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Forsyth Tech is expanding hours for its mul
tidisciplinary state-of-the-art Science Skills
Lab to seven days a week to provide more
flexibility to students with busy schedules.
SPECIAL TO
THF CHRONICLE
Beginning Jan. 7,2016,
the college's state-of-the
art Science Skills Lab
(SSL) will extend its hours
of operation to between
nine and 14 hours a day,
seven days a week, with
instructors on hand to assist
students whenever the lab
is open.
The lab is the first of its
kind in the country to oper
ate on such a broad scale in
higher education, including
two and four-year schools,
according to Michael
Ayers, Dean of the Math,
Science and Technologies
Division.
The SSL, which first
opened in the fall of 2013,
was funded by a $15 mil
lion Trade Adjustment
Assistance Community
College and Career
Training (TAACCCT)
grant made to Forsyth Tech
by the I) .S. Department of
Labor. Since then, enroll
ment has increased each
semester. More than 600
students, including many
from surrounding counties
and other schools, have
enrolled in the lab, which
allows students to complete
projects at their conven
ience.
The lab's flexible hours
and multidisciplinary offer
ings have already proven
so popular that Forsyth
Tech has decided to contin
ue funding the lab s
expanded schedule after
the TAACCCT grant ends
next year.
In addition to giving
students the flexibility to
schedule a science lab
around their personal and
work schedules, students
save money too; course
materials related to the lab
are available online and
free of charge. Students are
also allowed to complete
more than one lab in a day.
saving them time and
money in transportation
costs.
"Our students are often
juggling one or two jobs
and family commitments
while attending Forsyth
Tech," said Ayers. "Many
of them have told us they
would not be able to take
science classes with labs
were it not for the flexibili
ty they have with the SSL.
This feedback is what led
us to the decision to expand
the lab's accessibility for
our students."
Local employers like it,
too, because employees
can upgrade their skills,
further their education and
take advantage of profes
sional development oppor
tunities after their work
day ends and sometimes
during work hours.
"This is the future for
science labs," Ayers said.
"Flexibility and accessibili
ty are the names of the
?
game going forward when
it comes to training and
educating our growing bio
science workforce."
Starting in January
2016, the SSL will be open
according to the following
schedule: Monday and
Tuesday, 8 a.m. to 10 p.m.;
Wednesday, 7 a.m. to 9
p.m.; Thursday, 8 a.m. to 9
p.m.; Friday, 7 ajn. to 8
p.m.; and Saturday and
Sunday, 8 ajn. to 5 p.m.
Forsyth Tech's spring
semester begins on
Thursday, Jan. 7, 2016.
Students interested in tak
ing bioscience classes and
labs are encouraged to
apply to the college as soon
as possible. The SSL is
located in the Oak Grove
Center, Room 2539, on the
college's Main Campus,
2100 Silas Creek Parkway.
For more information, con
tact Tami Sappenfield at
336.734.7677 or tsappen
field@forsythtech.edu.
With lab instructors available whenever the Science Skills Lab is open, students
have the flexibility to work on individual or group projects at their convenience,
knowing they can call on a faculty member anytime for help.
Heart
association
forming young
pro group
The American Heart
Association is looking for
corporate business profes
sionals between the ages
25-35 who are interested in
joining the American Heart
Association's new
Emerging Leaders Group.
The Emerging Leaders
Group seeks to connect
with Triad-wide business
professionals who are
interested in social and pro
fessional networking, lead
ership opportunities, men
torship, philanthropic
efforts and community
involvement.
Local Greensboro resi
dent Brittney Carroll is the
inaugural Chair of the
American Heart
Association's 2015-2016
Emerging Leaders Group.
An Emerging Leaders
Summit, sponsored by
Dixon Hughes Goodman,
will be held in the spring of
2016.
To get involved, contact
LeKeshia Franklin
(336)542-4832 or email
LeKeshiaPranklin@heart.
org.
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