HAMLET — Gov. Pat McCrory signed a bill last week that will allow voters to decide in March on the passage of a $2 billion bond that will fund higher education, parks and other infrastructure.
If voters pass the bond referendum, Richmond Community College will receive $7.22 million for longstanding facility improvements and renovations.
According to the bill passed by the General Assembly last month, $980 million will go toward capital improvements for the University of North Carolina system, and $350 million will be split among the state’s 58 community colleges.
“If this bond passes, it will be a huge savings for the people of Richmond and Scotland counties,” said Dr. Dale McInnis, president of RCC. “This bond would pay for ongoing, much-needed improvements for the college that would otherwise come out of the budgets of both counties.”
The college’s Board of Trustees approved at its October meeting the use of the bond money toward previously identified needs through the college’s master facilities plan and deferred facilities plan. As approved by the board, bond money would fund:
• New and expanded classrooms, labs and shops
• New Student Career and Transfer Center
• Expanded space for Richmond Early College High School
• Expanded student testing space
• New cafeteria and student dining room
• New and repaired parking lots
• Expanded bookstore
• Additional faculty offices
• Replacement of chillers and boilers
It has been 15 years since the last state bond passed for community colleges, and RCC has greatly evolved since then.
“Every facility improvement we’ve identified supports our students and their needs,” McInnis said. “As we have continued to grow in enrollment, services and academic programs, we are finding ourselves at full capacity. This bond would allow us to continue building for the future and adding new programs that will position our graduates for careers in the 21st century.”
While other community colleges across the state continue to decline in enrollment, RCC has seen an increase in student enrollment for three of the past four years, including a record enrollment this fall of more than 2,600 students.
College officials said a catalyst for RCC’s growth in attendance has been the expansion of its curriculum. The college has added new programs and courses and expanded its online offerings, which has created a need for additional computer labs.
The college’s dual enrollment program and early college have experienced significant growth just in the past year as more residents of Richmond and Scotland counties are taking advantage of free college courses for high school students. With the rollout of the RCC Guarantee, a plan to offer two years of free college tuition and fees for qualified high school graduates who completed two RCC classes while in high school, officials said this dual enrollment program “stands to grow tremendously in enrollment.”
“Over the next few months, we will be communicating our needs and goals to educate people about the value of this investment in their local community college,” McInnis said.
Wylie D. Bell is director of marketing and communications at Richmond Community College.
Contributed photo Students and instructors of the electric utility substation and relay technology program stand in the substation on the main campus of Richmond Community College. The EUSRT program, which is offered nowhere else in the country, has added to RCC’s steady enrollment growth.
http://yourdailyjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/web1_EUSRT-Group-2.jpg
Contributed photo Students and instructors of the electric utility substation and relay technology program stand in the substation on the main campus of Richmond Community College. The EUSRT program, which is offered nowhere else in the country, has added to RCC’s steady enrollment growth.
By Wylie D. Bell
For the Daily Journal