President

About the College

Alamance Community College (ACC) was among the first community colleges organized within the State of North Carolina, and is a member of the North Carolina Community College System. ACC is, and most recently was, reaccredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) in 2014 to award associate degrees, diplomas, and certificates. Initially approved as one of seven Industrial Education Centers (IEC) in Burlington in 1958, ACC transitioned to a Technical Institute (1969), a Technical College (1979), and finally became Alamance Community College in 1988. For approximately sixty-five years, ACC has delivered associate degrees, diplomas and certificates in academic programs and career pathways, college transfer programs, workforce and economic development, literacy education, and short-term training to adult learners throughout Alamance County. Furthermore, the institution partners with the Alamance-Burlington School System in the ABSS Early College at ACC. The primary goal of this cooperative, innovative high school, located on ACC’s Campus, is to graduate students with an associate’s degree, certificate or diploma within the four years of high school. Most recently, through generous capital funding from Alamance County, ACC has embarked on an ambitious and successful capital improvements plan that has added new instructional and support facilities, and refurbished and repurposed spaces, throughout the college to enhance instruction, student support, and assembly.

The college moved to its current location on the Carrington-Scott Campus near Graham in 1976. It is located on property generously donated for educational purposes by Elizabeth Scott Carrington and former Governor Robert W. Scott. The college also has a robust instructional facility in Burlington, identified as the Dillingham Center, and provides instruction and training at multiple locations throughout Alamance County. The estimated population of the single county service-delivery area is 179,000. The 2022-23 academic year enrollment at ACC included 3,958 FTE, with a headcount of 18,608 students. ACC employs 230 full-time and 789 part-time faculty and staff, and had an operating budget for Fiscal Year 2022-23 of approximately $26 million.

The mission of ACC is to “provide educational programs and services to prepare all members of our diverse community to succeed.” The college champions its mission through a vision of “transforming lives through excellence in teaching, learning and service.” This transformational effort is reflected in ACC’s five essential values. These values include excellence, learning, community, equity and inclusion, and innovation. With regard to excellence, the college pledges to set and hold itself to high expectations, and to demonstrate a commitment to meeting those expectations with integrity. The learning imperative is designed to deliver exceptional educational experiences that enable students to acquire the knowledge, skills, behaviors and values that facilitate achievement of educational goals. In doing this, the college community promotes collaboration and fosters partnerships through mutually respectful interactions between faculty, staff and students. ACC also embraces the diversity of each of the communities it serves. As such, it expresses its intent to ensure that every member of the community feels a sense of belonging, and has access to the resources they need to succeed. Finally, ACC is a dynamic, innovative educational institution, open to new ways of thinking and delivering programs and services in pursuit of its mission. The leadership, faculty and staff of Alamance Community College strive daily to serve the best interests of its students and the community through their selfless delivery of educational programs, student support services, economic and workforce development activities, and literacy education.

ACC currently operates under “ACC Forward: Strategic Plan 2022-25.” Upon its final adoption, the plan established four “Strategic Priorities”, around which the plan is organized. The four priorities are engage, learn, equip, and grow. With respect to each strategic priority, the college will connect in new and innovative ways with its communities to deepen existing partnerships and establish new ones; immerse all students in learning experiences that promote and aid their success, ready them for employment, and lay a foundation for lifelong learning; equip both faculty and staff with resources and opportunities that enhance their engagement, further develop themselves professionally, and empower them to deliver exceptional teaching and student services; and ensure that all students, faculty and staff have the wherewithal to grow as healthy individuals. Each of the strategic priorities includes well-defined objectives and performance metrics to assess measurable progress. In 2024, ACC will once again work through the SACSCOC processes of obtaining its decennial reaffirmation.

