Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Community College topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Duplin County commissioners hear community college update as officials report enrollment gains and a $15 million capital project
Summary
At a joint meeting, college leaders told Duplin County commissioners the school has outpaced state averages in curriculum and workforce enrollment growth and outlined a roughly $15 million project to house trade programs; commissioners recessed the meeting until Oct. 14.
Duplin County commissioners met with leadership from the local community college for a joint update that highlighted enrollment gains, expanded workforce programs and plans for a major capital project.
College speakers said the institution has focused on workforce-development programs that drive enrollment and funding. "Our curriculum programs for the last five years have grown 35%," said Speaker 3, an unnamed college official, noting the state average over the same period was about 10%. He added that the college's noncredit workforce-development enrollments rose about 286% over five years versus an 11% state average, and that COVID-related shifts to online delivery shaped those trends.
Why it matters: County funding and capital requests are tied to enrollment and program outcomes, and commissioners said they value the college's role in preparing residents for local jobs. "We really appreciate the relationship that we have with the commissioners," said Speaker 1, a college representative, thanking elected officials for supporting students and facilities.
Program and facilities details: Speakers described several program-specific investments. The college identified renovations to former tennis courts as a project of roughly $15,000,000 that will house electrical, HVAC and plumbing training; the transcript references Representative Dixon and Senator Jackson in connection with that effort. College staff also noted upgrades and new space for CDL training, industrial systems at West Park, added welding booths and renovated classrooms intended to support year-one and year-two technical training and transitions into jobs.
Procedural action: The transcript records a procedural motion to recess the joint meeting and set a follow-up date. An initial motion was recorded early in the session (motion by "commissioner Dowd," seconded by "commissioner Edwards"). Later, Speaker 2 recorded a motion from "commissioner Bragg" to recess until Tuesday, Oct. 14 at the TABN Building; the motion received a second and the chair called the voice vote, which the transcript records as carried.
What remains open: The college presentation included enrollment percentages and project-cost estimates as described above; no formal vote on capital funding or project approval appears in the transcript. Several commissioners offered tributes and best wishes for Dr. Carraway, who is leaving the college; the remarks were expressions of appreciation rather than formal personnel action.
The commissioners recessed the session and are scheduled to reconvene at the TABN Building on Oct. 14, per the motion recorded in the transcript.
