The Rowan-Cabarrus Community College Board of Trustees made a decision Monday that will change the face of the community college for the foreseeable future.

The board voted to cap future enrollment and placed an immediate, indefinite moratorium on new program development and new construction.

“It means students will be turned away,” said President Richard L. Brownell. “And the open door will be closed for the first time.

“This year’s economic instability on the national and state level had placed our senior leadership team on alert before the tragic events of Sept. 11,” Brownell said. “After the Sept. 11 tragedy and subsequent developments, the college had to plan for additional, severe cuts.”

Brownell said the state expects revenue to worsen.

After recent reports regarding first-quarter revenue shortfalls, the N.C. Community College System required colleges to send 4 percent of their operating budget back to state coffers. The college is anticipating that it might have to give back another 2 percent, for a total of 6 percent for the year.

“We cannot continue to operate with the levels of growth we have been experiencing, while being simultaneously squeezed between little to no funding for that growth and the lack of support for our multi-campus operations,” Brownell said. “The college has already cut to the bone.”

Since 1998, the state allocated additional funding for multi-campus colleges — seven years after the opening of Rowan-Cabarrus’ Cabarrus County campus. However, the funding level remains far below that necessary for the college to break even, according to Brownell. Rowan-Cabarrus must still absorb an unfunded $600,000.

At the same time, the college’s enrollment has grown 35 percent in the past five years.

This year, Rowan-Cabarrus is serving as one of the 16 Phase II colleges that are implementing a statewide College Information System. This program demands an investment of $500,000 over two years, this being the first, and the college can’t postpone the project, Brownell said, because it will be needed soon for re-accreditation.

White the moratorium is in effect, college leaders will conduct a detailed analysis of all aspects of the institution’s operations and develop a new vision for the future to accommodate financial realities, according to Brownell.

For example, the college will explore partnerships between the college and area employers for co-funding of new programs.

The moratorium on construction will immediately affect the Cabarrus campus, where officials were planning a new classroom building.

“If completed today, the building would stand onsite empty, devoid of the furnishings, equipment or faculty needed to fulfill its purpose,” Brownell said. “There would be nothing more disastrous than to move forward with construction of a new building and then have it stand unoccupied and unused.”

Brownell added that the school will not lose the state bond referendum fund passed in the fall of 2000. Those funds will remain available for the future.

The largest squeeze in programming, according to Ann Hovey, vice president for operations and assistant to the president, will come in arts and sciences transfer students, business administration and information systems. The problem with technology classes is that they require expensive equipment.

“How do two or three people work on one computer?” Senior Vice President Jerry Chandler asked.

Brownell asked the college board to approve the enrollment cap and moratorium on new programs and construction.

During discussion, board Chairman Ray Paradowski said the multi-campus community colleges need to form a coalition to address the legislature, getting the message across that they can not function under these financial conditions. He added his support to the president’s approach to the problem.

Board member Paul Woodson said he wants to make sure they are doing everything they can to keep from turning students away.

The board passed the motion unanimously.

Cabarrus County Commissioner Coy Privette commended the board and president on the decision. Rowan County Commissioner Gus Andrews agreed, commending the board for courage in making a tough decision.

Chandler presented the board with the budget, detailing the school’s $22,182,856 budget, made up of local, state, federal and other funds.

However, this does not reflect the 2 percent the college must return, which must come out of the $15,860,000 state allocation.

The state didn’t tell Rowan-Cabarrus officials how much money to expect until earlier this month. Within days of that notification, the state asked for 2 percent back.

“A budget is not carved in stone,” Chandler said. He noted that by mid-year, the budget will reflect these changes.

The board passed the budget unanimously.

Contact Jillian McCartney at 704-797-4253 or jmccartney@salisburypost.com .