| For Release: IMMEDIATE | Contact: Public Affairs |
| Date: December 15, 2004 | (919) 807-6964 |
TOP TEN COMMUNITY COLLEGE NEWS STORIES IN NORTH CAROLINA IN 2004
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 2004. For more information about a particular story, contact the Public Affairs office at the number above.
1. General Assembly budget and policy support of community colleges is among the best in the system's 41-year history.
The North Carolina General Assembly showed its support for the state's community colleges by including in its budget, a pay raise for community college faculty as well as increased funding for equipment and enrollment growth. H. Martin Lancaster, President of the North Carolina Community College System, said that the expansion budget "is by far the largest our System has ever received."
2. Workforce Training available at community colleges is a factor in leading Dell Inc. and other companies to locate businesses in North Carolina.
In November, Governor Mike Easley credited North Carolina community colleges' "good work" in responding to recent manufacturing layoffs as a key to Dell Inc.'s decision to locate its new plant in the Piedmont Triad region of North Carolina. Between one and three community colleges in the area will be asked to train workers through the college's New and Expanded Industry Program (NEIT).
3. Bush, Kerry, Dole, Chao visit community colleges in North Carolina
North Carolina's community colleges received a lot of national attention this year. President George W. Bush, U.S. Senator John Kerry (D-MA), U.S. Senator Elizabeth Dole (R-NC) and U.S. Secretary of Labor Elaine Chao all visited the campuses of community colleges in North Carolina in 2004. Also, Alan Greenspan, Chairman of the Federal Reserve, told a congressional committee in February that North Carolina "had one of the finest community college systems in the country."
4. Edgecombe Community College professor finds cancer oncogene
Alan Stephenson, Edgecombe Community College science instructor, has unlocked more of the mystery of how cancer begins. Stephenson, instructor and chairman of the college's science department, recently identified a new oncogene, a potential cancer-causing gene. As part of his Ph.D. research at The Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University, Stephenson has been studying pathways that lead cells to become malignant. Stephenson has taught at Edgecombe Community College for 10 years.
5. North Carolina community colleges in line for up to $3 million a year from Duke Power
In October, Duke Power announced that it will fund grants totaling up to $3 million annually through June 30, 2009 to community colleges within its service area and others that do significant training for major industries served by Duke Power. The focus of the grant program is on training, retraining and other efforts to revitalize manufacturing and related businesses.
6. The State Employees' Credit Union (SECU) Foundation creates scholarship program for community college students
The State Employees' Credit Union (SECU) Foundation has established a major new scholarship program to assist students in each of the 58 community colleges in the North Carolina Community College System. "This is about people helping people," said Tom King, chair of the SECU Foundation Board. "The SECU Foundation wants to support projects that help people, and this is the perfect choice for our first effort." King is a former member of the State Board of Community Colleges and a retired senior vice president and chief financial officer for the North Carolina Community College System Office.
7. Community Colleges develop the BioNetwork to boost bioTechnology education in North Carolina
North Carolina ranks third in the nation in biotechnology, and North Carolina's community colleges play a key role in training workers for that industry. The community college system, using startup funds from Golden LEAF, created six BioNetwork Centers of Excellence around the state to help train biotechnology workers and greatly enhanced biotechnology programs statewide. Susan Seymour became the state's BioNetwork Director.
8. A community college alumnus and a community college student receive national recognition at the American Association of Community Colleges Convention in Minneapolis in April
Ernest Grant, a nurse education clinician for burn outreach at the North Carolina Jaycee Burn Center in Chapel Hill and a graduate of Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College, was one of six recipients of the 2004 Outstanding Alumni Award. Danielle Shacklady, a student at Catawba Valley Community College, was a member of the All-USA Today Community College and Junior College Academic First Team. She was the only student from North Carolina on the first team.
9. Community College alumni lead the way
Throughout 2004, community college alumni continued to shine in their chosen professions. In June, Governor Mike Easley appointed William Fletcher Clay Jr. as Colonel of the North Carolina State Highway Patrol (NCSHP). A resident of Raleigh, Clay is a graduate of Davidson County Community College and of North Carolina State University. Tim Thomas, a graduate of Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College, served as a chef to President Bush and to the U.S. delegation to the G-8 summit in June.
10. Community College System and University System form Task Force on Partnership, submit joint funding proposals
In early 2004, James Woody, chair of the State Board of Community Colleges and Brad Wilson, chair of the UNC Board of Governors, recommended that a task force examine the partnership between the two systems. After several meetings, the task force made several recommendations. Both governing boards agreed to sustain the work of the task force and present a package of joint funding requests to the General Assembly.
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