Welcome, President Spellings

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By Paul Fulton and Brad Wilson Co-Chairs Higher Education Works  The Higher Education Works family of organizations extends a warm North Carolina welcome to Margaret Spellings, who assumes office today as President of the University of North Carolina System. We hope President Spellings will nourish and protect what former President Erskine Bowles refers to as… READ MORE

Connect NC and NC Community Colleges

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If voters approve on March 15, North Carolina’s community colleges plan to use proceeds from the Connect NC bond package to help students fill jobs in each community they serve. The $2 billion bond proposal includes $350 million for construction, repairs and renovations at the state’s 58 community colleges.1  State officials stress that no tax… READ MORE

RALLS: Welding students to profitable careers

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^ After a year of unemployment, Brandi Hilliard of Concord participated three days a week in the Back-to-Work program at Rowan-Cabarrus Community College to learn welding and pipefitting. She soon found herself a journeyman welder making $34 an hour.  (Photo courtesy NC Community College System.) EDITOR’S NOTE:  Welding is a profitable, high-demand trade for students… READ MORE

UNC Charlotte Chancellor: ‘A sense of urgency’ to March 15 bond vote

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By Philip L. Dubois Chancellor, UNC Charlotte UNC Charlotte’s interest in the bond issue is a proposed $90 million science facility that is crucial to ensuring our continuing ability to respond to ever-increasing demand for enrollment among well-qualified freshmen and transfer students. For UNC Charlotte, there is definitely a sense of urgency concerning this bond… READ MORE

JIM WOODWARD: Public universities exist to serve the public good

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By Jim Woodward Chancellor Emeritus, UNC Charlotte The mission of the 17-campus University of North Carolina can be summarized with the following statement: Public universities exist to serve the public good. This goal is pursued through the teaching, research, and service programs conducted by their faculty, staff, and administration.  Many of these programs and, hence, those… READ MORE

At NCCU, a tradition – and a future – of economic energy

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DURHAM – A century ago, part of downtown Durham was known as “the Black Wall Street” because of the economic energy generated by companies like North Carolina Mutual Life Insurance Co. and Mechanics and Farmers Bank. In 1890, black-owned property in Durham County was valued at $8,696. By 1920, that figure had exploded to $4.3… READ MORE

SPELLINGS: “Affordability, accessibility, accountability and quality”

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GREENSBORO – At a retreat last week of the Board of Governors that oversees the University of North Carolina system, President-Elect Margaret Spellings laid out her vision for the university when she takes office March 1. “We can work together to achieve an ambitious goal: to make North Carolina the nation’s leader in affordability, accessibility,… READ MORE

BCG: “Biggest asset… has lost some direction and luster”

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At the request of University of North Carolina President-Elect Margaret Spellings, the university system hired The Boston Consulting Group to conduct an organizational assessment. After interviews with 140 stakeholders across the system, the consultants released a draft report at the UNC Board of Governors’ retreat last week in which they highlighted themes that emerged from… READ MORE

Fayetteville State Science Building: “We have a choice.”

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FAYETTEVILLE – The Lyons Science Complex at Fayetteville State University was built in 1981, the same year IBM introduced its first personal computer. That PC weighed 28 lbs — without the monitor and keyboard — and featured a cassette player as an optional attachment. 1 A lot has changed since 1981, but Fayetteville State’s main… READ MORE