News Release
| For Release: IMMEDIATE | Contact: Public Affairs |
| Date: December 31, 2003 |
THE TOP TEN STORIES AT NORTH CAROLINA'S COMMUNITY COLLEGES IN 2003
The Public Affairs Office of the North Carolina Community College System has selected the following stories as the "Top Ten" news items from the community colleges in 2003. . For more information about a particular story, contact the Public Affairs office at the number above.
- Frontline Response to Economic Shutdowns
In recent years, North Carolina has experienced a number of job layoffs and factory closings. Many of those displaced workers go to a community college to train for another occupation. "Developing and training North Carolina's workforce is our mission," said H. Martin Lancaster, president of the North Carolina Community College System. Lancaster said that while the Pillowtex plant closings in Cabarrus and Rockingham Counties received a lot of attention, services for dislocated workers are available wherever needed around the state.
The economic downturn was one reason for a dramatic increase in enrollment at community colleges across North Carolina. Many community colleges reported significant enrollment increases. The System Office estimates that the entire system experienced a 10 percent enrollment increase. An estimated 800,000 students went through the open doors of the community college system in 2002-2003.
On November 7, President George W. Bush visited Forsyth Technical Community College in Winston-Salem. The president cited Forsyth Tech's biotechnology program and other programs designed to help dislocated workers. "Community colleges help people find job training programs," said Bush. Photos, video and the transcript from the President's visit at Forsyth Tech, the first for a U.S. President, can be found at www.forsythtech.edu
President Bush was not the first to recognize the hard work of North Carolina's community colleges in biotechnology. In August, Golden LEAF awarded the community college system $9.4 million for the first two years of BioNetwork. BioNetwork will allow community colleges to share information and resources while training workers in the biotechnology industry. In 20 years, North Carolina is expected to have more than 100,000 workers in biotechnology, up from 32,000 today.
In 2003, the community college family celebrated the 40th anniversary of the System by honoring Dr. W. Dallas Herring, the "godfather" of the North Carolina Community College System. At a banquet in his honor in July, Herring learned that the W. Dallas Herring Leadership Development Institute has been established. The Institute will select and train community college administrators to become community college presidents. The North Carolina Community College System was founded on May 17, 1963.
The 2003 Critical Success Factors Report showed that students who come out of community colleges in North Carolina get good jobs, make their employers happy and pass their licensing exams. The annual report documents each community college's performance on a set of standards developed by the System to meet accountability requirements of the General Assembly. This year, 31 community colleges earned "superior" rankings. Four community colleges received a perfect score by meeting or exceeding all 12 measures: Asheville-Buncombe Technical, Coastal Carolina, Robeson, and Tri-County. Three community colleges have each achieved a "superior" rating in each of the three years the report was generated: Asheville-Buncombe Technical, Blue Ridge, and Tri-County
On May 31, Jeffrey Postell, a police officer in Murphy, captured Eric Robert Rudolph, an alleged serial bomber who was on the FBI's Most Wanted list for more than five years. Postell graduated from the Basic Law Enforcement Training Program at Southwestern Community College in Sylva, in 2002. "I'm not a celebrity and I'm not a hero. I'm a police officer and this was part of the job," he said. More than 80 percent of North Carolina's law enforcement officers are trained at North Carolina's community colleges.
U.S. Census figures report that the Hispanic population in North Carolina has increased more than 400 percent since 1990. In 2003, the community college system created the Hispanic Latino Initiative, which is designed to develop policies and strategies to serve the educational needs of the Hispanic community. Through the Initiative, the community college system plans to increase the number of employment training programs available to the Hispanic community. Helga Mattei is the director of the Initiative.
In 2003, the community college system established a statewide public awareness campaign for adult Basic Skills/Literacy called "Race 4 Literacy." Statistics show that 22 percent of North Carolina adults have serious literacy difficulties. An additional 30 percent of North Carolina adults do well in everyday literacy tasks but could still benefit from literacy instruction. Over the next three years, "Race 4 Literacy" will identify these adults and help them.
As 2003 ends, Americans are glad to hear that Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein has been captured. Sgt. Wes Wooten, a member of the combat video assignment team, was on duty in Iraq when Hussein was captured. (Note: Wooten was not present for the actual capture). Wooten, on active duty in Iraq, is a supervisor of Computer Technical Support in the Information Systems Department at Pitt Community College in Greenville. His wife, Wendy, works in the college's Financial Aid Office.
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