselor and went to work for Klaussiner Furniture in 1970 where he retired as president and CEO in 2010.

• July 2004 - The RCC Board of Trustees presents its Distinguished Service Award to Robert A. (Bob) Heist, Jr. and posthumously to Cecil P. Allen and Jerry M. Howell.  Heist, Howell, and Allen, all Photography instructors, were credited for building the Photography program from 1969-2000.

• August 2004 - RCC's Writing Center was established and opened for the first time with the beginning of the fall semester. Located in the computer lab on the first floor of the R. Alton Cox Learning Resources Center, it was staffed by full-time English instructors Clark Adams, Michelle Hines, Grey Lane, Dr. Melinda Lamb, and Dacia Murphy-Price. The Writing Center was moved to enlarged facilities on the second floor of the Learning Resources Center in May 2010.

• March 2006 - Dr. Larry Linker came out of retirement to return as chief operating officer and interim president and served until December.

• August 2006 - Randolph Early College High School begins classes on RCC's campus with its first class of students.

• January 2007 - Dr. Bob Shackleford takes the helm as RCC's fourth president and sixth leader.

• July 2007 - The RCC Board of Trustees posthumously awards Charles W. McCrary, Sr. its Distinguished Service Award.  McCrary, an Asheboro industrialist, was a member of the State Board of Education from 1956-1965 and was involved in the establishment of Industrial Education Centers across the state from 1958-1963.  All of these centers eventually became community colleges after 1963. 

• September 2007 - The College celebrated its 45th Anniversary with two days of events on a Friday evening and Saturday which recognized its first curriculum graduates (1963/1964) and founders/retirees of the college.

• January 2008 - Pfeiffer University begins offering bachelor's degree level courses in Elementary Education on RCC's campus.

• January 2008 - RCC's new 20,000-square-foot Automotive Systems Technology and Autobody Repair Center is named the "Richard Petty Education Center."

• April 12, 2008 - RCC holds first Student Leadership Academy. Fourteen students were chosen for the first academy.

• August 2008 - The University Center of Randolph County is established with Pfeiffer University offering a bachelor's degree in Elementary Education, Greensboro College offering a bachelor's degree in Criminal Justice, and Salem College offering a bachelor's degree in Business Administration.  The original RCC liaisons for these programs were Maria LeBaron (Pfeiffer University), Neil Weatherly (Greensboro College) and Clark Adams (Salem College). 

• August 2008 - Ground is broken on the Richard Petty Education Center.

• August 2008 - Randolph Early College High School Modular Building opens.

• November 2008 - RCC begins offering classes through videoconferencing and classes are transmitted back and forth between the Archdale Center and the Asheboro Campus.

• Fall 2008 - Cultural Arts Series begins at Randolph Community College.

• February 2009 - RCC's Basic Skills department opened the new Learning Center for English as a Second Language courses. The center is housed in the Chevy Center on South Fayetteville Street in Asheboro.

• July 2009 - Richard Petty Education Center opens.

• November 2009 - RCC's Cosmetology Center opens to the public. The Cosmetology Center, located in Hillside Shopping Center at 1003 S. Fayetteville Street, was planned to accommodate 36 students at a time at styling stations on the floor, plus students in two classrooms. The Center was planned to hold 10 shampoo stations, 12 dryers, a waxing room, and a manicure/pedicure area.

• January 2010 - 2,971 students enroll in college credit classes.

• March 2010 - A 1/4 cent sales tax referendum is passed, which will provide funds to renovate the old Klaussner Furniture plant on Industrial Park Avenue for RCC programs and services.

• May 19, 2010 - Randolph Early College High School holds its first graduation ceremony on the front lawn of the campus.

• September 2010 - RCC launches a Minority Male Mentoring Program.  Arnold Gaines, Jr., student retention specialist, is named the administrator of the program.  The group is later given the name Inner Strength 3MP. 

• May 24, 2011 - RCC's 1,700-square-foot Welcome Center addition to the Student Services Center opens.

• July 2011 - RCC receives reaffirmation of accreditation from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.

• August 12, 2011 - A 5,700-square-foot state of the art Welding lab is opened at RCC's Archdale Center.

