Dr. A.J. Jaeger

Thank you Achieving The Dream for your continued partnership with the Belk Center and @ncstate.bsky.social's Community College Leadership program. Our students have unparalleled experiences to engage with national leaders about the most critical issues facing students. #ATDDream

Closing the attainment gap: myFutureNC unveils new data and ‘Workforce Act' to hit 2030 goal North Carolina has made progress toward its 2030 attainment goal, but more work is needed. Read more about the Workforce Act of 2026.

“I’m committed to investing in our future, partnering with employers, strengthening community colleges and creating pipelines from education to opportunity,” says Governor Stein via EducationNC.

https://www.ednc.org/2-12-2026-myfuturenc-unveils-new-data-and-workforce-act-to-hit-2030-goal/

myFutureNC announces 2026 Champions for Attainment Read more about the six initiatives recognized for efforts to increase educational attainment in North Carolina.

Congrats to all of this year's Champions! The Belk Center team is proud to support NC Reconnect and the Surry-Yadkin Works program to strengthen education-to-workforce pipelines in NC.

https://www.ednc.org/myfuturenc-announces-2026-champions-for-attainment

Community colleges are not a fallback. They are a bold first choice College enrollment increased again this fall, continuing a cautious recovery for higher education following the decline of the Covid pandemic. But it isn’t four-year institutions driving much of the growth. It’s community colleges. Undergraduate enrollment at public two-year colleges rose by 4%, with enrollment in career-focused certificate programs growing by 6.6%. And yet, even as...

"Community colleges are not a fallback. They are a bold first choice. And our national narrative, employer hiring pipelines & guidance from high school counselors to prospective college students should reflect that truth." @Comm_College

https://ow.ly/fEmA50YbNbT

2026 State of Educational Attainment in NC Regional Convenings Join us on February 12th for one of eight 2026 State of Educational Attainment in North Carolina Regional Convenings!

North Carolina is making progress — and the next steps matter. Join @myFutureNC on February 12 at 3 PM for The State of Educational Attainment as they share new data, insights & tools to help leaders take action in meeting workforce needs. Register: https://ow.ly/jSty50YbN0T

Student voice: The most important factor in institutional design - Community College Daily When I arrived at Forsyth Technical Community College (North Carolina) in 2019, the college’s three-year completion rate was just 19%. Graduating fewer than one out of every five students obviously wa...

"By talking to students directly — by listening to their voices and designing programs with them — we gained more granular examples that helped us quickly develop effective strategies to help them stay on track to complete," says @ForsythTechPrez
www.ccdaily.com/2026/01/stud...

"For the community colleges that embrace this change, it’s an opportunity to expand what “success” means in higher education, building on traditional measures like graduation and completion to include the outcomes that matter most to learners and employers alike."
https://ow.ly/PLnI50Y4Ywb

Newsmakers New CEOs Terence L. Finley is now the eighth president of SUNY Corning Community College (New York). He previously was vice president and chief operating officer at Harris-Stowe State University in Missouri. At Harris-Stowe, Finley helped efforts to eliminate institutional debt, grow the university’s endowment, increase scholarships and institutional grants, advance financial aid initiatives, and...

Welcome Dr. Shannon Hair! Congratulations on your new role as president of @JamesSpruntCC — we look forward to working with you.

https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/01/newsmakers-346/

EdNC's commitment to public service Learn more about EdNC's award-winning approach to journalism, our commitment to public service, and increasing readership.

Congrats to EducationNC on another incredible year—lifting up voices across North Carolina to tell the story of education statewide!
https://www.ednc.org/edncs-commitment-to-public-service-2026/

The path from classroom to career should be clear—but for many students in the Carolinas, it’s not. The Leon Levine Foundation just launched the Carolina Career-Connected Learning RFP to scale models linking high school, postsecondary ed & the workforce. Learn more: https://ow.ly/hS3T50Y1hNz

Why Community College Students Stop Out Community college students stop out for a confluence of reasons, some that could be better prevented by colleges, according to a new report from the Community College Research Center.

DHL Lesson #5: Graduation is just the handoff. Following up ensures students thrive and that we continuously improve programs. #DHLessonsLearned

www.insidehighered.com/news/quick-t...

Linking economic development with workforce development - Community College Daily While most community college leaders verbally connect workforce and economic development, there is often little understanding beyond asserting this connection. As a result, community colleges have bee...

DHL Lesson #4: Lead by example. Integrate practical, hands-on experiences inside the community college to prepare students for success outside. #DHLessonsLearned
www.ccdaily.com/2025/10/link...

Congrats to Dr. Andrea DeSantis on being selected by the U.S. Dept. of Education to help shape the new Workforce Pell program. Andrea (a former @NCStateBelk colleague!) brings exceptional leadership & expertise that will guide this workforce training initiative.
https://ow.ly/YH6350XLEka

Gov. Stein's Council on Workforce and Apprenticeships approves strategies to meet four-year goals The council approved strategies to address 11 goals previously laid out to bolster North Carolina's workforce.

DHL Lesson #3: Learning by doing matters. Work-based learning from day one gives students the skills and confidence to launch into meaningful careers. #DHLessonsLearned

www.ednc.org/gov-steins-c...

A closer look at Boost, ‘game changer’ for NC community college students Boost has launched at eight N.C. community colleges, providing students with dedicated advising and wraparound supports.

DHL Lesson #2: Every student deserves a clear plan. Guiding students on courses, career goals and finances is how we help them persist. #DHLessonsLearned

www.ednc.org/a-closer-loo...

NC community colleges prepare for Workforce Pell to support adult learners North Carolina and its adult learners are preparing for Workforce Pell as the state considers a new community college funding model.

