RELEASE DATE: May 19, 2006
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State Board of Community Colleges honors Central Carolina Community College’s Small Business Center as best in state
Blue Ridge Community College responds to State Auditor’s findings
RALEIGH: The Small Business Center Network of the North Carolina Community College System is a one-of-a-kind national model of entrepreneurial development. Today, the State Board of Community College paid tribute to the 58 Small Business Centers across the state by recognizing the three best centers in the state.
The recipients honored today with the 2004-05 Small Business Center Network Award for Excellence had to meet specific criteria set forth in the annual reporting guidelines. SBCN Director George Millsaps presented the three centers that an external committee selected for this distinction.
The SBC at Central Carolina Community College is the Central Regional and Statewide Excellence winner. This is the third time Central Carolina has won the statewide honor. There are three centers, one in each of the counties the college serves. The centers are divergent in geographic location and service niche and, according to Millsaps, “respond to business needs with speed and agility.” The directors of the three centers: Jim Felton (Lee), Nancy Blackman (Harnett), and Leon Tongret (Chatham) accepted their awards.
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L to r: Robin Phillips, Wilkes Community College; Nancy Blackman, Jim Felton and Leon Tongret of Central Carolina Community College and Anne Shaw of Coastal Carolina Community College. |
Robin Phillips accepted the Western Regional Award for the Small Business Center she directs at Wilkes Community College. The Center was praised for its collaborative efforts and a day-long conference it hosted in partnership with nearly a dozen entities that offered ways to become a successful entrepreneur.
Anne Shaw, SBC Director at Coastal Carolina Community College accepted the Eastern Regional Award. The Coastal SBC assisted in developing a unique business resource center and has worked tirelessly to provide one-on-one assistance to businesses desiring to do business with the government.
Following the award ceremony, representatives from Blue Ridge Community College presented their response to a request from the Board regarding critical audit findings concerning the baseball team at the college. The complete report from the State Auditor can be found at: http://www.ncauditor.net/EpsWeb/EDSreportdetail.asp?RepNum=INV-2006-0290
Special counsel Chris Campbell spoke for the Blue Ridge Board of Trustees. He came to assure the State Board that the local trustees recognize the seriousness of the matter, and that any suggested illegalities and improprieties of Blue Ridge Community College had been turned over for review to the local District Attorney, the US Department of Education, the State Bureau of Investigation, and the Office of the Governor. He suggested the role of the State Board was to offer assistance and support to the trustees.
The issues of concern related to the activities of Blue Ridge Community College include: potential criminal violations regarding the misuse of money, forgery, false pretenses, substantial violations of federal work study program regulations, a questionable relationship between the college and a business owned by the Trustee Chair, and questionable practices regarding compensation of the baseball coach, who is also an instructor at the college.
In responding to a question about use of work study funds, Campbell replied, “It wasn’t done right and we have fixed that. The money has been repaid.” He asked the Board to leave further investigation to government officials and they should “look to the future.”
Board member Joanne Steiner responded. “We look to the future, but we are accountable. One thing that tarnishes one college tarnishes all.”
Board Chair Hilda Pinnix-Ragland emphasized that the State Board does have oversight authority. “We must be consistent in our application of rules,” she said. She appointed a committee that will work with Blue Ridge trustees and others to address the audit report and “bring closure.”
In other action the Board:
** Moved the organizational placement of the Program Audit Section of the System Office from Administration to the Office of the President. The auditor role will be expanded to include not only program audits, but internal audit functions. The action is in response to a recommendation from the State Auditor that the NCCCS locate an auditor on each campus. The action requires approval by the General Assembly to become final.
** Renewed the licenses of 39 existing proprietary schools, approved two new proprietary schools in Charlotte, and approved a rule, effective July 1, that requires that a student who withdraws from a proprietary school prior to completing 25% of the period of enrollment for which he or she has been charged, must receive a refund of at least 75% of the tuition paid.
** Approved 24 applications for Innovative High School Programs to be located on community college campuses
** Approved a new NCCCS Construction Manual that consolidates existing General Statutes, procedures, and policies regarding construction, renovation, and development of facilities and other matters related to campus facilities. This is the first comprehensive rewrite since 1982 and encompasses prior changes and additions.
** Approved the new 2007-09 NCCCS Strategic Plan. The document is used to guide the development of the biennial budget request.
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