NC Community College System unveils new website with enhanced student experience, program finder

In a major digital overhaul, the North Carolina Community College System launched a new website Friday that promises to better serve prospective students, businesses, and the 58 community colleges.

For the first time, the website will allow North Carolinians an opportunity to see college programs at community colleges across the state as well as better navigation to understand the process for selecting and pursuing college education and training.

In July, the System contracted with Honestly, a marketing firm based in Greensboro, to lead the website redesign, with an ambitious goal of completing the site in just four months.

With nearly every webpage rebuilt to align with the System’s new strategic plan, the new website introduces enhancements tailored to improve the program exploration and enrollment process for users.

Workforce development is a major tenet of the new site with the integration of several System brands, such as ApprenticeshipNC, NCEdge Customized Training, NC Small Business Center Network, and NC BioNetwork. By revamping these business-focused webpages, the site creates simple and efficient ways to connect with community colleges for business support and vital talent.

“The data is clear that we should strive to provide post-secondary education to all North Carolinians and the North Carolina Community College System is the only institution dedicated to developing and nurturing talent for everyone in every North Carolina community,” said Nathan Hardin, Executive Director of Communications for the System. “This website is a critical resource and a first step for North Carolinians who want to know more about community colleges and how they can improve job opportunities, paychecks, and enjoy a better tomorrow.”

The new site is more user-friendly, accessible, interactive, and informative than ever before. 

With dynamic imagery from Murphy to Manteo, the site provides a visually engaging experience with new tools like the Program Finder that make it easier for prospective students to explore programs to achieve their academic and professional goals.

“Our community colleges are the workforce engine of our state, and the new website provides better service to our businesses, students, and colleges and provides the System with a platform for future growth,” said Dr. Jeff Cox, President of the North Carolina Community College System. “It also provides North Carolina with an online experience that boosts our ability to recruit and inform businesses that are considering North Carolina because of our ability to deliver well-trained and diverse talent pipelines.”

Here are five key highlights from the updated platform:

• Enhanced Focus on Prospective Students, Businesses, and Partners: The new website places a stronger emphasis on serving prospective students, businesses, and partners;
• Audience-Specific Content: To streamline the user experience, content is now organized within targeted audience sections. This means that students will access content relevant to them, while faculty members will find resources tailored to their requirements, all without unnecessary clutter.
• Intuitive Program and College Finders: The website will introduce new program and college finders designed to simplify the process of discovering and marketing the offerings of North Carolina Community Colleges. This user-friendly feature will make it easier for students to explore educational opportunities.
• Visually Dynamic Design: The redesigned platform incorporates a more visually dynamic layout with an increased focus on video content, creating an engaging and interactive experience for users.
• Advanced Website Search: A new website search function powered by AI-enhancements promises to deliver better search results and improve over time, ensuring users can quickly find the information they need.

Additionally, the site will serve faculty and staff at all community colleges as a resource for data and performance, professional development opportunities, curriculum guidance, library services, and legal support, among others.

Visit the new website today at www.nccommunitycolleges.edu.