Running Head: NORTH CAROLINA: GOVERNANCE

Kelsey Heiple North Carolina State Governance Structure EDLD 8433 Higher Education Governance Dr. Devon Jensen July 19, 2013

NORTH CAROLINA: GOVERNANCE I. Introduction

For years, North Carolina has been viewed as having, what many believe to be, one of the finest systems of higher education in the country. Long committed to affordability and access, the state is home to some of the countrys top colleges and universities. Among them, Duke University, Wake Forest University, and the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill all rank in the top fifty of U.S. News & World Reports 2012 list of Best Colleges (National University Rankings, 2013). North Carolina is also home to the third largest community college system in the nation. With fifty-eight campuses within a thirty minute commute of approximately ninetynine percent of the states population, the states community college system is likely a direct result of North Carolinas commitment to accessibility (Education in North Carolina, n.d.). With a total of 110 colleges and universities, 74 of which are public institutions, North Carolina has developed an effective governance structure to ensure coordination among individual colleges as well as governing systems. II. Governance North Carolinas success in providing postsecondary options to its citizens is, in large part, due to their effective governance structure. Using consolidated governing boards, the state has a segmented system with a state-level governing board for both the public colleges and universities as well as the community and technical colleges. With a combined total of seventyfour institutions, the University of North Carolina Board of Governors and the North Carolina State Board of Community Colleges each focus their efforts on governance of their constituent institutions in order to provide affordable and accessible options for citizens. Established by action of the North Carolina General Assembly, both have gained national attention for their unique characteristics.

NORTH CAROLINA: GOVERNANCE A. The Board of Governors of the University of North Carolina Chartered by the North Carolina General Assembly in 1789, the University of North Carolina was the first public university in the United States. For 136 years, Chapel Hill, North

Carolina served as the sole campus of the University. In 1931, however, the General Assembly redefined the University of North Carolina to include three state-supported institutions, making it a multi-campus University. With one Board of Trustees and one President, the new multicampus University operated until 1969 when three additional campuses were added by legislative action. The last additions came in 1971 when legislation was enacted making the University of North Carolina a sixteen campus University. It was then that the Board of Trustees, which had previously been responsible for oversight of the University since 1931, was renamed the Board of Governors of the University of North Carolina and was reduced to only thirty-two members (History & Mission, n.d.). The Board of Governors is the policy-making body legally charged with the general determination, control, supervision, management, and governance of all affairs of the constituent institutions (History & Mission, n.d.). In addition to non-voting members, including former governors, past board chairs, and the President of the UNC Association of Student Government, the Board of Governors consists of thirty-two voting members who are elected by the General Assembly for four-year terms. With the creation of the Board of Governors in 1971, the General Assembly sought to create an informed body with the authority to respond definitively whether positively or negatively to regional and institutional ambitions for new programs and other ventures in higher education and thus to shield the legislature from those pressures (Sanders, 2001, p. 46). From early on, the Board recognized the value of local discretion with regards to institutional needs and, as a result, delegated extensive powers to each of the sixteen

NORTH CAROLINA: GOVERNANCE Boards of Trustees and Chancellors, allowing them to govern their individual institutions

accordingly. However, powers deemed essential to the exercise of system-wide responsibilities were reserved for the Board of Governors and the University of North Carolina President, including definition of institutional missions, establishment of enrollment levels, election of the UNC President, preparation of the budget, and determination of tuition and fee rates (Sanders, 2001, p. 47). Recognized as an effective governance structure, the Board of Governors of the University of North Carolina maintains a balance of power between the Board of Governors and the institutional Boards of Trustees that minimizes the tension between centralization and autonomy that is inherent in large state university systems. In fact, the sixteen constituent institutions have gained significantly more than they have lost in being a part of the University of North Carolinas multicampus system. As John L. Sanders (2001) explained in his article entitled Successful Multicampus Governance: The North Carolina Model, The Board of Governors, with the cooperation of the boards of trustees, has been able to gain sufficient resources to fulfill much of the states ambition to educate an ever-enlarging share of our high school graduates, to provide the economy with a well- and currently trained workforce, and to meet the institutions needs for renewed and expanded physical plans (p. 47). B. North Carolina State Board of Community Colleges The history of community colleges in North Carolina dates back to 1952, when Dr. Allan S. Hurlburt published a report proposing a plan for the development of state-supported community colleges. The report was in response to a study requested by the State Superintendent of Public Instruction. As a result, the North Carolina General Assembly adopted the first Community College Act in 1957, which provided funding for community colleges.

NORTH CAROLINA: GOVERNANCE Over the next decade, community colleges would appear across the state and the General Assembly would take action to establish a Department of Community Colleges under the State

Board of Education. In 1979, the number of community colleges in North Carolina would total fifty-eight with the addition of Brunswick Community College. It was, at this point, that the General Assembly recognized the need for a separate governing body for community colleges and, in 1981, the State Board of Community of Colleges assumed full responsibility for the North Carolina Community College System from the State Board of Education (The North Carolina Community College System Fact Book, 2008, p. 4). The North Carolina State Board of Community Colleges serves as the sole governing agency for all fifty-eight community colleges and one technology center that make up the North Carolina Community College System (NCCCS). The Board consists of twenty-one members including ten appointed by the Governor, eight at-large members elected by legislature, the Lieutenant Governor, State Treasurer, and a student member. The Boards three major functions include equitable distribution of funds, establishment and maintenance of state priorities, and program approval and accountability. Additional functions include establishing policies, regulations, and standards for the administrative offices and institutions that comprise the NCCCS (State Profiles - Postsecondary Governance Structures Database: North Carolina, (n.d.). As the nations third largest community college system (Education in North Carolina, n.d.), the colleges of the NCCCS are accessible to ninety-nine percent of the states population, making the task of governing at the local levels of such an expansive group difficult. Thus, a Board of Trustees, composed of twelve citizens from the service area in which the college is located, serves each community college to set local policy (The North Carolina Community College System Fact Book, 2008, p. 7).

