James Sprunt Community College announces next president

The Board reviewed an update on grants at risk of expiring and those in the pipeline — part of a new report that will be shared with the Board quarterly. According to that report, the system office has 18 active grants, totaling nearly $70 million. Two of the grants set to expire in 2026, totaling just over $2 million, are related to apprenticeships and rated by the report as highly critical to the system’s core functions.

Dr. Chanell Butler, the system’s director of grants, said the system has experienced a decline in available federal funds as “opportunities have contracted sharply, down roughly 85 to 90% over the past year,” leading to greater competition for grants.

Butler also said around $12 million in grants the system had applied for were then withdrawn by the federal government before being awarded.

In February, the Board will hear from the North Carolina Community Colleges Foundation about its fundraising efforts.

“North Carolina’s strength is our people,” said Gov. Josh Stein in a press release. “They power our economy. North Carolina is already the top state for business; now we are the top state for workforce.”

The Site Selection Magazine is popular among corporate real estate leaders, location strategy consultants, and economic development professionals shaping companies’ location and expansion decisions.

Highlights from EdNC’s annual report:

• The N.C. Press Association honored EdNC with its public service award for online journalism.
• An external case study found EdNC “built a team whose talent was matched only by their commitment.”
• Our DC to NC coverage is driven by a news strategy that treats journalism as the first draft of history.
• Our readership increased 15% in 2025.
• In these polarized and politicized times, readers continue to value our “straightforward” approach.

As President Donald Trump took office on Jan. 20, 2025, EdNC adopted an approach to our coverage that treats news as the first draft of history. We learned a lot.

Articles in our From DC to NC coverage identify the responsible leaders, the actions being taken, and the legal authority being cited with links to primary sources, including ongoing analysis of the impact on our people, places, and policies. Many for-profit outlets don’t link to primary sources because they can’t afford to drive traffic off their websites.

EdNC has published more than 75 articles over the last year on federal politics and policy, including our most read article of 2025: “Trump signs seven more executive orders impacting K-12 and higher ed,” now with nearly 200,000 pageviews.

Important primary election deadlines:

Jan. 12, 2026: County boards of elections begin mailing absentee ballots to eligible voters who submitted an absentee ballot request form.

Feb. 6, 2026: Voter registration deadline (5 p.m.).*

Feb. 12, 2026: In-person early voting begins.

Feb. 17, 2026: Absentee ballot request deadline (5 p.m.).*

Feb. 28, 2026: In-person early voting ends (3 p.m.).

March 3, 2026: Primary Election Day.

March 3, 2026: Absentee ballot return deadline (7:30 p.m.).*

See a full election calendar here.

*Voter registration and absentee voting deadlines are different for military and overseas citizen voters.

EdNC perspective | In this EdNC perspective, Dr. Javaid Siddiqi, president and CEO of The Hunt Institute, discusses the mounting evidence that credential attainment alone does not guarantee economic mobility. Instead, Siddiqi writes, states must begin shifting the focus and restructuring their education investments. He goes on to provide key recommendations for states, including: defining credentials to value your state’s economy, fixing data infrastructure to track outcomes, making outcomes actionable for students, tying public funding to proven outcomes, and investing strategically in upskilling and reskilling.

Funding for short term workforce training | Cleveland Community College announced a new partnership last week with The Forward Fund and its lending partner, Ascent Funding. Eligible students can access 0% private education loans ranging from $2,000 to $10,000. Unlike traditional loans, these carry no late fees, origination fees, or servicing fees. To qualify, students must already be enrolled in either the electrical lineworker academy or heavy equipment operator academy at the college.

Q&A with Dr. Cox | Capital Analytics Associates recently sat down with North Carolina Community College System President Dr. Jeff Cox to discuss aligning education with high-demand, high-wage jobs, workforce competitiveness, and preparing students for AI-driven work.

Adult learners | Check out this recent article from College of The Albemarle President Dr. Jack Bagwell about adult learners and how the college is working to meet their needs.

The Belk Center for Community College Leadership and Research recently published a four-year review of NC Reconnect, the statewide effort to recruit and retain adult learners in North Carolina’s community colleges. The brief looks at the overall impact of NC Reconnect on adult learner enrollment, demographic trends of adult learners reenrolling in community colleges, top programs for NC Reconnect adult learners, and success outcomes for adult learners obtaining a degree or credential.

Rural North Carolina | This Business North Carolina article sheds light on “four pain points for rural N.C. that bear watching.” Those pain points include: workforce, housing, accessible health care, and child care.

Events | Join myFutureNC for one of eight virtual 2026 State of Educational Attainment in North Carolina Regional broadcasts. Register today to add the event directly to your calendar and be ready to join virtually on Feb. 12, 2026 at 3:00 p.m. At each virtual event, participants will dig into new statewide and county-level insights and address next steps for strengthening local talent development in the year ahead.

Fellowship opportunity | Applications for the John M. Belk Impact Fellowship are now open. The 10-month paid fellowship is a “training ground for future generations of social impact leaders” who will have the chance to deepen their experience across a wide array of focus area and gain marketable skills toward future employment. Full-time community college, undergraduate, or graduate students at an accredited North Carolina college or university interested in fields of education, public policy, political science, data analytics, psychology, or related fields can apply. The application portal closes March 20, 2026. You can find out more details about the fellowship and how to apply here.