RELEASE:  October 20, 2006

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Public Affairs

 

State Board approves new president for Halifax CC, makes major budget move

 

SPINDALE, NC - Today, the State Board of Community Colleges met at Isothermal Community College in Spindale where Dr. Willard Lewis (right) president of the college, has announced his retirement effective next June.  System President Martin Lancaster said it was appropriate that the Board met at the college before Dr. Lewis left.  State Board Chair Hilda Pinnix-Ragland praised Dr. Lewis for his exemplary leadership and thanked him and his college for hosting the Board.

 

The first action item vote of the Board began with a motion from Dr. Linwood Powell, Personnel Committee Chair.  "Knowing where this college was several years ago, where it is now, and where it will be in the future; it gives me special pleasure to recommend Dr. Ervin V. Griffin as the next president of Halifax Community College," said Dr. Powell.  The Board approved Dr. Griffin unanimously.  Former president Dr. Ted Gasper was terminated by the trustees.   

 

Before presenting his college's fourth president, Dr. Stanly Edwards (right, below), Chair of the Halifax CC Board of Trustees said it was appropriate that he made the announcement at Isothermal.  Edward's mother, Rachel, received her Adult High School equivalency at the age of 74 from Isothermal nearly 20 years ago.  In presenting Dr. Griffin, Dr. Edwards thanked the Board and the System Office for their assistance during the selection process. "This is a perfect match for the college and the community," he said.

Dr. Griffin  (far left) told the Board, "We all want the same; we are dedicated to improving the lives of our students and our community."  Griffin comes to Halifax after 18 years at West Virginia State Community and Technical College, where he served as head of the college for the last six years.  He shared some successes at his former West Virginia college, giving the Board a glimpse of  where he hopes Halifax will go.  "The future is now and the best is yet to come," he said.  He assumes the     role on December 1.

 

The State Board approved a draft 2007-09 Consensus Budget Request that System President Martin Lancaster calls "ambitious."  The budget will be presented to Governor Easley in early November for his review and inclusion in the budget he presents to the General Assembly.  The Board will approve the final version of the Consensus Budget at its November meeting.

 

During the discussion of the budget, President Lancaster told Board members that this would be the last biennial budget he would oversee for the Community College System.  He said it was important to "lay out a significant and realistic program of need for the System."

 

The budget again includes as its top priority bringing community college faculty salaries closer to the national average of $54,287.  The North Carolina average is now $41,517, 44^th in the nation, up from $34,527 in 1999-2000.  The goal is to move the NC average up by 19 places within three years.  In addition to faculty salaries, the System will seek salary increases for all community college personnel, not just professional employees as in previous years.

 

Kennon Briggs, System vice president for business and finance, in presenting the proposal, assured the Board that the budget priorities are strongly supported by the recommendations of the Pappas Report, a study mandated by House Bill 1264, and is also supported by the System's Strategic Plan.

 

The Board gave the proposal preliminary approval, but gave System Office staff the authority to fine tune the proposal in preparation for presentation to the governor and final presentation to the Board in November.  Staff will also prepare an executive summary of the consensus budget request.

 

In other action:

 

The Board approved John Cabe, dean of Academic Affairs at Tri-County Community College as its Interim President, effective January 1, 2007.  Dr. Norman Oglesby, president of Tri-County for the last ten years, retires effective December 31, 2006.  During the time that Cabe serves as interim president, the Board of Trustees will convene a selection committee to consider applicants for Oglesby's job.

 

The Board approved the distribution of $80 thousand to 37 colleges to fund academic assistance to nursing students from disadvantaged backgrounds.  The funds are designed to help those students who might be in danger of not completing their course of study because funding was not available for services they need.

 

The Friday Board meeting followed two days of the State Board's retreat where several presentations were made, including one from Sen. Walter Dalton (D-Rutherford).  Dalton suggested that the next budget year would be a good one.  "We are recovering in North Carolina and that is in large part due to your work," he told the Board.  He praised the Community College System for being "affordable, accessible and adaptable, a 'Jack of all trades' in providing a lifelong education experience."  He said there was much to feel good about regarding community colleges, but the salary situation was not one of them.  "We need to do more," he said.

 

Other presenters at the Board retreat included Polly Johnson (right) from the State Board of Nursing, who shared statistics on the nursing shortage and plans to address it.  Sixty-two percent of North Carolina's nurses are trained at community colleges.

 

Jeff Henderson and Carol Smith from the Office of the State Auditor also made a presentation.  Mr. Henderson praised the Community College System for "moving in the right direction" in responding to concerns raised earlier by the Auditor.

 

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