Upper Coastal Plain Learning Council

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The Upper Coastal Plain Learning Council (UCPLC) was designed to achieve the UNC-Tomorrow recommendations to increase access to higher education through UNC institutions and Community Colleges. The UCPLC was formed to address this collaboration covering the five county regions including Edgecombe, Halifax, Nash, Northampton and Wilson Counties and including the two private colleges in the region, Barton and NC Wesleyan. The North Carolina General Assembly has provided recurring funding since 2008 for this northeastern North Carolina initiative. The members of the council are exceptional leaders in their communities in the fields of education, business, and government.

A Program Committee was established by the UCPLC with the charge to implement higher education programs using the resources of the council members. North Carolina State University was assigned the responsibility of leading the Program Committee and serving as the administrative and financial home for the work of these collaborations.

Discussions of the UCPLC since 2008 have covered broad topics relating to the overall economic status of the region, K-12 education, workforce preparedness, better health care and services in addition to how the UCPLC member institutions can assist with improvements to these issues. Specifically, the Program Committee identified the following two key points:

  • The region needs more and better teachers. Within the UNC-Tomorrow strategy of Improving Public Education (4.3), Recommendation 4.3.1 asks UNC to improve the quantity, quality and geographic distribution of school teachers and Recommendation 4.3.2 asks UNC to enhance the teaching skills of in-service teachers.
  • Many K-12 students in the region do not necessarily see that higher education is accessible for them. Within the UNC-Tomorrow strategy of Access to Higher Education (4.2), Recommendation 4.2.1 asks UNC to increase access to its programs and Recommendation 4.2.2 asks UNC to strengthen collaboration with NC Community Colleges.

The UNC-Tomorrow Commission also emphasized that the identified issues are exacerbated in rural and underserved areas, like the five-county areas included in the UCPLC, and that UNC should "focus specific effort" in addressing those issues. Hence, the opportunities to focus the collected resources of UNC on the needs of this region, in collaboration with community colleges, private colleges and the community in general, represent a comprehensive implementation of UNC-Tomorrow.

Specific Goals

The goals for UNC presence on behalf of the UCPLC should be to develop and implement programs that

  1. Provide local opportunities for 4-year and graduate degrees in teacher education, thereby increasing the supply of these professionals in the region;
  2. Provide continuing education and professional development for existing teachers, thereby increasing their effectiveness and reducing turnover;
  3. Assist teachers, counselors and other community service-providers in encouraging K – 12 students to excel in school and apply to, enroll in and graduate from higher education institutions; and
  4. Provide other higher education programming needed in the region, based on demand in the region, supply capability of the member institutions and sustainable funding.
 

First Action Steps

The UCPLC Program Committee recommended the following action steps in using the UNC funding provided by the General Assembly.

Hire an Executive Director to provide leadership and supervision to the programs. Initially, the position would be a part-time contract position, but will evolve into a full-time position as funding allows and need demands. The Executive Director will report to the Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs, University of North Carolina. Specifically, this individual will

  1. Convene and staff the UCPLC Council.
  2. Identify grant opportunities, lead grant development and administer grants as needed.
  3. Coordinate with related programs in the UCPLC region, such as the Collaborative at the Gateway Technology Center and Area Health Education Council.
 

Impact of First Action Steps


  1. An Interim Executive Director was hired to provide the above designated leadership for the UCPLC.
  2. The UCPLC has been meeting on a regular basis to continue to discuss the needs of the region and how to find resources to develop solutions for these needs.
  3. Representatives from NC State University have developed two position descriptions; one for a Teacher Outreach Specialist and another for a Student Success Outreach Specialist.
  4. Funding has been transferred to Halifax Community College to support its new BSN program which will support the nursing development activities for the UCPLC.
  5. The recruitment for both positions has begun with the plans to have the new employees reporting to work on December 1, 2009.
  6. The UCPLC website has been designed, activated, and includes links for all of its member institutions and collaborative partners.
  7. Space has been renovated at the Gateway Technology Center to accommodate office space
    for the new UCPLC employees.
  8. Funding has been committed to support the Fayetteville State University MBA on-site counseling and recruiting activities at the Gateway Technology Center.