President’s Report
To the
State Board of Community Colleges
May 19, 2006
This is a happy time of the year for the community college family. Nothing is more rewarding to me and to your senior staff than to participate in graduation ceremonies. I have spoken at Central Piedmont Community College, Tri-County Community College, and Robeson Community College; Kennon Briggs spoke at Wayne Community College and Surry Community College; Delores Parker spoke at Cleveland Community College; Larry Keen spoke at Martin Community College; Fred Williams spoke at Pamlico Community College; and Randy Whitfield spoke at Pitt Community College. Two of our State Board members also spoke at graduations: Chairperson Hilda Pinnix-Ragland spoke at Brunswick Community College and Jimmie Ford spoke to the Adult High School GED graduates at Wayne Community College. To see the proud faces of graduates, in most cases the first college graduate in the family, and to see the excitement and pride on the faces of family members who have supported the graduates throughout their academic journey is the greatest reward of our positions.
Immediately following your last Board meeting, a number of us traveled to Long Beach, California, for the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) national meeting. I did two presentations myself, and members of your staff and faculty and staff from North Carolina community colleges probably presented twenty or more times. We were all very proud that Dr. Delores Parker received the Leadership Award presented by the National Council on Black American Affairs. She was recognized for her commitment to improving educational opportunities and professional development for African-American students, faculty and administrators. As always, we came away from this meeting having confirmed for ourselves that we are truly the best.
Speaking of the best, the Academic Excellence Luncheon was held at the end of April. I was pleased that several of you were able to attend as we recognized the best and the brightest two students from each of our colleges. Once again the pride of accomplishment was evident on the faces of each of the recipients of this honor.
The Presidents’ Association met in conjunction with the Academic Excellence Luncheon.
Bill Hudson, a consultant for AACC, met with Tracy McPherson, Larry Keen and me with regard to our respective efforts to secure a more significant role for community colleges across the country in Homeland Security training. We continue to be sorely disappointed at the insignificant priority that the NC Department of Crime Control and Public Safety places on the training of first responders. Almost all of its money is spent on “gee-whiz” equipment and practically nothing on training the responders in how to use that equipment or more importantly, how to respond to a natural or terrorist catastrophe.
I was pleased to be able to participate in the 35th anniversary of President William Friday’s UNC-TV program, “North Carolina People.” It was a wonderful evening of celebration and recognition of this great man and his impact on North Carolina.
I traveled to Kinston for a meeting of the Global TransPark Board of Directors. Though the job creation on that facility has not met expectations, I continue to be optimistic about its future.
June Atkinson, Erskine Bowles, and I presented our respective budgets to the Education Appropriations Subcommittee. All three budgets were well-received, especially the obvious collaboration and cross-endorsement of our budgets by each other. Legislators are very pleased to see the level of cooperation that exists to create a seamless education pathway from pre-kindergarten through graduate programs.
Suzanne Williams, Kennon Briggs, and I have spent much time calling on individual legislative leaders with regard to our appropriations and non-appropriations legislative agenda. We are being well-received everywhere we go.
I am sure that you have read about the excellent gubernatorial budget which we received. This is the best gubernatorial recommendation in my tenure here. I hope you saw your Chair’s two-part interview on NC Now on UNC-TV. She praised the Governor’s budget on this show, as I have everywhere! We only hope we can improve on his recommendations, especially in the areas of allied health, System Office salary support, and improvements in the presidential salary schedule. We are also working with Chairman Doug Yongue on a bill to direct income tax withholdings from lottery winnings into our equipment reserve fund. I sincerely solicit your vocal and strong support of these initiatives, and thank you for your visits with legislators on Wednesday.
The BioNetwork Advisory Board met at the interim Capstone Center at the Western Wake Technical Community College Campus. Industry representatives on the Advisory Board appear to be extremely pleased with all that we are doing in this important arena. We were all excited to be able to tour the BioNetwork Mobile Laboratory which you have seen at this meeting. This will be an incredible asset for training and for visibility.
Susan Seymour, Larry Keen, and I met with a delegation from Singapore visiting North Carolina to examine our workforce development programs, especially in the field of biotechnology.
I spoke at the Edgecombe Community College Leadership Academy and was impressed by the quality of young leaders who are receiving this important training at the behest of President Deborah Lamm.
Larry Keen, Chancy Kapp, and I met with officials from Duke Power for consideration of another round of Duke Power Foundation grants for economic development in the Duke service area.
