Our state’s community colleges are a vital link between education, business and government.
They have been given a complex mission to provide high-school equivalency courses, worker training, technical education and college-level instruction. The leaders of our 58 institutions have handled their wide-ranging task with great skill and helped North Carolina create one of the foremost community college systems in the nation.
While I’ve been in Raleigh, I’ve been a strong supporter of the community college system and in my past term in office, my colleagues and I have worked to provide these schools with more of the resources they need. Their total state budget is now nearly $1 billion, and this week I want to highlight some of the ways we’ve enhanced their programs.
Please contact me if I can be of assistance or can provide any additional information. Thank you for your interest and support.
Enrollment Growth
Enrollment at our community colleges has grown to about 800,000 this year and with that growth comes increased costs. Over the past two years, the General Assembly has given the community colleges $32.6 million to pay for the costs of increased enrollment.
An additional $2 million was set aside in last year’s budget for the Enrollment Growth Reserve to help those community colleges that had high growth in the Fall 2008 semester. The reserve is intended for community colleges that have an enrollment increase of more than 5 percent over the previous fall semester. We put $2.5 million into reserve for the coming fall semester.
Financial Aid
My colleagues and I have helped create the Education Access Rewards North Carolina, or EARN, Scholars program to give more students access to higher education. The program provides $4,000 grants each year to community college and University of North Carolina system students with the greatest financial need. All students with family incomes of less than 200 percent of the federal poverty level are eligible for the program. We are extremely proud of this program because if makes the dream of attending school, from pre-kindergarten all the way through college, a reality for all of our citizens. More students can now focus on their studies without worrying about finding money to pay for college and will be able to graduate with a bachelor’s degree without any debt.
Salaries
We gave community college faculty and professional staff an 8 percent pay raise over the past two years so that we can attract the best educators for our students.
Distance Learning
Distance learning helps community colleges reach more nontraditional students and those who may live far away from a college campus. During the past two years, the General Assembly appropriated a recurring sum of $5.3 million to increase community college bandwidth. This will greatly improve connectivity and expand the opportunity for distance learning.
My colleagues and I set aside $595,000 for Virtual Learning Centers. These centers help develop and improve online courses. They can revolutionize the way our students learn.
North Carolina State University’s Virtual Computing now has 100 seats dedicated for community college students. Last year, we appropriated $631,000 to provide state-of-the-art computing services for these students.
Equipment and Facilities
The General Assembly appropriated $15 million for the Facilities and Equipment Grant Fund. These funds will be awarded to community college projects that support the college’s strategic plan and show potential to promote economic growth.
The General Assembly set aside $10 million to provide instructional equipment at all 58 community colleges.
The community college system received $8 million to plan capital projects and develop facility master plans.
About $660,000 was appropriated to support multi-campus centers. Multi-campus centers are satellite campuses for four-year universities that provide a low-cost way for students to earn degrees in their communities. There are now 26 multi-campus centers in the state.
Programs
The General Assembly appropriated $9.6 million to support high-cost allied health programs at our community colleges, such as practical nursing and many of the laboratory and technology courses of study offered at our schools. This money can be used for equipment, supplies or faculty salaries and will recur each year.
In the most recent state budget, the General Assembly gave the system $1 million to re-establish technical education programs and place renewed emphasis on them. The money can be used for faculty, equipment or supplies for construction, engineering, industrial and transport systems technology programs.
The General Assembly has set aside nearly $1.5 million to expand the Male Minority Mentoring program. The program strives to increase the graduation and retention rates of minority males at our community colleges through mentoring, retreats, community service and counseling and other personal growth opportunities. The program is now operating at 32 community colleges.
The Rowan-Cabarrus Community College Biotechnology Training Center and Greenhouse at the NC Research Campus in Kannapolis has received $2.4 million in additional support over the past two years and now has a $3.3 million annual budget. Forsyth Tech and Gaston College are also collaborating in research at this important new center in North Carolina.
Miscellaneous
A new law (S1669) gives community college boards of trustees the authority to prohibit the use of tobacco products on campus and in vehicles owned by community colleges.
The State Board of Community Colleges must develop a curriculum and encourage community colleges to offer courses in American Sign Language as a foreign language under a law (H915) approved last year.
North Carolina residents 65 and older can now attend up to six hours of community college credit or non-credit courses each semester without payment of fees. The law (H1076) excludes textbooks, computer use and technology fees, and course specific fees.
Meetings/Events
I plan to attend the following meetings/events:
Please invite me to attend your county, city, community or civic, etc. meetings or events.
As I’ve said many times before, I hope you will continue to let me know how you feel about the issues that are being debated by the North Carolina Legislature and the challenges you and your family are facing each day.
By working together, we can make Northampton, Vance and Warren Counties and all regions of North Carolina a better place to live, work and raise a family.
For more information, please visit the General Assembly’s website.