At the regular monthly meeting of the Sampson Community College Board of Trustees Tuesday night, action was taken regarding student representation on the board, and proposed personnel policy changes were also introduced.
Catherine Ezzell-Joyner, chair of the board’s personnel and policy committee, proposed an amendment to the bylaws, stating that a student government representative should not serve on the board as an ex-officio member. “There was a little discussion about it, but I think everyone agrees,” she stated. “We request or move to approve the amendment to the bylaws regarding a student representative on our board, basically saying that they are invited to attend our meetings but will not be given a vote.”
Ezzell-Joyner stated that the committee was also submitting policy changes for personnel, which had been brought forward by the college’s attorney. “Essentially, they’re just clarifying what this means for the appeals process,” she explained.
The item will be on the agenda for the November meeting for action to be taken.
Mike Warren, chair of the board’s finance/building and grounds committee, discussed a request from Clinton Community Church, which sits next door to the SCC campus. “The church has approached us,” he said. “For years, we’ve had a mutual agreement that they could use our parking areas, as long as we were not in session, and, of course, they have allowed us to use their life center for smaller graduations and pinning ceremonies,” Warren said. “They are kind of looking for an understanding that will continue.”
He added that with the Allied Health facility soon to be under construction, that agreement might have to change. “We’ve had an understanding, but nothing formal,” Warren clarified, adding that the board will direct SCC President Dr. Bill Starling to send a letter to the church indicating that the college will continue with the understanding but cannot go further than that at this point.
The board will discuss changes to its facility use agreement next month, which would include changing fees for the use of the college’s facilities to align with those of the Expo Center.
In his monthly update to the Board of Trustees, Starling shared that the accreditation process may soon change, reporting that the General Assembly and Governor Josh Stein have signed a bill that has removed prohibitions on accreditation organizations.
“So, we could use the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools or another national accreditor,” Starling explained. “We are still nine years out so there is ample time for us to investigate other alternatives.”
North Carolina is one of six states that has created its own accreditation association. “I would anticipate that within the decade, there would be a reasonable choice between entering into an accreditation relationship with this new accreditive organization, or continuing with the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, but it certainly for us is a significant change in the landscape,” Starling stated.
He also shared an update on the state budget, pointing out that there is an expected shortfall, which will likely just go grow larger as time goes on without the General Assembly adopting a budget. That means that teachers and employees will likely not receive any raises, Starling said.
SCC will host Ag Day in March 2026, taking over the event from the Expo Center. “We hope the campus shows well and will be something we do on an ongoing basis,” Starling said. “We hope it will become one of our signature events.”
Kelly Jackson, vice president of finance and administrative, gave her monthly update to the board at the Oct. 14 meeting as well. She reported that there have been no salary increases across the board, due to the uncertainty of the state budget.
Performance funding this year was $128,474, down from about $150,000 last year, Jackson reported, before turning over the report to Warren, who requested that the board submit its budget to the county commissioners and state community college board, which passed unanimously.
Subsequently, Ezzell-Joyner requested that the board approve a one-time performance bonus of $1,020 per full-time employee, which was also passed unanimously.
Jackson also brought a design amendment for the college’s activities center, which was also approved unanimously. The contract is expected to close Oct. 25, with a ribbon cutting planned for 10 a.m. on Nov. 12.
Vice President of Academic and Student Affairs Blair Hairr gave the board information on Wolfpack Connect, NC State University’s program to guarantee admission for community college transfer students. There will be a Transfer Advisor Workshop on Oct. 31, 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the SCC activities center.
Hairr also shared updates on the nursing program’s accreditations from the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN) and the North Carolina Board of Nursing (NCBON). ACEN representatives recently visited campus and had a few recommendations but no major findings, she said. The NCBON accreditation will happen in January.
Amanda Bradshaw, vice president of workforce development and continuing education, gave the board an update on proposed short-term Pell grants, saying she didn’t hold out a lot of hope that the grants will ever come to fruition for her program. “The saying is, ‘Show me the money’,” she said. “I’m still waiting for them to show me the money.”
Implementation is scheduled for July 1, and Bradshaw said, “A lot can happen between now and then.”