DHL Lesson #1: As Jason Wood reminds us, “We can’t graduate people into poverty.” Workforce Pell is one tool helping adults access high-value training that leads to real economic mobility. #DHLessonsLearned www.ednc.org/nc-community...

The 2025 Dallas Herring Lecture reminded us why community colleges matter. Over the next few weeks, I’ll share my key takeaways – lessons on student success, workforce alignment & more. @ncstatebelk #DHL2025 #DHLessonsLearned #StayTuned

DataPoints: Veterans in community colleges - Community College Daily Nearly half (46.7%) of all student veterans were enrolled in public community colleges in the 2019-20 academic year (the most recent year with this data). Veterans comprised 4.2% of all community coll...

Veterans are an essential part of our community colleges. Nearly half of all student veterans in the U.S. pursue their education at a #CommCollege — including right here in N.C. We’re proud to support those who’ve served our country as they build their futures. www.ccdaily.com/2025/11/data...

20 NC community colleges eligible for 2027 Aspen Prize Twenty of NC's 58 community colleges have been invited to apply for the prize, called "the Oscars for great community colleges."

North Carolina is leading the way! 20 (yes 20!) of our community colleges are eligible for the 2027 @AspenHigherEd Prize for Community College Excellence. Beyond proud of these colleges for driving excellence and creating opportunities for learners statewide.

www.ednc.org/10-28-2025-2...

What Happens to Dual Enrollment Credits After High School? What happens to dual-enrollment students’ credits after high school?

Dual enrollment programs give high school students a head start on college, but unclear credit transfer can create hidden hurdles. @InsideHigherEd shares how we can bridge these gaps to ensure student success. #BeyondTransfer
www.insidehighered.com/opinion/colu...

'Dream. Learn. Thrive.' Designing a student-ready college for the 21st century "Dream. Learn. Thrive." Forsyth Technical Community College announces their new vision, mission, values, and North Star.

Congrats to @ForsythTechCC as they celebrate 65 years of learning! Under @ForsythTechPrez’s incredible leadership, the college will no doubt continue to “Dream. Learn. Thrive.” in the years ahead. Love seeing #DHL support leadership at all levels of the college 😊
https://ow.ly/KnuV50XfLGr

Leadership North Carolina Announces Members of 33nd Class

Honored to join Leadership NC's Class 33 with 55 inspiring leaders—and new friends!—from across the state. Excited to learn from and with this talented group while connecting with my community college colleagues. Grateful for this journey!

leadershipnc.org/leadership-n...

Community colleges: Workforce engines of the future - Community College Daily In a week when a government shutdown dominates headlines and political polarization seems irreparable, one invaluable sector has quiet bipartisan support in our nation: community colleges. More than 1...

"As anchors for regional development, community colleges have spent decades educating students for local enterprise. Partnering tightly with businesses to fill their talent gaps, our institutions are now woven into the framework of local opportunity."

www.ccdaily.com/2025/10/comm...

Celebrating Community College Leaders

I’m excited to be part of this community college celebration and to honor our alumni who make a difference in the lives of their communities every day! @NCStateCED @NCCommColleges

ced.ncsu.edu/news/2025/09...

Four NC community colleges join Aspen network to improve post-graduation outcomes Four community colleges will join an Aspen Institute network to align their programs with available career and bachelor’s degree pathways.

Shout out to four NC community colleges - @durhamtech, @StanlyCC, @isothermal_edu and @ForsythTechCC - for joining the Aspen Institute’s Unlocking Opportunity network to improve post-graduation outcomes and open doors for their students.

www.ednc.org/09-01-2025-f...

#NCReconnect 2025 Summer Meeting. Cannie Hunter (@FAYTECHCC ) shares:
- Shift mindsets
- Foster autonomy
-Create adult-centered environments
-Champion faculty development
Supporting faculty to support adult learners! Thanks to @BelkEndowment & well done to the @NCStateBelk team!

Community college employee completes leadership program For Courtney Baggett, opening the door to new possibilities wasn’t easy, but it was rewarding. Baggett, a counselor at Edgecombe Community College, recently completed the N.C. Community College Leader...

Congratulations to Courtney and all the graduates of the spring 2025 NCCCLP cohort! @NCStateBelk is proud to support these emerging leaders as they strengthen their leadership capacity, drive student success & build stronger #CommColleges across NC!

www.rockymounttelegram.com/features/sch...

Expanding what success means for our nation’s community colleges - Community College Daily As debates rage about the value of higher education and confidence continues to erode in the impact of higher education institutions, community colleges need to remind the public and policymakers of t...

A good read from J.B. Buxton (@DurhamTechPrez) and Karen Stout (@drkastout) on expanding how we define success in community colleges - emphasizing student success and community well-being. @Comm_College
www.ccdaily.com/2025/06/expa...

New toolkit looks at advanced manufacturing partnerships across rural North Carolina New toolkit highlights partnerships at North Carolina's rural-serving community colleges to support advanced manufacturing across the state.

“Strong partnerships are the key to unlocking workforce potential in rural areas. This toolkit highlights how NC’s community colleges are not only meeting the needs of advanced manufacturing employers, but also driving economic resilience in the communities they serve.”
www.ednc.org/new-toolkit-...

NC community college spring enrollment growth outpaces national trends Among public two-year colleges in North Carolina, spring enrollment increased by 8.3%, or by nearly 16,000 students.

"Among undergraduate enrollment nationally, community colleges saw the largest growth — a 5.4% increase. In North Carolina, spring enrollment at community colleges increased by 8.3%, or by nearly 16,000 students," says @educationnc.bsky.social

www.ednc.org/05-27-2025-r...