March 11, 2020

After much consideration, the NCACCT Executive Board voted this morning to reschedule next week’s NCACCT Law-Legislative Seminar.  We are looking at moving this event to June 2020, still at the Raleigh City Center Marriott.  We will let you know the new dates as soon as possible.

The Board made this decision based on the many uncertainties associated with the coronavirus issue that is causing much concern across the state.   We’ve heard from many of our attendees that they were worried about traveling to a large gathering such as the seminar.  Yesterday, the governor declared a state of emergency.  The health and wellbeing of our trustees, presidents and everyone in the community college family is our top priority.  Furthermore, several speakers had to cancel their participation because of no-travel restrictions imposed by their employers.    With all of those things in mind, we are looking forward to a session later in the summer, and we hope to see you all there.

We are working diligently in the NCACCT office to hammer out the logistics of the new seminar dates and we are working with the college executive assistants regarding next steps to cancel the existing event plans and coordinate with the new dates.

North Carolina community college trustees have a number of important responsibilities to fulfill.  But GS-115D 20 (1) is very clear in establishing the most important responsibility: the election of the college president.  Searching for a new community college CEO is a responsibility almost every trustee will undertake sometime during his/her tenure, perhaps more than once.  Since Executive Leadership Associates (ELA), a consulting firm that assists trustees in presidential searches, was created in 2018, no less than 27.50 percent (16 of 58) NC community colleges have been or are currently searching for a new leader.

ELA is a partnership of six retired North Carolina community college presidents who are committed to ensuring our internationally recognized community college system continues its proud tradition of excellence, one college at a time.  ELA partners have served a combined 80 years as presidents at seven different community colleges; in addition, we have worked as interims at nine community colleges.  It is safe to say we know the system, which is why, with our decades of combined executive leadership, we have the proven expertise to help guide a board of trustees and the college through their most significant transition. ELA’s job is to ensure Boards of Trustees have all the information and advice they need to make the best decision for their unique colleges and communities.

When a board arrives at the point that it is “Time to Hire a President,” the first decision is how to organize the process: use a search firm or handle the search internally.  Of course, ELA suggests using a search firm.  While there is an expense in hiring a search firm, we think the advantages far outweigh any cost consideration.

A search firm will assist a board through the entire hiring process, which can be both lengthy and time-consuming for trustees.  We encourage trustees to consider a search for a new leader as that rare opportunity to assess where your college is and where you want it to go.  It literally provides the board with a “reset” button for the college.  It is also a time to involve both on-campus and community constituencies, and to provide these stakeholders with some ownership in the process.  That will help ensure a smooth transition for the person trustees select as the next CEO, and it will help satisfy the State Board requirement to involve the community in the search.

A search firm should use input from the faculty, staff, and community to help develop an institutional profile and the qualifications expected in the next college leader.  A search firm will also develop and place advertising in the right places to ensure both an acceptable quality and quantity of applicants. The right search firm not only depends on broad appeal advertising but on former colleagues, contacts in higher education, professional organizations, colleges, universities and finally personal contacts developed through years of experience in the field to help find the right person for a particular community college.

When those applications start coming, boards often begin inquiring about the number who have applied.  Some trustees equate the number of applicants to how well their college is doing.  Lots of applications mean, at least to some, that everybody wants to come to our community college because of some X factor they equate to success.  Actually, there are potential candidates around the country, literally the globe, with their resumes on the computer just waiting to hit the send key when an opening for a community college presidency is announced.  The right search firm is not as concerned as much about the application count as they are the quality of those who are hitting the send key.  The right search firm can sift through all those resumes with cover letters that can run from a couple of pages to several dozen and then do the deep dive reference checks and screenings to get a quality pool for the board.  From that group, a board will ultimately decide on several candidates with whom they wish to talk.

Making logistical arrangements to get those candidates to campus is an important next step, but the key is helping a board focus on asking the right questions and providing insight as to what a candidate said, and just as importantly, did not say.  The right search firm will be with the board from start to finish including keeping the State Board apprised of the timing of the search and those final candidates so the State Board can perform the due diligence required of them as well.

There are a number of good search firms that will seek your business when you are in the market for a new president.  We hope you will consider Executive Leadership Associates when you start reviewing those Request for Proposals (RFP’s) you are required to send out before hiring a search firm.  We believe our combined experience in North Carolina—our six partners have worked at North Carolina community colleges from the classroom to the president’s office a combined 182 years and one of our partners is a graduate of a NC community college—gives our firm an advantage.  We have done the job you are seeking to fill, worked in communities large and small and believe we can help any of our 58 colleges find the right person to lead their college.

