Meeting the Needs of North Carolina: Community College Programs from Aquaculture to Viticulture

Meeting the Needs of North Carolina: Community College Programs from Aquaculture to Viticulture by Renee Elder Goldsmith John Edward Baka Edward John 102 North Carolina Insight Executive Summary rom A to V, or from aquaculture (the Community Colleges, the Comprehensive cultivation of water plants and ani- Articulation Agreement (CAA) identifi es which Fmals) to viticulture (the cultivation of and under what circumstances community col- grapes), North Carolina’s community colleges, lege courses may be transferred for credit to like their national counterparts, strive to offer the UNC system or any of the 23 private col- a variety of programs that meet local work leges and universities which have signed the force and educational needs. Consequently, agreement. some courses reflect regional or statewide The community colleges also collaborate economic development needs, while others with the UNC system in the 2+2 Program to target students who are planning to trans- develop four-year degree programs, with the fer to continue their education at a four- fi rst two years of coursework centered at a year institution. Because students enroll in community college and the next two years on community college programs for a variety a UNC campus. Some 2+2 programs allow a of purposes — work force training for new student to complete a four-year degree without job skills, job retraining, basic educational leaving their community college campus, while skills, and academic- and certificate-track others anticipate an actual transfer from a programs — community college programs vary community college to a four-year college or greatly. They may be broken into three broad university. For example, Lenoir Community categories: curriculum, continuing education, College in Kinston has a 2+2 engineering and special programs. technology program that identifi es the course- Curriculum programs often lead to one work necessary for transfer to a university, of three types of credentials: a certifi cate, eliminating guesswork for students. diploma, or associate’s degree. While some de- Continuing education programs are gree programs prepare students for entry-level non-credit courses that teach basic skills and technical positions in business and industry, provide occupational training. Basic skills others enable students to transfer to a four-year courses include Adult Basic Education, which college or university. For instance, certifi cate addresses competencies in reading, writ- and diploma programs are curriculum tracks ing, mathematics, and other areas; General aimed at work force training. Examples of Education Development, which leads to a certifi cate programs include Greenhouse and high school diploma equivalency degree; Adult Grounds Maintenance, Data Entry, Insurance, High School, offered by the community col- and Health Care Technology. Examples of lege in collaboration with the local public diploma programs include Pharmacy Tech- schools and leading to a joint diploma issued nology, Dental Assisting, Telecommunications by the college board of trustees and the local Installation and Maintenance, and Positron school board; English Literacy/English as Emission Tomography. a Second Language, designed to help non- Curriculum programs also allow com- English speaking adults achieve competency munity college students to transfer credits to in the English language; and Compensatory universities. Approved in 1997 by the UNC Education, a program that provides a specially Board of Governors and the State Board of designed curriculum for adults with moderate May 2008 103 mental retardation who need supplemental Distance learning programs enable students education and training. to continue their education even when trans- Special programs are tailored by the com- portation issues, work schedules, or other munity colleges to meet the economic devel- obligations prevent them from regularly attend- opment needs of the local community. Such ing classes on campus. Through the Virtual programming includes: New and Expanding Learning Community, the N.C. Community Industry Training (NEIT); Customized Industry College System approaches distance learning Training (CIT); Focused Industrial Training as a collaborative effort — sharing hardware, (FIT); and the Small Business Center Network. software, content, and training instructors Created and customized for companies bring- and administrators among all 58 campuses. ing 12 or more “net new jobs” into the state, Distance learning often comes into play when a New and Expanding Industry Training pre- specifi c community college program has state- pares workers for new full-time jobs in North wide impact. For instance, Progress Energy Carolina. Through NEIT, Getrag, a maker relies on Nash Community College’s distance of motor vehicle gears in Newton, is able to learning program to train its utility linemen. identify capable workers and help them take The need for student services is growing their skills to the next level through specialized on community college campuses, including reg- training. istration and academic counseling, basic skills Unlike the NEIT program, the Customized and General Equivalency Degree assistance, Industry Training program provides retrain- career planning, fi nancial aid, grants and ing for employees of existing industries that scholarships, transfer information, and student are introducing new equipment or techniques records. System President Martin Lancaster into the workplace, but that will not bring says, “Student services such as counseling, 12 or more net new jobs into the state. In tutoring, and child care services are key to stu- an effort to assist local employers, Focused dent success. Until these services are boosted Industrial Training staff design customized dramatically, the student success we’re capable programs to existing workers’ skills in response of and which the students deserve will never to advancements in the local manufacturing, happen. We are criticized for the low number computer, and telecommunications industries. of completers, but the fact of the matter is that For example, Stephenson Millwork Company only a small percentage of our stop-outs and Inc., an architectural millwork manufacturing drop-outs leave for academic reasons. They company, used Wilson Community College’s are not fl unk-outs. They just need more help FIT program to conduct training programs to to stay in and persist to a certifi cate, diploma, meet its production needs. Finally, the Small or degree. Just because a staff person doesn’t Business Center Network supports business teach doesn’t mean that they aren’t important growth and development through training, to the educational program.” counseling, and information. In order to create new programs, often Distance learning programs provide an- prompted by the local business community, other path to education for community col- community colleges must fi rst complete a pro- lege students, with instruction provided over gram curriculum application designed to ensure the Internet — through teleweb services and that the proposed offering meets certain aca- videoconferencing — or through a combina- demic guidelines and standards. This screening tion of face-to-face and online instruction. process also considers data on job openings in 104 North Carolina Insight that fi eld, fi gures on the cost of implementing enhancing, through education, their value to the program, funding plans, and whether the employers and the marketplace.” same or similar courses exist at other regional From aquaculture to viticulture, the pro- colleges. See “Establishing New Programs in grams offered by the N.C. Community College Community Colleges,” pp. 114–15. System strive to meet the needs of students, Funding new and existing community employers, and the state. To ease credit college programs has its challenges. While transfers between community colleges and the State Board of Community Colleges has public and private colleges and universities, authority to set tuition, it does so within the to help community college programs adapt to confines set forth by the General Assembly the new opportunities provided by distance in the “Current Operations Appropriations education, and to increase North Carolina’s Act,” or budget bill. If the legislature has college-going rates, the N.C. Center for signaled its intention to raise tuition, but has Public Policy Research makes the following not yet passed a budget bill with the tuition recommendations: increase by the start of a new fiscal year on (1) The University of North Carolina July 1, the State Board will usually increase System and the N.C. Community College the tuition to the anticipated new rate to System should work together to continue to avoid confusion when registration for the expand enrollment in the 2+2 programs with fall semester begins. The N.C. Community the goal of increasing the number of 18 to 24- College System’s commitment to an “open year-olds enrolled in college in North Carolina door” tuition policy hinders the use of student from 30 percent in 2006 to 41 percent (the tuition as a substantial generator of revenue college-going rate of top fi ve states) by 2012. for the system given the low economic re- (2) The North Carolina General Assembly sources of the student body. Kennon Briggs, should expand funding for student services vice president of business and finance for the staff in the community college system. N.C. Community College System, explains, (3) Given the trend towards distance learn- “The

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