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Dedicated to education
Ron Jackson, Staff Writer, rjackson@newstopic.net A new stage for learning is set to give a lifetime of opportunities for generations to come. State and local leaders gathered with college and university administrators at Caldwell Community College and Technical Institute (CCC&TI) late Thursday morning for the ribbon-cutting ceremony of the Faye A. Broyhill Building, which is the home of the Appalachian State University (ASU) Center. The dedication of the Faye A. Broyhill Building marks a significant milestone in education, and makes CCC&TI the first community college in the state to seamlessly integrate high school, community college and university education on one campus. CCC&TI Board of Trustees Chairman Larry Taylor said the addition of ASU on the campus of CCC&TI in conjunction with the addition of the Early College High School will create many opportunities for students. He said the presence of ASU will help address a national, state and local problem: A teacher shortage. “This fall we will see a new high school added to our campus,” Taylor said. “We will have the presence of a high school, community college and university all in one location. As far as I know, it will be the first of its kind. It creates a truly seamless road to a college degree.” Caldwell County Schools Superintendent Dr. Steve Stone said he welcomes the opportunity to bolster education and the effort to increase the number of teachers in the region. “It's bringing more opportunities to our teaching corps,” Stone said. “It is a great idea. This county is so far ahead of the rest of the state. It is a great collaboration. It will give us the opportunity to address the need for quality teachers. It's just a big win-win.” CCC&TI President Ken Boham said the Faye A. Broyhill Building will be the Hudson campus' crown jewel. “It is indeed a milestone for the college and the community,” Boham said. “This day marks the ability for people to access a continued education from grade nine to university on one campus. (Faye Broyhill) truly would have championed this bridge from furniture, which is our heritage, and our commitment to education, our future.” ASU Chancellor Ken Peacock said the building will not only display the names of two champions: Faye Broyhill and Appalachian State University, it will produce champions. “This is an exciting day for North Carolina, particularly western North Carolina,” Peacock said. “This has one purpose: To touch the lives of young people and prepare them to meet the needs of careers in North Carolina. No one else has done this. That is what we like to do in western North Carolina; do things that have never been done that will touch the lives of others.” Charles Duke is the ASU Dean of the College of Education. He said he thinks the ASU Center will only be the beginning of a collaborative effort with CCC&TI and the entire region. He said filling up the Faye Broyhill Building and having a need for another building would be the best thing that could possibly happen. “This is the beginning of a whole new era for us,” Duke said. “It gives us a permanent location. It is an opportunity for us to develop programs in Caldwell County and the entire region. There is obviously a teacher shortage. We hope that having a location like this will increase the number of teachers, especially in this area.” ASU Director of Extension and Distance Education Tom Fisher also feels it is only the beginning. He said the collaboration with CCC&TI will serve as a model and many other institutions may follow suit. “We currently work with 10 community colleges but this is the first building built with space dedicated to ASU,” Fisher said. “It certainly broadens the opportunities for Appalachian State University to expand in the region. It would make a lot of sense (to see this happen in other institutions). There is discussion of doing this in other regions of the state. This is the beginning of a building opportunity.” University of North Carolina Board of Governors Chairman and ASU Alumnus J. Bradley Wilson also feels the collaborative effort with CCC&TI will be the first of many of its kind. “As we watch the evolution of education throughout the state, you are going to see more seamless opportunities like we have here in Caldwell County,” Wilson said. “Many will see the benefit of having such an opportunity in the right place for the right price.”
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