A note from us
Welcome to Awake58 — a weekly newsletter where you’ll find the latest updates on community college related news and events around the state. Plus, a look at what’s trending nationally in higher education.
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EdNC’s community college bill tracker is live… The North Carolina Senate released its budget proposal on Monday night — stayed tuned for more updates from EdNC… A recap from the John M. Belk Endowment’s third annual adult learning convening… An update on NC Reconnect, the statewide adult learner initiative… April is Community College Month and we want to hear why you think community college is the best decision ever… What North Carolina’s new attainment map tells us… A look at the N.C. Community College System’s new program, Boost… STEM opportunities in pharmacy for rural high school juniors and seniors… A perspective on closing the workforce gap… Plus, how tariffs could impact higher education…
Hi all — Emily Thomas with this week’s Awake58.
Last week, the John M. Belk Endowment hosted their third annual adult learner convening. EdNC’s Alli Lindenberg and I attended the event. We can’t thank you enough for the kind words we heard about EdNC’s work and how you all consistently engage with Awake58. It means a lot. Our work doesn’t happen without you.
This year’s theme primarily focused on community colleges being institutions that provide maximum opportunities for adult learners. We heard from adult learners, some of whom have endured incredible grief and difficulty in their return to school. Leaders learned about ways to maximize their college’s messaging to demystify paying for college and the financial aid process. We heard from economist Laura Ulrich, director of the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond, about North Carolina’s labor force participation and the leaky education pipeline from high school to college. A group of veterans who now serve community colleges also discussed their journeys and how colleges can operationalize to serve military-affiliated individuals better.
In his closing remarks, James Sprunt Community College President Dr. Jay Carraway reminded leaders in the room that the work of serving adult learners better is all about making personal connections.
“If they don’t understand and believe that you’re in the boat with them, it’s not going to work. That takes compassion. They have to know you’re on their team.” – Dr. Jay Carraway
You can read the full recap of the adult learner convening and find NC Reconnect updates and results here.
April is community college month and this year’s theme is “best decision ever.” We’re inviting students, supporters, business partners, philanthropists, and policymakers to share with us why you think North Carolina’s community colleges are the best decision ever. We’ll share your stories to celebrate the value and importance of the 58 community colleges to their communities and to our state. You can reply directly to this email or send your stories directly to [email protected].
In other news, more than 50 bills that would impact community colleges and postsecondary education have been filed by the General Assembly during this year’s legislative long session.
EdNC’s Hannah Vinueza McClellan curated a list and provided additional context of community college bills to follow during the 2025 legislative session. Please let us know if we missed something in this round-up. You can reply to this email or send a message to [email protected].
Finally, in February, the N.C. Community College System announced the launch of Boost — a new program designed to increase completion rates and move students into high-wage, high-demand careers. Fifteen colleges will be implementing Boost, with the first group beginning in fall 2025. EdNC recently republished this piece from Work Shift about the new North Carolina program and how Boost will model its program after CUNY ASAP.
That’s all for this week. Be sure to check out EdNC Reads and AroundNC for more news and stories. Until next week,
Emily Thomas
Director of Postsecondary Attainment – EdNC.org
EdNC reads
Community college bills to follow during the 2025 legislative session
The Senate’s bill filing deadline was March 25, and the House extended its deadline from April 3 to April 10. Now, most bills must pass through one of the chambers by the crossover deadline on May 8 in order to continue being considered.
This year, the N.C. Community College System’s (NCCCS) primary legislative ask is to fund Propel NC, the system’s proposed funding model. Ahead of the bill filing deadlines, two bills were filed related to Propel NC: House Bill 490, Propel NC Funding and Tuition Surcharge, and House Bill 365, Workforce Education Act.
NC Reconnect, North Carolina’s effort to reenroll adult learners, launched four years ago. What have colleges learned?
Since its launch, NC Reconnect has reached out to 42,971 adult learners who stopped out at one of the colleges listed above. Nearly 3,000 adult learners have returned to continue their education as of spring 2025.
