Immigration issue awaits community colleges head
Jane Stancill, Staff Writer

The hiring of a new president State Board of Community Colleges today comes in the midst of a blistering controversy over the system's recent directive to all 58 colleges that they cannot deny admission to illegal immigrants.

The system board will interview three finalists to succeed Martin Lancaster, who will retire in May after nearly 11 years in the job. They will vote this afternoon on the system's next leader, who will become the seventh president.

The finalists include two insiders and one outside candidate. They are Kennon Briggs, vice president for business and finance at the system office for the past 10 years; Philip R. Day Jr., chancellor of City College of San Francisco for the past nine years; and Scott Ralls, president of Craven Community College for the past five years.

The next president is sure to face questions about the immigration issue, which came to light last week when a Nov. 7 memo to college leaders was revealed.

Since then, the community college system has been criticized by many angry citizens, elected leaders and political candidates. Here are answers to some of the questions:

WHY IS THIS ISSUE COMING UP NOW?

Here's the chain of events:

* A Duke University class studied community college admission policies and listed 22 of 58 campuses as having a written or unwritten policy to bar undocumented applicants.

* An unverified complaint that an illegal immigrant was dismissed prompted a new look at the system policy. The community colleges have long had an open-door admissions policy, but were allowed in 2004 to set their own regulations on illegal immigrants.

* The system's attorney discovered a 1997 advisory letter from the office of then-Attorney General and now Gov. Mike Easley saying community colleges cannot impose nonacademic criteria for admission. It does not specifically address the issue of illegal immigrants.

* Administrators concluded they were wrong to let schools reject undocumented applicants.

* The attorney sent the memo.

WHO HAS THE AUTHORITY TO MAKE SUCH A DECISION?

That is unclear. The Attorney General's Office has agreed to examine state and federal law, as well as courtroom decisions to try to clear up the issue of whether the colleges should admit illegal immigrants.

HOW MANY ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS ATTEND COMMUNITY COLLEGES IN NORTH CAROLINA?

The system counts 340 out of more than 271,000 degree-seeking students.

HOW MUCH DOES IT COST THE SYSTEM TO EDUCATE THESE ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS?

The community college system says it costs $5,375 to educate a full-time student. Illegal immigrants pay out-of-state tuition, which is $7,465 -- more than the per-student cost of education.

The per-student cost figure covers faculty salaries and benefits, instructional materials and administrators' and staff support salaries. It does not include equipment, books, specialized training centers or building maintenance. Some argue that because all costs aren't calculated, the $5,327 figure is incorrect.

HOW ARE COMMUNITY COLLEGES FUNDED?

Here is a breakdown in revenue that goes to support community colleges: 69 percent from the state, 13 percent from local governments, 12 percent from tuition and fees, 2.5 percent from the federal government and 3.5 percent from other sources.

WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN WHEN A NEW PRESIDENT IS NAMED?

The new president won't report for work until next year, and it's possible the issue will be resolved before then.

WHAT DO PROPONENTS SAY ABOUT THE POLICY?

* Right or wrong, the immigrants are in our country, and it's in our economic interest to educate them beyond high school.

* Most did not come here by their own choice. They were brought by their parents and attended public schools here.

* We're talking about only 340 students, and that number isn't likely to rise much because few can afford the tuition.

WHAT DO OPPONENTS SAY ABOUT THE POLICY?

* Illegal immigrants are breaking the law, and public officials are obligated to report lawbreakers to authorities.

* Illegal immigrants should not be allowed to take seats away from U.S. citizens.

* We are a society of laws, and we should not turn a blind eye to those laws on this, or any, issue.

WHERE DO OUR ELECTED OFFICIALS AND CANDIDATES STAND?

Gov. Mike Easley supports the policy. The five top candidates for his job are against it.
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