• October 6, 2011 - A groundbreaking ceremony is held for the renovation of the old Klaussner furniture plant on Industrial Park Avenue. The plant will be renamed the Continuing Education and Industrial Center.

• January 2012 - RCC kicks off a year-long 50th birthday celebration at the annual Employee Appreciation Breakfast sponsored by the RCC Foundation. Faculty and staff returned to the campus where they gathered to form the number 50 and had an aerial photograph made.

• January 2012 - RCC launches "50 Minutes for 50 Years," a volunteer action project, which involves faculty, staff, and students. The project's goal is to engage the RCC community in giving back to local organizations for supporting the college for 50 years.

• April 17, 2012 - The third-annual Academic Honors Ceremony is held at Rushwood Park Wesleyan Church. In recognition of RCC's 50th Anniversary, students from RCC's first graduating class who could have qualified for Academic Awards were honored at the ceremony. One of the last living instructors from 1962, Calvin Brower, who taught Drafting part-time, introduced the four alumni graduates. 

• May 1, 2012 - Acclaimed watercolorist William Mangum gave two lectures in the R. Alton Cox Learning Resources Center auditorium and unveiled a portrait of the RCC campus that he was commissioned to paint for RCC's 50th Anniversary. Although Mangum has painted many college and university campuses in North Carolina, Randolph Community College was his first portrait of a North Carolina community college.

• May 9, 2012 - In recognition of RCC's 50th Anniversary, RCC alumni played a key role in the curriculum graduation ceremony. Two graduates from the first graduating class of 1963, and one graduate from each graduating class through 2011, were selected to participate in the 2012 curriculum graduation to represent all RCC alumni. The 50 alumni graduates wore graduation robes, led the processional, and were recognized in the ceremony. Special graduation speakers were Dr. R. Scott Ralls, president of the N.C. Community College System; North Carolina Senator Jerry Tillman; and Dr. Stuart B. Fountain, vice chair of the State Board of Community Colleges. Also making brief remarks was Dr. Lacy M. Presnell Jr., former Randolph County Schools superintendent (1961-1969) and the keynote speaker at RCC's first formal graduation exercises in 1964.

• May 19, 2012 - The Salem College Bachelor of Science in Business Administration program, part of the University Center of Randolph County, graduates its first students.

• June 2, 2012 - The Randolph Community College Foundation's third annual Dancing with the Randolph Stars event helps to raise $129,000 before expenses, to be used for student scholarships through the RCC Foundation. 

• June 2012 - RCC announces the establishment of an Air Force ROTC program in conjunction with North Carolina A&T State University. 

• July 2, 2012 - Winston-Salem State University joins the University Center of Randolph County and offers a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree.

• July 2012 - RCC is one of only two community colleges in North Carolina that achieved "Exceptional Institutional Performance" standards for the fourth consecutive year from the NC Community College System.  

• September 4, 2012 - A 50th birthday celebration is held on campus on the exact date that curriculum classes started 50 years before. 

• September 11, 2012 - In honor of the 50th Anniversary, RCC's Photography Department hosts an alumni photography show at the Randolph Arts Guild.

• September 20, 2012 - Former RCC Visiting Artist Michael Stephenson performs with the Randolph Jazz Band, (a band he helped to form) as part of the 50th Anniversary.

• October 17, 2012 - Carolina Graduate School of Divinity joins the University Center of Randolph County and offers a Master of Arts degree in Ministry and a Master of Divinity. 

• October 20, 2012 - As part of its 50th Anniversary celebration, RCC recognizes its founders and retirees at a Founders Day luncheon.  An Employee Service Recognitation Board was unveiled at the luncheon and was placed in the front of the Administration/Education Center.

• October 27, 2012 - RCC's Interior Design program, the first in the NC Community College System, celebrates its 45th Anniversary.

• November 6, 2012 - North Carolina A&T State University joins the University Center of Randolph County and offers a Bachelor's degree in Electronics Technology with a concentration in Information Technology. 

• November 27, 2012 - As part of the College's 50th Anniversary, a time capsule, sponsored by the Student Government Association, is buried.  The capsule is to be opened on September 4, 2062, the College's 100th Anniversary.  

