Public Invited to Retirement Reception for BCCC President Tansey
Beaufort County Community College will say goodbye to President Barbara Tansey on May 25. The exiting president announced her retirement in August 2016. She has served as the president of the college for five years. Incoming president David Loope will take the helm on June 1.
During her tenure at BCCC, Tansey led the charge to develop a public safety complex on the Beaufort County campus. The college purchased 13 acres of land that now houses a new state-of-the-art fire training facility and led to the creation of a fire academy along with the Public Safety Weekend training series.
Tansey also worked with state legislators to consolidate services for Washington County. This consolidation allowed for the opening of the Washington County Center in Roper. With the addition of the Hyde County Davis Center, online classes and additional Early College High Schools, BCCC has more of a footprint in all of the four counties in its service area than it has before.
Her commitment to the latest technology also brought about many changes around campus. The college rolled out online registration. The networks and servers were upgraded, and the college now has all of its information backed up off-site. Tansey also oversaw the construction of a new electronic sign at the entrance of the college.
Under her watch, BCCC opened the Learning Enhancement Center so students can work on papers and projects and get help with their studies. Classrooms were redesigned to facilitate cooperative learning and upgraded with new technology. A one-mile fitness trail was constructed around campus. Tansey helped create a student lounge, including a donated pool table, to encourage student life on campus.
New programs were started, including an agribusiness program and a culinary program. The welding, mechatronics, mechanical engineering and automotive shops were remodeled and updated with new technology.
Tansey is only the fifth person to serve as president of BCCC and the first woman to do so. A veteran educator, Tansey began her career as a teacher in rural Missouri and later became director of a program serving single-parent, displaced homemakers while she finished her doctorate. She worked several years as director of corporate training for an international construction company before accepting the position as a dean at Pima Community College in Tucson, AZ, and another position as a dean at Arapahoe Community College in Littleton, CO.
Before her appointment as President of BCCC, Tansey served as vice president of academic and student services at Fayetteville Technical Community College for four years. Prior to her tenure at FTCC, she served more than three years as vice president of student learning at South Piedmont Community College in Polkton.
The public is invited to the retirement reception on May 25. The event runs from 5:00-7:00 p.m. with a program from 5:30-5:45 p.m. in the Multi-Purpose Room of Building 10. Guests should RSVP to Theresa Edwards at [email protected].
