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SUMMARY PRESS RELEASE ....... FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE For Further Information Contact: Ann Hovey Operations VP Rowan-Cabarrus Community College P.O. Box 1595 Salisbury, NC 28145-1595 (704) 637-,0760 ext. 350 B. Carruth A. Fennel R. Freeman C. Privette R. Suggs. RCCC CAPS ENROLLMENT. PLACES HOLD ON NEW PROGRAMS AND NEW CONSTRUCTION RCCC President Brownell called Monday for a cap on student enrollments, and a moratorium on new program development and new construction. The state budget ct/sis and required budget reversions have had a deeper impact on RCCC than on many of the state's other community colleges, he said, forcing immediate action to preserve college operations. Although all community colleges are suffering severe financial strains, RCCC's status as the state's first multi-campus college has meant operating for years on a far leaner budget than other colleges. Due to inadequate funding for its multi-campus operations, RCCC must annually absorb an amount equal to $600,000 through economies, conservation, and increased workloads. Furthermore, because of the dynamics of its service region, RCCC's 35% growth over the last five years exceeds that of most other colleges in the system, placing additional pressures on the institution by straining its stretched resources even further. Brownell says the college just cannot continue to serve rising numbers of students without additional resources. This year RCCC is serving as one of 16 Phase II colleges in NC implementing the statewide College Information System (CIS) for the community college system. The project represents an additional cost to the college in terms of additional workload, equipment, and training for employees. An estimated investment of $500,000 over two years is required. It is the coincidence of all these factors that places RCCC in an extraordinarily difficult position among community colleges during this budget crisis, and has led to Brownell's action. In addition to the enrollment cap and the hold on new program development, an inescapable necessity caused by the funding crisis, Brownetl stressed, is the moratorium on new construction. He pointed out that the college has neither the funds today nor the prospect of funding in the immediate future to hire the faculty or purchase equipment needed to conduct classes in a new building. The moratorium has the immediate effect of canceling construction of a new classroom building planned for RCCC's South Campus, in Cabarrus County. However, without the ability to utilize the building, there is no real effect from the action. "To proceed with the construction would represent a squandering of county and state funds, as the empty shell would stand unused." A portion of the funding for the new building comes from the state bond