• January 4, 2013 - A ribbon-cutting ceremony and open house are held for the new 46,000-square-foot Continuing Education and Industrial Center, a former Klaussner Furniture plant.  The CEIC, designed to meet LEED gold standards of energy conservation, is believed to be the first public building of its kind in Randolph County.  The building contains a Corporate Training Center, the Computer-Integrated Machining, Electronics/Electrical Technology, and Industrial Systems Technology programs and also provides additional space for the Continuing Education department and Small Business Center. 

• February 18, 2013 - N.C. Gov. Pat McCrory officially signed his first piece of legislation in RCC's Continuing Education and Industrial Center.  Senate Bill 14, sponsored by former RCC Board of Trustee Member Sen. Jerry Tillman, increased access to career and technical education.

• March 6, 2013 - In observance of the North Carolina Community College System's 50th Anniversary, Randolph Community College joined other community colleges across the state in unveiling a portrait of W. Dallas Herring, member of the State Board of Education from 1955-1977 and chairman of the board from 1957-1977.  Herring was heavily involved in the establishment of a statewide system of industrial education centers which formed the nucleus of the present North Carolina Community College System when it was formed in 1963.  Today, he is known as the "Father of the NC Community College System."  The portrait was hung in the Administration/Education Center Boardroom.

• May 8, 2013 - Over 460 students graduate at RCC's curriculum graduation ceremony held in the Asheboro High School gymnasium.  A special presentation was made to Dr. Robert S. Shackleford, Jr. as the recipient of the 2013 N.C. Community College System's President of the Year. During Shackleford's tenure from 2007-present, the Richard Petty Education Center, Randolph Early College High School Modular Building, and Welcome Center were opened.  A 1/4 cent sales tax referendum was approved for RCC facilities.  The former Klaussner Funiture Plant was purchased, renovated, and opened as the Continuing Education and Industrial Center.  A second classroom building was also added to the Emergency Services Training Center. 

• January 2014 - RCC opens the Randleman Center, a 4,440-square-foot facility at 100 Hillary Street in the old police department building. Initial offerings at the RCC Randleman Center include basic computer skills in English and Spanish, advanced computer skills classes, Quickbooks classes, Pharmacy Technician classes, English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL), an employability lab, and high school equivalency classes. RCC’s Small Business Center director will be available on site one day a week to help local businesses, and Rural Entrepreneurship through Action Learning (REAL) classes will available at the facility beginning in February.

• March 21, 2014 - The RCC Foundation hosts a Retiree luncheon in Azalea Park on the Asheboro Campus. It is hoped that this will become an annual event. 

• July 17, 2014 - Natasha Dowdy, director of administration at United Brass Works Inc. in Randleman, and T. Reynolds Lisk, president of Insurance Associates of the Triad in Asheboro, join the RCC Board of Trustees.

• August 12, 2014 - Dr. Stuart B. Fountain receives the 2014 Distinguished Service Award from the RCC Board of Trustees. Dr. Fountain is a retired local dentist, former Board of Trustee Chairman of Guilford Technical Community College, and a member of the North Carolina Community College Board. Dr. Fountain served as chair of the Planning Committee and vice chair of the Excellence in Teaching Award Committee at the state board. He previously served as chair of the full board from 2011-2013 and chair of the Policy Committee from 2007-2011. On the local level, Dr. Fountain was a member of the RCC Foundation Board from 2007 to 2013. During that time, he served on several Foundation committees and helped with interviews for the Foundation Ambassadors. In 2011, he participated as a dancer in the Foundation’s Dancing with the Randolph Stars fundraiser. He also has co-sponsored the College’s Student Leadership Academy for eight years. In addition, Dr. Fountain has been an active member of the Randolph County Hospice Board, a member of the Asheboro City Council, active member of First United Methodist Church in Asheboro, Rotary District Governor, past president of the N.C. Dental Society and the American Endodontic Society, vice president of the American Dental Association, and served on the faculty of the N.C. School of Dentistry at UNC-Chapel Hill. One of his most recent notable awards was the Order of the Long Leaf Pine, presented by the Governor of North Carolina to honor persons who have a proven record of service to the State of North Carolina or some other special achievement.