NORTH CAROLINA: GOVERNANCE C. North Carolina Independent Colleges and Universities

Also notable, due to the caliber of institutions it governs and the vast population it serves, is the North Carolina Association of Independent Colleges and Universities (NCICU). Although NCICU is not considered part of the states consolidated governing system, it still plays an integral role in providing postsecondary education to the citizens of North Carolina. Comprised of thirty-six non-profit private colleges and universities, the NCICU represents its member institutions on public policy issues with the multiple branches of state government and other education sectors in the state (NCICI Quick Facts, n.d.). The Presidents of each of the thirty-six member institutions makeup the NCICU Board of Directors. Additionally, each institution has their own Board of Trustees, making decisions for their respective institutions. Over 1,300 individuals serve on Boards of Trustees throughout the NCICU. III. The North Carolina Education Cabinet With multiple entities governing the various educational systems of North Carolina, coordination among them is key to ensuring that higher education in the state is at its best. In order to facilitate cooperation among the entities, the General Assembly created the North Carolina Education Cabinet in 1992 (Chapter Eight, n.d.). With the Governor as Chair, the Cabinet is comprised of the State Superintendent of Public Instruction, the head of the Department of Health and Human Services, the State Board of Education Chair, the President of the State Board of Community Colleges, the President of the University of North Carolina, and the President of the North Carolina Independent Colleges and Universities (State Profiles Postsecondary Governance Structures Database: North Carolina, n.d.). As previously mentioned, North Carolina has a history of providing both affordability and accessibility. The North Carolina Education Cabinet plays a significant contributing role in

NORTH CAROLINA: GOVERNANCE

enabling such feats. More specifically, the Education Cabinet has enabled coordination among the University of North Carolina and the North Carolina Community College System to establish a comprehensive statewide articulation policy. This was a significant effort on behalf of the Board of Governors and the State Board of Community Colleges to strengthen the transfer function while ensuring quality college-level work and, ultimately, further advancing accessibility to higher education in the state. Upon the establishment of the Comprehensive Articulation Agreement in 1996, a Transfer Assured Admissions Policy was subsequently established. This policy ensures that community college students who meet transfer and admissions requirements, but are not admitted to their first-choice University of North Carolina campus, are provided with information regarding space availability at other campuses. However, numbers show that very few students are being denied admission to their campus of choice with fewer than forty qualified community college students being turned away in 2004 (Brown & Clark, 2005). Clearly, the efforts of the members of the North Carolina Education Cabinet have been successful as policies such as this are only working to advance higher education in the state. IV. Conclusion As evidenced by the national attention gained by their successes, the University of North Carolina and the North Carolina Community College System have become success stories with regards to higher education governance. The Board of Governors and State Board of Community Colleges, as segmented consolidated governing boards, are able to develop and implement policies on a wide range of institutional concerns without approval of legislative authorities. Doing so has allowed higher education in North Carolina to truly serve its citizens and, assuredly, future efforts among all higher education entities in the state will continue to do so.

NORTH CAROLINA: GOVERNANCE References Brown, B. E., & Clark, R. L. (2005). North Carolinas Commitment to Higher Education: Access and Affordability. Cornell University. Retrieved July 12, 2013 from https://www.ilr.cornell.edu/cheri/.../CHERIpaper4-4-05Clark-Brown.pdf. Chapter Eight. (n.d.). NC State Board of Education. Retrieved July 17, 2013, from http://stateboard.ncpublicschools.gov/about-sbe/history/chapter-eight. Education in North Carolina. (n.d.). North Carolina Economic Development Information. Retrieved July 15, 2013, from http://www.thrivenc.com/whync/education History & Mission. (n.d.). University of North Carolina. Retrieved July 15, 2013, from http://www.northcarolina.edu/about/mission.htm

National University Rankings. (2013). US News & World Report's Best Colleges. Retrieved July 14, 2013, from http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/bestcolleges/rankings/national-universities. NCICU Quick Facts. (n.d.). North Carolina Independent Colleges & Universities -Private Colleges and Universities. Retrieved July 14, 2013, from http://www.ncicu.org/who_quick.html. Sanders, J. L. (2001). Successful Multicampus Governance: The North Carolina Model. Popular Government, pp. 45 47. Retrieved from www.sog.unc.edu/pubs/electronicversions/pg/pgsum01/article5.pdf State Profiles - Postsecondary Governance Structures Database: North Carolina. (n.d.).

NORTH CAROLINA: GOVERNANCE Education Commission of the States. Retrieved July 14, 2013, from http://ecs.force.com/mbdata/MBProfSN? SID=a0i700000009vZI&Rep=PSST&state=North Carolina. The North Carolina Community College System Fact Book. (2008). Raleigh, North Carolina: North Carolina Community College System.