The State Board of Community Colleges met Friday, May 21. Here are the highlights from my colleague, Molly Osborne:

Both Kandi Deitemeyer, Central Piedmont Community College president and president of the NC Association of Community College Presidents, and Julie Woodson, president of the NC Association of Community College Trustees, stressed the importance of faculty and staff pay in their reports to the Board.

“Let us not forget, and let us keep reminding those who will stroke the pen in the General Assembly, that this incredible talent and those thousands of graduates would not be possible, or the hope for our great state, if it were not for the incredible talent and really the dedication, hard work, professionalism, passion, and service of the best faculty and staff in the nation,” said Deitemeyer.

Bill McBrayer, chair of the personnel committee, announced the hiring of Dr. Bruce Mack as the new vice president of economic development at the system office following the retirement of Maureen Little. Mack was previously the vice president of economic and workforce development at Cleveland Community College.

“Dr. Mack comes to you this morning with just stellar credentials,” said Thomas Stith, president of the NC Community College System. “There will be no learning curve. He has been well versed and has networks across the state.”

McBrayer also announced the renaming and transfer of several positions at the system office from SPA to EPA. SPA positions are subject to the state’s Personnel Act, whereas EPA positions are exempt. EPA employees are “at-will” and serve at the pleasure of the system president.

Finally, Stith spoke to the Board about Gov. Cooper’s proposal for American Rescue Plan funds. You can read more about that proposal here.

As mentioned above, Gov. Roy Cooper announced Monday he will allocate millions of dollars in GEER funding towards making community college more affordable for many students across the state through the new Longleaf Commitment:

Using federal COVID-19 aid, Gov. Cooper is providing $31.5 million so that high school seniors from low- and middle-income families can get “at least $2,800 in federal and state grants to cover tuition and most fees at any of the state’s 58 community colleges,” according to a press release from the governor’s office.

“Education translates into opportunity, and I thank Governor Cooper for his decision to use federal funds to extend higher education opportunities for students to attend community colleges,” said Thomas Stith, president of the North Carolina Community College System, in a press release. “North Carolina’s ‘great 58’ community colleges are essential to the state’s economic recovery efforts and are well poised to prepare the workforce needed, today and tomorrow.”

The governor is using GEER funding, which stands for the Governor’s Emergency Education Relief (GEER) fund. All in, Cooper is spending $51.4 million. That money includes the $31.5 million for the Longleaf Commitment program focused on high school seniors. Additional details on how to apply will be available here.

Additional money will be spent on the new Longleaf Complete program, “that will be focused on college students whose education has been interrupted during the pandemic That money can be used by UNC System students, NC Community College students, or students at independent colleges and universities to help them complete their degree.”

These two programs will last for the 2021-22 and 2022-23 school years. For the full piece, click here.

Last week, Gov. Cooper released his strategy for spending American Rescue Plan dollars. The highlights for community colleges include:

• NC Guarantee: “The proposal guarantees at least $6,000 for families making $60,000 or less to cover expenses related to attending either a UNC institution or state community college.”
• $60,000,000 for the Finish Line Grants program.
• $75,000,000 for technology and equipment for the community college system.
• $2,000,000 to combat food insecurity and hunger on community college campuses.

The plan also includes additional investments in small business centers and other efforts designed to reconnect North Carolinians to the workforce.

For full details, check out our story by clicking here.

It was a true honor to deliver the commencement speech for the 2021 graduating class of Isothermal Community College last week. I encouraged them to share the story of our community colleges as they move forward as graduates:

Isothermal is one of our 58 community colleges in North Carolina. Through my job with EdNC, I have been fortunate enough to travel to 45 of those 58.

Dallas Herring, considered by many to be the father of the North Carolina Community College system, famously said the purpose of community colleges is to “take the people where they are, and carry them as far as they can go.”

This powerful sense of purpose is alive and well today. North Carolina’s 58 community colleges meet people where they are — and give them a chance to pursue their dreams.

During my travels I have seen that community colleges are first class institutions. I’ve seen a world class photography program at Randolph Community College, I’ve ridden in the big rigs at Caldwell Community College as they prepare student drivers for a great paying career that will change their family’s life dramatically, and I’ve heard of students who faced homelessness, attended an early college, and landed in the Ivy League.

I don’t have to tell you that you received a great education here at Isothermal, because you lived it, but I do often have to remind those who haven’t experienced community colleges recently that they are among the most important tools our country has to change lives.

My friend Mike Krause, who helped lead higher education efforts in Tennessee, recently reminded us— most people view college through the lens of an 18-year-old student transitioning from high school straight to a four-year college and moving forward from there. This has never been the only path, but it is even more rare today, and it is long past time that our policies and perceptions shift.

Most of you sitting in this crowd as graduates tonight will change jobs multiple times. And community colleges are practically the only institutions of higher learning that can provide you with a credential in 8 or 16 weeks that can dramatically change the financial future of your family.

For the remainder of my advice, including a reminder that “I’ll try again tomorrow” might well be among the most important four words we can remember each day, click here.

Did you read our special report on the pandemic school year in North Carolina? If not, carve out some time from your busy schedule this week to read it. The reporting doesn’t just focus on the year we just endured. In my opinion, the most important portions of the special report explain how the 2021-2022 school year will be shaped by the lessons we all learned. Click here to read the full report.

