August 2006

August 10, 2005
Last Opportunity to Register for Fall Classes at NETC is August 21 & 22

Classes start on August 21 at Northeastern Technical College but there’s one last opportunity to start a pathway to the future this fall semester. 

Late registration will be on August 21 and August 22 from 11am – 1pm and 4:30 pm – 6pm at NETC Cheraw and is for any one who is prepared to pay the cost associated with enrollment. Advising and registration will be also be completed during this visit.   

“We urge students to apply and register on time if possible,” said Dr. Jerry Robertson, vice president for student services at NETC, “but we make this late registration possible to accommodate special circumstances.”

He added that students registering late need to be aware that the classes that they want may be full and that for each day they delay registration, they run the risk of being counted absent in class.

“Even though it will be too late to receive financial aid,” said Sheryll Marshall, coordinator of financial assistance, “we still encourage anyone interested in receiving financial assistance to visit us so they can learn what can be done now to start their pathway in the Spring semester.”

Classes for the fall semester begin August 21. For more information, please contact NETC’s Admissions Office at (843) 921-6933 or 1-800-921-7399.

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July 2006

July 27, 2005
Open Registration for Fall Semester Classes at NETC is August 16

Open registration for Northeastern Technical College’s fall semester will be held on August 16, from 9:30 a.m.-12:30 pm, and 4 -7 p.m. at the Cheraw campus. New students who are registering for the first time should plan to begin the registration process at 8:30 am or 5:30 pm.

Returning students who did not take advantage of NETC’s early registration process may meet with their advisors, sign up for classes, receive identification cards and parking stickers, and pay tuition on this date.

Students who are interested in taking courses exclusively at one of NETC’s Community Campuses in Bennettsville, Dillon, or Pageland may register at those particular community campuses on the same date (August 16) but should call ahead for information on registration hours.  For more information call NETC Bennettsville at  (843)479-4284, NETC Dillon at (843)841-2014, NETC Pageland at (843) 672-3700

For more general information, please call NETC’s Admissions Office at 921-6933 or 1-800-921-7399, or visit www.netc.edu.

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July 19, 2006
Placement Tests are Required for First Time Students at NETC

As part of the registration process for new students at Northeastern Technical College, a placement test is required to determine which Math and English course are needed.  There is no charge for the test but students planning to register for college courses at NETC this fall should make plans to take the required test by August 14.  Test results are provided immediately after the test is completed.

Placement tests must be scheduled and may be taken at any of NETC’s community campuses in Cheraw, Bennettsville, Pageland and Dillon.  Students should have already completed an NETC application and paid the application fee of $25.00 prior to taking the tests.

For more information, or to schedule a placement test appointment, please call the NETC Admissions Office in Cheraw at 921-6933; in Bennettsville at 479-4284; in Pageland at 672-3700 or in Dillon at 841-2014.  

Open Registration for fall classes will be held August 16, from 9:30 a.m. -12:30 p.m. and 4 – 7 p.m. at NETC’s Cheraw campus. Individuals interested in taking classes exclusively at one of NETC community campuses in Bennettsville, Dillon, or Pageland may register for those classes on August 16 at that campus.  Hours of registration may vary, so calling ahead for enrollment hours is recommended.  Individuals who register on August 16 must be prepared to pay tuition in full in order to start classes on time. . 

Fall classes begin August 21.  The deadline for financial aid and admission applications is August 1. 

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July 19, 2006
Students Use NETC Programs as Pathways to Office Career

On a recent hot summer day at Northeastern Technical College, classmates enrolled in the Office System Technology (OST) program filed into the air conditioned classroom, sat down at their computers, and began burning up the keyboards with their fingers.

“They’re learning to speed up their typing skills,” explained Chris Smith, faculty member in the OST program.  “They are required to reach at least 50 words per minute, but we tell our students to strive for a higher speed with an accuracy level of at least 80 percent.” 

That’s the level of keyboarding proficiency most employers require when they’re looking for office support staff, she explained, so she tries to emphasize those specific goals when training OST students.  As part of the training they receive in the OST program, students take courses that enhance their skills in keyboarding, business correspondence, transcription, telephone communication and computer software utilization. 

