State Board of Community Colleges approves new pathway for high school adjunct instructors to address statewide teacher shortage

The North Carolina State Board of Community Colleges approved a new program at the May 19 board meeting to address the critical teacher shortage across the state.

In response to the teacher shortage, Session Law 2021-48 created a new pathway for individuals with a related bachelor’s or graduate degrees to become high school adjunct instructors following completion of a focused course of study in teacher preparation. They can then contract with a local board of education to teach high school-level courses in their area of specialized knowledge or work experience.

The new High School Adjunct Instructor Certificate offered by the System will provide an additional pathway for individuals who wish to teach at a North Carolina public high school.

“This enables us to meet a critical teacher shortage in North Carolina and the certificate offering would be a significant innovation by our System to address a critical teacher shortage by establishing an expedited pathway for attracting talent to fill our teacher pipeline,” said Sarah West, Vice-Chair of the Programs Committee.

Other Business:

• Governor Roy Cooper awarded $2.2 million for the second year of Finish Line Grants, which provide funding to colleges to offer as emergency financial assistance to eligible students.
• Dr. Laura Leatherwood, President of Blue Ridge Community College, is now President of the North Carolina Assocation of Community College Presidents. She succeeds Dr. Jeff Cox, who begins his new role as System President on June 1.
• Katie Loovis will begin June 1 as Executive Director of the North Carolina Community Colleges Foundation. Loovis brings 20 years of public service experience with executive leadership and management in government, business, and non-profit sectors, including roles at The White House, GlaxoSmithKline, and Achieving the Dream. She most recently served as Vice President of Community, Economic and Workforce Development at The Chamber for a Greater Chapel Hill-Carrboro.
• Brandy Andrews, Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, will be transitioning to a new job opportunity after 16 years with the System. Her last day is June 21.
• Lorrel Dunn, Coordinator of Building Services, received the Most Valuable Player Award for her outstanding service at the System Office.

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About the North Carolina Community College System The North Carolina Community College System is a network created to improve the quality of life across North Carolina by opening the door to opportunities that minimize barriers to post-secondary education, maximize student success and develop a globally and multi-culturally competent workforce. The 58 institutions located throughout the state work to provide easy access to low-cost, high-quality educational opportunities and academic support that focuses on increasing employability. For more information, visit: www.nccommunitycolleges.edu.