• September 18, 2014 - Harold Holmes, retired banking executive and longtime member of the Randolph County Board of Commissioners, joins the RCC Board of Trustees.

• September 30, 2014 - The Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) awards initial accreditation to the Medical Assisting Associate Degree program at Randolph Community College’s Archdale Center.

• November 3, 2014 - RCC purchases the former Bost Neckwear property at 503 and 505 Industrial Park Avenue for $826,267. The 4.2-acre tract contains a building and warehouse, amounting to 18,240 square feet; the property’s rear was originally leased for overflow campus parking. Plans are made to relocate the Cosmetology Center from its leased facilities at the Hillside Shopping Center on Fayetteville Street.

• November 6, 2014 - RCC dedicates its new Charles W. McCrary Sr. Boardroom in the Administration/Education Center. McCrary Sr. was the son of Acme-McCrary founder D. B. McCrary. He and his father helped found Randolph Hospital and he was president of Randolph Hospital from 1946-1976 and was vice president until his death in 1984. He served on the Asheboro City Board of Education from 1936-1956 and was chairman from 1941-1956, when he was appointed to the N.C. State Board of Education by N.C. Gov. Luther H. Hodges. He served on the state board until 1965. While serving on the State Board of Education, he was appointed chairman of the Committee for Terminal Education which was charged for developing the statewide plan for the Industrial Education Centers, all of which eventually became state community colleges. McCrary worked closely with Dallas Herring, chairman of the State Board of Education, and Gov. Luther Hodges to develop these IEC’s, which served as the nucleus for the present North Carolina Community College System. Twenty Industrial Education Centers were opened from 1958-1963. In 1957, McCrary made the first bid in Raleigh for the establishment of such a school in Randolph County. This was the first bid of any county in North Carolina. However, other counties would beat Randolph in opening their schools. McCrary helped community leaders see the potential the school had for developing Randolph’s industrial potential, bridging the gap between the production worker and the engineer, increasing the per capita income of the county, and stimulating interest in new and expanding industries.

• January 20, 2015 - The Joint Review Committee on Education in Radiologic Technology (JRCERT) awarded initial accreditation for a period of three years to Randolph Community College's Radiography program. This is the maximum duration that may be awarded by JRCERT.

• April 14, 2015 - Asheboro City Schools, Randolph County Schools, and Randolph Community College announce a partnership project called Pathways to Prosperity to create seamless educational pathways for students to go from local high schools to community college into lucrative advanced manufacturing jobs.

• July 16, 2015 - Rick Powell and PEMMCO Manufacturing were presented with the 2015 Distinguished Service Award by the RCC Board of Trustees. Rick Powell, president of the Asheboro-based manufacturer of precision machine parts, accepted the award. Over the years, PEMMCO has hired a number of RCC graduates and continually provides feedback on the performance of those graduates so that RCC can improve its programs. Several of the company’s employees serve on the Computer-Integrated Machining advisory committee. PEMMCO has made numerous contributions to the RCC Foundation, and Powell appeared in a video supporting the College’s 2014-2015 capital budget request to the Randolph County Commissioners. They have also provided numerous support letters for grant applications.

• September 4, 2015 - Randolph Community College holds its first Founders Day to commemorate the opening of the college as the Randolph Industrial Education Center on September 4, 1962.

• September 24, 2015 - Randolph Community College was named a partner in a $9.2 million “First in the World” grant in a consortium of 10 community colleges in North Carolina to extend a student retention program that focuses on proactive student counseling and coaching.

• November 16, 2015 - Randolph Community College’s Foundation names its Pledge Fund the Robert Shackleford Emergency Fund. The fund provides assistance to students facing financial emergencies that may cause them to drop out of school.

• December 7, 2015 - Randolph Community College’s Library adds a Library LibGuide website for its archives and special collections.

• March 17, 2016 - Randolph Community College Board of Trustees name the Continuing Education and Industrial Center’s (former Klaussner Furniture warehouse) Corporate Training Center room the JB and Claire Davis Corporate Training Center. JB Davis, a counselor at Randolph Technical Institute from 1968-1970, went on to become president of Klaussner Furniture Industries before his retirement. Davis worked closely with RCC President Bob Shackleford to secure the former Klaussner Furniture warehouse for use by the college. An unveiling for the new name of the Corporate Training Center was held on May 19.

