GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA

SESSION 1997

H	1 

HOUSE BILL 905

Short Title:  Excellent Community Colleges Act.	(Public)

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Sponsors: Representatives Grady; Adams, Aldridge, Alexander, Black, Bonner, Bowie, Braswell, Brawley, Brown, Buchanan, Church, Cole, Culp, Dedmon, Dickson, Dockham, Earle, Ellis, Fox, Gardner, Goodwin, Hardy, Hensley, Hiatt, Hill, H. Hunter, Hurley, Ives, Kinney, Kiser, McCombs, McCrary, McMahan, Mitchell, Moore, Morris, Mosley, Nichols, Nye, Oldham, Preston, Ramsey, Rayfield, Rogers, Russell, Saunders, Sexton, Sherrill, Smith, Thompson, Tolson, Wainwright, Warner, Warwick, Watson, and Wilkins.

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Referred to:  Education, if favorable, Appropriations.

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April 9, 1997

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT TO ENACT THE EXCELLENT COMMUNITY COLLEGES ACT.
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
Section 1.  This act shall be known as "The Excellent Community Colleges Act".

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An outline of the provisions of the act follows this section.  The outline shows the heading "CONTENTS/INDEX”and it lists by general category the descriptive captions for the various sections and groups of sections that make up the act.  This outline is designed for reference only, and it in no way limits, defines, or prescribes the scope or application of the text of the act.

CONTENTS/INDEX
I.	STATEMENT OF LEGISLATIVE GOALS AND FINDINGS
Section 2. 
II.	IMPLEMENTATION OF MEASURES TO IMPLEMENT LEGISLATIVE GOALS AND FINDINGS
A.	CAPACITY TO RESPOND TO EMERGING WORKFORCE TRAINING NEEDS OF BUSINESS AND INDUSTRY 
Section 3.
B.	CAPACITY TO RESPOND TO EMPLOYERS' NEEDS FOR ESSENTIAL BASIC SKILLS
Section 4.
C.	ABILITY TO PROVIDE ACADEMIC AND SKILL PREPARATION FOR THE FUTURE
Section 5.
D.	ABILITY TO PROVIDE QUALITY EDUCATION AND TRAINING WITH STATE-OF-THE-ART TECHNOLOGY, EQUIPMENT, AND BOOKS
Section 6.
III.	LEGISLATIVE OVERSIGHT OF IMPLEMENTATION OF THE ACT
Section 7.
IV.	MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS
A.	CAPTIONS ARE FOR REFERENCE ONLY AND DO NOT LIMIT TEXT
Section 8.
B.	EFFECTIVE DATES
Section 9.

I.	STATEMENT OF LEGISLATIVE GOALS AND FINDINGS
Section 2.  (a) It is the goal of the General Assembly that North Carolina citizens benefit from a prosperous and healthy economy which (i) encourages the growth of both new and existing businesses and industries, (ii) creates new jobs and nurtures existing jobs, (iii) improves the quality of life, and (iv) produces revenues to provide and support essential government services.
(b) The General Assembly finds that a prosperous and healthy economy depends on the ability of North Carolina businesses and industries to respond effectively to rapid changes in the workplace resulting from technology and competition in a global economy. Building and maintaining a workforce capable of such responses creates two new imperatives for increasing citizens' access to education and training:
(1)	Formal education beyond high school to bridge the gap between the number of qualified workers entering the workforce and the number of new jobs which will require one to two years of education beyond high school, and
(2)	Retraining of existing employees in order to bridge the gap between their current knowledge and skills and the knowledge and skills which their jobs will require in the future.
(c) The General Assembly finds further that the State's  investments in the North Carolina Community College System have provided a basic infrastructure which is poised to address these critical needs for education and training.  With adequate funding, community colleges are capable of meeting the workforce development needs of the State.  In order to maintain and improve existing programs and meet the additional demands for education and training, the North Carolina Community College System must address needs in four essential areas:
(1)	Capacity to respond to emerging workforce training needs of business and industry;
(2)	Capacity to respond to employers' needs for essential basic skills;
(3)	Ability to provide academic and skill preparation for the future; and
(4)	Ability to provide quality education and training with state-of-the-art technology, equipment, and books.

