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NC Community College System Conference

October 13–15, 2024
Raleigh Convention Center, Raleigh, NC

A welcome message from Dr. Jeff Cox, President of the North Carolina Community College System

Welcome to the 2024 North Carolina Community College System Conference. 

As our System’s Strategic Plan charges, we are Leading Through Change. Our 58 colleges have been “economic first responders” these past few years, working with community partners to meet the changing needs of students, communities, and businesses. As the pace of change continues to accelerate, the North Carolina Community College System will continue to innovate, adapt, and provide support mechanisms to meet the needs of students, communities, and businesses across the State. As we continue to evolve with the times, we are on our way to go from being Great to being Extraordinary

As we move our System forward, always at the forefront of my mind is the importance of social and economic mobility for all of our students. We must be the champions for all of our students to help them earn credentials and degrees that will have value in the labor market and that will allow them to leave us and enter careers where they can earn a living wage and beyond. In many of our communities if you are born poor there is a 2/3 chance you will stay poor. One of these days, several years down the road when I retire as System President, I would love to be able to say that all of us in the North Carolina Community College System dedicated ourselves to reversing that statistic – so that if you are born poor anywhere in North Carolina, there is two out of three chance that you will get out of poverty. We can do that with the talented and passionate individuals who do great work daily across our 58 institutions. 

Finally, our top goal in the System’s strategic plan is to recruit and retain Top Talent to enable the North Carolina Community College System to educate and prepare the State’s workforce. Across our 58 institutions, we know that our faculty and staff are the key to providing the education and direct services that our students and communities need. Investments in meetings like our biannual System Conference is just one way that we invest in you and in innovation across our State. We appreciate your willingness to engage and share with your peers to fulfill our mission to open the door to high quality, accessible educational opportunities that improve the lives and well-being of individuals across our great State. 

Thanks for making us the Extraordinary 58! 

Jeff A. Cox, Ed.D.