Several of your staff participated in the NC Citizens for Business and Industry Legislative Conference. I regret that my schedule prevented my participating in anything but the legislative reception. Senator Marc Basnight and other legislative leaders heaped praise on community colleges and the role they are playing in workforce development across the state. Senator Basnight particularly focused on our wine program and our allied health programs.
Last week en route to my graduation speech at Central Piedmont, I made a campus visit to Rowan-Cabarrus Community College, visiting each of its sites and meeting with President Dick Brownell and his senior staff.
This week we have hosted two delegations from Northern Ireland, one from the University of Ulster interested in creating a joint degree completion program with North Carolina community colleges. That delegation was led by Alan Sharp, the provost of the University. Another delegation was led by the Permanent Secretary of the Department of Employment and Learning, Aideen McGinley. They were specifically focused on economic and workforce development. We continue to work closely with our colleagues in Northern Ireland and find great value in doing so. You may be aware that our first faculty exchange is underway between Denise Drum Baker from Sandhills Community College and Jasper McKinney from The Newry Institute.
The North Carolina Community College Leadership Program recently held its graduation at Wake Technical Community College with 34 graduates. In the 17-year history of this program, 531 graduates have completed this excellent professional development opportunity and most of them have moved up into deanships and vice presidencies. Fred Williams represented our System Office at the graduation.
Larry Keen and his staff have been working on “Dream It! Do It!” a collaborative effort with the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) to create a pipeline of workers prepared for advance manufacturing careers. Funding and technology issues remain to be resolved. We are pleased that Phil Kirk has been hired by NAM to assist with the business interface.
The number of applications for Customized Industry Training funds demonstrates the value of this new arrow in our quiver. Jobs which might otherwise have left North Carolina are being protected, investments are being made which increases the tax base, and salaries of the remaining workforce continue to increase.
Mr. Herb Watkins and Dr. Saundra Williams continue to provide wonderful leadership for the final implementation of our College Information System (CIS). The vision statement adopted by the Information Systems for the Future Steering Committee is being realized:
“The comprehensive, fully integrated administrative system of the 21st century will support student-centered learning, management decisions, accountability to external constituencies, and business operations for all community colleges through a flexible, seamless electronic network that is accessible to all.”
At the end of April, all 18 colleges in Phase 2B of the CIS Project are using the admissions system for the fall and 17 of 18 are using the complete faculty information and financial aid software. All of the colleges are on track to begin fall term student registration beginning in July as planned.
Training classes for Phase 2C colleges’ financial aid officers began in March and other staff members began their training in April. This will continue through spring of 2007 and will result in those colleges registering students for the fall of 2007 on the system.
Testing of the enhancement of the CIS student module to improve the ability of students to register for classes via the Web and telephone is continuing at three colleges. We expect to be able to use these new capabilities for fall 2006 registration.
Dr. Saundra Williams and her staff attended the North Carolina State Government and Education Security Essentials Conference. The conference focused on electronic security of data and data systems.
Kennon Briggs and his staff continue the Herculean task of providing information to the Governor’s Office, members of the General Assembly, and the Legislative Fiscal Research staff as the budget is developed and adopted in the short session. I know that you appreciate the information you receive from Kennon on this process.
Annette Dishner completed and distributed the annual “2005-06 Formula Applications by College and State Aid Budget.”
Members of Kennon’s staff participated in the State Controller’s roll-out of the new payroll and human resources systems which will be implemented in 2007.
Kennon and his staff continue to work the State Auditor’s Office on their conducting fiscal control audits (not financial audits). Outcomes will be known in late summer.
Kennon’s staff conducted a one-day seminar for the System’s Purchasing and Equipment Coordinators from our 58 colleges.
Sillar Smith in Dr. Parker’s division will graduate from the Leadership North Carolina class on May 19 at the Grandover Resort and Conference Center. She is the fifth System Office graduate of this program.
The College Transfer Program Association with representatives from our System, the University System, and private colleges and universities met at Wake Technical Community College. They focused on updates to the Comprehensive Articulation Agreement and engaged in significant dialog on transfer issues.
Dr. Peggy Teague presented at the North Carolina Infant/Toddler Conference in Durham and at the Smart Start Executive Directors’ Forum at Kill Devil Hills.
Thank you again for your working with the General Assembly during this State Board meeting and for your continued personal contacts with legislative friends between now and adjournment. With your help, this can be our best legislative session ever!
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