H. Martin Lancaster, President
North Carolina Community College System
Report to the State Board of Community Colleges
October 15, 2004
This afternoon a delegation of North Carolina Higher Education leaders will leave for a week in the United Kingdom, completing an exchange begun two years ago when similar leaders from the United Kingdom came to North Carolina to explore ways in which two- and four-year higher education cooperate and collaborate. The economic troubles of North Carolina led to a delay in our raising the private funds necessary to complete the exchange. Don Reichard of Johnston Community College, Gordon Burns of Wilkes Community College, Ken Boham of Caldwell Community College and Technical Institute, Dr. Delores Parker, Dr. Tim Brewer, and I will represent community colleges in the exchange. Senior administrators from North Carolina State University, North Carolina A & T State University, Appalachian State University and the University of North Carolina at Charlotte will round out the delegation. Those colleges and universities (plus Central Piedmont and Guilford Technical) hosted leaders from the United Kingdom when they were in North Carolina. Don Cameron of Guilford Technical Community College and Tony Zeiss of Central Piedmont Community College elected not to participate or to send representatives from their colleges for the Exchange visit to the United Kingdom. In addition to exploring ways in which two- and four-year higher education in the United Kingdom work together, we will be looking particularly at experiential learning and the articulation of technical degrees into applied science baccalaureates. We will be visiting universities and two-year colleges in London, Leicester, Staffordshire, and Northern Ireland.
Not directly related to the exchange, we were recently visited by Deputy Ministers of the Department of Employment and Learning from North Ireland. This department combines into a single agency the functions of our Employment Security Commission and Community College System. They were looking at our JobLinks and the ways in which we are retraining traditional manufacturing workers, particularly textile workers. They, like we, have been heavily dependent on traditional manufacturing, especially textiles, and are losing those jobs at a rate similar to ours. They visited JobLinks at Johnston Community College and Lenoir Community College after having met with the leadership of the Employment Security Commission and the leadership team of the System Office.
I have been in Forsyth County twice in the last month, first speaking to the Rotary Club and secondly, participating in the public announcement of the $12 million gift by Duke Power to be paid to us in four increments of $3 million each and to be used for economic development projects in its service area. This generous gift has us all very excited!
I have also visited Haywood Community College to observe the total destruction of its continuing education campus from the flooding and to meet with the trustees with regard to the continuing internal battles on the Board of Trustees which have pitted six trustees for and six trustees against the current president, Dr. Nathan Hodges, and six trustees for and six trustees against the Board Chairman.
I spoke at the naming of the Student Center at Fayetteville Technical Community College in honor of Senator Tony Rand. Fred Williams joined me in representing the System Office for this wonderful occasion.
Dr. Delores Parker, Kristi Snuggs, Lynda McCulloch, and I met with Interim State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tricia Willoughby and assured her of our complete cooperation with her and her department during her short tenure. She will be serving until January when the newly elected superintendent will take office.
Community college presidents in the East Carolina University service area and in the Wachovia Partnership East met in Greenville to explore ways in which we can more fully cooperate, especially in the fields of teacher preparation and nursing education.
Leaders of the community college and university systems have been meeting to review proposals for the programmatic and facilities study directed by the North Carolina General Assembly. This is an important study which we hope will lead to significant additions to our resources for both programs and facilities to meet the economic and workforce needs of North Carolina.
The Hispanic and Latino Initiative Advisory Board met. Helga Mattei and a panel presented information about this initiative to the Presidents’ meeting in Greensboro.
The North Carolina Rural Partners Conference was held at the North Raleigh Hilton at which time twenty-two Small Business Centers were announced for funding of special rural entrepreneurial initiatives in the coming year.
Many North Carolina Community College Trustees, Presidents, and I attended the American Community College Trustees Association meeting in New Orleans. As always, we returned very proud of North Carolina and its role in that Association. Lynda Stanley, a Trustee from Brunswick Community College, was elected Secretary-Treasurer and in three years will lead that organization. We are very proud of her and wish her well.
This week Dr. Larry Keen gave his NEIT report to the General Assembly Education Oversight Committee and I reacted to the MGT Study of the Comprehensive Articulation Agreement to that same group. I believe both reports were well received.
I also spoke to the NC Citizens for Business and Industry Education Committee and Dr. Keen spoke to their Economic Development Committee, presenting our legislative proposals for the coming session. I also spoke to a conference of new school superintendents in Chapel Hill.
President Molly Broad entertained the Education Cabinet and the senior staff of each system at a dinner in Chapel Hill.
Of course, the biggest news of the year was the very successful System-wide conference held in Greensboro earlier this week, with almost 3,000 faculty, staff, and presidents attending. This is without question the largest professional development conference in the community college world. It is a wonderful opportunity for our faculty and staff to learn best practices from other colleges and to network with their colleagues from across the state. Dr. Delores Parker and her entire division are to be commended for a two-year effort which came off beautifully. Elizabeth Isler was called back from retirement to assist in the logistics of the conference.
Fred Williams participated in the Joseph D. Moore Lecture Series on Higher Learning for Citizenship at North Carolina State University.
Pam Little, Associate Director of Student Development Services, was interviewed on the UNC-TV program, "Black Forum Issues," discussing the Minority Male Mentoring Program.
Two of our College Tech Prep consortia are being recognized at the National Tech Prep Leadership Awards Luncheon in Minneapolis, MN. Craven Community College and its partnership with the Naval Aviation Depot, and the Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College Tech Prep programs will be honored.
Dr. Delores Parker as Principal Investigator for the NC TABS Program participated in the 5th National Role Models Conference in Washington, DC and was the keynote luncheon speaker at North Carolina Central University’s Community College Day. She was also a visiting scholar addressing the topic of leadership at the University of Texas at Austin earlier in the month.
On the recommendation of Dr. Saundra Williams and the Information Systems for the Future Steering Committee, the implementation of CIS student system will proceed on schedule for Phase 2A colleges following final approval of the Finance Committee. ACS/Datatel has also completed work on the AR/CR project on schedule.
Thanks to a legislative appropriation, for the first time ever all 58 colleges will receive funding for FIT participation with nine consortia providing FIT services for 22 colleges and individual FIT directors at 36 colleges.
Dr. Larry Keen attended the National Association of Industry-Specific Training Directors in St. Louis, Missouri.
Pat Freeman, the Western Regional Training Director of NEIT/FIT hosted the Western Regional meeting at Blue Ridge Community College.
The initial meeting of the Funding Formula Study Committee kicked off its work with Drs. Jeff Hockaday and Donny Hunter serving as consultants. A second meeting followed the Conference in Greensboro. All are hard at work!
The Association of Community College Business Officers met in Asheville with approximately 200 business officers and their staff attending. Kennon Briggs and his staff made multiple presentations at the meeting.
Phil Albano has announced his retirement after 37 years of service to the State of North Carolina, but we are hopeful that Kennon will be able to find ways to keep him involved, much as he has done with his colleague John Malia who retired several year ago, but continues on a part-time contract. Phil’s retirement reminds us of all of the dedicated, long-time, hard working staff we are blessed to have!
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