Academic Programs and Career Paths, University Transfer programs, Career and College Promise, Workforce Development and Continuing Education, and Adult Literacy instruction and training at ACC – collective evidence of a comprehensive educational, service-driven institution – are delivered by a remarkable, mature and well-credentialed faculty. The extensive offering of learning opportunities reflects the mission, vision, values, and strategic priorities articulated in ACC Forward: Strategic Plan 2022-25. Academic programs and career paths delivered at ACC prepare students for job opportunities in areas such as health and laboratory sciences; engineering, manufacturing and industrial technologies; and construction trades and transportation. There are also robust offerings and programs for careers in business, accounting and office administration; education, law and public service; arts, communication and design; math, science and university transfer; computer systems, information technology and cybersecurity; and agriculture, food and horticultural sciences. In consideration of its commitment to high-quality educational experiences, the institution holds the following individual program accreditations and regulatory approvals:

North Carolina Board of Nursing

• Associate Degree Nursing
• Nurse Aide II

  Council of Dental Accreditation

• Dental Assisting

  North Carolina State Board of Cosmetic Arts

• Cosmetology
• Esthetics

  Commission on Accreditation of Health Education Programs (CAAHEP)

• Medical Assisting Program

  Medical Assisting Education Review Board (MAERB)

• Medical Assisting Program

  Commission on Accreditation of Educational Programs for Emergency Medical Services Profession (CoAEMSP)

• Emergency Medical Services

  National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences (NAACLS)

• Medical Lab Technology
• Histotechnology

  North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services

• Nurse Aid Training & Competency Evaluation Program

  North Carolina Office of Emergency Medical Services

• Emergency Medical Science

  American Culinary Federation

• Culinary Arts

  North Carolina Criminal Justice Education and Training Services Commission

• Basic Law Enforcement Training

  North Carolina Department of Insurance

• Real Estate

Through an extensive effort at establishing and successfully implementing college transfer agreements, ACC provides broad access to the state’s public and private baccalaureate degree-granting institutions. The college’s transfer agreements include the Comprehensive Articulation Agreement (CAA) with the University of North Carolina System (UNC System), a Transfer Assured Admission Policy (TAAP) with the sixteen UNC System campuses, and special bilateral transfer agreements with both public and private institutions. Furthermore, the college has developed “Baccalaureate Degree Plans” (BDPs) to identify the best courses for students that lead to associate degree completion, admission into a program major, and subsequent baccalaureate degree completion at a UNC System campus.

With regard to special bilateral transfers, ACC established seven agreements with
public and private institutions for the Associate in Applied Science degree. These agreements allow students to be admitted to a participating university while they complete their associate degree at ACC. The seven participating institutions include: East Carolina University, North Carolina A&T State University, North Carolina Central University, UNC Wilmington, and UNC Greensboro, North Carolina Wesleyan College, and Western Governors University. Programs covered in this arrangement include industrial technology, management, marketing, R.N. to B.S.N, “Eagle ACCess”, and criminal justice. Finally, the college also has bilateral and co-admission agreements that include the Alamance Scholars program (Elon University), School of Pharmacy (High Point University), Transfer Promise Program (UNC Greensboro), Pirate Promise (East Carolina University), the Aggie Plus Program (North Carolina A&T State University), “C3” (N.C. State University), the C-Step Program (UNC Chapel Hill), and Pathway to Excellence (UNC Wilmington). These multiple partnerships and transfer agreements enable ACC students and graduates to pursue and complete their educational goals and enhance their career opportunities.

Workforce Development Continuing Education courses at the college are designed to be short-term, non-credit, non-degree offerings and programs that provide skills training and job preparation to a wide spectrum of Alamance County residents. The courses offered also include personal enrichment and lifelong learning opportunities. ACC prides itself in delivering a substantial array of offerings in multiple skills and professional certifications, as well as in short-term training, to meet local labor market demands for skilled workers. Examples of skills-training programs include EKG technician, medication aide, pharmacy technology, nurse aide, sound engineering, web design and development, CDL and truck driving, plumbing, carpentry, and drones. Furthermore, ACC sponsors a significant number of adult apprenticeships in partnership with companies located in Alamance County. The apprenticeship arrangements include such occupations as automotive mechanic, electrical technician, heating and air conditioning, greens-keeping, machining, mechatronics, and welding. Finally, the college specializes in the development, planning, and delivery of specialized technical training for Alamance County’s business and industry through both the Customized Training Program and open enrollment courses. These programs and courses assist new and expanding enterprises with training in a variety of manufacturing and service occupations to meet their particular needs for skilled labor.