• September 15, 2016 - A ribbon-cutting ceremony and open house are held for the new Cosmetology Center on the Asheboro Campus. Like its Continuing Education and Industrial Center neighbor, the 10,865-square-foot facility at 503 Industrial Park Avenue was transformed from an old factory/warehouse building (formerly Bost Neckwear) into a dynamic, beautiful learning environment. The facility includes 44 student styling stations, 10 shampoo stations, 16 hair dryers, separate facial and waxing rooms, a manicure /pedicure area featuring massaging pedicure chairs, and three classrooms.

• August 24, 2016 - Asheboro City Schools, Randolph Community College, and the Randolph County School System unveiled a second pathway focused on health care jobs in their partnership project, Pathways to Prosperity, at a joint press conference on Aug. 24 in RCC’s Health & Science Center. The project is based on a report, “Pathways to Prosperity: Meeting the Challenge of Preparing Young Americans for the 21st Century,” released in 2011 by the Harvard Graduate School of Education. In the report, school systems are “called to align Career & Technical Education (CTE) courses with area and state labor market demands and create a system of career-focused pathways that span the last years of high school and at least one year of postsecondary education or training that leads to an industry-recognized certification or credential.”

• October 7, 2016 - The College officially renamed its machining program and lab the Gene Haas Computer-Integrated Machining Institute.

• April 6, 2017 - The Foundation Conference Center is renamed the Martha Luck Comer Conference Center for Martha Luck Comer Johnson. Johnson was originally appointed to the Randolph Technical Institute Board in 1976 by N.C. Governor James Holshouser Jr. to replace her father (the late Ivey Luck) for the 6 1/2 years remaining on his term. The Randolph County Board of Education then reappointed Johnson to the Board for one eight-year term and four four-year terms. Her total service as a member of the RCC Board was 31 years and six months; she retired on June 30, 2007, and she was awarded the status of Trustee Emeritus in November 2007.

• January 24, 2018 -  Randolph Community College opened its renovated Photographic Technology facility, drawing a crowd of over 200 to the ribbon cutting and open house at the Asheboro Campus. The new facility includes 1,400 square feet of added space, for a total square footage of 13,655. The new and renovated spaces include eight multimedia editing suites, renovated classrooms, a dark room, a mat cutting room, a digital print lab, a student commons, and a new equipment checkout area. Technology upgrades to printers, computers, wireless access, security cameras, and digital displays for information and student work were also included. The renovated facility provides specialized spaces for each of the program's disciplines: Commercial Photography, Photojournalism, and Portrait Studio Management. The $2.4 million construction project was funded from a combination of state funds and support of Randolph County via the ¼-cent sales tax referendum. State equipment funds were used to update technology and equipment for the facility.

• March 28, 2018 - The University of North Carolina at Greensboro announced a new co-admission agreement with Randolph Community College to facilitate degree completion and student success by improving access to undergraduate educational resources, university facilities and support systems. The UNCG-RCC “Spartan Passage” partnership expands opportunities for transfer students, regardless of location, to access and complete their baccalaureate degrees in a selection of nearly 60 popular majors including Business Administration, Biology, Psychology, and Computer Science. The first of its kind in Randolph County, the UNCG-RCC partnership is significant for the mostly rural community, with an average population density of 166 people or less per square mile.

• April 10, 2018 - Asheboro City Schools, Randolph Community College, and the Randolph County School System unveil a third pathway, agriculture, in their partnership project, Pathways to Prosperity.

• April 17, 2018 - The Randolph Community College Foundation and Randolph Community College name its Azalea Park in the middle of the Asheboro Campus in honor of Frank and Ella B. Lowe of Liberty. The Lowes, who owned Dixie Equipment Company in Liberty from 1957 to December 2013, designated a gift to the Randolph Community College Foundation per their wills. The company, which supplied school and office furniture, had conducted business with the college for many years.

