Universities, Community Colleges Pie for Larger Slice of Fixed Budget Pie | Eastern North Carolina Now

    Publisher's note: The author of this post is Kari Travis, who is an associate editor for the Carolina Journal, John Hood Publisher.

    As the N.C. General Assembly drops its state budget for 2018-19, North Carolina's public colleges and universities vie for money to back career and technical education, employee raises, and system upgrades.

    The University of North Carolina and N.C. Community College Systems have in recent months made strides toward a synchronized partnership, collaborating on issues including enrollment, student success, and work force development.

    Still, come budget season, each education giant must tout its own priorities and compete for a fixed pile of money. Here's how both fared.

    N.C. Community College System

    It's time for non-traditional education to pull more support from legislators, NCCCS President Peter Hans told Carolina Journal.

    Short-term work force education - in fields such as aviation, construction, or industrial manufacturing - will quickly provide students with industry credentials, Hans said.

    Under the new budget, NCCCS would receive more than $14 million for those programs.

    "This is an important step toward achieving parity in funding so we can help create opportunities for more North Carolinians," Hans said.

    The budget includes more than $24 million to increase pay for NCCCS faculty and staff. Lawmakers also appropriated $4 million to increase retirement contributions for employees. Additionally, the budget funds 2 percent raises - or whatever it takes - to get all system staffers to salaries of $31,200 annually.

    NCCCS also would collect $2.7 million to boost slumping enrollment. Another $12 million channeled to individual colleges would fund special projects and programs such as career and technical education, training facilities, and equipment.

    University of North Carolina system

    UNC needs to get a handle on its data, system President Margaret Spellings has repeatedly said.

    It's difficult to search out financial information from all 17 campuses, Spellings said. Student and faculty information can also be tough to track down.

    Administrators may be on track for a tech makeover.

    The legislature has mapped out a $9 million proposal for a "data modernization project." The plan would move $500,000 of one-time money into recurring funds, which UNC would use to build a digital dashboard.

    UNC will also see a pay bump for its employees.

    Lawmakers allocated $20 million "for salary increases to be awarded based on the priorities of the UNC Board of Governors," the legislature's conference committee report says. The budget blocks out nearly $5 million for retirement contributions.

    Among other notable items, N.C. Promise, which sets tuition at $500 a semester at three UNC schools, will get $11 million in additional cash. Other notables include $1.7 million to support UNC operated "lab schools," and $1 million to retain university faculty who may be enticed to take higher paying jobs outside the UNC System.

    Those items top UNC's budget priority list.

    Carolina Journal made multiple attempts to reach UNC for comment.