NC State Belk Center

The official Twitter account for the Belk Center for Community College Leadership and Research at NC State University. #NCStateBelk

[NC State Belk Center @ncstatebelk]

The Belk Center is proud to co-sponsor a two-day, in-person professional development event hosted by @NRCFYESIT designed for community college professionals who support students as they transition into college and navigate their first year.

This institute will explore trends, research, and strategies to strengthen existing practices or develop new practices that enhance student onboarding, engagement, retention and first-year success.

Learn more and register: https://t.co/LKt0mIxE8k

#StudentSuccess #CommunityCollegeLeadership

[NC State Belk Center @ncstatebelk]

@NCStateBelk congratulates the faculty, staff and students of @ForsythTechCC and @StanlyCC for being named as two of the 10 community colleges finalists for the 2027 @AspenHigherEd, the nation’s signature recognition for community colleges.

The $1 million Aspen Prize is awarded every two years and recognizes excellence across a wide range of institutions. With each cycle, the Aspen Institute deepens its understanding of what value looks like.

Forsyth Tech President Janet Spriggs @ForsythTechPrez and Stanly President John Enamait @Enamait both serve the Belk Center as professors of practice and have served or are serving on the Belk Center’s Leadership Advisory Council.

“These colleges so richly deserve this recognition,” said Belk Center Executive Director A.J. Jaeger @AJJAEGER . “We are proud to have the leadership and expertise of Presidents Spriggs and Enamait in supporting the Belk Center’s work and, in turn, the important work of the Great 58 North Carolina community colleges.”

The winner of the 2026 Aspen Prize in Community College Excellence will be announced in April 2027. Good luck Forsyth Tech and Stanly Community College!

https://t.co/1OVghGP8C5

[NC State Belk Center @ncstatebelk]

You track engagement, retention and performance — but if you aren’t measuring your campus climate, you’re missing the invisible forces driving all three.

The PACE Climate Survey is a diagnostic tool built specifically for community college leaders who need to shift from a reactive to a proactive strategy. It tells you how your employees are experiencing reality right now, measuring the friction points, the unwritten rules and the actual enablers of daily productivity.

To learn more about administering a PACE survey at your community college, visit https://t.co/jdzid2EK5l or email [email protected]

#CommunityCollegeResearch #OnTheGround #PACEsurvey

[NC State Belk Center @ncstatebelk]

New coverage from @EducationNC highlights the Belk Center’s newest initiative, supported by the nonprofit @AscendiumEd, to help North Carolina’s rural community colleges strengthen strategic planning capacity and leadership expertise — ensuring leaders have the tools needed to respond to the evolving workforce and community needs.
https://t.co/qvCAVYVx0A

#InTheConversation #OnTheGround #CommunityCollegeResearch #AdultLearners

[NC State Belk Center @ncstatebelk]

#NationalHigherEducationDay!
Today, we celebrate the leaders, educators, and institutions working to expand opportunity and transform lives through higher education. We are proud to work alongside North Carolina's Great 58 community colleges and higher education partners to advance leadership and student success. Together, we are building stronger institutions and creating pathways for learners of all ages to thrive.

[NC State Belk Center @ncstatebelk]

The Belk Center is #OnTheGround with two presentations at the #CommunityCollegesofAppalachia Annual Conference! Join our very own Kaitlin Newhouse, Ph.D., and Holley Nichols, Ph.D., on Monday, June 8, as they share strategies for strengthening student persistence, success and completion in Appalachian community colleges. https://t.co/b0wxRwTHJA

#HigherEducationLeadership #StudentSuccess

[NC State Belk Center @ncstatebelk]

Mark your calendars!
The 2026 Dallas Herring Lecture will take place on November 17, 2026.

For more than a decade, the Dallas Herring Lecture has been convening leaders and catalyzing change across the Great 58 and this year is no exception. Join higher education leaders from across North Carolina and beyond to address the challenges of today and leave with an inspired path forward.
https://t.co/ze9sKYrtRs

#DHL2026 #InTheConversation

[NC State Belk Center @ncstatebelk]

Recently, @NCStateBelk was proud to be named the evaluation partner in a partnership between @NCCommColleges and AmeriHealth Caritas to launch the AmeriHealth Caritas Bridge Pilot, a bold new initiative to address urgent healthcare workforce shortages in rural areas and communities with high Medicaid enrollment.

The Bridge Pilot program will support up to 1,000 students earning short-term healthcare credentials in critical roles, including certified nursing assistants (CNAs), emergency medical technicians (EMTs), and phlebotomy technicians. It marks the first adaptation of the Boost framework — extending the same wraparound supports available to degree-track students to those pursuing short-term credentials.

The Belk Center is also the evaluation partner for Boost – the first statewide replication of the CUNY ASAP model, a nationally acclaimed and evidence-based program that has proven its ability to increase three-year community college graduation rates.

To learn more, visit: https://t.co/lHDsLLTRiL

[NC State Belk Center @ncstatebelk]

@NCStateBelk is advancing its work to support North Carolina’s rural community colleges through a new three-year program, made possible by support from @AscendiumEP.

Beginning in summer 2026, this work will focus on supporting North Carolina’s rural workforce and expanding economic mobility across the state by strengthening leadership capacity and strategic planning at rural community colleges. This effort ensures these institutions are better aligned with local labor market needs, directly impacting student economic mobility.