• May 21, 2018 - Randolph Community College named its College and Career Readiness Department in honor of Dahlia Gubalane Oldham of Seagrove, a graduate and fervent supporter of the program, the College, and the RCC Foundation. Oldham earned a bachelor’s degree in home economics in her native Philippines before she came to the United States and married William Oldham of Seagrove. She was a full-time wife and mother to three boys before deciding to go back to school. When she couldn’t get her high school transcript from the Philippines, she enrolled in RCC’s College and Career Readiness program and earned her high school equivalency diploma.

• August 23, 2018 - Randolph Community College held a groundbreaking ceremony for its much-anticipated Allied Health Center on Thursday, with over 100 state and local government officials, business and industry partners, and RCC faculty, staff and students gathered at the site on Industrial Park Avenue. The $14.4 million facility will house the College’s Associate Degree Nursing, Radiography, Medical Assisting, and Emergency Medical Services programs. The 45,000-square-foot, two-story, L-shaped building will increase the space available for the health care programs by 86%. Funds for the new building will come from Randolph County’s ¼-cent sales tax designated for RCC capital construction ($9.4 million) and state community college bond funds ($5 million).

• September 7-8, 2018 - Randolph Community College’s Photographic Technology program marked its 50th anniversary with its first Homecoming Celebration. About 170 alumni attended the event that included tours of the newly renovated photo facility on the Asheboro Campus, photography seminars, and a lecture by Nikon Ambassador Tamara Lackey.

• November 16, 2018 - Randolph Community College’s Welcome Center was renamed the Ann Hoover Welcome Center in honor of RCC Foundation board member and longtime College supporter Ann Hoover in a ceremony Friday afternoon on the Asheboro Campus. Hoover has been on the Foundation Board of Directors since 2008. While on the Board, she has served as president (2013-15), vice president, co-chair of Dancing with the Randolph Stars committee, and a member of the membership and investment committees. She was a member of the Board during the first Friends and Family Campaign that boasted 100 percent participation.

• Summer 2019 - The Randleman Center closes.

• July 18, 2019 - Larry Reid, Station Manager and Morning Show host of The NEW 94.9 FM/1260-AM WKXR Radio in Asheboro, joined the RCC Board of Trustees, replacing Harold Holmes.

• September 17, 2019 - Randolph Community College's old Allied Health Center was renamed the Kinley Center after Assistant Director of Facilities Ken Kinley, who retired after a record 40 years of service at the College.

• September 19, 2019 - Randolph Community College's new Allied Health Center was renamed the Dr. Robert S. Shackleford Jr. Allied Health Center after its current president.

 

• January 2020 - Randolph Community College brings back its Agribusiness Technology Program after nearly 50 years. The program is designed to provide the entrepreneurial and technical skills necessary to manage a profitable, environmentally sound, community based small farm or agricultural business. The objective is the development of a workplace knowledgeable in sustainable agricultural practices.

• January 16, 2020 - Chris Yow, Vice President of Sales at Bossong Medical LLC, is appointed by the Asheboro City Schools Board of Education as a new member of the RCC Board of Trustees, replacing the late Curt Lorimer.

• 2020 Covid-19 Pandemic
• March 13

• Spring Break was extended for a week (March 16-20), and Continuing Education courses were suspended from March 14-22.
• Students were encouraged to stay home, and the College limited visitors to campus.
• All travel for RCC purposes was suspended, and all events were canceled through May 31.
• All employees were encouraged to self-disclose travel to “hot spots.”
• A COVID-19 page was added to the College’s website.

• March 23

• The College transitioned from in-person instruction to a system of alternative course delivery.

• March 30

• The College closed all campuses to the public and started operating with essential personnel only.
• The announcement was made that the 2020 Curriculum Graduation would be moved to a virtual platform.

• April 17

• The College announced that registration for Summer 2020 and Fall 2020 classes were taking place as scheduled, and students could purchase books online for Summer starting May 11.

• April 29

• Details about RCC’s virtual 2020 Curriculum Graduation were released. The commencement was available for viewing June 8 on YouTube and Facebook at 7 p.m. Students were encouraged to share their pictures with the hashtag #RCCProud2020. Graduates could pick up their diploma and commencement ceremony programs June 1-5 at the Welcome Center or could request them by mail.