But no matter whether you decide to do that important search on your own or hire a search firm we know a Board of Trustees does not want to be involved in a search very often.  But when it does happen, a board should embrace this opportunity to move the college forward, providing even greater opportunities for the reason you serve in the first place:  the students.

Dr. Michael Taylor, a partner in Executive Leadership Associates, is a graduate of Lenoir Community College and served as President of Stanly Community College for 15 years.  Contact ELA at http://www.executiveleaders.net/.

 Click here to learn more about NCACCT Business Partners

Registration is now open for the 2020 NCACCT Law-Legislative Seminar, to be held March 18-20 in downtown Raleigh!

More than 250 community college leaders are expected gather from across the state to learn more about: cybersecurity and what our colleges need to consider if a cyberattack occurs; the upcoming legislative short session; legal matters affecting our colleges; and ways that community college partners can work together to impact public policy.  Speakers will include Stephen Pruitt, president of the Southern Region Education Board; Cecilia Holden, president/CEO of myFutureNC; and Bob Joyce, professor of public law and government with the UNC School of Government.   The timing of the seminar will also be on the heels of the North Carolina primary election, so we’ll be inviting Governor Roy Cooper to speak as well as the Republican candidate for governor, once the election results are in.  The seminar will also be an opportunity for trustees, presidents, state board members and others to network, build relationships and gain information from each other.  State-mandated training will be available for new and reappointed trustees, plus there will be sessions that will benefit all trustees with varying lengths of service.  Ethics training will be led by the Ethics Commission; and there will be a session for community college attorneys highlighting timely legal issues (a session that all trustees can attend).

Click here for more information or to register.

The Association of Community College Trustees (ACCT) is the national organization that represents more than 6,500 elected and appointed community college trustees, including the majority of North Carolina’s institutions.

“ACCT is the voice of community colleges in Washington and throughout the country,” according to ACCT President and CEO J. Noah Brown. “Everything we do serves to promote the quality and value of community colleges, and to equip those who govern them to lead with vision, courage and a focus on integrity and student success.”

Your National Advocate

ACCT works on behalf of all community colleges to help inform legislators about the needs of community colleges, including, for example, advocating for year-round Pell Grants, second-chance Pell Grants, federal aid, and workforce-development programs. Each year, in partnership with the American Association of Community Colleges, ACCT establishes federal legislative priorities that represent our constituents’ interests.

In addition, ACCT’s advocacy team conducts original research to better understand and communicate trends in community colleges. Recent research has examined the college-work balance, improving outcomes for rural and urban males, and food and housing insecurity among community college students.

One of the association’s newest research initiatives is to better understand the needs of rural community colleges and their students. According to ACCT Senior Vice President Jee Hang Lee, “We’ve identified North Carolina as one of five states in which to pilot this needs assessment.” This is one of many ways by which ACCT works with member colleges in North Carolina, and through which we can bring a diverse national perspective to bear on local challenges.

ACCT collaborates with NCACCT and the other statewide community college associations to facilitate communication, support and advocacy between the state and national levels. “By partnering,” Brown says, “NCACCT and ACCT are able to amplify one another’s efforts within the state, in the nation’s capital and throughout the country.”

Resources

In addition to the advocacy tools, ACCT offers many other resources including its magazine, Trustee Quarterly, In the Know with ACCT podcast, and Trustee Talk newsletter.  ACCT also offers educational publications, such as the touchstone book Trusteeship in Community Colleges: A Guide to Effective Governance.

Services & Educational Opportunities

Through its educational programs ACCT offers customized board retreats that aim to strengthen communication and understanding among board members, which can lead to a stronger, more effective working group. Boards that engage in training and professional development serve as a model for the rest of the institution. ACCT CEO evaluation and board self-assessment services are designed to give encouragement and constructive and impartial advice to boards and CEOs to best serve their institutions, grow professionally and communicate effectively.

Events

ACCT hosts two national conferences each year, and two governance institutes. Trustees, students and presidents from around the country come to Washington, DC, each February for the Community College National Legislative Summit. Participants learn about federal policy issues that impact postsecondary institutions and students, and have the opportunity to meet with their Congressional representatives and to advocate for community colleges.