The fulfillment of the mission to provide educational programs and services to prepare members of diverse communities in Alamance County to succeed requires not only faculty and staff that selflessly serve and support students and engaged education and employer partnerships, it also requires financial support to sustain and enhance the institution’s work. ACC enjoys generous operational and facility support from Alamance County, and incredibly generous, long-term contributions from private citizen benefactors through the ACC Foundation. The County Commissioners of Alamance County have provided substantial capital and operating support to the college for decades. Most recently, since 2017 the Commissioners have also invested significant amounts of local dollars to expand and upgrade facilities at the Carrington-Scott Campus. Since its founding in 1984, the ACC Foundation has provided millions of dollars to fund scholarships for students, and provided grants for innovative projects, support of professional development activities, and to fund memberships in professional organizations for faculty and staff. With regard to student financial aid, the “Alamance Promise” was established in 2022 to ensure that all students with financial need can afford to attend the college. In effect, no curriculum or workforce development student will be denied the ability and opportunity to attend ACC due to financial need.

The Role of the President

The President of Alamance Community College is hired by and is responsible to the Board of Trustees. The twelve-member Board follows the Principle of Shared Governance in fulfilling its fiduciary duties and governance responsibilities in its relationship with the President. While the Board is unquestionably the governing body, the President serves as the Chief Executive Officer of the college. In this capacity, the President has responsibility for college administration and institutional operations, and ensures the college operates according to its mission, vision, values, and strategic priorities. The President fulfills these responsibilities under the supervision of, and consistent with policies adopted by the Board, and as may be established by the North Carolina State Board of Community Colleges, or in compliance with state or federal statutes. The President also provides clear, consistent and timely information to and counsel with the Board. This information and counsel relate to the complement of current academic programming and opportunities to develop innovative curricula; the comprehensive array of student support services and activities; resource development, utilization and financial management; and the college’s efforts to support economic and workforce development. In addition, the President communicates with the Board about substantive policy issues that affect the college, trends in community college education, potential institutional risks and threats, and other matters that collectively enable the Board to govern the institution and make sound policy decisions.

The President’s primary responsibilities include implementation of the Strategic Plan; working internally with faculty, staff and students to ensure excellence in teaching and learning, and accelerate successful student outcomes; connecting externally with local and state officials, education, business and industry partners, and communities throughout the county to increase public awareness of the services the college delivers; and maintain the fiscal integrity of ACC. With regard to the administration of the institution, the Board refrains from interfering in the selection of institutional personnel, daily operations of ACC, or other matters unrelated to fulfilling their fiduciary responsibilities. Shared governance is also practiced by the President with ACC’s faculty and staff, enabling them to participate, when appropriate and through channels, in the decision-making process.

The President also has a duty to serve as an ambassador and advocate for the college. As a college and community leader, the President engages multiple external audiences, makes requested appearances and presentations, and publicly champions the financial and operational needs of the institution to enable it to meet its mission and educational goals. The President is visible both internally and externally, provides leadership to advance diversity, and identifies ACC as a place of inclusion and respect within the entire service-delivery area.

Opportunities and Challenges

The next President at ACC will inherit an institution that had long tenures from each of its former presidents; one that has the respect and support of the governmental, education, and business communities it serves; has positioned itself to deliver comprehensive academic programming, workforce development training, and college transfer opportunities for employment and/or further education; provides its students with wrap-around services and financial aid support; embraces the diversity of each of the communities it serves; and hosts state-of-the art, well-equipped places and spaces where students and community members have opportunities to realize their educational goals and feel a sense of belonging. The next President will have the opportunity, in partnership with the Board, faculty, staff and community, to augment ACC’s history of delivering high-quality higher education and training that meets the needs of Alamance County, and transforms lives through excellence in teaching, learning and service. This opportunity is evidenced by population projections and employment opportunities that verify local growth sectors. Located between the Research Triangle and the Piedmont Triad, Alamance County enjoys a healthy annual rate of growth in population, exceptional quality of life, and thriving and growing communities. High-demand growth employment sectors include health care and social assistance, retail trade, manufacturing, accommodation and food services, educational services, and construction. Jobs in these sectors match closely with ACC’s complement of program offerings and individual program accreditations. As Alamance County continues to grow and expand in population, diversity and economic development opportunities, the next President must provide charismatic, visionary, and inspirational leadership within the college and across the communities it was established to support.

