Holly Passmore of Trinity is a university student who is working toward a four-year degree in business administration. However, she doesn’t attend classes at a university campus.

Instead, she makes a 20-minute drive twice a week to the Asheboro campus of Randolph Community College, where she is enrolled at the University Center of Randolph County. The four-year degree is offered through a partnership with Salem College of Winston-Salem.

For Passmore, leaving home to pursue a degree was not an option. She needed to continue her job at Elliot’s Florist, where she had worked since was 17. She cared for her mother, Elaine Passmore, who died in August. She still cares for her father, Lex.

“If you have a family or other responsibility, you just can’t walk away from that,” Passmore said.

Recent enrollment figures back up Passmore’s commitment to family and education.

The program, which was just introduced last year, had only three students taking two classes until this fall, when enrollment jumped to 12 students taking three classes each.

There are 20 slots available in the program.

Ed Hartgrove Jr., executive-in-residence for the Department of Business and Economics at Salem College, serves as a coordinator of the program with RCC and teaches classes.

The classes have been revamped with some key changes to make it accessible for more students like Passmore.

Students may take three courses per semester instead of two. If students register for all three courses, they can apply for financial aid as full-time students. This major program enhancement allows Associate in Arts or Associate in Science degree graduates to finish their bachelor’s degree in three years (three courses, six semesters) instead of four years.

If students are just starting their associate degree, the program has been developed so the students can take 18 classes from RCC and 18 classes from Salem through the University Center and finish in five years.

“They never have to leave the county to enroll,” said Hartgrove. “They never have to leave the county to take classes.”

The financial savings is significant over a student who attends a private school for the entire degree.

“A freshman coming into that program is making a choice to finish with money in the bank rather than a pile of debt,” he said.

“I have no school-related debt, whatsoever,” said Passmore, who has attended two semesters.

In addition, Salem College is now a part of the same agreement that allows community college students to transfer to University of North Carolina schools as juniors if they complete a certain amount of credits, said Hartgrove. He works with Clark Adams, RCC English instructor and liaison for the Salem College and University Center program, to put together specific course plans for each student so they can maximize their credits. And it is not just RCC graduates taking advantage of the program. Students who have credits from other schools are enrolling, as well as some students who are splitting classes, taking some in Asheboro and some at Salem’s Winston-Salem campus.

The University Center of Randolph County offers a quality program, reiterated Passmore.

In the Aug. 5 edition of Forbes magazine, Salem College ranked 67 in the “America’s Best Colleges.” The list was based on the quality of the education, the experience of the students and how much they achieve.

“The education we are delivering at RCC is the same education that we offer at Salem College,” added Hartgrove,

Students who enroll in the Salem’s program at the University Center of Randolph County are considered full Salem students.

“They can attend games and sporting events, can use the library, and can get the full-blown university experience,” said Hartgrove.

They also are included in the graduation ceremony at Salem with all other students.

For more information about the program, visit www.randolph.edu; click on the University Center link in the QuickLinks section; or e-mail Hartgrove at ed.hartgrove@salem.edu.

Passmore is convinced that the pursuit of a four-year degree is her best chance for success in her career and her life.

“This degree will open a lot of doors for me,” said Passmore, who would like to own and manage a florist shop some day. “When I finish, I will qualify to work in any type of bank or manage a business.”