NC may merge several community colleges

As state legislators continue efforts to streamline government spending, community colleges are the latest state-funded entities to be scrutinized.

A report presented last month by the Program Evaluation Division, a nonpartisan oversight unit of the N.C. General Assembly, recommends 15 mergers of small community colleges — those with fewer than 3,000 full-time students — with larger colleges within 30 miles.

The state’s community college system could save $5.1 million annually in administrative costs from the mergers, according to the report. The state budget includes a cut of 10.7 percent or $117 million in state funding for community colleges.

But system administrators say the mergers will harm the communities served by small colleges.

Linda Weiner, vice president of engagement and strategic innovation for the system, said more centralized administrations would provide a disincentive for local governments to continue funding small community colleges. Community colleges received 27 percent of their funds from counties in the 2010-11 fiscal year, according to the report.

“If you took those colleges and joined them, they would not be as responsive to an individual community,” Weiner said. “That would be a detriment to the local economy.”

Rep. Julia Howard, R-Davie and N.C. House chairwoman of the joint legislative program evaluation committee, said branch campuses have already been successful in the state.

“I am in a county that has a multi-campus situation,” she said, referring to the Davie Campus of Davidson County Community College. “It hasn’t hurt our fundraising ability in the county, nor has it had any impact whatsoever on industry recruitment.”

But Weiner said branch campuses offer specialized course lists that lack general courses typically offered at the main campuses of the colleges.

“Turning community colleges that are currently comprehensive sites into multi-campus sites would definitely limit course availability,” she said.

John Turcotte, director of the Program Evaluation Division, said the student experience at community colleges would not be affected by the proposed mergers.

“We did not recommend any ways to cut instruction,” he said. “Students would not be affected at all.”

Howard said the committee would act on the report within two to four weeks. The committee could vote to accept the division’s recommendations, potentially resulting in a draft of a bill that would implement the mergers — though it would not be considered until next year’s short legislative session.

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