II.	IMPLEMENTATION OF MEASURES TO IMPLEMENT LEGISLATIVE GOALS AND FINDINGS

A.	CAPACITY TO RESPOND TO EMERGING WORKFORCE TRAINING NEEDS OF BUSINESS AND INDUSTRY
Section 3.  The capacity of community colleges to design and deliver customized, quality, and timely instructional responses to meet the diverse needs of employers and employees is an essential element in maintaining and expanding the State's economy.  Funds in this area will enhance community colleges' capacity and flexibility in retraining current employees by providing adequate funding for occupational continuing education courses and services; therefore, there is appropriated from the General Fund to the Department of Community Colleges the sum of nineteen million nine hundred eighty-seven thousand thirty-four dollars ($19,987,034) for the 1997-98 fiscal year and the sum of nineteen million nine hundred eighty-seven thousand thirty-four dollars ($19,987,034) for the 1998-99 fiscal year for the purpose of raising the occupational extension unit value to the level of the curriculum unit value.

B.	CAPACITY TO RESPOND TO EMPLOYERS' NEEDS FOR ESSENTIAL BASIC SKILLS
Section 4.  A major component of helping the State's workforce achieve and maintain necessary employment skills involves providing courses and services which enable employees to develop basic skills in reading, writing, math, problem solving, working with one another, and English as a second language. Enhanced funding to support basic skills and literacy instruction is needed; therefore, there is appropriated from the General Fund to the Department of Community Colleges the sum of six million seventy-two thousand thirty-six dollars ($6,072,036) for the 1997-98 fiscal year and the sum of seven million one hundred forty-four thousand seventy-two dollars ($7,144,072) for the 1998-99 fiscal year for the purpose of raising basic skills to curriculum-level funding.

C.	ABILITY TO PROVIDE ACADEMIC AND SKILL PREPARATION FOR THE FUTURE
Section 5. Associate degree, diploma, and certificate curriculum programs designed to prepare people for employment or transfer to a higher-level degree represent the primary gateway to employability and economic self-sufficiency.  Funds in this area will enhance community colleges' capacity and flexibility to serve people and communities by fostering new program development, enhancing existing associate degree, diploma, and certificate programs, integrating workplace skills into the curriculum, and offsetting high costs in vital high technology fields; therefore, there is appropriated from the General Fund to the Department of Community Colleges the sum of sixteen million five hundred thirty-eight thousand seven hundred twenty-four dollars ($16,538,724) for the 1997-98 fiscal year and the sum of thirty-three million seventy-seven thousand four hundred forty-eight dollars ($33,077,448) for the purpose of enhancing salaries and adjusting student-teacher ratios.

D. 	ABILITY TO PROVIDE QUALITY EDUCATION AND TRAINING WITH STATE-OF-THE-ART TECHNOLOGY, EQUIPMENT, AND BOOKS
Section 6.  Funds will provide cutting-edge, state-of-the-art technology, equipment, and books essential for effective, quality programs in all areas of instruction including curriculum, occupational continuing education, and literacy; therefore, there is appropriated from the General Fund to the Department of Community Colleges the sum of fifteen million dollars ($15,000,000) for the 1997-98 fiscal year and the sum of thirty million dollars ($30,000,000) for the purpose of purchasing new technical and vocational equipment and books.

III.	LEGISLATIVE OVERSIGHT OF IMPLEMENTATION OF THE ACT
Section 7.  The State Board of Community Colleges shall report to the Joint Legislative Education Oversight Committee prior to October 1, 1998, on the impact the funds appropriated under this act have had on the ability of each community college to implement the institutional effectiveness plan that is tailored to the specific mission of each college and to meet the goals of the North Carolina Community College System.  In preparing the report, the State Board of Community Colleges shall include the data submitted by each college for the 1996-97 and 1997-98 fiscal years, in the "Critical Success Factors”report and shall focus primarily on program outcomes.

IV.	MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS
A.	CAPTIONS ARE FOR REFERENCE ONLY AND DO NOT LIMIT TEXT
Section 8.  The series of captions used in this act (the descriptive phrases in boldface and capital letters) are inserted for convenience and reference only, and they in no way define, limit, or prescribe the scope or application of the text of the act.

B.	EFFECTIVE DATES
Section 9.  This act becomes effective July 1, 1997.