Thread: NC: Comm. colleges pick new leader - IA issue festers

PRESIDENT OF CRAVEN COLLEGE IN NEW BERN
Community colleges pick new leader
Search drew attention amid policy change on illegal immigrants
Associated Press

RALEIGH --The State Board of Community Colleges elected Scott Ralls as the new system president on Thursday in a vote that drew an unusual amount of attention following the system's decision to admit illegal immigrants at all of its campuses.

Ralls, the president of Craven Community College in New Bern, was selected by unanimous vote. The other two finalists were Kennon Briggs, the system's vice president for business, and City College of San Francisco Chancellor Philip Day.

Ralls takes the place of Martin Lancaster, a former congressman who announced last winter that he would retire in May.
http://www.charlotte.com/local/story/394846.html

College system elects new chief
Ralls says community system transforms lives
Jane Stancill, Staff Writer


RALEIGH - Craven Community College President Scott Ralls, whose career has focused on economic development and technology, will become the next president of the state's community college system.
Ralls, 43, was elected in a unanimous vote Thursday by the State Board of Community Colleges to succeed President Martin Lancaster, who will retire in May after nearly 11 years. Ralls will start April 1 at an annual salary of $275,000.

"I'm just humbled because I know, being a community college president, I see every day what role this system plays, what role our colleges play, in transforming lives," he said. "It is just incredible."

Ralls was noncommittal about what has been a raging controversy for the community college in the past week -- the system's recent decision to order the state's 58 colleges to admit illegal immigrants.

"As an educator, my instinct is to want the benefits of education to be as broad as possible," he said. "Now I understand our system was built on generations of North Carolinians who made it what it is. It is supported by the taxpayers of North Carolina, so I also understand that as educators, we do not make the decisions about who will attend the community colleges. That will ultimately be decided by our elected officials."

Ralls said his school, Craven Community College, was one of 37 that had not barred illegal immigrants. He said he did not know whether illegal immigrants had actually enrolled there.

The system issued a memo last month telling all 58 colleges that they could not bar students based on immigration status. That touched off an uproar by angry citizens and opposition by some elected leaders and political candidates. The system's decision is now under review by the state Attorney General's Office.

"Obviously we will do whatever the law says," Ralls said. He said the board did not ask him about the issue during the closed-door interview Thursday.

Ralls beat out two other finalists for the president's job: Kennon Briggs, vice president for business and finance for the system, and Philip Day Jr., chancellor of City College of San Francisco.

"It's truly a great day," said Hilda Pinnix-Ragland, chairwoman of the board. "We've really selected one of our own, one of North Carolina's finest."

The son of a Methodist minister, Ralls was born in Charlotte and has lived in towns and cities across North Carolina. He said he has no hometown, only a home state.

"I know what it means to be west of the balsams, and I know what it means to be Down East," he said, adding that he has gained perspective on the unique economic challenges of each region.

On Thursday, Ralls boned up for his interview while being driven to Raleigh by Jim Davis, executive director of the Craven County Economic Development Commission. The two worked closely to set up partnerships with industry in the county.

"He's a great networker," Davis said. "His energy is somewhat envied by others."

Ralls will oversee the third largest community college system in the country, with a $1.2 billion budget and 800,000 students. About 270,000 of them are working toward a two-year degree. The system also offers work force training and retraining and basic skills and literacy education for adults.

Increasingly, the community college system is a gateway to a four-year college diploma. The system has transfer agreements with the campuses of the UNC system.

Ralls won't be involved in the day-to-day operations of the colleges, which are run by presidents and local boards. Much of his job will be to advocate for money for the colleges with the state legislature.

He will take the helm of the community college system at a crucial time for North Carolina, a traditionally poor state that has suffered massive job losses in the textiles, tobacco and furniture industries.

"Our economic challenges are such that it's going to take every bit of our skill and our ingenuity and our talent and our dedication," Ralls said.

Ralls is a proponent of technical education, which gives students practical skills for trade jobs. Today, that means high-tech, he said.

But beyond the big picture strategy for North Carolina's economic transformation, Ralls said, he is driven by the human stories of perseverance and progress on each community college campus.

"That is entirely what motivates me, just to watch the -- I like to say -- the little miracles that happen on our campus just every single day."

jane.stancill@newsobserver.com or (919) 956-2464
http://www.newsobserver.com/news/higher ... 16688.html

Current Contact Information:

Scott Ralls, President Craven Community College
800 College Court
New Bern NC 28562
(252) 638-7200
rallss@cravencc.edu

"He said he did not know whether illegal immigrants had actually enrolled there. "


"understand that as educators, we do not make the decisions about who will attend the community colleges. That will ultimately be decided by our elected officials."


"Obviously we will do whatever the law says," Ralls said.

More spin then a whirling durbish

E-mail sent to the new CC President, Scott Ralls:

Mr. Ralls:

Congratulations on your appointment as President of the North Carolina Community College System. The first act I'd like you to perform in office is to reverse Martin Lancaster's terrible decision that violates U.S. federal law, The Immigration and Nationality Act. Besides the fact that his decision flies in the face of logic, is costly to the taxpayers of North Carolina, takes up limited enrollment and class space from American citizens, gives further training to illegal aliens to illegally compete with citizens for jobs, provides benefits to illegal aliens that should only be reserved for citizens and legal residents, worsens our illegal immigration problem, is a clear violation of law; it is also opposed by the vast majority of Americans. I direct you to the very recent poll results below:

New nationwide poll results (American Pulse(TM) Survey of 4,069 respondents):

77% of Americans are against providing Educational Benefits to illegal aliens.

Can you hear us now, Governor Easley, Martin Lancaster, Roy Cooper, David Sullivan and the NC General Assembly?

Additionally, the poll also revealed these results:

82% of Americans are against providing Driver’s Licenses to illegal aliens
89% of Americans are against providing Business Licenses to illegal aliens
74% of Americans are against providing Job Training to illegal aliens
83% of Americans are against providing Housing Assistance to illegal aliens

http://www.alipac.us/article-2769-thread-1-0.html

IT IS IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT THESE ARE NATIONAL AVERAGES AND LIKELY TO BE SEVERAL PERCENT POINTS HIGHER IN A CONSERVATIVE STATE LIKE NC.

It is far past time that ALL politicians understand that the people of North Carolina and the entire country want our existing immigration laws enforced. We also demand the discontinuation of benefits to illegal aliens that should be reserved for citizens and legal residents only. We demand our politicians work for the American citizen, not foreign nationals who are in our country illegally.

Call me anytime as I'd love to discuss this issue with you.

Sincerely,

Originally Posted by jimpasz

More spin then a whirling durbish

Don't you miss all the bs, Jim. Wanta come back?