The Northeast Texas Community College Board of Trustees approved its first policy to permit the carrying of concealed weapons on campus at its regular May meeting Tuesday evening.

This policy was prepared in accordance with a Texas law (SB 11) that will make it legal for licensed individuals to ?conceal carry? a handgun on public community college campuses beginning August 1, 2017. Each college was required to develop local policies for implementation of the new law.

Northeast Texas Community College recently awarded the second annual Bonnie Spencer Awards for excellence in historical research. The prize is awarded to students who write the top United States History papers for the school year. First place ($100) went to Alondra Ferretiz of Mount Pleasant and second place ($50) went to Sarah Craig of Hughes Springs.

NTCC is somewhat unique in that is requires all students to complete a research paper during their United States History course.

Northeast Texas Community College congratulates the class of May 2017! Graduation portraits that were taken in the SUB before the ceremony are now available online for you to view/download/print. There is no cost for the photos.

Click here to view the gallery.†

When you find your photo, there should be a button toward the bottom right of your screen that allows you to download it in different sizes.

The Titus Regional Medical Center (TRMC) Auxiliary recently presented the Northeast Texas Community College Foundation with $4,500, which will provide six $750 scholarships to benefit students at NTCC majoring in a health sciences field. Pictured receiving the annual donation is Nita May (left), NTCC Director of Development, and Dr. Jonathan McCullough (right), NTCC Vice President for Advancement. Pictured presenting the donation (from left) on behalf of the TRMC Auxiliary is: Janie Mullen, Linda Matthews, Barbara Damascus, Nancy Ryan and Jeanie Willmon.

The Rotary Club of Mount Pleasant recently presented a check for $2,536 to the Northeast Texas Community College Foundation to support the upcoming iCan Kids Discovery College that will be held this summer. Pictured making the donation on behalf of the Rotary Club is (center from left) Shane Webb, Vickie Goates and Hershal Kelley. Receiving the gift on behalf of NTCC is Iris Marino (left), Lisa York and Dr. Jonathan McCullough (right). The iCan Kids Discovery College offers children ages 8-16 a chance to participate in a variety of fun learning experiences.

The Northeast Texas Community College Foundation recently received a $500 gift from J.T. and Kaye Brison to support the Brison-Crosby Education Scholarship. The scholarship fund is in memory of Kaye?s grandmother, Hettie Agnes Crosby, and will be awarded to an education major attending NTCC. Nita May (left), NTCC Director of Development, is pictured receiving the gift from the Brisons. To learn more about this or other scholarships at NTCC, contact Jonathan McCullough at 903-434-8115.

NTCC will hold its†May commencement ceremonies Saturday, May 13†at 9:00 and 11:00 a.m. in the Whatley Center for the Performing Arts. †The 9 a.m. ceremony will be held for students receiving Associate of Arts, Associate of Science and Associate of Arts in Teaching degrees. The 11 a.m. ceremony will honor those receiving Associate of Applied Science degrees and certificates. †Long-time board member, Mr. John Bryan, †will be the†featured commencement speaker at both ceremonies.

The doors in the Whatley Center will open approximately 30 minutes prior to each ceremony.

Northeast Texas Community College is one step closer to having a fully-accredited Funeral Service Education Program, as the American Board of Funeral Service Education (ABFSE) recently granted the program candidacy.

Rebecca Gardner, NTCC Director of Funeral Service Education, and Dr. Shannon Cox-Kelley, NTCC Dean of Health Sciences, traveled to Myrtle Beach, SC to defend the program?s self-study that was submitted to the ABFSE late last year.

?This is a major milestone on the path to initial accreditation.

Members of the Northeast Texas Community College Chapter of Alpha Delta Nu, the honor society for students pursuing associate degrees in nursing, recently presented a donation of needed items to the Northeast Child Advocacy Center. The donation included personal care items, toys for children and a small monetary donation for their needs. One of the requirements for honor society membership, beyond grades, is the participation in a service project.

The Northeast Texas Community College Film Club recently hosted the Mount Pleasant Seventh-Day Adventists? showing of Conscientious Objector, a 2004 documentary about Medal of Honor-winner, Desmond T. Doss.

In addition to sponsoring a viewing of the film, the church supplied attendees with pizza, water bottles, pens, and copies of the book, Hero of Hacksaw Ridge, the biography of Doss that inspired Mel Gibson?s blockbuster Hacksaw Ridge film.