The ACCT Leadership Congress is held each fall in different locations throughout the country. This annual event draws nearly 2,000 community college trustees, CEOs, thought leaders and others to learn about the latest initiatives community colleges are employing to improve student success, govern effectively, and address the latest trends, challenges and opportunities.

The ACCT Governance Leadership Institutes are offered twice a year, providing governance training to new and experienced community college trustees.

Here to Serve Your Needs

NCACCT is the go-to association for all North Carolina community colleges’ state-based needs. ACCT is excited to serve as a complementary partner—one that advocates for and supports the state’s colleges and their students from a nationwide perspective. More information about the resources discussed above can be found at www.acct.org, or you can connect with any ACCT staff person to learn more about our services and programs.

 Click here to learn more about NCACCT Business Partners

Spotlight on Community College Leaders: NCACCT Vice Chair Sam Dickens

By Ashley Blizzard, NCACCP/NCACCT Communication Coordinator & Events Manager

Make sure you study the issues important to your college, get to know your fellow trustees and always make decisions based on what’s best for the students and community.  That’s the main advice that Sam Dickens, who has served on the Nash Community College Board for 20 years, would give to new trustees.  For him, that commitment and love of our colleges has actually become a family tradition.

Dickens, Vice Chair of the NCACCT Executive Board and Chief Operating Officer for OIC of Rocky Mount, has had several family members who have been involved with the community colleges, from his father and two siblings, to his own children.

Dickens’ father was a carpenter and builder in the Nash County community. Aware of his skills, Nash Community College asked (the senior) Dickens to teach a carpentry class at the school. After one year at the school, however, Dickens realized that teaching “wasn’t for him,” and thus he returned to his previous vocation. However, the familial connection to community colleges did not end there for (the junior) Mr. Dickens, whose brother and sister graduated from Wilson Community College. Additionally, Dickens’ daughter also attended Nash Community College. His twin boys are currently at Nash and plan to follow their sister’s footsteps by transferring to East Carolina University in the fall.

Dickens’ personal interaction with the community colleges is a similar parallel to his dad’s story. Sam Dickens was a manufacturer for the data and telecommunications industry. One part of his business’s specialty was to attach wires to electromechanical assemblies (soldering). He was approached by Nash to train some of his employees because soldering was very technical. So, Dickens took the time to teach others about his expertise at Nash Community College.

As for his thoughts on whether becoming a trustee is what he expected, Dickens stated that when he first became a trustee, he thought it was going to be a “normal” position. For example, he thought he would show up for meetings and have discussions. However, what he didn’t realize was the responsibility he was undertaking. In Dickens’ words, “Every decision you make affects not only the college; it affects the students; it affects what’s going on in the community. It affects the lives of so many people who are trying to make change that you really don’t think about when you first get on the board.” Dickens went on to say that being on the board of trustees affects generations of people. He specifically spoke about how he sees the results of the trustees’ decisions at every graduation—how the “decisions you’ve made have changed and affected the lives of so many people.”

Funding and enrollment are the top two issues that Dickens believes NC community colleges are facing right now. He says these two issues go hand in hand, and they haven’t changed. He stated that trustees want their colleges to be relevant, up-to-date and able to serve the needs of its community. However, funding is needed to support those desires. He went on to say that growth is related to funding. “If you don’t have people, then you can’t get funding; if you don’t have funding, then you can’t get the people.” Therefore, he said that in order to get both funding and enrollment, the community college must constantly tell its story better than anyone else.

The community college is important to Dickens because it changes the lives of not only the people who are currently in the community, but it changes the lives of generations to come. Dickens states that Nash Community College is life-changing to all the people who are involved at the school, from the groundskeepers to the staff members to the president. He says that the community college is important to him because it can help create a different lifestyle for families of anyone who walks through its doors.

One thing that has surprised him, however, is the amount of “study” time required to be a good trustee. He discussed how important it was for trustees to study committees, the general assembly and local politics and that to understand those things well takes a lot of time.

When asked about what he was most proud of at Nash Community College, Dickens had difficulty narrowing down the school’s accomplishments. He said he is proud of how his board of trustees communicates with one another. He is also proud of how the president and staff have kept Nash Community College on the cutting edge of what’s needed in the community, as well as providing training to the people and industries of the community to ensure the college’s relevancy. Because of those efforts, he said that Nash has been a college that has been lucky enough to experience growth. Dickens said he is proud that the college is a “visionary institution.” Additionally, he spoke of the college spirit on the campuses and the pride of the students and staff. He said their pride “illuminates across campus.”

