The Board of Governors should prioritize and maintain the community college transfer pipeline that is outlined in its five-year strategic plan when it meets in the first week of February.
Moreover, this year, the N.C. General Assembly should approve necessary funding that will support the community college transfer pipeline.
According to the strategic plan, the community college transfer pipeline will promote access to higher education and strengthen the state’s ability to meet its needs through a cadre of well-educated employees.
This will smooth the transition between attending community college and one of the UNC system’s campuses, enabling more students to graduate with a four-year university degree.
The action steps outlined in the strategic plan focus on improving the efficient transfer of course credit between colleges and creating Transfer and Adult Student Success offices at each system campus.
With these sorts of initiatives, the strategic plan aims to help the state become one of the top 10 most educated states by 2025. Given the state’s recent emphasis on research and technology, this seems to be a logical step.
Critics might argue that the state does not need more university graduates, but rather, it needs to focus on strengthening its technical and vocational schools.
However, widening access to a university education will quicken the state’s transition from a manufacturing-based economy to a service-based economy.
Therefore, the Board of Governors should maintain this pipeline, and the Republican-dominated N.C. General Assembly shouldn’t succumb to any pressures it might feel to minimize funding for this important initiative.
