North Carolina’s Senate is considering a drastic step to restrict state revenue: A proposed constitutional amendment would cap the state income-tax rate at 5.5%, sharply limiting the state’s ability to support services in a downturn or natural disaster. Higher education would likely bear the brunt of that policy. Much of state spending is mandated by… READ MORE
Gergen: “Let’s not go back”
CAMBRIDGE, MASS. – As an advisor to four presidents – Nixon, Ford, Reagan and Clinton – David Gergen has seen his share of controversy. And as a native North Carolinian, he sees HB2 as a controversy that continues to damage his home state and its stellar universities. The Higher Education Works Foundation followed up with… READ MORE
Reward teachers at every level
The $22.2 billion budget proposal adopted last week by the NC Senate offers generous raises to public school teachers that average 6.5%.1 The move is part of an effort to raise average teacher salaries to $54,000 over two years, and K-12 teachers – many of them graduates of our state’s public universities – deserve those… READ MORE
Tuition Cap: Legislators must replace lost revenue
RALEIGH – A bill backed by state Senate leaders that would cap tuition at five North Carolina universities at $1,000 a year deserves praise for attempting to limit costs for students and their families. But unless legislators commit to provide incremental revenue to replace lost tuition dollars at the five universities, they could cripple the… READ MORE
2% Faculty Raises: Thanks, but not enough
RALEIGH – The budget proposal adopted last week by the state House includes raises of 2% plus a $500 bonus for state employees, and raises for K-12 teachers that average 4.1%.1 A raise for University faculty is long overdue and welcome – they’ve had just one raise from the General Assembly in seven years. But… READ MORE
“Enough is enough,” Gergen declares at Elon commencement
ELON (May 21, 2016) – Elon University’s Commencement speaker, David Gergen, departed from the tradition of showering graduates with praise and advice to discuss his concerns about the future of North Carolina, his home state. Gergen is senior political analyst for CNN and co-director of the Center for Public Leadership at the Harvard Kennedy School…. READ MORE
Spellings on K-12 teacher prep: We’re in this together
By Margaret Spellings President, University of North Carolina System I’m nearing the end of my first tour of our state’s public universities, and it has been a thoroughly heartening experience. On every visit, I’ve heard about the remarkable work taking place across North Carolina and seen the pride people take in our campuses. I’ve also heard… READ MORE
Former Gov. Martin: Listen to each other on HB2
As controversy over HB2 roils campuses and boardrooms across the state, former Gov. Jim Martin weighs in with a simple suggestion: Listen to each other. By Jim Martin How did we ever get ourselves into such a mess? Otherwise-friendly companies withdraw plans to expand to North Carolina, or threaten to do so. Popular entertainers cancel… READ MORE
McCrory budget: A bonus won’t cut it
RALEIGH – “The state of North Carolina cannot function without a strong, motivated workforce,” Gov. Pat McCrory said as he presented his proposed 2016-17 budget to state legislators last week.1 If that’s the case, the governor and legislators need to do better by the state’s university and community college faculty than the one-time 3% bonus… READ MORE
NCGAP: Right problem, wrong solution
“Right problem, wrong solution.” That’s how University of North Carolina System President Margaret Spellings sums up NCGAP, the legislature’s program to force a percentage of public university applicants to enroll in community college instead.1 She reiterated that point last week, calling on lawmakers to defer or amend the program when they return to Raleigh next… READ MORE