“Even for students who have no previous office experience, we do our best to train these individuals with the skills necessary to hold down an administrative job,” said Smith. 

Students enrolled in the OST program also receive ‘real-time’ training.

“We use our lab to better prepare our students,” she said.  “It gives them the opportunity to learn and train in an office environment.”

The modern office lab is equipped with desks, telephones, computers, copiers and a soon-to-arrive fax machine which students will also learn to operate and manage.  Students in the program spend their time completing mock office assignments and role playing typical office communications and administrative request.

“It’s very helpful because it feels like a real office,” said Kathy Smith, of Chesterfield, who will graduate with her OST associate
degree in December.  “And being able to role play in this environment helps you to change your frame of mind from a classroom to an office setting so I feel a little more prepared for the real thing.”

Students enrolling in NETC have several pathways they can choose when considering the OST program.

Kathy Smith works on an assignment in the Modern Office Lab at Northeastern Technical College.  Smith is among several students who are enrolled in the Office System Technology (OST) program as a pathway to an office career.

For example, students can work towards an Automated Office diploma, a certificate to become either a Medical Office Assistant (MOA) or Legal Office Assistant (LOA), or they can choose to earn the associate degree in OST which can include each of these certifications. 

“We have a lot of students who enroll in the diploma and certificate programs who are looking to gain new work skills first,” explained Chris Smith.  “Those students can then continue to work while they receive their training or, they can start looking for a job a little quicker.  But we also have students who enroll in the OST program and earn their associate degree, along with each certificate, in a little more than two full years, or five semesters of full time enrollment.”

Recent mill closings at Dan River and Delta Mills have sparked an increase in students enrolling in the MOA program, but there also remains to be plenty of career potential for students interested in pursuing the LOA certificate.

“We’re hearing from our business advisory committee, people in the community, and people in the field that there is a growing need for more individuals with special training in legal office administration,” said Smith.  “So we’re glad we can offer this program to our students.  Otherwise, students would have to travel to Florence, Columbia or even Greenville for this type of legal training.”

The LOA program prepares individuals to perform administrative support duties including legal document production, machine transcription, short hand, office confidentiality and security and an understanding of legal systems and procedures. 

Students graduating with the LOA certificate will then be prepared to work in a variety of legal settings including law offices, government offices, public legal agencies as well as business and industry.  Typically students taking a full course load can finish the LOA certificate requirements in three semesters.

Tonie Brock, of Cheraw, graduated from NETC with an associate degree in OST and originally planned to work in healthcare.  But eventually she found a job as a paralegal at Harris, McLeod & Ruffner law firm in Cheraw, SC.

“This is a good field to work in,” Brock said.  “There’s plenty of work and I found a level of job security I didn’t have before.”  Previously, Brock worked at Cooper tools where she was laid off after eight years on the job.  Although she had some concerns about returning to school, she enrolled in the OST program at NETC with the vision of a new career.

“After being out of school for so long, I was concerned that I could learn what I needed to perform in the business world,” she explained.  “But enrolling in the program made me more confident because the level of detail in the training I received definitely prepared me for a job in this field.  Had I not earned my OST degree, it would have been a rough start!”

On a day to day basis Brock uses the skills she learned at NETC to maintain and coordinate office records, legal transcriptions and a variety of other job functions that help her to support the attorneys at the firm. 

Other graduates of NETC’s OST program have found jobs in other local law firms as well as Chesterfield General Hospital, the Department of Social Services, 911 Emergency Services, Cheraw Yarn Mill, Marlboro County Courthouse and AmeriCare Health just to name a few.

“Our graduates have had pretty good success finding jobs with the skills they learn in the program,” said Smith.  “So, if you’re interested in doing office support work, especially as an administrative assistant, the OST program may be the pathway for you.”

For more information about the OST program, or the Automated Office Systems diploma, MOA, or LOA certificates, call Chris Smith at 843-921-6974, or Lisa Johnson at 921-6980.  For information about admissions, call NETC’s admission office at 843-921-6900 or visit www.netc.edu.

Enrollment for fall semester is going on now.  Financial assistance is available but financial aid and admission applications for fall semester should be completed no later than August 1.  Classes start August 21. 

