News

A grant from the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) is helping McDowell Technical Community College better prepare future nursing graduates to provide high-quality health care and to fill a myriad of vacant nursing positions, both locally and throughout the region.

McDowell Technical Community College Foundation Board has received a donation in the amount of $20,000 from the Rotary Club of Marion to create a permanent endowed scholarship fund at McDowell Tech to benefit students at the college in perpetuity.

Access to college services is getting a little easier at McDowell Technical Community College this spring with the official opening of the college’s much-anticipated “One-Stop Center” in newly-renovated facilities in the Cedar Building. The new center will bring together all of the services that are considered essential to a student’s success in one place, under one roof. Representatives from Student Services, Financial Aid, Student Success, Student Outreach and Engagement and others will all be housed in this location for easy access and efficiency.

McDowell Technical Community College announced today that the college’s photographic technology program will have a gallery exhibit of student work on display at McDowell Arts Council Association (MACA) from March 21st through April 15th as part of the college’s ongoing collaboration with MACA.

The McDowell Technical Community College Board of Trustees announced today that Dr. James “J.W.” Kelley of Wendell, NC has been selected to become the college’s next president, succeeding Dr. Brian S. Merritt who resigned last summer to accept a position as Senior Vice President and Chief Academic Officer at the NC Community College System Office in Raleigh.

– McDowell Technical Community College announced today that nominations are now being accepted for the fourth annual MTCC Alumni Awards Program. Significant changes have been made to the program this year to allow for participation of all alumni of the college, including current MTCC Trustees, MTCC Foundation Board Members, and faculty and staff of the college. Previous rules did not allow for nominations of these individuals. In addition, to avoid confusion, there are no longer categories of nominations based on degree type or age of the nominee.

The 46th annual McDowell Fire, Rescue and EMS College opened earlier this week at McDowell Tech with about 70 participants taking part in week-long classes that preceded this weekend’s main event, many of them participating in a class for Fire Inspectors. As of Tuesday evening, about 830 students had already registered for weekend classes, which is up about 20% from last year’s enrollment. More students will register onsite Friday evening or Saturday morning.

The McDowell Technical Community College Board of Trustees announced today that three (3) finalists have been selected for the vacant position of President at McDowell Tech following the resignation late last summer of former president Dr. Brian S. Merritt who had accepted a position as Senior Vice President and Chief Academic Officer at the NC Community College System Office in Raleigh. Each of the current candidates has received preliminary approval by the NC State Board of Community Colleges to advance to the next stage in the search process.

Congratulations to the following students who made the President’s, Dean’s and Honors Lists at McDowell Technical Community College during the Fall Semester, 2023…

A sweet and loving child of God returned to her heavenly father in the still and quiet of a bitterly-cold January morning earlier this week. Julie Buchanan, better known to most of her McDowell Tech family as Julie Padgett, ended her battle with ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis), commonly referred to as Lou Gehrig’s Disease, on Wednesday, just a little more than 21 months after she was officially diagnosed with the disease.

The U.S. Department of Education has awarded McDowell Technical Community College and regional partners Isothermal Community College and Western Piedmont Community College a grant in the amount of $2.3 million. The project, entitled Foothills FORWARD, aims to facilitate an occupation-ready workforce by addressing regional demands through efforts focused on increasing college retention, persistence and completion rates among students in areas served by the three colleges.

Santa came a little early this year for the McDowell Technical Community College Foundation, with 55 individuals donating $8,710 in just 24 hours to the Foundation’s Endowment Fund during the college’s First Annual Day of Giving held in early November. All of these donations will support student scholarships.