This project aims to achieve measurable improvements for learners by strengthening the people and systems responsible for institutional decision-making.

To read more about this new initiative, visit https://t.co/zT5ubi6AX1

#NCCommColleges #AscendiumEP #NCWorks

[NC State Belk Center @ncstatebelk]

Last week, the Belk Center hosted @LatinxEducation staff and the new executive director, Andrea Freile, for a day of conversation and engagement. Andrea’s enthusiasm and dedication to the important work of LatinxEd is truly inspiring! Thank you, LatinxEd, for all you do to empower generations of Latine learners and leaders.

#LatinxEd #InTheConversation

[NC State Belk Center @ncstatebelk]

This Memorial Day, the Belk Center honors and remembers the servicemembers who gave their lives in service to our country.

We are grateful for their sacrifice and extend our appreciation to the veterans, military-connected students and families who are part of communities across North Carolina and beyond.

Photo Credit: @NCState

[NC State Belk Center @ncstatebelk]

For adult learners in North Carolina, returning to the classroom is a significant decision made alongside the daily responsibilities of work and family. New outcome data from the inaugural cohort of colleges that launched NC Reconnect in 2021 confirms that for many, re-enrolling in a community college is yielding life-changing dividends through increased earnings and career mobility.

Supported by the @BelkEndowment and in partnership with the @NCCommColleges and @InsideTrack, the findings highlight the financial impact of credential completion for North Carolina’s workforce. Adult learners with some college, no degree, who re-enrolled and completed a credential achieved an estimated median increase in annual earnings of $17,100 for career and technical education graduates. Wages for NC Reconnect students are 12% higher than students who do not reenroll.

🔗 https://t.co/kG3NvJYMw0

#NCReconnect #AdultLearners #CommunityCollegeResearch #CommunityCollege

[NC State Belk Center @ncstatebelk]

How can colleges better align resources to support adult learners?

Join Belk Center presenters from 2-3 p.m. EST on Thursday, May 21, for an upcoming webinar hosted by the North Carolina Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators.

This session will explore how colleges are using public messaging, partnerships, processes, pathways and proximity to better serve adult learners, veterans and continuing education students — drawing on recent insights from the Belk Center.

Featuring Drs @AJJAEGER and @SarahADeal, and moderated by Joey Trogdon of @RandolphCC, you can learn more and register here: https://t.co/3XlgMLaLJm

#CommunityCollegeLeadership #AdultLearner #StudentSuccess

[NC State Belk Center @ncstatebelk]

New research from the initial cohort of NC Reconnect shows that the decision to return and complete a college credential is resulting in substantial economic gains!

Supported by the @BelkEndowment and in partnership with the @NCCommColleges and @InsideTrack, the findings show that adult learners with some college but no degree, who re-enrolled and completed a credential, achieved an estimated median increase in annual earnings of $20,700 for continuing education students. Wages for NC Reconnect students are 12% higher than students who do not reenroll.

🔗 https://t.co/kG3NvJYeGs

#NCReconnect #AdultLearners #CommunityCollegeResearch #CommunityCollege

[NC State Belk Center @ncstatebelk]

Congratulations, graduates of the @NCState College of Education Community College Leadership Doctoral Program!

Nicole Thompson
Collin Ashley
Grace Bockoven
Elizabeth Brehler
Kerri Donohue
Elizabeth Ham
Kesa Jessup
Amanda Zekanis
Ashley Mackey-Whitworth
Emmanuella Martin
Adam Wade

#CommunityCollegeLeadership #StudentSuccess #HigherEd

[NC State Belk Center @ncstatebelk]

The Belk Center is seeking a Program Assistant to help coordinate programs, events, communications and daily operations that advance the Center’s strategic priorities. This role will provide comprehensive programmatic, operational and administrative support for the Belk Center, playing an important part in helping our team operate effectively and advance initiatives that support student success and economic mobility.

View the position at https://t.co/JnGxWlDIza

#Hiring #CommunityColleges #Operations

[NC State Belk Center @ncstatebelk]

May 6 is Community College Day in North Carolina!

Today, we recognize the impact of community colleges across the state — expanding access, strengthening the workforce and supporting students at every stage of their journey.

We’re grateful to be in partnership with the @NCCommColleges and the colleges serving communities across North Carolina.

#CommunityCollegeLeadership #StudentSuccess #OnTheGround

[NC State Belk Center @ncstatebelk]

The Belk Center is constantly sharing new insights and celebrating the successes of community colleges around the state!

Our April Newsletter highlighted the new Community College Data Hub, conferences across the country and more: https://t.co/Mt6sepUNPL

Keep up with all things Belk Center and the Great58 when you subscribe to our newsletter today: https://t.co/fu6ldNXzPz

#CommunityCollegeLeadership #InTheConversation #HigherEd

[NC State Belk Center @ncstatebelk]

New coverage from @EducationNC highlights key takeaways from our Adult Learner Convening, including the importance of addressing prospective students’ concerns—not just their goals—as colleges work to better engage and support adult learners. https://t.co/PUG3eXla0s

#InTheConversation #OnTheGround #CommunityCollegeResearch #AdultLearners

[NC State Belk Center @ncstatebelk]

Thank you to all of our Teaching and Learning Hub session presenters for sharing your expertise and advancing meaningful conversations that support student success. Your leadership and insight continue to strengthen teaching and learning across our network.

#CommunityCollegeLeadership #InTheConversation #StudentSuccess