Our team explored several trends in the postsecondary article that will continue to impact our community colleges moving forward:

• Enrollment
• Our state’s 2 million by 2030 attainment goal
• Outdated IT and cybersecurity systems
• The decline in students seeking financial aid
• The early college model
• Short-term workforce training as a key part of pandemic economic recovery

You can explore all of the trends by clicking here. Once you’ve read the piece, we would love for you to share your thoughts on those trends, or any we missed, by responding directly to this email or by texting COLLEGE to 73224.

From Alli Lindenberg:

The Key – Defining and Measuring ‘Value’ in Postsecondary Education

This week’s episode of The Key explores a report from a high-powered group of policy makers, college leaders, researchers and others that proposes a new way of judging whether colleges and programs are providing a good return on investment to their students – with a particular focus on whether they’re ensuring equity.

First in Future – Dr. Johnson Akinleye and Dr. Deepak Kumar of NCCU

The Institute for Emerging Issues, in a four part series, will be focusing on the state’s Historically Black Colleges and Universities – a group of 10 colleges and universities stretching across the state formed to ensure that African Americans had access to higher education. This episode is with Dr. Johnson Akinleye and Dr. Deepak Kumar of North Carolina Central University.

Lessons Earned – Ebony Beckwith

After graduating high school, Ebony Beckwith headed directly into the workforce while winding through several community colleges before realizing she needed that four-year degree to reach her career goals. Today, Beckwith is chief philanthropy officer and CEO of the Salesforce Foundation where she directs hundreds of millions of dollars in grants focused on education and workforce development. It’s time, she says, to reimagine education so it serves the lifelong learner and embraces multiple pathways between learning and working.

Did you know EdNC has a special page set up for each community college in North Carolina? Be sure to check out our listing of all 58 community colleges today by clicking here. We’d love your feedback.

If you missed it last week, I would encourage you to read our policy analyst Emily Thomas’ look at cyberattacks across community colleges. The community college system’s legislative priorities include funding to bolster cybersecurity efforts for colleges across the state.

The Hunt Institute, in partnership with the John M. Belk Endowment, is currently accepting applications through May 28 for the John M. Belk Impact Fellowship! Please share this opportunity with your students. The Hunt Institute shares, “We are seeking a diverse group of students passionate about equity in education – North Carolina’s future social impact leaders! The Fellowship provides hands-on experiences for students currently enrolled in a North Carolina college or university. Learn more and apply here: https://hunt-institute.org/equity-in-education/belk-fellowship/. ”

myFutureNC spotlighted the following opportunity for Awake58 readers: “Supporting Students in Navigating Trauma, Grief, and Stress and the Impact on the College-Going Process: On Wednesday, May 26th, national school counseling experts and advocates, Dr. Kara Ieva and Dr. Laura Owen, will lead a discussion on how to serve the class of 2022 in navigating the college application, RDS, and FAFSA completion processes, recognizing the impact the pandemic has had on their lives. Learn more and register here.”

Lenoir Community College shared a perspective on Lancer Academy last week. Lancer Academy is a partnership between the college and Lenoir County Schools. The perspective describes Lancer Academy as a “structured opportunity” with the first opportunities for students focused on the health care industry.

You all are welcome to submit a piece for publishing on EdNC.org at any time. Read this piece for more information.

The Shelby Star spotlighted Cleveland Community College’s graduation ceremony with a focus on Cleveland CC student Kweli Huskey-Littlejohn’s story and experience with the college.

Durham Technical Community College shared that they will host their first Virtual Open House on Wednesday, June 2 at 5:30 p.m. The event is open to the public and all are welcome. The Virtual Open House will help prospective students and community members explore and understand Durham Tech’s new Guided Career Pathways, student support services, and will showcase a variety of student engagement and career opportunities. Click here for more information and to register.

Fifth Third Bank is hosting a contest designed to offer an entrepreneur $10,000 to launch a small business. The contest includes the participation of several community colleges — including Gaston College.

SkillsUSA held a virtual version of their competition recently. YES! Weekly spotlighted Guilford Tech’s participation in this piece.

Wake Tech recently hosted their fourth annual IGNITE event. According to a release from the college, “IGNITE is an annual event to showcase the college and its mission of transforming lives.” You may view the video recap here. Does your college have a similar event? We would love to hear about it.

The Elkin Tribune reports, “The Wilkes County Board of Commissioners has provided a $1 million check to Wilkes Community College Foundation to invest in the new Wilkes Community College (WCC) Education Promise. The Education Promise is a last-dollar scholarship to Wilkes Community College designed to ensure all graduating seniors in Wilkes County can attend WCC tuition-free for two years.”

Strada Education is out with a new survey looking at “widespread disruption to both education plans and work for millions of adults in the U.S., especially those from historically marginalized groups.”

One key finding: “To date, more than one-third of adults have had to change or cancel their education plans, including 2 in 3 young adults and 3 in 5 Latinos.”

For the full survey results, click here.

The Center on Reinventing Public Education interviewed 31 statewide, nonprofit, and K-12 leaders to discuss the possibility of dismantling silos between high schools, college, and career readiness.

The main question they are exploring: “The COVID-19 pandemic brought on an employment crisis alongside falling college enrollment rates, which reached historic lows at two-year institutions. Would these twin crises provide the motivation and opportunity that states, education institutions, and employers needed to make meaningful progress toward a more flexible and integrated learning system?”

For the full report, click here.