UNC system outlines goals for next 5 years

The UNC system’s Advisory Committee on Strategic Directions heard a sobering assessment from presenters at its Wednesday meeting about the challenges universities face in preparing students for a changing global economy.

The committee — composed of members of the UNC-system Board of Governors and business and political leaders in the state — is tasked with cultivating a strategic five-year plan for the system.

UNC-system President Thomas Ross outlined five goals for the committee at the opening of the meeting, including strengthening the academic quality of universities, making North Carolina more globally competitive, maximizing efficiency and ensuring universities remain affordable for students.

Yet the committee’s first goal — and the one that overarches all the others — is developing degree attainment targets that are more responsive to employers’ needs.

“Having these goals is sending a message to businesses that, ‘We’re going to be ready for you,’” Ross said.

Unlike previous recessions, the recent economic downturn has hit white collar workers and bachelor’s degree holders particularly hard, said Dennis Jones, president of the National Center for Higher Education Management Systems in a presentation at the meeting.

Among bachelor’s degree holders nationwide who were younger than 25 in 2011, 53.6 percent were jobless or underemployed.

In North Carolina, 27.6 percent of workers with college degrees earned low wages in 2010 — more than the national average of 23.3 percent.

Jones said the system must lead the way in improving college graduates’ prospects.

“The role of the University in helping to foster a different economy in this state cannot be underestimated,” he said.

In 2018, 59 percent of the state’s jobs will require a postsecondary education, according to projections by the Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce. Jones said the state will have to increase its educated workforce by about 12 percent to achieve this goal.

James Johnson, a UNC-CH business professor, said students need skills valued by employers, including analytical reasoning, entrepreneurial acumen and flexibility.

“What we have is an education system that keeps (students) in a box,” he said.

Art Pope, chief executive officer of retail conglomerate Variety Wholesalers, Inc. and a member of the committee, said he and members will work to ensure the path students choose for their education will match job openings.

Members of UNC’s Student Power group have raised concerns about the presence of corporate interests such as Pope, a prominent conservative donor, on the committee.

“I don’t want to go to a Republican-driven school,” said Alanna Davis, a member of the union.

But Pope said he’s bringing an open mind to the committee.

“I don’t have any particular goals other than improving the University and meeting the needs of the state of North Carolina,” he said.

Contact the desk editor at state@dailytarheel.com.