The ACC Board of Trustees and Presidential Search Committee provided three public fora to enable college employees, members of the community and students a congress in which they could offer their views related to opportunities and challenges the institution currently faces, and will need to address, in the next three to five years. In addition, an opportunity to provide responses for those who could not physically attend one of the fora was furnished through the completion of a survey instrument. The following items are seen by employees and community members as opportunities and challenges that ACC will face:

• College Employee Recruitment, Retention, Staffing and Support – The most valuable asset to Alamance Community College, the individuals responsible for interacting with, educating, training and supporting students, are college employees. The faculty, professional staff and support personnel provide unselfish, compassionate, and tireless service to all members of a diverse student population throughout Alamance County. The consequences of a global pandemic, enrollment declines and accompanying budget reductions, and a competitive employment market, have cumulatively prompted long-serving, veteran employees to seek other professional opportunities or retire. The lack of sufficient state funding to make compensation competitive with the private sector, increased workloads, and personnel vacancies in faculty and staff positions have stretched and stressed a valuable asset – employees. In addition, the composition of the administrators, faculty and staff at the institution should reflect the ethnic diversity of the service area served by the college. There is much yet to accomplish with regard to diversity, equity and inclusion. The challenge facing both the new President and Board is to work diligently, through all means, to retain loyal, long-serving employees, recruit individuals with a passion for facilitating student completion and success, fill vacant positions, enrich the institution with a diverse employee complement and student body, and support employees in as many ways as practicable.
  

• Provide Education and Training Program Opportunities That Students Desire and That Meet Local Business and Industry Needs – The mission of ACC is to provide educational programs and services that prepare all members of a diverse community to succeed. The learning imperative at the college is to deliver exceptional educational experiences that enable students to acquire the knowledge, skills, behaviors and values that facilitate achievement of their educational goals. The college’s commitment to this effort is validated by a number of individual program accreditations and regulatory approvals that demonstrate academic excellence. Providing relevant, rigorous, high-demand programs that connect students with career pathways and hands on apprenticeship opportunities, meet employer requirements in a changing and competitive marketplace, and/or foster successful transfer to multiple baccalaureate degree granting institutions for further education distinguishes ACC in the higher education space. The challenge for the next President and the institution is provide programs and services in delivery modes that meet student needs, yield completers prepared for entry into local business and industry employment opportunities, and lead other students to successful completion of advanced degrees at partner higher education institutions.
  

• Increase Student Participation by All Members of the Alamance County Community – Imbedded within the college’s strategic plan – ACC Forward: Strategic Plan 2022-25” – is its intention to immerse all students in learning experiences that promote and aid their success, ready them for employment, and lay a foundation for lifelong learning. This intention can only be fulfilled by aggressively recruiting an ethnically and gender diverse student body, composed of adult learners and high school students from all corners of the county; providing them education, training, and life-long learning opportunities; then supporting them with wrap-around services, academic advising, and financial support. The challenge and opportunity for the next President and ACC is to collaboratively promote the institution to all members of the community through its educational partners, employer and Chamber of Commerce connections, and civic and cultural organizations. Furthermore, the college must invest in programming – both degrees and skills certification – that is seen by students and potential students as the key to improving their lives and the lives of their families.
  

• Business and Industry Support for a Competitive Market – Alamance County and Alamance Community College are geographically located amid two rapidly growing urban and suburban areas. An exceptional quality of life, pastoral and evolving rural areas, affordable living, and access to amenities are all factors that attract families to Alamance County. A significant factor that contributes to the prosperity of the county – one that serves as an opportunity for the college – is a prosperous and growing business and manufacturing sector that provides career opportunities for citizens across the service area. Current ACC program offerings reflect business and industry needs in such industries as health and laboratory sciences; engineering, manufacturing, and industrial technologies; and construction trades and transportation. The opportunity for the President and college is to expand these and related training and skills certifications courses to meet robust business and industry needs. By partnering with business and industry and the Chamber of Commerce on economic and workforce development activities, the college can assist employer adaptations to changing markets, and meet their manufacturing and product production needs. In addition, the college can introduce new technical and trades programming, enhance apprenticeships, and listen to and work with employers to meet customized training requirements.

