Richmond Community College has received national accreditation for the courses it offers to firefighters. The RCC Board of Trustees met Tuesday night and learned the college passed a site review from the N.C. State Fire and Rescue Commission to earn the designation.

The board streamlined the pathway from RCC’s Associate Degree Nursing program to The University of North Carolina at Pembroke’s (UNCP) bachelor’s degree nursing program by approving a new articulation agreement. The agreement outlines which courses at RCC match courses a student needs to be accepted into the UNCP program.

Some courses required by UNCP are outside the course requirements of RCC’s nursing program, but are offered by RCC through the college transfer program. Students can essentially take all but 11 courses at RCC. Most of the 11 UNCP courses are offered online only or online with a face-to-face lab or clinical experience. It allows students to commute to complete their bachelor’s degrees. The university is expected to use the agreement as a template to use with other community colleges.

The board approved pathways for high school students taking courses at RCC. The state’s Career and College Promise program allows qualified students to take courses tuition-free. There are two tracks based upon whether a student wants to transfer courses to a senior institution or is interested in pursuing a degree at RCC. Students can contact high school counselors for details.

In other action, the board approved policies involving cash management and investment to align with state statutes and Southern Association of Colleges and Schools guidelines. A similar policy alignment involved amending the president’s job description and trustee bylaws to better reflect actual responsibilities.

The board welcomed Myra Locklear of Raeford as the new college receptionist and Kiana Taylor of Gibson as the new administrative assistant for the Cole Auditorium. Steve Lampley of Ellerbe is the instructor for the new Electric Utility Substation and Relay Technology program.