Western North Carolina Takes Center Stage at State Board of Community Colleges Meeting

The Top Story 

The State Board of Community Colleges convened last week with a sharp focus on recovery efforts in Western North Carolina, where Hurricane Helene left a lasting impact on several community colleges and the communities they serve.

In his opening remarks, Board Chairman Tom Looney emphasized the Board’s commitment to long-term rebuilding efforts. 

“We are deeply committed to the rebuilding process—not just in the immediate aftermath, but for the long term. Our students will rebuild, our colleges will rebuild, and together we will restore and strengthen these communities. This recovery will take time, but we are focused on ensuring that every college and every community has the support they need to emerge stronger than ever,” Looney said.

System President Dr. Jeff Cox and other board members shared personal reflections and stories about the tragedy throughout the meeting. Just last month, the Board met at Haywood Community College days before Hurricane Helene made landfall.

“Little did we know at that time, hearing what that community had gone through in recent years with the closing of the paper mill, wildfires, and flooding they’ve experienced, that they and the rest of Western North Carolina would be enduring a flood of historic magnitude in a few short days,” Cox said. “I want to echo Chairman Looney’s remarks of our commitment to help those communities rebound and rebuild. What we saw last month in Haywood County, in terms of the resiliency and true grit of the community, is exactly what will help our Western counties recover.” 

The NC Community College System swiftly mobilized a comprehensive relief effort, leveraging resources and partnerships across the state to support students, staff, and communities impacted by the storm, by: 

• Launching the Hurricane Helene Community College Response and Recovery Fund to support both affected colleges and their surrounding communities. 
• Partnering with John M. Belk Endowment, that committed $2 million in funding to support students, faculty, staff, and communities in their recovery efforts. Funding will provide vital assistance to the 14 community colleges located within the emergency declaration zone. 
• The Board approving waivers of specific State Board of Community Colleges Code provisions to allow flexibility and support to impacted colleges and students during the aftermath and recovery from Hurricane Helene. 
• Launching a special collection drive during its 2024 conference to aid recovery efforts. Attendees of the conference helped fill trucks with much-needed supplies. The trucks were generously provided by Fayetteville Technical Community College and Robeson Community College to collect and transport the donations. 
• The Small Business Center Network gathering a list of resources for small businesses in Western North Carolina.  

In addition to the focus on hurricane recovery, the Board addressed a range of other important matters aimed at advancing the System’s strategic priorities and supporting the colleges’ long-term growth. 

Other Business 

• Integrated Education and Training (IET) Project Funding: The Board approved an allocation of $400,000 to four community colleges to support the Integrated Education and Training project, which combines adult education with workforce preparation and job skills training. 
• High-Cost Workforce Start-Up and Expansion Fund: The Board approved an allocation of $750,000 in High-Cost Workforce Start-Up funding and $1,044,922 in High-Cost Workforce Expansion funding to support the start-up and expansion of healthcare workforce programs offered at NC community colleges. 
• Microsoft Cloud Computing Contract: A 20-month contract with Microsoft for cloud computing services, valued at up to $1 million, was approved to support the system’s data migration from Colleague. 
• Community College Transfers Increase: The Board approved a legislative report on the Comprehensive Articulation Agreement with the University of North Carolina System. Sarah West, Chair of the Programs and Student Success Committee, highlighted a 5% increase in the number of community college students transferring to four-year universities—the first such increase since 2018. 
• State Performance Measure Updates: The Board adopted new state performance measure changes, as recommended by the North Carolina Association of Community College Presidents, to better align with evolving student success goals. 

The next meeting of the State Board of Community Colleges is scheduled for November 15 in Raleigh.