Tagged: Community Colleges

Fiscal agents throughout North Carolina government and the university and community college system gathered in Raleigh yesterday to address fiscal challenges facing the state. 

Scott Ralls is President of the state community college system.  The recession hit around the time he took the helm.

Scott Ralls:  "It certainly has been a challenge, not just because the loss of revenue that has been challenging to budget and prioritize, but also the very significant increase in demand that we simultaneously faced during that timeframe."

The president of the national organization that represents community colleges visited Guilford County yesterday. Walter Bumphus was in the state as part of a national listening tour.

Bumphus included North Carolina in his travels because of the state’s robust and comprehensive community college system. There are 58 community colleges in North Carolina, serving nearly a million students. Scott Ralls is the president of the North Carolina Community College system.

He says the down economy has meant laid-off workers arriving on campuses in droves:

Advocates for people with mental health disabilities are crying foul over a rule proposed by the state board of community colleges to screen students who might be a threat.

The proposed rule has been under consideration since last fall. It would allow community colleges to deny admission to students who are deemed to be an 'articulable, imminent and significant threat.' The rule was approved by the state board Friday.

Megan Hoenk works for the state board of community colleges. She says the rule doesn't mandate anything.