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July 12, 2006
Computer Technician Training Offered at NETC Dillon

Beginning this fall semester Northeastern Technical College will offer a computer technician class in the Information Technology lab on its campus in Dillon.  PC Hardware Concepts (CPT 285) will begin August 21 and will be offered during the day and evening for anyone interested in learning the skills necessary for a pathway to a career in computer technology.

“This course is for anyone who is interested in becoming a certified PC technician,” said Diane Dyches, dean of arts and sciences at Northeastern Technical College.  “Every business uses computer and skilled technicians to support them and as computer usage grows so will the need for more technicians.”

Students who enroll in the course will be trained in a broad base of knowledge and competency in core hardware and operating system technologies including software installation and configuration, diagnosing computer malfunctions, coordinating preventive maintenance and basic networking.  

The course is part of a computer technical certificate program in development at Northeastern Technical College.  The program is designed to provide individuals with a solid set of PC computer skills that employers expect of their computer technicians.  Courses included in the certificate program will also prepare students for the Computing Technology Industry Association’s (Comp TIA) A+ certification exam which serves as an industry standard in certifying the knowledge and skills of entry-level computer service technicians. 

Equipment for the Information Technology lab at NETC’s Dillon community campus was provided through an $110,000 Rural Infrastructure Fund (RIF) grant from the South Carolina Department of Commerce.  The RIF program helps rural communities in South Carolina establish infrastructure resources to support economic development.  NETC partnered with Dillon County to apply for the grant.

For more information about this class, or the enrollment process, call NETC’s Dillon community campus at 843-841-2014, or the admission office at 1-800-921-7399.  

Enrollment for fall semester is going on now.  Financial assistance is available but financial aid and admission applications for fall semester should be completed no later than August 1.  Classes start August 21. 

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July 11, 2006
Technical college tuition assistance raised to $996 for Fall 2006 semester

The State Board for Technical and Comprehensive Education (SBTCE) and the South Carolina Commission on Higher Education (CHE) have finalized the amount of lottery tuition assistance (LTA) available to students who attend any of the state’s 16 technical colleges this Fall 2006 semester.

The maximum amount of lottery-funded tuition assistance available to full-time students (12 or more credit hours) for the Fall 2006 semester has been adjusted to $996 for full-time students and $83 per credit hour for eligible part-time students.

“We’re very pleased that the per-student dollar amount for lottery tuition assistance has increased to nearly $1,000 for the fall semester,” said System President Barry Russell. “Lottery-funded tuition assistance continues to help students who otherwise wouldn’t be able to afford going – or going back – to college.”

The amount of tuition assistance available to students for the Fall 2006 semester increased by $60 from the amount available for Summer 2006. The per-student dollar amount was determined by SBTCE and CHE after review of the actual participation rates for the Summer 2006 semester. A total of $47.6 million from lottery proceeds was designated by the General Assembly for use in this program.

To be eligible for lottery-funded tuition assistance, students must meet the following requirements:

• * Complete a 2006-2007 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). FAFSA forms can be found online at http://www.fafsa.ed.gov and at each technical college;
• Be able to qualify for in-state tuition rates and be a South Carolina resident for at least one year;
• Be enrolled in a certificate, diploma or associate degree program and maintain at least six credit hours each semester;
• Make clear progress toward completion of a certificate, diploma or associate degree;
• Not be a recipient of a LIFE scholarship award;
• Not be in default on any government student loan program.

* The eligibility requirement relating to the submission of the FAFSA may be waived if:

• The applicant is a high school student enrolled in a dual enrollment program;
• The applicant already has earned a bachelor’s degree and will provide a transcript or copy of his/her diploma;
• The applicant is not enrolled in a program that is eligible for Title IV aid;
• The applicant is a dependent student who can not obtain his/her parents’ or guardians’ tax form(s).

Those seeking a waiver of the FAFSA requirement should contact the Financial Aid Office at the technical college they plan to attend.

More information about the South Carolina Education Lottery and lottery tuition assistance can be found by visiting the South Carolina Technical College System’s web site at: http://www.sctechsystem.com/lottery/eligibility.htm.

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