LCC Signs Aviation Partnership
Michael Abernethy, Staff Writer
© The Free Press

Lenoir Community College announced a partnership with “the Harvard of the skies” Monday.

LCC and the Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, based in Daytona Beach, Fla., signed a 2+2 agreement in the areas of aviation management and career pilot technology, as well as global logistics technology, at Monday night’s LCC board of trustees meeting.

The pact will allow students to earn a two-year associate degree in aviation management and career pilot technology and applied science in global logistics technology and continue their education through the top-ranked aeronautics university.

One of the university’s 130 satellite campuses is located at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base in Goldsboro.

“This opens up opportunities for students who take our program to continue their college aviation education,” said J.J. Porter, LCC’s aviation program head. “They never have to leave Eastern North Carolina and they get a degree from a highly respected university. Some people call (Embry-Riddle) the ‘Harvard of the skies.’ ”

Bruce Wolfe, Embry-Riddle’s center director of operation at Seymour Johnson, said students will be able to sign an agreement upon entering LCC to transfer credits from associate degrees towards bachelor of science degrees at the university.

“It’s the perfect marriage,” Wolfe said. “If student jumps into LCC and starts into the aviation program, they are guaranteed to have a certain number of credits when they enter the university. We can, in turn, refer high school graduates to LCC.”

Porter said the agreement is a logical step for the school’s program, which has graduated many students into the aeronautical university’s courses during last 10 years.

“We just felt like it was time to formalize the agreement,” Porter said. “It was time for our students to have the option of continuing their aviation education and not have to leave Eastern North Carolina. It’s very cost-effective for students who want to start careers in aviation here with us.”

Walter Martin, global logistics technology program head, said the partnership could also attract new students to LCC.

“What it affords the (global logistics technology) students is another option to matriculate to another university. We are currently partnered with East Carolina University. It could possibly allow us to attract some at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base to come here.”

The partnership furthers the global logistics technology program’s goal of becoming a “feeder venue for workforce development in North Carolina,” said Bobby Van Brunt, dean of business and industry programs at LCC . The program focuses on managing the distribution of goods and services in a global economy.

LCC is one of three community colleges in the state that offers an aviation program. Between 20 and 40 students enroll in the Federal Aviation Administration approved program each year to pursue careers as private or commercial pilots.

LCC is also the only community college in the state to offer an associates degree in global logistics technology. It’s the only completely online two-year degree program in global logistics in the nation.

“We’ve done a number of things since I’ve been here, but I am as excited about these 2+2 agreements as anything I’ve done since I’ve been your president,” said LCC President Brantley Briley. “This is a big night for us.”

Michael Abernethy can be reached at (252) 527-3191, Ext. 232, or at mabernethy@freedomenc.com.