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THIS HUGE ENROLLMENT GROWTH EXCEEDS THE COLLEGE'S <br />ABILITY TO SUPPORT WITHOUT AN EMERGENCY INCREASE IN <br />CURRENT EXPENSE FUNDING. <br /> <br />ABOUT TWELVE MONTHS AGO WHEN RCCC SUBMITTED OUR <br />BUDGET REQUEST FOR THE CURRENT YEAR, WE DID NOT KNOW THE <br />MAGNITUDE OF THE ENROLLMENT INCREASE WE WOULD <br />EXPERIENCE. IN ADDITION TO THE HUGE ENROLLMENT INCREASES <br />FOR SOUTH CAMPUS, WE HAVE HAD TO ABSORB SIGNIFICANT <br />INCREASES AT CLOVERLEAF PLAZA WITH THE EXPANSION OF THE <br />COSMETOLOGY CENTER AND THE ADDITION OF AN EXTENSION <br />CENTER. THE COLLEGE DESPERATELY NEEDED THE EXTRA SPACE <br />AND CAPABILITIES AFFORDED BY THE EXPANSION AND GROWTH AT <br />CLOVERLEAF PLAZA. <br /> <br />I CALLED THIS YOUR COMMUNITY COLLEGE, AND THAT IS EXACTLY <br />WHAT IT IS. THE ADULT, VOTING CITIZENS, WHOM YOU ARE <br />PRIVILEGED AS COMMISSIONERS TO REPRESENT AND SUPPORT, ARE <br />OUR STUDENTS. <br /> <br />WE ARE THE PEOPLE'S COLLEGE... YOUR COLLEGE, WHERE OUR <br />CITIZENS COME BECAUSE WE ARE THE ONLY COLLEGE THAT CAN <br />MEET THEIR DESPERATE NEEDS - AND THEY ARE COMING IN <br />OVERWHELMING NUMBERS ! <br /> <br />BECAUSE OF THE ECONOMIC STAGNATION OF OUR COUNTIES, WE <br />WERE BEING OVERWHELMED BY DISPLACED WORKERS LONG <br />BEFORE THE PILLOWTEX CATASTROPHE HIT US EIGHT MONTHS AGO <br />-- THE LARGEST LAYOFF OF WORKERS IN NORTH CAROLINA HISTORY <br />CREATED A SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC CRISIS OF ENORMOUS <br />PROPORTIONS! <br /> <br />THESE DESPERATE WORKERS CAME TO US IN A TIDAL WAVE ON <br />BOTH CAMPUSES BEGINNING LAST AUGUST. MANY OF THEM HAD <br />LOST EVERYTHING - THEIR JOBS, THEIR HOMES, THEIR INSURANCE. <br />SOME COULD NOT EVEN FEED THEIR FAMILIES WITHOUT GOING TO <br />FOOD PANTRIES AS THE COMMUNITY RALLIED TO SUPPORT THEM. <br /> <br />WE HAVE BEEN EXTRAORDINARILY CHALLENGED AS WE STRUGGLE <br />TO MEET THE DEMANDS OF THIS COMMUNITY CRISIS. WE ADDED <br /> <br /> <br />