They like me, they really like me...well, I got those skills on Broadway!

The role of the arts in today's education often receives little traction. Students that are exposed to the arts are often more creative and innovative thinkers. They approach problems with a tool set that naturally exists outside of the box. During our forums we have heard a great deal about "soft skills" (communication - verbal and written, problem solving, analytical and teamwork skills) and people from the arts community continually remind the Commission that the arts produce graduates with those very skills sought by business and industry. How do we enhance the role played by the arts in education today? Should we help influence K-12 and their inclusion of the arts in the curriculum? Do we have enough free space for artists to be creative in our communities? How do we foster creativity?

Who doesn't like new things? From the laboratory to the patent office, basic research is the cornerstone for new ideas.

Basic research is at foundation of the creation and innovation of new thoughts, ideas and inventions. During our forums with faculty we have been reminded that it is at the core of the University mission and that it is one of the most sound means we have at our disposal to replenish our faculty ranks. What are your thoughts on basic research? How should that research be translated to the public? How can we enhance the experience of students through undergraduate and graduate research? Do students benefit from these experiences?

Big city living is not for everyone...I want to share my talents with my own community!

• In 2006, the Charlotte, Research Triangle, and Piedmont Triad regions accounted for nearly 62% of the state’s population and 64% of all jobs in the state

• In 2005, average annual wages were highest in the Charlotte and Research Triangle regions (above $40,000), and lowest in the Northeast region (under $27,000)

• In the last 15 years, the Research Triangle region’s population grew at the fastest rate in the state: 59%. The Northeast Region grew the slowest: 13%

The growth of Charlotte and the Triangle should be celebrated, but what can the University do to help leverage that growth in the eastern and western parts of the state. Many students desire to return home to contribute and apply their new skills in their communities, but are concerned about quality of life issues. What can the University do to help your community in this area? Should this be a concern? Where are there success stories in transforming communities in our state? Where are we lagging the furthest behind?

You asked for it, you got it...the video!

The video now playing on the front page of our website highlights the trends and challenges facing the state of North Carolina as presented in the Scholars Trends and Issues Briefs. Please take a moment to watch the video and share with us your thoughts on any piece that you find interesting.

Think of how much we could save if I just remembered to turn off the office light and computer?

North Carolinians spent $23.2 billion on energy in 2004 - 7% of total state economic activity.
$16 billion of this was shipped to other states/nations...to benefit their economies.

The UNC system is the single largest user of electricity and water in NC (70%-80% of state government energy use is by UNC institutions - almost $14 million a month for power and water in FY 05-06).

What steps should the University take to be a leader in conservation? Should they? If so, how can those steps be applied to different regions of the state? Are there other opportunities for the University to take the lead in energy use, consumption and/or technological advancements?

Did you agree with that? Maybe you do, maybe you don't! Maybe you should tell us.

Following each community listening forum, the audio files will be placed on our website for download. This thread is available for those of you that attended a forum or have listened to a forum and would like to comment on something you have heard or did not hear and had hoped to.

I don't want to spend my money on that, I want to spend it on this!

This year, North Carolina taxpayers will spend approximately:

$5,300 educating one public school student
$10,000 educating one public university student
$25,000 housing one inmate in prison
$92,000 housing one juvenile offender in a Youth Development Center

However, a full four year scholarship to one of our largest 4 year public institutions will cost $60,000.

What role should the University play in tackling these social challenges facing our state? When is it appropriate for the University to step in? These facts have major pipeline implications - how does North Carolina prepare these students for the classroom rather than a jail cell.

It takes a village to raise a child, but who is the village today?

The saying, "it takes a village to raise a child" has been stated in thousands of speeches, brochures and publications over the years, but the words may no longer serve as the same powerful call to action. According to the following figures, there is a great deal of work going undone and the connection between the education system and our young black students is being lost - if it was ever made at all. According to one Scholar's report:

African American male students in North Carolina make up:

• 14% of all public school students
• 30% of special education students
• 8% of Honors students
• 22% of high school dropouts
• 9% of full-time undergraduate students, and
• A black male high school dropout will earn $620,000 less in his lifetime than a black male college graduate.

Where/who is the village today? Is this trend similar in all young men? What role should our campuses play to improve opportunities and increase the appeal of education for these students and others? What do these figures tell us about the future of our increasing Latino population? Where are we making positive strides?

The competition is getting ready...are we?

About 33% of North Carolina's college age students are enrolled in college - only 69% of the rate in Korea...
North Carolina also lags behind Greece, Finland, Belgium, Ireland and Poland.

What changes must be made to motivate our students to continue their education after high school? What are the implications of the current trends?

For more key facts and trends about North Carolina please read the Scholars Council Trends and Issues Briefs on our webpage!

They are doing WHAT...who knew!?! Campuses meet needs across the state.

During the late Spring - President Bowles, Board of Governors Chairman Jim Phillips and GA staff traveled to each University campus (including our newest campus North Carolina School of Science and Math). Each campus was given the opportunity to share their impact on their region/the state, sending the team away pleasantly surprised as to the level of impact made on the state. If we are surprised to hear about some of the projects and initiatives on our campuses, how can we expect citizens across the state to know what the campuses are doing for them? How can our campuses better tell their stories in your communities? Are you aware of services provided by the campus(es) closest to your community?

Please visit www.nctomorrow.org to read the campus visit report on the campus near you. Each report includes an institutional profile, list of needs being addressed by the campus, barriers and a list of potential opportunities.

Soft skills - who really needs them? And wait, what exactly are they?

"Soft skills" - you know, those skills not necessarily learned from the book that enable a new hire to adapt to the fast pace and challenges of the working world, are a hot topic in both education and the business sector worldwide. Academic departments are hearing more and more about the value of producing graduates that possess the following skills: teamwork, critical thinking and reasoning, oral and written communication, assembling and organizing information, innovative and creative thinking, facility with numbers and statistics, and foreign language proficiency (Hart 2006 study). Does this list capture the types of skills you expect your new hires to possess? Does the list capture the skills you believe you need upon graduating with your degree, in order to compete in this global economy? For those in continuing education, do you believe your coursework adequately covers these skills with an emphasis on today's needs?

If not, where is it deficient and how can it be addressed by the University?

Ready or not, here we come!

By 2017, enrollment on the University of North Carolina campuses is projected to approach 300,000 total students. This would represent a 50% increase in enrollment and campuses are currently considering the best ways to address such growth. Ideas such as increased delivery of online courses, early high school programs and more collaborative partnerships with the community college system are being considered as proactive responses to the growing need for more seats.

What other creative approaches should the University consider? How are other states addressing similar trends in growth? What are your thoughts on growing the number of students we currently educate at the University? Can the University increase its present use of any available resources?

Your Needs, Your University

The goal of the University of North Carolina Tomorrow initiative is to produce a more proactively responsive University, focused on meeting the challenges of the state over the next 20 years. To achieve this goal, the initiative will focus on 3 questions:

1. What challenges facing our state do North Carolinians want the University to respond to?
2. How can UNC best respond to these challenges?
3. How can UNC sustain this focus over the long-term?

Challenges currently facing the state of North Carolina may or may not be unique to your region, so we would like to know what issues you face today and what issues you see coming down the pipeline – to which the University can respond. (We will address questions 2 and 3 at a later date.)