Ideal Characteristics of the President

Background, Experiences, and Personal Skill Sets

The Board of Trustees and Presidential Search Committee, with input from and participation by employees and students within the institution and citizens across Alamance County, have identified and established ideal characteristics it desires in the next President. These characteristics will support a strong partnership with the Board of Trustees, faculty, staff, and community to seize and act upon the opportunities and meet and resolve the challenges that have collectively been identified that ACC will face.

The next President must be a collaborative partner with the Board of Trustees in the development of College policies, have and communicate to the Board a clear understanding of emerging trends in higher education and their impacts upon ACC, and bring forward internal challenges faced by the institution and external threats posed against ACC by changing economic conditions, legislative actions, or other entities. The President must be a seasoned, collegial executive who will seek input from faculty and staff in decision-making, understand the evolving challenges of the communities that ACC serves, and be focused on the educational success and economic well-being of Alamance County. The ideal characteristics of the next President include:

• A Strong and Professional Leader – As Chief Executive Officer of ACC, the President must have both demonstrated and have a record of strong, professional leadership in a higher education institution, or in a complex organizational setting. The next leader of the college must be collegial, confident in their abilities, and use good judgment in decision-making. They should understand and practice the principle of shared governance in their work with the Board, faculty and staff. Being able to manage difficult challenges and embrace new opportunities, including taking calculated risks that enhance the institution, are also important attributes.
• Approachable, Visible and Collaborative – As President, it is important to be approachable, have a welcoming personality, be seen throughout the college and across the community, and regularly engage with students. The President should be available to the Board, faculty, and staff for consultation, have the ability to collaborate with multiple education, business, and community partners, and have interpersonal skills that invite others to provide input into important policy, process and procedural discussions. Engagement with students includes participation, when available, in student events, recognition activities, and instructional settings.
  

• Innovative and Visionary – A leader who is innovative and open-minded as it relates to new programs, services and operational activities is preferred. The President should develop a shared vision for the college with the Board, faculty and staff about directions in which the institution should be headed. Innovation includes being receptive to the wisdom and experience of others, exploring new delivery models brought forth by faculty and staff, and being both future-minded and forward-thinking. Being visionary includes having clear understanding of emerging developments and movements in higher education policies and practices; a willingness to embrace activities that best serve the interests of faculty, staff and especially students; and engaging the Board in seeing and responding to demographic and economic changes in the college’s service-delivery area, then positioning the college to pivot to meet resulting student and community needs.
  

• Community Minded and a Relationship Builder – The next President must have skills in interacting and interfacing with the multiple communities that the college serves. In addition, the President must not only maintain and enhance existing relationships, but establish new relationships and partnerships with government, education, workforce development, enterprise and foundation entities. Being community minded and a relationship builder requires the President to be present outside the college at multiple events, respond to invitations to speak and make presentations, and serve on numerous boards and committees. It also requires the President to invite individuals, groups and organizations into the college to witness exceptional programs of study and skills training activities, participate in student engagement opportunities, learn more about how the college can meet their needs, and explore multiple options for their support of the college.
  

• Communication Skills – The leader of a complex, comprehensive higher education institution, especially a community college, must be able to communicate frequently, clearly, and through multiple means. First, having good listening skills enables the President to demonstrate to employees across the institution interest and support for all programs and departments, regardless of whether they are instruction, student support, or administration. In addition to listening, being able to provide both oral responses and written communications about important topics and subject matter assures employees their voices are being heard, and that the President welcomes their input. Furthermore, the executive’s written expressions provide clarity about changes in policies, protocols and practices to multiple audiences. Therefore, it is expected that the President will effectively communicate internally with the Board, administrators, faculty, staff and students, and externally with the myriad publics with which the college engages.

Qualifications

An earned doctorate from a regionally accredited educational institution and a minimum of ten years of successful senior-level academic and/or administrative experience is preferred. In lieu of an earned doctorate, a candidate must possess a minimal credential of a master’s degree from a regionally accredited institution and a minimum of ten years of successful executive-level administrative, management, or academic administrative experience. For all candidates, experience in academic instruction and a commitment to student learning, delivery of student support and comprehensive educational services, knowledge of economic and workforce development, possessing financial and fundraising acumen, and public or private sector enterprise experience are preferred. Candidates must have demonstrated administrative or executive experience in a comprehensive, complex educational setting and/or private organization. Other qualifications include excellent oral and written communication skills, demonstrated leadership experiences, and working knowledge of an education accreditation process.