• May 8

• RCC President Robert S. Shackleford Jr. released this statement:

Dear RCC Community,

As we near the end of another week of social distancing measures, we must stay the course and take pride in knowing that we are adapting successfully in ways we never thought possible. Change is always challenging. I have great admiration for how our college community adjusted so quickly and adapted so effectively to this change that was thrust upon us.

I know we all yearn for the time when we can return to campus. But I also know that we are doing the right thing for the right reasons. I am immensely proud of the efforts and contributions of our faculty and staff during this time of uncertainty.

During this pandemic, our sense of purpose has never been more clearly defined and we are taking every measure possible to continue serving our students and community while protecting the health of our students, faculty, staff, community, and this College.

There have been questions surrounding the Governor’s stay-at-home order that is scheduled to end May 8 and how this will impact the College. As stated by the Governor, May 8, will initiate a three-phase plan for re-opening the state and we will use this plan to help guide our decisions regarding faculty and staff reporting to campus and the College returning to face-to-face instruction.

Phase One, which starts May 8, really does not change anything we are already doing at the College. We are currently working on an RCC plan for implementation for the following phases of gradually re-opening the College and I will keep you updated on those plans. Whatever our next steps may be and whenever we take them, it will be done with the highest regard for the safety and well-being of our faculty, staff, and students.

So, despite an uncertain future, this I know: I am incredibly proud of the sacrifices our faculty, staff and students have made and the great job you have done, even under adverse circumstances.

Our lifestyle has taken a hit during this pandemic, but RCC’s mission has not. In fact, our community college will be crucial in helping to rebuild the economy of North Carolina. Together, our concerted efforts will create opportunities and change lives all while keeping our campuses safe and healthy.

With pride and gratitude for each of you.

• May 14

• The College remains open for business based on recommended best practices by the North Carolina Community College System (NCCCS), and local, state, and health officials.
• RCC made the decision to continue with alternative course delivery, where possible and practical, for the 2020 Summer Semester. Leadership would determine which classes, such as those with labs, would continue to require face-to-face instruction and attendance based on NCCCS guidelines. Access to the computer lab was available.
• Faculty and staff would still be available remotely during normal business hours with limited physical access on campus.
• The RCC campuses remained closed to the public.
• Social distancing guidelines were in place, and face coverings were strongly recommended for students, faculty, and staff.

• May 21

• North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper announced the transition to Phase 2 at 5 p.m. May 22. The stay-at-home order was lifted, and restrictions were still in place for indoor gatherings of 10-plus people. Remote work was suggested.
• The College continued with alternative course delivery.

• May 26

• The 2020 Summer Semester started, which meant more people on campus.
• RCC made it mandatory for all faculty, staff, and students to wear face coverings, starting June 15, using these guidelines:
— A face covering must be worn in indoor public areas or while meeting with others, if social distancing cannot be maintained.
— A face covering must be worn while outside if social distancing cannot be maintained.
— If anyone in a group thinks the social distancing isn’t adequate, masks must be worn. Anyone, at any time, has the right to say, “I would feel more comfortable if we wore masks,” without any further discussion or recrimination.
— Individuals are encouraged to use this guide, from the CDC, to learn how to safely wear and take off a face covering.

• June 22

• RCC released this announcement about the CARES Act.

• July 6

• RCC released this announcement regarding the 2020 Fall Semester.
• The College launched a Pandemic Webpage.

• July 13

• RCC announces that, out of safety concerns due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we would make some changes to the fall schedule. In the coming weeks, students may be re-registered in new sections that will replace the face-to-face ones for which they were originally registered. These new sections would include online content and potentially include synchronous online and/or face-to-face class meetings. These changes would not affect every student and will vary by each course.

• July 21

• In the need for continued caution surrounding COVID-19, changes were made in the process of purchasing and receiving course materials and other items needed from the RCC Campus Store for the Fall 2020 Semester. It was highly recommended that students place orders early to help ensure items are received prior to the start of class. All items for Fall 2020 needed to be ordered online here. Options for school supplies, clothing, computers, and other items were posted on the website in addition to course material.

• September 15, 2020 - Harvey Boone, Quality Control Chemist at Alberdingk Boley, is appointed by the North Carolina Governor's Office to the RCC Board of Trustees, replacing Shirley McAnulty.