One advancement  Dickens would like to see at his college is for the school to continue to bring in programs the community needs. For example, Nash currently has a Vet Tech program that they are establishing. He would like to see programs like this continue by listening to the community and businesses, finding out what they need and providing those needs.

If were to give advice to a new trustee, he would have three suggestions. His first piece of advice would be to take your time and learn about your new obligation. When he first became a trustee himself, he said the amount of “study” time required to be a good trustee surprised him. However, he recommends that new trustees take time to learn about their college and what your obligations are. A trustee has to remember that there are real consequences to his/her actions. His second piece of advice would be: learn your college and know it. Don’t compare your college with other colleges. Know why your college is there, and know the people you serve. He also said you must learn about your fellow trustees. His final piece of advice to a new trustee would be to remember that every vote you cast and every decision you make should be for the advancement of the students and the community. “It’s not about you,” he said.

On a lighter note, Dickens said his favorite way to relax was to go to the beach and to the ocean. There you will find him enjoying his favorite hobby—recreational saltwater fishing. At one time, his favorite hobby was small-game hunting. However, more recently he was introduced by a friend to pier fishing on the North Carolina coast and has fallen in love with it.

One of his best vacations ever was on the beach, but not a North Carolina beach. Dickens said when his twin boys were about three years old, he took his family on an all-inclusive Sandals vacation to the Turks and Caicos Islands. He said he took the vacation at a time when he was buried in his work. Going to a location where people could barely get in touch with him was great; perhaps even better was that all he and his family had to do each day was wake up and decide what to do that day. Dickens said his daughter (who is now almost 40 years old) still talks about that vacation.

As for a bucket list, Dickens seems to already have a full bucket! He said that he really doesn’t have a bucket list. “I have done so much,” he said. “I’ve experienced a lot. If God doesn’t let me do another thing, I’d be happy. I’m good.” I suppose that is why what he is most personally proud of is how all the things he has been able to do and be a part of has blessed his family and others.

Some of the best advice Dickens said he’s ever received came from his father. When his father saw his son progressing in life, he told him, “Of all of [your] getting, get understanding. When you’re making money and buying stuff, while you’re doing that, get understanding. Be able to sit down in any situation and understand what’s going on. Then you’ll know how to respond to it.” As a result of his dad’s words of wisdom, Dickens learned the importance of listening more than talking.

An interesting fact about Dickens that fellow trustees may not be aware of is that he is an associate pastor at his church (since 1998), as well as one of the lead singers in the choir. (He sings tenor). His interest in singing began at the age of 15 when a good high school friend’s dad told him if Dickens was going to be friends with his son, he was going to learn to sing. Dickens has been singing ever since.

Spotlight on Community College Leaders: NCACCT Chair John Watts

By Ashley Blizzard, NCACCP/NCACCT Communication Coordinator & Events Manager

For more than 19 years, NCACCT Chair John Watts has been a Catawba Valley Community College (CVCC) trustee. Appointed in March 2001, Watts never really had the option to not be fully immersed in the education realm. As he put it, “education is in my blood.”

According to Watts, education has always been his passion. The fact that his mother was a 42-year educator herself (two years teaching at Winthrop and 40 years teaching in the public school system) and his dad started out as a social studies teacher, it’s no wonder that being involved in education has been so important to him.

Watts began his public advocacy for education as a local school board member with the Alexander County Board of Education. There, he completed and served two, four-year terms. After completing his terms on the Board of Education, Watts continued to stay involved in education by participating with various education committees. However, he became frustrated with the lack of financial support education continued to receive in his home county. He soon realized that in order to help Alexander County financially, he needed to be where he could have more control financially, and thus became a county commissioner. It was as a county commissioner that Watts was really able to positively affect his local community college, Catawba Valley, by helping obtain a portion of bond money that allowed CVCC to go from a then 3,500 square-foot campus to a 15,000 square-foot campus. That is really when his interest in community colleges began.

Being a trustee has been a very rewarding experience, according to Watts. Despite not really knowing what to expect when he began as a trustee, Watts appreciated that his fellow board members at CVCC were accepting of him and what he had to say.

When asked what the top two issues NC Community Colleges are facing right now, Watts stated that the first issue would be maintaining and expanding their enrollment. The second issue would be to increase the community college funding. “We have to do better for our faculty in terms of pay,” said Watts.

