NC Community College System announces nationwide search for next president

The two-day meeting highlighted the ongoing strategic planning process for the next four years. But members also called attention to the challenges facing ApprenticeshipNC, one of the system’s most popular programs, which is at risk of losing federal funding.

Zach Barricklow, interim vice president of strategic initiatives, presented takeaways from September’s two-day summit, which kicked off the system’s strategic planning process. In a document outlining the Board’s top priorities, Barricklow highlighted the ongoing effort to secure funding for Propel NC, the system’s proposed funding model, and ApprenticeshipNC.

Students like Rodgers’ cowboy boots. But they also like that he is accessible. One talks about how he showed up at an awards ceremony and made a point to wait and shake each student’s hand. Another talks about a recent “pizza with the president” opportunity to get to know Rodgers better. But it is not just the president who is showing up for students. It is also the faculty.

Federal changes to Minority Serving Institutions (MSI) programs come as the Trump administration is narrowing how the government defines “federal public benefits,” limiting immigrants’ access to federal benefits, including some that have been available to children for decades — such as education resources and services for multilingual learners and students without legal status.

While, together, these federal policy shifts reflect fewer resources for multilingual, immigrant, and minority students, education leaders across the country are emphasizing that the goal for schools remains the same: to serve students.

For more on HSIs, check out this EdNC perspective presenting the case for Hispanic Serving Institutes and detailing how they expand access and are proven drivers of mobility.

President of Quinsigamond Community College, Luis G. Pedraja, also reflected on his upbringing during Hispanic Heritage Month in this EdNC perspective. Pedraja writes: “Yet, I still deeply believe in the ideals of this country [the United States], which for generations has stood as a beacon of freedom and hope for countless people around the world. This country welcomed my family when we were fleeing oppression and provided us with opportunities that were not possible in our native country, such as freedom of speech and expression. It is these different cultures and heritages that form the rich tapestry of our nation, which make us richer and stronger: e pluribus unum — out of many, one.”

System alignment to workforce demands was a common theme across members’ priorities. Stein uplifted the state’s attainment goal, backed by myFutureNC, to reach 2 million North Carolinians by 2030 with postsecondary credentials or degrees valued by industry.

One of Stein’s top three priorities centered on workforce development and career readiness. Specifically, he is focused on expanding work-based learning opportunities like apprenticeships (also a Commerce goal), strengthening the health care workforce (also a priority of the Department of Health and Human Services), and supporting the community college system’s Propel NC funding model. Members said these efforts are important to maintain the state’s No. 1 CNBC ranking for business.

UNC System President Peter Hans writes: “Transfer students make our universities better, bringing a wealth of talent and life experience that sharpens classroom discussion and makes campus life richer for everyone. The fact that North Carolina’s public universities welcomed a record number of transfer students this year — more than 18,000 across the UNC System, including nearly 11,000 drawn from the state’s community colleges — is good for our colleges, good for those students, and great for North Carolina.”

Countdown to College is an annual yearlong campaign that kicks off each October, run by College for North Carolina (CFNC). CFNC’s primary sponsor is the North Carolina State Education Assistance Authority (NCSEAA).

During Countdown to College, prospective students are encouraged to complete three steps toward college enrollment: residency determination, submitting financial aid forms, and completing college admission applications.

Public high school choice options | Alamance-Burlington School System’s (ABSS) held its annual high school options fair earlier this month. The fair is designed to help students and families discover the multitude of public school options available to students for high school. The options fair gives families the opportunity to think ahead before making their choice for their student’s high school experience.

Early child care | Onslow County leaders launched a child care task force in an effort to generate new ideas to address a long-standing issue in the area: a shortage of high-quality, affordable care.

FAFSA | CFNC announced new updates from Federal Student Aid, highlighting the FAFSA process is easier than in previous years and can often be completed in 30 minutes.

Workforce | Guilford Tech broke ground on their new 70,000-square-foot aviation training center. Gov. Stein, Sen. Phil Berger, and JetZero and HAECO representatives spoke at the groundbreaking ceremony. The center is in response to the growing demand for aviation manufacturing in Guilford County and the addition will allow GTCC to increase capacity by 40%, a recent college press release said.

GE Aerospace Foundation recently committed $500,000 to North Carolina Veterans Workforce Training Program to train members of the military for civilian roles as much-needed aviation technicians, a recent GE Aerospace press release said.

Partnerships | East Carolina University is partnering with 11 community colleges to create a seamless pathway for Health Information Technology (HIT) students to earn their four-year degree, which allows them to sit for their Registered Health Information Administrator (RHIA) credentialing exam.

Student stories | Sarah Dragonetti was a horticulture student at Blue Ridge Community College when Hurricane Helene hit the region. Dragonetti is a recipient of the Build Your Future Grant which covers needed tuition for education and workforce training and allowed Dragonetti to continue her education goals. Dragonetti will graduate in 2026 and then plans to pursue learning even more about agriculture and horticulture through short-term work in the area, and eventually owning her own farm in WNC.

Campus news | Piedmont Community College chemistry instructor Cheston Saunders has been invited to serve on the advisory board for the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO) BRIDGES program, according to a recent college press release. 

Upcoming events & opportunities | Davidson-Davie Community College is offering a study abroad opportunity for students enrolled in one of the state’s 58 community colleges. Participants will spend two weeks in Bordeaux, France, working, collaborating, and learning with students from IUT-University of Bordeaux. They will be housed in a dorm and attend classes or enrichment activities alongside French students in Bordeaux. Davidson-Davie asks that students’ home colleges pay $1,000 for each student they send. Each student also pays $2,775, for a total cost of $3,775. The program fee includes flights, housing, insurance, ground transportation, daily programming, breakfast, and several additional meals. Space is limited. Schools can request slots by emailing Sarah Wright at [email protected].

The Wayne County Reentry Council will hold a Reentry Employment and Training Summit on Oct. 29 to assist justice-involved individuals with returning to the workforce. According to a press release from Wayne Community College, “the Reentry Council supports those who were formerly incarcerated by providing education, employment services, and essential resources for a successful transition back into society.” The college serves as the intermediary agency for the council. Registration information can be found here.

Registration for the 11th annual Dallas Herring Lecture is now open. The virtual event, presented by the Belk Center for Community College Leadership and Research, is scheduled for Tuesday, Nov. 18 at 11 a.m. EST. Dr. Jason Wood, former president of the 2025 Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence winner Southwest Wisconsin Technical College, will deliver the 2025 lecture, titled, “We Don’t Graduate People Into Poverty: Designing the College Experience Around Student Success.”