Brunswick Community College- Preparing for the Future

By Peggy Grich

As Brunswick County grows, so does the need for improved educational services to its residents. The voters of Brunswick County recognized the need for expanded educational facilities and passed a bond referendum in November of 2004 that would allow for the expansion of Brunswick Community College, the county’s only post-secondary educational institution. BCC offers curriculum (for-credit) and continuing education courses throughout the county. To serve the needs of the largest land-mass county in the State, the College currently utilizes churches, schools, museums, and galleries throughout the county to host classes.

In addition, two other centers in the county serve the needs of this expanding population. The BCC Leland Center, located just of Hwy. 74/76 in Leland, offers curriculum classes, continuing education classes, construction space, and meeting space. A center on Lord Street in Southport has been utilized by Brunswick County Public schools for the Brunswick Learning Center as well as for continuing education classes.

GED classes are also offered at both locations. The BCC Board of Trustees determined that the center in Southport is now in need of replacement. It was first deeded to the College from the Brunswick County Board of Education in 1981. Renovations to the Leland center will include a new wet-lab for biotechnology and science classes. These renovations will allow the College to add more  curriculum and continuing education classes as well as distance education courses in the northern end of the county. An example of distance education is the recently announced collaboration with Regis University to offer online Bachelors Degrees to students at BCC.

A third center located in the South Brunswick Islands area of the county is needed to serve the population closer to the South Carolina border. The addition of an Applied Plant Sciences facility will enhance the Horticulture and Turfgrass Management program. Graduates may select to work in the popular golf industry or at one of the many garden and landscaping centers in the county. The facility will be located near the Aquaculture Center. This will be the first building to be constructed. An Early Childhood Education Center will be constructed where one of the Aquaculture ponds was previously located. Filling in of the pond has already begun in preparation for this new facility. The expanding need for quality child care professionals in the county prompted the development of this facility. Students will have the opportunity to experience hands-on learning, while the facility provides a safe environment for children of students at BCC.

Expanding the BCC Odell Williamson Auditorium will provide an opportunity to offer dinner-theatre type events, a setting for smaller productions, as well as needed back-stage space. The 1,500-seat state-of-the-art facility is truly the Southeastern Center for the Arts and provides a venue for cultural events in the county. The addition of the Athletics and Aquatics facility will provide county residents a place to become healthier. The Olympic-sized pool, therapeutic pool, gymnasium, and track will offer opportunities for the expansion of BCC’s physical education courses, will give the College’s basketball team a place to call home, and will provide the opportunity to add other sports to the College’s and county’s athletic offerings.

A new student center is also planned for the main campus in Supply. It will provide an updated area to assist students in their post-secondary education as well as a space for students to gather and develop a sense of community.  The College is moving forward with the construction phase of the projects and designs have been submitted to North Carolina State Construction for approval.

“Once approved, and bids are received, we can break ground within 60 days,” says BCC president Dr. Stephen Greiner. “We expect to break ground on the Applied Plant Sciences facility and Auditorium addition by the first of the year. Construction will continue throughout the rest of the year as the designs are approved and bids are received.”