Construction of the Scotland County campus of Richmond Community College is scheduled to be completed in June 2010, with classes planned for the Fall 2010 semester.

The announcement came from Richmond Community College President Dr. Sharon E. Morrissey during a speaking engagement with the Laurinburg Rotary Club Tuesday afternoon at the Clinton Inn. Invited to the weekly luncheon by RCC trustee and Rotary Club member Sam Snowden, Morrissey brought the audience up to date on the progress of construction on the new RCC satellite campus in Laurinburg, where the walls and foundations of campus buildings are now beginning to take shape.

"How many of you have driven down King and McLean Streets (in Laurinburg) lately?" Morrissey asked the 50 Rotarians in attendance. "If you have, you will see that something great is happening there."

Morrissey referred audience members to a handout detailing an artist's conception of the completed project.

"(These sketches) are early renderings of the facility," she said. "Since those ... were done, we have added approximately 1700 square feet. The total square footage of the facility is now just over 19,000 square feet."

The city of Laurinburg, Richmond Community College, and the RCC Foundation jointly raised $3.5 million for construction of the new facility. $400,000 was raised through the Foundation's capital campaign, led by Snowden and Dr. Diane Honeycutt; $1 million came from a federal Economic Development Administration grant submitted by the city of Laurinburg; $1.2 million was funded by the Golden Leaf Foundation; and $900,000 came from a North Carolina Community College system grant. Ground was broken for the new campus on April 27, 2009, with construction beginning soon afterward.

Morrissey noted the support Scotland County citizens have shown for the project since its inception.

"This project is an excellent example of community-based collaboration, and we need to never forget the rich history behind this initiative," Morrissey said. "Almost a decade ago, Laurinburg city leaders had a vision and a dream. After 10 years of planning and fundraising, the Scotland County Campus of Richmond Community College is almost a reality. We owe a tremendous debt of gratitude to (former Laurinburg mayor) Ann Slaughter, Diane Honeycutt, Sam Snowden, Bill Reimer, Sen. Bill Purcell, Rep. Doug Yongue, Rep. Garland Pierce, and the many other leaders who were steadfast in their vision and passion and commitment. We also owe gratitude to the many individuals, businesses, and industries who contributed their hard-earned resources to ensure that this dream would become a reality."

Morrissey was introduced to the assembly by Rotary Club member and County Commissioner Guy McCook.

"The new campus is a great thing," McCook said. "It is truly exciting for the community to have this new facility, which is directly intended to promote workforce development; this is our greatest need right now."

The new campus will house a practical nursing lab and classroom, to be moved from the main campus in Hamlet; a certified nurse assistant lab and classroom, to be relocated from the basement of the Purcell Building in Laurinburg; two computer labs; four general classrooms; a community room capable of seating 100 people or breaking into three sections for small groups; a small library; and an administrative area, including an office for the president.

"I added the president's office to the plan because in looking at the future of RCC in Scotland County, I believe the president needs to spend time in this county; I had been looking at spending one day a week on the Scotland County campus."

The State Board of Community Colleges recently named Morrissey the next senior vice president and chief academic officer for the North Carolina Community College system. She will assume her new role on March 1, 2010, continuing a career of more than 20 years in the community college system.

Rotary Club member and RCC Trustee Snowden arranged Morrissey's appearance before his fellow Rotarians.

"I knew she was leaving in March, and I wanted to make sure that she had an opportunity to tell the story of the new Scotland County campus before she left," Snowden said. "I'm glad she was able to be our guest speaker today."

Morrissey thanked the Rotarians for their support of the new facility.

"Working with you has been a joy and a blessing," she said, "and please know that I will continue to work for you as I move into my new position in Raleigh."

Born and raised in Franklin, Morrissey holds a bachelor's degree in comparative literature from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, a master's degree in English from Western Carolina University, and a doctoral degree in higher education administration from North Carolina State University. She and her husband TIm have one daughter, Maggie, who is a sophomore at UNC-Chapel Hill.