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PCC Shares Student Support Services Details during Town Hall

Bulldog Run leads up to the Ed and Joan Warren Building on PCC's main campus.

WINTERVILLE—During a virtual town hall for students last month, Pitt Community College officials discussed their plans for making student support services available this fall, despite challenges presented by the coronavirus pandemic.

Though most fall classes will take place via the internet and campus facilities will be open on a limited basis, PCC President Lawrence Rouse assured students the college’s mission to educate and empower people for success had not changed.

“Students, my charge to you is to believe in yourselves, that you can be successful even in the midst of a pandemic,” Rouse said. “Seek to go around and overcome barriers, and we will be here to help you become successful.”

PCC Business Division Dean Katherine Clyde updated students on the information hotline the college established in response to the coronavirus outbreak. Clyde, who is also serving as interim Vice President of Enrollment Services, said the hotline had been so popular, administrators added phone lines for additional staff to respond to general questions about college services.

Clyde said the hotline would be available Monday through Thursday throughout the fall, from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., and on Fridays, from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. She said individuals who leave messages through the hotline will have their calls returned within 24 hours.

Clyde said the pandemic prompted PCC to improve a number of other services as well, including digitization of forms for students to access online. “We’re kind of being forced to modernize,” she said, “and that’s a good thing.”

For students needing additional assistance with classes, Katrina Arnold, PCC director of Developmental Studies and First-Year Success, said Pitt’s Tutorial and Academic Success Center (TASC) would be offering its services on weekdays. She said students simply need to contact TASC to make an appointment for tutoring services, which are free and will take place via video conferencing.

In addition to Moodle support and assistance with select computer and office systems courses through its Academic Skills Lab, Arnold said PCC also offers a paper review service. Students taking courses that have a writing component, she said, can submit essays to tutors for their feedback.

Other fall semester topics discussed during the town hall included the following:

  • PCC will hold a number of virtual activities for students in an effort to enhance their overall college experience.
  • Federal work-study opportunities will not be available to students this fall. They may be offered in the spring, should pandemic developments progress favorably.
  • PCC’s Bulldog Café will not be open for business.
  • In addition to virtual services, the PCC Library will be open to students at times to be determined.
  • Laptops and mobile hotspots will be available for students to borrow. Students should call (252) 493-7345 to check on availability and schedule pickup times.
  • Students can pick up parking passes in the PCC Police Department, which is utilizing enhanced safety protocols.
  • The PCC Office of Accessibility will continue offering services/accommodations. More information is available by calling (252) 493-7294.
  • No decision has been made regarding course delivery and campus operations for the 2021 Spring Semester.

08/10/2020