“We never would have dreamed that over the course of these cohorts, we would have nearly 3,000 adult learners reenroll,” said Mike Krause, managing director at JMBE. “What I think it indicates is this is the moment for adults in higher education.”
Why our community colleges are the ‘best decision ever’
North Carolina’s community college system is 58 colleges strong, and no longer are they the state’s best kept secret.
April is Community College Month, according to the Association of Community College Trustees, and this year EdNC is surfacing stories about why attending community college is the “best decision ever.”
N.C. puts big money on graduating more community college students in high-wage fields
The Big Idea: To ensure more students take that path, the North Carolina Community College System is launching a new program focused on degree completion for high-wage, high-demand careers.
The Boost program is modeled after the highly successful CUNY ASAP program in New York City, and will be the first-ever attempt to adapt that model of financial support and high-touch advising across an entire state. It’s also the first replication of ASAP to focus heavily on workforce needs—and will complement a new funding formula North Carolina rolled out early last year.
Trump tariffs could have chilling effect on school purchases from bananas to laptops
With the U.S. importing everything from steel to desks to lighting fixtures from China, tariffs are expected to have a big impact on construction costs.
Ken Simonson, chief economist for the Associated General Contractors of America, a trade association representing non-residential builders, said schools with projects already under contract shouldn’t be affected much because districts typically enter into fixed-price or maximum-price contracts.
But future projects could get more expensive.
Perspective | What North Carolina’s new attainment map tells us
Progress isn’t happening at the same pace everywhere. The latest county-level attainment rate changes range from an 8.9-point decline to a remarkable 18.1-point increase.
Seventy-nine of North Carolina’s 100 counties have seen an increase in attainment rates between 2019 and 2023.
Around NC
Perspectives | Communities in Schools President and CEO Jill Cox shares how schools and communities can work together to close workforce gaps and prepare students for the future, including embedding career exploration across districts.
Only one school in North Carolina received designation as a school of excellence for supporting applications to college. That school is North Henderson High School. The campaign “is a national effort to increase the number of first-generation college students and students from under-resourced communities pursuing a college degree or other higher education credential,” according to a press release from ACAC.
Student stories | This story about a Beaufort County Community College graduate features her journey from student to creator of a faith-based nonprofit that offers young people an outlet through writing, music, and art.
STEM opportunities for rural students| Southeastern Community College, Western Piedmont Community College, and Carolina College Advising Corps are partnering with the UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy to provide rising high school juniors and seniors from rural communities in N.C. an immersive summer camp experience supplemented with a yearlong, longitudinal program. The program is two days and will immerse students in the world of pharmacy practice. High school juniors and seniors can now apply for the Promoting Innovation and Lifelong Learning in STEM (PILLS) program. Applications are available until May 30, 2025.
Craven Community College kicked off their STEM week celebrations at the Volt Center last week. Students and families received numerous hands-on STEM activities.
Durham Technical Community College hosted Women Owning the Workforce (WOW) conference for high school girls to explore male-dominated STEM fields. The college hosted the program alongside Hope Renovations, the Homebuilders Association of Durham, and Orange and Chatham counties.
Celebrating National Library Week | National Library Week was last week. The week celebrates and highlights librarians and library paraprofessionals who support students, staff, and faculty. Many of these individuals are part of the North Carolina Community College Library Association (NCCCLA), which provides a variety of professional development and networking opportunities for N.C. community college library personnel. You can find more NCCCLA opportunities here.
Recognitions | Southeastern Community College’s Small Business Center Director Pamela Young-Jacobs won the Economic Advancement of Indian People award. The award is given by the United Tribes of North Carolina, and recognizes her work toward her goal to “pass wisdom to small business owners so they can persevere and sustain life.“
Earth to Sky Park | Mayland Community College featured their Earth to Sky Park (ESP) program during Community College Day at the North Carolina General Assembly last month. The park houses an observatory and a planetarium which are both open to the public.
Boost in the news | McDowell Tech will launch the Boost program during the second phase of its statewide rollout, with the first cohort of students set to begin in the fall of 2026.
Other higher education reads
