President’s Report
To the
State Board of Community Colleges
February 17, 2006
You may recall that I left the State Board meeting last month a few
minutes before adjournment in order to keep my appointment with
David Murdock, the developer of the Research Center in Kannapolis
which will focus on biotechnology/food and nutrition research. Also
meeting with us was Senator Fletcher Hartsell. We had an excellent
meeting at which I learned much about Mr. Murdock’s initiative and
the role he expects us to play in its success. He is eager for us to
begin training the support staff, technicians, and others who will
be involved in the initiative, but who will not require a
baccalaureate or higher degree. He is willing to make available
temporary space for Rowan-Cabarrus Community College to begin its
education programs on-site.
The Monday following your
meeting, Senator Richard Burr sponsored an excellent grants workshop
in the Legislative Building for community colleges. Many presidents
and resource development professionals attended and learned much
about the availability of federal grants and how to procure them.
I met with
officials from Regis University in Denver, Colorado, with regard to
their interest in providing degree completion programs in various
disciplines for graduates of community colleges using distance
technologies as the delivery method. I have encouraged them to meet
with the Presidents’ Association at their spring or summer meeting.
I believe that that contact has been made.
Dr. Jim Sadler,
Associate Vice President of the University System, met with Dr. Ron
Lingle (Coastal Carolina Community College), Dr. Ed Wilson (Wayne
Community College), Dr. Scott Ralls (Craven Community College), and
Scott Dorney (Fayetteville Technical Community College/NC Military
Business Center) to discuss how universities and community colleges
could work together to provide additional higher education resources
to military personnel and their dependants. We anticipate further
meetings on this initiative.
At his request, I
met with Judge Howard Manning to discuss the role of community
colleges in high school reform, teacher preparation, and other areas
where he believes that community colleges can be of assistance in
the Leandro response.
Franklin Freeman of
the Governor’s Office convened a meeting of agency heads involved in
workforce development. Creating an alliance of those leaders was a
recommendation of an economic development study done by the North
Carolina Economic Development Commission. Further meetings are
anticipated on an ongoing basis.
Dr. John McKay and
South Piedmont Community College hosted an excellent winter meeting
of the Association of Community College Presidents. This was a very
productive meeting as it focused on delivering programs for
students, enhancing workforce initiatives, ironing out thorny policy
issues, and reaching consensus on our budget priorities. The
Association, under President Gordon Burns’ leadership, has been very
helpful as we struggle to meet the needs of the adult learner.
Following that
meeting, I traveled to Boone to meet with Chancellor Kenneth Peacock
and his senior staff. This was largely a “get acquainted” meeting,
but we did discuss various ways in which community colleges and
Appalachian State University have and will continue to work
together. I also met with Dr. Bryan Brooks, former president of
Davidson County Community College and now a professor at Appalachian
State, about his plans for graduate programs for community college
leaders and faculty. This is an exciting opportunity given the
change in direction of the program at NC State University, which now
appears to be focusing its attention on the doctor of philosophy
degree and appears to have significantly reduced its commitment to
community college leadership and faculty production. Dr. Brooks’
program at Appalachian State will be of particular benefit to our
western colleges.
I spoke in Austin
to the community college leadership doctoral candidates at the
University of Texas on the role of community colleges in economic
development. The response was lively and well received.
Dr. Hope Williams
hosted a dinner for University of North Carolina President Erskine
Bowles, State Superintendent June Atkinson, and me along with
selected senior staff. Periodically, the education agency heads meet
to discuss matters of mutual interest. After dinner we focused our
discussion primarily on the College Foundation of North Carolina
Website and its contributions to education at all levels in North
Carolina, and on the crisis in teacher preparation.
I have yet again
met with Charles Wilkins, the attorney for the Massage Therapy
Board, and leadership in that profession to discuss the role of the
Massage Therapy Board in massage therapy programs. I reiterated my
strong opposition to changing the law which exempts community
college programs from their licensure and oversight.
I was pleased to be
able to participate in the installation of Dr. Philip Dubois as the
fourth Chancellor of the University of North Carolina at Charlotte.
It was an impressive ceremony with significant participation by the
higher education community from North Carolina and across the
country.
Last week, I was a
panelist at the Emerging Issues Forum along with State
Superintendent of Public Instruction Jean Atkinson, Chairman Brad
Wilson of the North Carolina University Board of Governors and
others on the resource needs of education in a changing economy. I
also enjoyed the other presentations during the two-day Forum which
has been organized by Governor Jim Hunt and conducted in each of the
last 21 years. This year its focus was on the resources required to
meet the needs of the state.
Also last
week, I spoke at the regional meeting of the College Board in
Orlando, Florida, speaking on “what every high school counselor
should know about community colleges.” I believe that one of the
most serious impediments to the enrollment of recent high school
graduates in community college programs is the misperceptions and
downright prejudices of high school counselors with regard to
community colleges as a higher education option for their students.
The session was well attended and a lively discussion followed my
remarks. At this year’s regional meetings across the country, the
College Board has organized multiple community college presentations
to highlight the role of community colleges in higher education and
to help educate users of their testing instruments (PSAT, SAT, Accu-Placer,
etc.). The keynote speaker was Governor Jeb Bush.
