The Rowan-Cabarrus Community College board of trustees approved its budget, worked on its strategic plan and approved new programs at a meeting Monday.
The college has an equivalent of 6,399 full-time students, leading to an appropriation of about $40.1 million from the state’s budget — an increase of 1.8 percent from what the school spent last year.
This fall, Rowan-Cabarrus will be updating its plans for the future this fall by developing the college’s 2015 strategic plan, which will run through 2018. The strategic plan should be completed and presented for approval in December.
The process began last year, with college faculty and staff brainstorming ways to better the college and community.
Discussions centered on the economic, cultural, environmental and social challenges that impact our region’s educational future, as well as programs in advanced manufacturing and technology, healthcare, information technology and STEM, or science, technology, engineering and math.
Business leaders and college administrators also hope to develop avenues for private funding to help the college continue to improve.
The college also plans to hold meetings with students, faculty and staff this fall to identify top goals.
The board of trustees discussed two new programs the college hopes to offer in the near future — a nursing assistant curriculum certificate and advertising and graphic design.
The North Carolina Community College System approved both programs, and the advertising and graphic design could start as early as October with eight-week condensed classes.
The college is also offering new music and drama specializations within the associate of fine arts program. Everything from chorus classes to the history of rock music to stage movement will be available. Additionally, the program has developed an introduction to jazz class.
The board of trustees also signed a new Voluntary Education Partnership Memorandum of Understanding with the Department of Defense, which must be signed by all educational institutions that wish to participate in the military tuition assistance program.
The agreement, which covers the next five years, says the college will provide information to military students about the financial cost so that they can make informed decisions on where to attend school.
Rowan-Cabarrus Community College also recognized its latest group of student leaders.
The Rowan-Cabarrus Student Ambassador Program is a group of outstanding students who are selected to represent the college in multiple capacities, such as reaching out to prospective students, conducting campus tours and participating in and helping promote various college events.
The 2014-15 Rowan-Cabarrus Student Ambassadors include four Rowan County students — Sarah Cook of Landis, who is pursuing her associate in arts degree; Shawn Henderson of Salisbury, who is working on an associate’s degree in applied science and business administration; Chelcie Williams of Kannapolis, who is pursuing an associate in arts degree; and Kelly Hill of Salisbury, who is a second- year senior ambassador and is working on her associate’s degree in nursing.