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First round interviews for the next system president underway

A note from us

Hi, Emily here with this week’s edition of Awake58. If you missed last week’s, you can read it by clicking here.  

First round interviews for the next system president are underway…A recap from the State Board meeting…Gov. Roy Cooper released his budget…Wilson Community College announced its sixth president…A convening on the future of higher education and adult learners…A bill that would allow select Georgia students to receive in-state tuition…Legislative priorities for the NC10…

We have a full edition with plenty of reading material for your day. To start, the search for the next N.C. Community College System President is moving forward. Last week, the State Board of Community College’s Presidential Search Committee interviewed two candidates, and more interviews are expected this week.

During the State Board’s meeting, Dr. Shirley Carraway said the president’s job posting was searched over 36,000 times, viewed over 11,000 times, and sent to over 700 people. The meeting also included a report about two adult learner pilot programs – REACH and N.C. Reconnect – an overview of advising at the state’s community colleges, and the approval of a new policy about the Board’s access to information. Read the recap here.

Wilson Community College announced Dr. Jami Woods as the college’s sixth president. Candidates for Randolph Community College’s next president have also been approved. Randolph will hold a meeting to announce the names.

Gov. Cooper released his recommended budget last week. Community colleges would receive a 5% across-the-board pay increase for community college personnel in the first year, an additional 1.5% pay increase in the first year for employees paid on an experienced-based salary schedule, and a 3% increase across-the-board for all community college personnel in the second year. You can read more about the proposed budget here.

The state’s new bipartisan HBCU Caucus met again last week to discuss legislative priorities and scheduling visits to the NC10. You can read Hannah’s recap here.

A House community college committee approved a bill that would allow students in four Georgia counties to get in-state tuition at Tri-County Community College in Cherokee County. The bill will now go to the House Rules Committee.

Our team is also gearing up for two days of adult learner conversations this week. Community college presidents, leaders, stakeholders, and partners will gather in Greensboro to discuss the future of higher education and how adult learners are part of the equation.

Participants were asked to review a few documents ahead of the convening to help orient the conversation. We’re sharing them with you too, many of them from EdNC.

We’ll have more adult learner content for you next week.

With gratitude –

Emily Thomas

Policy Analyst – EdNC.org

 


EdNC reads

First round interviews are underway for the next system president

During the State Board of Community Colleges’ March meeting, Presidential Search Committee Co-Chair Dr. Shirley Carraway shared that the sourcing phase is complete and the committee has vetted applicant information and determined those they will invite for the first round of interviews. The committee interviewed two candidates on Friday after the Board meeting.

Wilson Community College announced Dr. Jami Woods as the college’s sixth president following the Board’s approval. The Board also approved five candidates seeking the president position at Randolph Community College. Randolph’s Board of Trustees will hold a meeting to announce the candidate names.

You can read the full article here.

Leandro, teacher pay raises, and more: Gov. Roy Cooper releases budget proposal

Gov. Roy Cooper released his proposed budget last week.

Community colleges would receive across-the-board pay increases, bonuses, $37 million in recurring funding for funding formula increases, $16 million in recurring funds for enrollment growth adjustments, and more.

Read more from EdNC’s Alex Granados here. 

Will Georgia students get in-state tuition at North Carolina community colleges?

A House community college committee approved a bill that would allow students in four Georgia counties to get in-state tuition at Tri-County Community College in Cherokee County.

The bill would authorize a pilot program that would offer students in Fannin, Rabun, Towns, and Union counties in Georgia to attend the community college at the in-state tuition rate of $76 a credit hour, instead of the out-of-state rate of $268.


Another bill that got a favorable vote in the committee Thursday is one that would require three credit hours in American history or government in order to graduate from a UNC System school with a baccalaureate degree or a community college with an associate degree. The bill says that the State Board of Community Colleges can remove the president of a community college that refuses to comply for more than one year.

Both bills will go to the House Rules Committee. You can read more about the bills here. 

HBCU Caucus discusses legislative priorities, more funds for NC10

North Carolina’s new bipartisan HBCU Caucus, which was formed this year to advocate in the legislature for historically Black colleges and universities (HBCU), met for the second time on Wednesday, discussing its legislative priorities and scheduling visits among the group to the NC10.

A bipartisan group of lawmakers announced the caucus on Feb. 8, with co-chair Sen. Gladys Robinson, D-Guilford, saying the group’s “extraordinary mission” to maximize the potential of the state’s HBCUs was a long time in the making. The caucus, modeled after the Bipartisan HBCU Caucus in the U.S. Congress, met for the first time last month to discuss organizational logistics.

Read Hannah’s full recap here. 

Central Piedmont Community College wants to create opportunity

We have more Impact58 stories. Check out this article from Hannah about Central Piedmont Community College’s opportunity scholars program.

The summer after Tyler Jackson graduated from high school, he took two college courses through Central Piedmont Community College’s Summer Bridge program, meant to help students successfully transition from high school to college.


Jackson is one of nearly 400 opportunity scholars Central Piedmont Community College has served since it launched the program in 2017, according to college data last fall. Through the Opportunity Scholarship, students underrepresented in college receive funding to fully cover tuition, books, and fees for two years. In addition, these students receive a notebook computer and access to one-on-one academic coaching for career planning, internships, and job placement.

Click here to read more.


Around NC

Applications for the John M. Belk Endowment’s impact fellowship are due March 31, 2023. Click here to learn more. 

Applications for the 2023 LatinxEd Fellowship are now open.

College of the Albemarle will host a literary festival in April.

Craven Community College held a job fair for child care educators last week.

Nash Community College and Nash County Public schools gathered on March 10 to launch a renewed workforce development partnership. 

Yanira Rodriguez Mendez, a student at Catawba Valley Community College, was named a 2023 Coca-Cola Academic Team Silver Scholar. 

McDowell Technical Community College’s Foundation is seeking new members.


Other higher education reads

Still Hoping for Free Community College

The $90 billion plan to offer free community college is back in President Biden’s budget. Those weighing in say it’s unlikely Congress will support the full $90 billion. However, experts are hoping “for a smaller budget item to provide free programs for about 90,000 students a year.”

Read the full article from Inside Higher Ed here.

Emily Thomas

Emily Thomas is a policy analyst for EducationNC.