The current economic downturn has put Rowan-Cabarrus Community College in a challenging position. As layoffs and closings send more local residents to RCCC for re-training, North Carolina, struggling with lower than projected tax revenues, is cutting the flow of state funds to community colleges.
RCCC President Carol Spalding recently reported to the college’s Board of Trustees that RCCC’s 2009 spring semester enrollment will be 15 percent to 17 percent higher than in 2008. Approximately 900 more students are attending RCCC this spring compared to spring 2008. In fact , RCCC’s spring enrollment will exceed the enrollment of its recently completed 2008 fall semester. A higher spring enrollment within an academic year has happened only once before at RCCC, that was during 2003-04, when former Pillowtex workers filled classrooms.
“It’s clear residents in Cabarrus and Rowan counties are losing their jobs. They’re coming to RCCC for more education and re-training,” Spalding explained. “We are handling the growth in enrollment by increasing some class sizes and offering additional classes.”
Adding to RCCC’s challenge is a sharp cut in state funding. North Carolina has ordered community colleges to make 5-percent budget revisions. That means RCCC now has $1.2 million less than it had anticipated for the year. In addition, the state has mandated a number of significant spending restrictions. These include severe limits on travel, purchasing and hiring.
“At this time, the state has indicated we will receive enough money to meet our payroll and purchase supplies needed for classroom instruction and the essential operation of the college,” Spalding said. “However, the cuts could become more extreme if state income tax collections are significantly less than expected in March and April.”
Adding to RCCC’s belt tightening, Cabarrus County recently announced it will cut funding to the college by approximately $58,600 for the remainder of the fiscal year.
The college has assisted hundreds of recently laid-off workers through its R3 Center. Located in Kannapolis, the R3 Center is a career development center established by RCCC in 2007 to assist workers who are unemployed or under-employed. The center’s mission is built on three Rs ń a refocus on individual skills and interests, retraining and further education, and partnering with other workforce development agencies to secure career-oriented re-employment.
R3 Center staff members have participated in a number of rapid response meetings, providing information to workers at Freightliner, Philip Morris USA, Hanesbrands, Carter Furniture and multiple motorsport teams. The center helps adult workers assess their skills, aptitudes, training and academic credentials, and future career interests to develop a plan for career growth. All R3 Center services are provided free of charge. For more information about the R3 Center, call 704-216-7201, or see www.rowancabarrus.edu/ r3center/.
“This recession is impacting all sectors of our local and state economy,” Spalding added. “We know our local residents are placing their hopes in the programs and services of RCCC, and we will do all we can to meet their education and job-training needs.
“The college is facing some challenges, like everyone else, but we’ll continue to serve Rowan and Cabarrus counties as best we can,” Spalding said.