Economists Laura Ullirch and Stephanie Norris take a look at state and local funding for community colleges across the Federal Reserve’s Fifth District, which includes Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, most of West Virginia, and the District of Columbia.

All of the data is worth spending time on, but I wanted to highlight this specific portion:

Outreach to community colleges across the Fifth District indicates that the cost structure of community colleges is undergoing a transformation, which is leading to financial stress among institutions. Student demand is moving away from traditional associate degree programs, which are generally the lowest cost for schools to offer, and toward high-demand technical programs, such as nursing, welding, and mechatronics. These programs require expensive equipment and faculty that earn higher wages than many other community college instructors. In addition, community colleges are now providing a much broader set of wraparound services than the past, ranging from mental health counseling to food pantries. In most cases, funding formulas have not been adjusted for this new reality, although it’s important to note that North Carolina currently has a proposed funding formula under consideration that would be a big step in that direction.

Many community college leaders feel resource constrained in ways that seem different from their four-year counterparts. This could get worse over time as student demand at community colleges shifts to high-cost technical programs. The cost of executing these programs is ever-increasing, and it far outweighs the cost of teaching traditional general education courses. As these changes occur, the gap between instruction costs at community colleges and four-year institutions is likely narrowing considerably.

Community colleges have the need and desire to offer high-demand, high-wage programs while also remaining a very low-cost option for students in their service areas. With large revenue gaps between community colleges and four-year institutions, this is a precarious balance as community colleges strive to be an attractive option to students, employers, and staff.

You’ll find the full piece on EdNC.org.

In March, I visited Blue Ridge Community College’s horticultural program to learn more about their upcoming state-of-the-art greenhouse. Prior to my visit, I did not know how much technology is built into greenhouses in 2024. Last week, we published a perspective from Blue Ridge Community College President Dr. Laura Leatherwood that includes a spotlight on their work building out the cyber workforce pipeline, including an emphasis on agriculture.

Our college is also part of the Carolina Cyber Network, a collaborative cyber workforce development initiative involving 17 higher education institutions that enrolled 2,887 cyber programs students in 2023. Within the network, Blue Ridge has the unique responsibility of providing cybersecurity training around North Carolina’s No. 1 industry — agriculture.

“When it comes to agriculture, most people don’t immediately think about technology, but the truth is, agriculture is full of technology,” Blue Ridge Community College IT Faculty Coordinator Dan Rickert explained. “Tractors, plows, drones that spray pesticide — all of this equipment relies on satellite data and over-the-air updates to software. All of that is vulnerable and can be circumvented by the bad guys.”

In the coming year, Blue Ridge’s IT and cybersecurity students will work closely in the development of the college’s new 4,727 sq. ft. state-of-the-art greenhouse, which will be used for instruction in technology-centered agricultural methods. The greenhouse will be automated and full of sensors, which according to IT instructor Tonya Stephens, provides a real-world opportunity for troubleshooting and safeguarding this critical sector.

For the remainder of President Leatherwood’s perspective, head over to our website.

ROI at Winston-Salem State | North Carolina’s state legislature recently requested and funded a report evaluating the return on investment (ROI) of programs within the UNC System. The final report was released in February, according to an article from my colleague Derick Lee. His review specifically spotlights the ROI provided by Winston-Salem State University.

The cost of a lack of child care | Insufficient child care is costing North Carolina about $5.65 billion each year, a new study from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation estimates. EdNC’s Liz Bell has the full story on EdNC.org.

An update on the state budget | The Charlotte Observer takes a look at what will happen to some state employees’ pay on July 1 without a new budget. The House has said it expects to release its budget proposal this week. Stay tuned for EdNC’s coverage.

Semifinalists for new Pitt CC president | Pitt Community College announced the semifinalists for their presidency last week. The finalists are: Roger W. Davis, Ed.D., president of Community College of Beaver County, PA; Maria Pharr, Ed.D., president of South Piedmont Community College; and Nicole Reaves, Ed.D., executive vice president and chief programs officer at Wake Technical Community College.

Each of the three finalists will participate in forums this week:

Tuesday, June 18, 2024 — Dr. Nicole Reaves: 3:00 p.m., Davenport Multipurpose Room, Goess Student Center

Wednesday, June 19, 2024 — Dr. Roger W. Davis: 3:00 p.m., Davenport Multipurpose Room, Goess Student Center

Thursday, June 20, 2024 — Dr. Maria Pharr: 3:00 p.m., Davenport Multipurpose Room, Goess Student Center

For more on the process, check out the college’s presidential search website.

Summer youth apprenticeship program | Wayne Community College and Lenoir Community College held a kickoff for their new summer youth apprenticeship program. According to local media: “The inaugural Advanced Manufacturing Academy, launched by the Southeastern Education and Economic Development (SEED) initiative, was created through the NC Business Committee for Education (NCBCE). A total of 35 students will be participating in the academy at the two schools.”

Other tidbits:

• GoldenLEAF announced $14 million in funding at their most recent board meeting.
• The Davidson Local covered the Next NC scholarship and what it could mean for prospective students at Davidson-Davie Community College.
• NC Community College System Chief of Staff Dr. Kim Gold met with Richmond Community College’s board of trustees to discuss the process for replacing President Dr. Dale McInnis, who will retire this fall.
• Wake Technical Community College held a job fair for individuals interested in serving as adjunct faculty members. The fair drew more than 400 potential faculty members.
• Cape Fear Community College recently partnered with Stevenson Hendrick Honda and Hendrick Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram FIAT to offer automotive technician courses at the dealership, according to a release from the college, providing students with hands-on training.
• Central Piedmont Community College received approximately 23 acres of land from Hendrick Automotive Group and local business leader Rick Hendrick, near the college’s Levine Campus in Matthews. Central Piedmont will use the donated property to build a new first responder training facility, the college said in a press release.