Automotive Department
During the month of May, Brookhaven College’s Automotive Department continued its annual graduation dinner ceremonies for the General Motors ASEP Program, Ford ASSET Program and Comprehensive Automotive Technology, CAT, Program. The ceremonies allow the automotive graduates and their families to enjoy activities leading up to the Brookhaven College Commencement which the automotive students will participate in as well. Faculty members in these programs are as follows: GM ASEP faculty – Marvin Johnson and Stephen Herd, Ford ASSET faculty – Shane Baxter and Matt Whitten, and Comprehensive Automotive Technology, CAT, faculty – Don Jones and David McNabb. The Automotive Office and tool room staff provide tremendous support to these students as well. The office staff consists of Susie Coffman and Narvia McDaniel. The tool room staff includes Ralph Downey and John Gattis.
As many of you know, the manufacturer specific programs, ASEP & ASSET, are nationally recognized, NATEF certified, and designed to prepare students for a career in the automotive service industry. These programs include an associate degree, paid on-the-job training and manufacturer specific certified training.
Brookhaven College also has partnerships with a large number of additional domestic, Asian and European automotive dealerships and aftermarket service facilities to provide well prepared, entry-level technicians. Bridgestone/Firestone, which falls under the CAT Program, uses the college’s Chassis Technician Certificate courses to train technicians. Students in the CAT Program enjoy flexible day/evening schedules and placement rates of 100 percent for graduates and completers.
Computer Information Technology/Computer Science Department
Brookhaven College has now become a local Cisco Networking Academy in partnership with Richland College. Professor Philip Gabbert was hired to do marketing and recruiting as well as to teach classes and bring in new programs such as Cisco. He worked tirelessly with his counterpart from Richland College to get the enrollment agreement finalized. In his efforts, he found that there was a critical shortage of Cisco Certified Network Associate, CCNA, with EE degree or Cisco Certified Network Professional, CCNP, and Cisco Certified Internetwork Expert, CCIE, certified individuals. This will help our program out greatly and companies will be willing to send students to our campus for training. Now with an agreement in place, Brookhaven College will be able to offer many more classes under the Cisco Academy, with the college as the local academy under Richland College as the regional academy.