On Saturday
of last week, David Worters (CEO of the NC Symphony) and I met with
Congressman David Price to discuss the funding a joint visiting
artist program of community colleges and the Symphony, using
Symphony musicians in short-term residencies on our campuses.
As more and
more of our higher education bond buildings come on line, it is
clear that in several instances county commissions have not been as
cognizant of their responsibility to operate and maintain these
facilities as they should be. Accordingly, Kennon Briggs has
developed a new process as directed by the Finance and Capital Needs
Committee to ensure that the counties are aware of this
responsibility and are willing to fulfill that responsibility once
buildings are completed. We were pleased to host the Higher
Education Bond Oversight Committee at Sandhills Community College in
January. Sharon Rosado made an excellent presentation of our use of
the bond funds and John Dempsey did a great job in hosting this
meeting.
Kennon and his
staff have worked diligently to complete the “2006 Consensus Budget
Request” that you have just reviewed and approved. As always, we
have endeavored to involve the entire community college family in
developing this consensus request.
Dr. Saundra
Williams reports that testing of the enhancement to the student
module of CIS continues and will be fully implemented in the summer
and fall of 2006. This enhancement will improve the ability of
students to register for classes via the Web and telephone voice
response systems. The 18 colleges in Phase 2B continue to convert
their student data files and will begin using the new system for
admissions and financial aid during the next two months. Summer
registration will be made possible with the implementation of this
new system.
Keith Brown
has been selected to chair a data committee of the seven “Achieving
The Dream” states. The purpose of the committee is to define common
measures that the seven states will agree on to report their work in
improving the chances of minority and first-generation college
student success. Dr. Delores Parker, Vonna Viglione, and Keith Brown
attended an Achieving The Dream Strategy Institute in Orlando,
January 29 – February 1. The purpose of the meeting was to advance
state policy work and identify joint and separate policy development
opportunities among the seven participating states.
Dr. Betty
Adams continues her excellent work on the System’s Strategic Plan
and a final draft will be presented to the Policy Committee at the
April Board meeting.
Dr. Soyoung
Yim will be presenting a paper at the Association of Institutional
Research annual meeting in Chicago.
Faculty
committees from our System and the University have begun meeting to
discuss additional pre-major agreements or the need for revision of
existing agreements to enhance the seamlessness of programs in this
area. Once the faculty committees complete their work, the Transfer
Advisory Committee will consider whatever recommendations are made.
Ken
Whitehurst, Wanda White, and Edith Lang continue to work with the
presidents in reaching consensus on the appropriate common cut score
to be used for placement tests. It is critically important that a
common cut score be agreed to so that each of our colleges accepts
the academic determination by all other colleges that developmental
education needs have been met if a person transfers from one of our
colleges to another.
Karen Yerby
hosted a Disability Services Advisory Board meeting to discuss
issues relating to disability services on our campuses.
Dr. Larry
Keen reports that his division continues to be very busy in working
with the State Department of Commerce and local developers on
recruitments that range from very small to very large, with more
than 5,000 new jobs in development.
Dr. Keen’s
division is working with the Lottery Commission regarding training
for small businesses statewide which will sell lottery tickets.
For the first
time, we seem to be making progress with regard to training for
Homeland Security, something which has been largely ignored thus far
as most money has been spent previously on equipment instead of
training first responders. There have been meetings in North
Carolina and Washington to address this shortcoming. Tracy McPherson
is doing an excellent job in pushing this agenda.
In our efforts to
work more closely and effectively with the University System, the
Economic and Workforce Development Division has been meeting with
the Industrial Extension Services and the Small Business Technology
Development Center on the role of our respective systems in economic
and workforce development.
BioNetwork continues to
move forward at a breakneck pace. An exciting opportunity for
several of our colleges is in participation with the National Center
for Biotechnology Workforce which Forsyth Technical Community
College is developing with a federal grant. The BioNetwork staff has
reviewed the innovation and equipment grant requests which you are
considering at this meeting. We are in the final weeks of work on
our mobile laboratory which we hope will be used beginning this
spring as an outreach vehicle for training across the state in
biotechnology. BioNetwork continues to be bursting at the seams as
our state quickly focuses its manufacturing future on
biomanufacturing.
The Workforce
Innovation Regional Economic Development Initiative of the US
Department of Labor has chosen the Piedmont Triad community colleges
to provide leadership in this $15 million initiative. Twelve other
states will participate in this initiative.
Since I was on the
Emerging Issues Forum program last Monday, Fred Williams represented
the System Office at the AACC/ACCT National Legislative Seminar in
Washington, DC. Briefings on federal issues and meetings with
Washington leaders were participated in by 73 trustees, 13
presidents, and various staff. Legislative issues, the economy, the
budget deficit, etc. were timely topics covered. Building support in
Washington is crucial in this time of increasing partisanship and
acrimony. One way to build support will be through a new Community
College Congressional Caucus recently organized by our Congressman
Brad Miller.
At 2:00 P.M. on
March 5, the Student Services Building at Robeson Community College
will be named in honor of Fred Williams. I know you will want to
congratulate him and be present for this occasion if you can.
I hope that you
were encouraged by your interaction with your colleagues on the
State Board of Education and the Board of Governors at the Joint
Board Meeting. I am pleased to see a real commitment across the
board to a seamless PK-16 education in North Carolina. We must
nurture that commitment.
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Friday, February 17, 2006 04:52:27 PM
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