Community colleges are much nimbler than their university counterparts, according to Watts. “They are able to change a process, curriculum and policies quickly,” he said. “Universities aren’t able to do that.” This is why community colleges are so important to Watts. He likes the fact that community colleges can make changes quickly based on the needs around them.

Something that has surprised Watts during his time as a trustee is just how quickly trustees can affect change in a positive manner. “That’s why it’s important to share our story,” says Watts.

One of the ways in which the trustees at CVCC have been able to positively change their community is through their abilities to shift their focus from the importance of a building. “The future of education isn’t necessarily brick and mortar,” said Watts. Instead, the trustees have tried to service customers where they are. Sometimes online is the best way to serve their community. The fact that Watts and his fellow trustees have been able to understand that is what he is most proud of about CVCC.

Advancements that Watts would like to see at CVCC would be to achieve a multi-campus designation into Alexander County. Currently, CVCC is located in Hickory, NC—approximately 20 miles from Alexander County. Expansion into Alexander County could further the education of those who could benefit from all that CVCC has to offer.

When asked about the best advice he had ever received, Watts said, “Don’t speak unless you have something to say.” Guidance that he would give to a new trustee is very similar. To a new trustee, Watts said he would recommend, “Go in it with your heart, and listen before you speak.”

When Watts isn’t volunteering, he spends much of his time as a pharmacist for Walmart. He began his career with Crown Drugs, but has served the people of his area as their local Walmart pharmacist since 1993.

Many would likely be surprised to hear that Watts’ first job was as a local radio announcer, which he did for about 10 years. He also announced high school baseball games and became a color analyst for football games, a title he passed down to his son, who continues to serve as a color analyst for the high school.

Sports has always played an important role in Watts’ life. Besides his former announcing of baseball and football games, he finds these days that attending a UNC Tarheel basketball game is one of his favorite ways to relax. If he can’t be at a game in person, he enjoys watching them on television, as well as watching a Yankees baseball game or a Packers football game.

In spite of his love of sports, Watts said his best vacation ever didn’t involve sports. Instead, it was in 1996 when his wife, Susan, and his two young children went to Washington, D.C. The vacation must have made a great impression on his daughter (Nita) as well, as she currently lives there and is a speech pathologist for Prince William Schools just outside of Washington. His son, Jonathan, followed in his dad’s footsteps in that he stayed in his home county where he serves as magistrate.

A few places he hasn’t visited but are on his bucket list are Italy, the Holy Land and the Great Pyramids of Egypt. However, it is clear that Mr. Watts’ love of home is what truly “fills his bucket.” His love of Alexander County and the people who live there is evident in all that he’s accomplished to help better the county and surrounding areas. When asked what he was most proud of, Watts said it was being able to make positive changes for the people of Alexander County during his tenure on the Board of Education, as a county commissioner and as a CVCC trustee.

The North Carolina Association of Community Colleges appreciates all that Mr. Watts has done for CVCC as well as the state’s community colleges as a whole. Watts will serve as the chair of the NCACCT Executive Board through June 2020.

We are excited to officially launch registration for the Western Region Trustee Training Session that will be held on Sept. 30 (10 a.m.-3:15 p.m.) at Lake Junaluska.  Several of the Presidents from the western region specifically requested this training opportunity because it is difficult for some of your Trustees to travel such a long distance (especially since the Leadership Seminar was held in Wilmington this year).  This will be a one-day session that will enable your new and reappointed Trustees to fulfill their state-mandated Trustee Training requirement.

The first session, led by Dr. Frank Sells, will focus on the roles, responsibilities and relationships that are important in their role as a Trustee.    Next, Mary Shuping, Director of Government Affairs with the North Carolina Community College System Office (NCCCS), will provide an overview of the legislative process and how legislation moves through the General Assembly.  We will have lunch, and then Elizabeth Grovenstein, Vice President/Chief Financial Officer with the NCCCS, will discuss how our colleges are funded and what role various entities play in the funding process.  There will also be a session focusing on the President/Trustee Partnership and how it impacts community college engagement and advocacy.  The draft agenda can be found here.

Registration for the Western Region Trustee Training Session is $129 and covers all expenses related to the event, including materials and lunch.

Please ask your Executive Assistant to register attendees from your college by September 16 by clicking here.

The following are the Handouts from the presentations at the 2019 Leadership Seminar:

Orientation for New Trustees

Effective Board and Trustees 

NCACCA (Attorney’s Meeting)

Academic Free Speech Handout

Update from NCCCS President Peter Hans

Workforce Priorities Chart