State Policy in Support of Rural Community Colleges and Rural Development

	State Policy in Support of Rural Community Colleges and Rural Development

	Speaker:	Stephen C. Scott President Lenoir Community College PO Box 188 Kinston, NC 28502 252-527-6223 252-527-1199 scs320@email.lenoir.cc.nc.us Carlyle Ramsey President Danville Community College 1008 South Main Street Danville, VA 24541-4004 434-797-8400 434-797-8514 bramsey@dcc.vccs.edu Sarah Rubin Senior Associate MDC, Inc PO Box 17268 Chapel Hill, NC 27516 919-968-4531 919-929-8557 srubin@mdcin.org

	Rural community colleges have great potential - tapped in some communities, still latent in others -- to be catalysts for rural revitalization. Yet in no state does policy or funding fully support the access and economic development mission of rural community colleges. This session will introduce a framework for assessing state policy in support of rural community colleges and rural prosperity, developed by MDC based on the RCCI experience. Panelists from three states will react, sharing innovative state policies and programs that support economic and community development, access to education, workforce preparation, and technology. They will discuss how the budget crisis is affecting their states' ability to maintain such programs and policies, and how rural community colleges can increase state support for their broad mission.

	Presentation