Leaders from 10 community colleges gathered for the first convening of the Rural College Leaders Program (RCLP) on Feb. 28. RCLP is a new initiative launched by the Belk Center for Community College Leadership and Research, in partnership with Achieving the Dream, and works with rural-serving community colleges in North Carolina. The program is designed to help college leaders close equity gaps and improve student outcomes at their institutions.

According to a press release, leaders will “collaborate to define measurable goals, leverage evidence-based practices, identify opportunities, and develop action plans addressing strategic priorities.”

Out of 100 counties in North Carolina, 78 are considered rural. That means 40 of the state’s 58 community colleges serve at least one rural county. And while the challenges of higher education exist in every community, rural areas often experience those to a greater degree. Rural communities are often poorer, underserved, and have lower college completion rates than in urban areas.

In this article, Emily recaps a portion of RCLP’s first convening and speaks to why investing resources, time, and energy in rural communities is critical. You’ll see initial reactions to the program – where college leaders shed light on why they are involved in RCLP and how this work will help them address the unique challenges and opportunities at their institutions and in their communities. And you’ll see insights from thought leaders who have years of experience working in rural communities.

The takeaway: Rural isn’t going away. College leaders in rural communities will need to continue to seek out partnerships, examine policies that prevent access, and challenge long-held beliefs about how their college shows up in the community.

The Rural College Leaders Program is a three-year program and includes 10 community colleges from across the state. The next RCLP learning event is scheduled for September 2022. Between learning events, participants will gather in regional collaborative groups to continue the work.

EdNC’s John M. Belk impact fellow, Alessandra Quattrocchi, takes a look at male enrollment decline across the nation and in North Carolina.

“Nationwide, 400,000 fewer men attended college in spring 2021 than in spring 2020, an enrollment decline nearly double that of female students.”

Community colleges have been some of the hardest hit when it comes to declining male enrollment. And in North Carolina, Black men suffered the largest enrollment decline with traditional degree-seeking enrollment falling 14% from the year prior.

Alessandra goes on to discuss these trends and how North Carolina community colleges are combating declining male enrollments, particularly among minority males. 

Two initiatives are currently ongoing in NC community colleges: The Minority Male Success Initiative and Racial Equity for Adult Credentials in Higher Education (REACH) Collaborative.

“MMSI started in 2003 with state funding and has continued to address minority male attainment and achievement gaps since then. Currently, 21 of North Carolina’s community colleges are receiving funding for one of three options that the MMSI offers: programming, success coaches, and Early Alert.”

“REACH is an effort spearheaded by the Lumina Foundation to recruit and retain adult learners of color across 24 North Carolina community colleges. The goal of REACH is a 2% increase in high-quality credential attainment and outcomes for these students over the next two years.”

This works matters because it ensures that N.C.’s male students of color are part of the state’s proposition to boost economic opportunity for all.

The second cohort of the N.C. Reconnect adult learner pilot is up and running. Mebane Rash joined members of the John M. Belk Endowment team at Wilkes Community College last Friday. Check out what she learned here.

From Dr. Josh Howell, Editor-In-Chief of the North Carolina Community College Journal of Teaching Innovation: The North Carolina Community College Journal of Teaching Innovation is hosting a launch party on Monday, March 28, 2022 through LinkedIn Live. Hear from authors and editors, and learn about the next call for submissions. The event page can be found here.

McDowell Tech announced in a press release a new position to support their adult learner efforts: Susan Long is the new Director of Student Enrichment and Adult Engagement. “In her new role Long will provide critical outreach to re-engage adult students who have stopped out from MTCC without finishing a degree or credential,” the press release reads.

Vice President Kamala Harris and U.S. Secretary of Labor Marty Walsh recently visited Durham Tech and spoke on the importance of apprenticeships, pathways to careers, and economic mobility. Read more about their visit in this press release, and see Durham Tech President J.B. Buxton’s remarks here.

Gov. Cooper visited Forsyth Tech last week to highlight the impact of the Longleaf Commitment Grant. Forsyth Tech also announced it will continue its “College Commitment” grant program, which provides free tuition, books and fees for all graduating high school seniors.

Kelley Deal, dean of marketing and strategic engagement at Nash Community College, wrote a perspective featuring Macey O’Hara, a welding and computer-integrated machining student at Nash. O’Hara says, “I tell everybody: you need to go to Nash. The teachers are supportive and understanding and they can help you reach your career goals.”

The NC COVID-19 Student Response Corps is looking for host organizations and students interested in interning as part of their third cohort. Read more about what the Response Corps has done in its first two years, and find out how to apply (both as a host organization and as a student intern), in this perspective.

The Fayetteville Observer published an op-ed recently arguing that community college instructors should be granted tenure. Read it here.

The Surry Community College Library has been involved in a digital history project for the past six years, which, according to the Mount Airy News, is the second largest local digital history project in North Carolina. Read more about the project here.

This Hechinger Report story looks at “a new emphasis at colleges and universities on plugging the steady drip of dropouts.” The story focuses on what one school, Florida Atlantic University, is doing to retain students and what lessons schools can learn from them.

This Washington Post article gives an update on the possibility of federally supported tuition-free community college. The article points out that despite the failure to pass Build Back Better, many states have moved forward this year with their own plans.