| FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE |
CONTACT: Public Affairs |
| DATE: February 28, 2001 |
State Board of Community Colleges Approves Bond Distribution Plan
RALEIGH: The State Board of Community Colleges today approved a distribution plan for the $600 million coming to the community colleges from the statewide Higher Education Bonds passed by voters in November 2000.
"The first rule of accountability is to keep our distribution program in balance, and this plan will do that," said State Board Finance Chairman James Woody about the plan.
A special task force including three members each from the State Board, Association of Community College Presidents and Association of Community College Trustees developed the distribution plan. The task force based its recommendations upon information received from the community colleges about schedules and cash flow needs for 424 projects for new construction and repair and renovation.
The process requires a detailed year-by-year plan because the $600 million proceeds from the bond sales will be available to the North Carolina Community College System in increments, designated by law, over the next six years rather than all at once. The task force had to balance the cash flow needs of each campus for its projects with available funds in each year.
The first round of bond sales is expected in early March, with funds available for distribution in April. The schedule for projected available bond funds is: $48.4 million this year (year 1): $58.1 million in year 2; $116.1 million in year 3; $116.1 million in year 4; $135.5 million in year 5; and $125.8 million in year 6.
According to Finance Chair Woody, "The real work of this effort was done by the colleges themselves. They had to work with their staffs and architects and with each other so we would come up with a plan that gets the money into communities as voters expect."
H. Martin Lancaster, President of the North Carolina Community College System, praised the task force for "prodigious work" on a tight deadline.
The next step for the State Board is review and approval of specific projects, with the first reviews scheduled for the March 15 meeting in Raleigh.
The State Board received from the Trustees of Robeson Community College the plan requested by the State Board for addressing concerns raised by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS).
After a regular accreditation review last year, SACS found that the college provides quality academic services, but expressed serious concerns about its governance and placed the college on a one-year probation. At today's meeting, President Lancaster expressed confidence that the Trustees of Robeson Community College were making progress toward resolving the issues.
Dr. G. Herman Porter, Chairman, accepted with regret the resignation of board member Carolyn Harmon of Lincolnton, who stepped down for personal reasons.
Ms. Harmon joined the board in 1993 upon election by the North Carolina Senate and won a second six-year term in 1999.
The State Board also approved 10 curriculum (for-credit) programs, as follows:
- BEAUFORT COUNTY COMMUNITY COLLEGE (Washington): Information System Network/Administration and Support
- NASH COMMUNITY COLLEGE (Rocky Mount): Computer Engineering Technology
- ROBESON COMMUNITY COLLEGE (Lumberton): Automotive Systems Technology
- SOUTH PIEDMONT COMMUNITY COLLEGE (Polkton): Medical Sonography
- TRI-COUNTY COMMUNITY COLLEGE (Murphy): Emergency Medical Science
- STANLY COMMUNITY COLLEGE (Albemarle): Cardiovascular/Vascular Interventional Technology
- WAKE TECHNICAL COMMUNITY COLLEGE (Raleigh): Computer Tomography/Magnetic Resonance Imaging Technology
- HAYWOOD COMMUNITY COLLEGE (Clyde): Industrial Maintenance Technology
- LENOIR COMMUNITY COLLEGE (Kinston): Global Logistics Technology
- PIEDMONT COMMUNITY COLLEGE (Roxboro): Digital Effects and Animation
For details, contact Chancy Kapp or Audrey Bailey at the System Office at 919-733-7051.
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