President’s Report
To the
State Board of Community Colleges
November 19, 2004
Immediately following our October State Board meeting, a delegation of North Carolina higher education leaders left for the United Kingdom as a part of an exchange program that began approximately two years ago with a visit from leaders of Universities and Colleges of Further Education in the United Kingdom to North Carolina. On that occasion they visited North Carolina State University and Johnston Community College, North Carolina A & T State University and Guilford Technical Community College, Appalachian State University, Wilkes Community College and Caldwell Community College and Technical Institute, and the University of North Carolina at Charlotte and Central Piedmont Community College. Senior administrators from those North Carolina universities, Presidents Ken Boham, Gordon Burns, and Don Reichard participated in the return visit. Presidents Don Cameron and Tony Zeiss elected not to participate nor to designate any member of their staff to represent them or their institution. In addition, Dr. Ed Boone, Dr. Tim Brewer, Dr. Delores Parker and I rounded out the delegation. We found much in common between higher education in our two countries, but also gained insights in how we might do an even better job of cooperating between 2- and 4-year higher education. An added bonus was having the North Carolina university leaders hear the good things said about North Carolina community colleges by our hosts. We certainly believe that personal and institutional connections have been made which will yield rich rewards in the future. Philip Morris, the Compass Group, GKN Automotive, Inc., Time Warner Cable, and the Burroughs Wellcome Fund funded the exchange.
Soon after returning from the United Kingdom, I participated in a two-day meeting in Chicago of The College Board Community College Advisory Committee. I am pleased that the College Board appears to be taking seriously its responsibility to community colleges in various ways.
Deborah Harmon from Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College (A-B Tech) presented at the meeting a use of ACCUPLACER, the assessment tool developed by College Board for community colleges. In the A-B Tech service area, high school students are given the opportunity to take ACCUPLACER to determine in their 10th or 11th grade weaknesses they might wish to bolster before they graduate. This has cut down significantly on remediation of entering freshmen at A-B Tech. I would like for us to explore more widespread use of this tool to reduce the very high remediation we are experiencing at this time.
During the month other senior staff and I participated in a meeting of the Public School Forum on the teacher shortage; a meeting with Dr. Brenda Cleary of the Center for Nursing on ways that community colleges and the Center might work more closely in meeting the education needs of prospective nurses; with Ellis Hankins of the NC League of Municipalities and his general counsel on legislative issues; with Richard Kazis of the Lumina Foundation on that continuing initiative; with the Duke Power Grants Advisory Committee to approve grants; and with a delegation of Mexican leaders in North Carolina visiting Brunswick Community College. In addition, we met with Senator David Hoyle and Representative Debbie Clary and legislative staff on how to proceed with the proposed restructuring of the Textile Center and with Dr. Parker Chesson with regard to his role as a consultant to the programmatic and facilities study ordered by the General Assembly for universities and community colleges.
Earlier this week, I participated in the receipt of a $100,000 gift by Wayne Community College from the family of Karl Best, a long-time friend who recently died. This generous gift will be used to enhance Wayne Community College’s programs in agriculture.
Earlier in the month, I participated in a groundbreaking ceremony at Catawba Valley Community College for its new Learning Resource Center and classroom facility, and gave the opening speech at an international conference in Asheville on the role of community colleges in the "creative economy."
Following my return from Asheville, I spoke to the Trustees Retreat of Central Carolina Community College.
Last week, I attended the technology conference of the League for Innovation in Community Colleges in Tampa, Florida. I was on the concluding program speaking about the use of technology in the North Carolina Community College System. Among the hundreds of concurrent sessions offered during the conference were sessions by Kristi Snuggs, Bill Randall and Darryl McGraw of our staff, plus teams from Blue Ridge Community College and Central Piedmont Community College.
Fred Williams represented the System at the dedication of the Wayne West Building at Carteret Community College, the retirement reception for Dr. Hartwell Fuller of Edgecombe Community College, and at the inauguration of Dr. Rusty Stephens as President of Wilson Technical Community College.
Dr. Delores Parker was the keynote speaker at the Southeastern Community College’s Institute for Today’s Leaders luncheon.
Dr. Randy Whitfield was one of seven representatives from North Carolina to attend the Youth Regional Forum in Chicago, sponsored by the US Departments of Labor and Education. The focus of the Forum was serving youth through the workforce investment system.
Kennon Briggs and his staff have worked hard on completing the Expansion Budget for submission to the Office of State Budget and Management, culminating months of work by Kennon and other System Office staff with the Presidents’ Association, the Faculty Association, the Trustees Association and other individuals and groups.
Phil Albano has been working on a plan to accelerate bond projects to enable colleges to build projects faster and obtain their state reimbursements more quickly. I am pleased to announce that Brunswick, Guilford Tech, Rowan-Cabarrus and Wake Tech community colleges all had successful bond referenda on the ballots in November which will result in additional facilities being built on our campuses.
You should be aware of the increasing demands on the time of Alice Smith in managing a number of external grants without any dedicated staff or resources to do so. These grants bring millions of dollars of non-state appropriated funds to our System and should have state-supported resources to assist her. You will recall that this request is in our Expansion Budget.
Kennon has expended untold hours in the last month coordinating the Funding Study being conducted by Hockaday, Hunter and Associates and working out the final consulting team to do the legislatively mandated study of economic development, programs and facilities. He has been a speaker at the NC Cooperative Education Association meeting, the Guilford Technical Community College Board of Trustees Retreat, and the ACCBO Central Business Managers meeting.
Dr. Saundra Williams, her staff, Kim Van Metre, and staff members from both the Business and Finance and Administration Divisions have completed the AR/CR project that will facilitate the implementation of the student module at the remaining 50 colleges over the next three years. Phase 1 college staff members, and ACS and Datatel personnel were important to this success.
Phase 2C colleges are completing their implementation of the human resources module. By January 2005 all 58 colleges will be running both the financial and human resources systems of the new CIS. This is truly a major milestone to be celebrated.
In response to the findings and recommendations of the State Auditor’s evaluation of Information Technology security, representatives of the colleges have been working with Dr. Williams and her staff to develop standard security policies and guidelines.
The North Carolina Community College BioNetwork Industry Advisory Board held its first meeting. We are proud that this Board has senior representation from the top biotechnology companies in the state, Secretary of Commerce Jim Fain, and representatives of the North Carolina Biotechnology Center.
With your approval and final details being worked out, the BioNetwork will offer a Validation Academy and partnership among the BioNetwork, the International Society for Pharmaceutical Engineering and the Department of Commerce. This Academy will be a significant incentive for existing companies to grow and new companies to be recruited in the field of pharmaceutical and biomanufacturing.
Dr. Keen’s division continues to be swamped with projects of New and Expanding Industry Training, including the high profile Dell Computers and Credit Suisse-First Boston projects. Many other announcements have been made across the state, ranging from 15 to over 300 employees.
Before we meet again I will be absent for approximately five weeks for education leave. This would not be possible without the strong leadership which Fred Williams and our vice presidents will give to the System Office during my absence. I am grateful to you for authorizing the leave and to them for looking after things in my absence.
Since we are unlikely to meet before January, please allow me on behalf of the System Office to staff to wish you and your families a happy holiday season.
This page maintained by Chancy Kapp.