Belk Center Team Visits NC Reconnect Cohort 4 Colleges

This fall, researchers from the Belk Center for Community College Leadership and Research visited five North Carolina community colleges participating in the fourth NC Reconnect cohort to understand how the colleges are serving their adult learners in the areas of public messaging, partnerships, processes, pathways and proximity to a degree. The site visits also provided an opportunity for the research team to learn more about the experiences of adult learners at each college.

Made possible through a collaboration with the John M. Belk Endowment in 2021, NC Reconnect aims to engage adult learners and improve student retention – specifically among adult learners – in North Carolina. NC Reconnect is designed to help former students successfully navigate the complexities of re-enrollment while developing a plan to complete a degree or credential. The Belk Center supports the work of NC Reconnect by compiling and analyzing data on adult learners’ re-enrollment and retention from participating colleges. 

The Cohort 4 colleges – Central Piedmont Community College, Haywood Community College, James Sprunt Community College, Robeson Community College and Wayne Community College – joined the NC Reconnect effort in Spring 2024, and since that time, have implemented strategies and launched new programs to support adult learners at their institutions.

At each of the full-day college site visits, members of the Belk Center adult learner research team met with the college president and NC Reconnect lead. Focus groups were also conducted with faculty, staff and adult learners to learn about the adult learner journey in and through the college. During the focus groups, researchers hoped to learn about key leadership decisions from the president and leadership teams, how faculty are supporting adult learners in their classrooms, how staff are removing barriers for adult learners, and how adult learners are experiencing their time at the college. 

When the focus groups concluded, the research team also had the opportunity to sit down individually with several outstanding adult learners at each college. The interviews will be featured in a series of student spotlight interviews later this year.

While the Belk Center has worked closely with each of the colleges since they joined NC Reconnect last spring, the chance to be on campus with the individuals spearheading the adult learner work gave the team even greater insight into how the institutions are supporting adult learners within their own communities.

“Visiting with the NC Reconnect colleges this fall was a great opportunity for our team to learn more about the programs and initiatives being implemented to improve the adult learner journey,” says Sarah Deal, Belk Center Director of Research. “For example, James Sprunt Community College recently introduced a revised 60-minute orientation for adult learners, and the Central Piedmont Community College team is building an adult learner webinar and success toolbox that will include resources specifically for adult learners at the college. Several of the colleges are also hiring more bilingual instructors in both continuing education, workforce development and curriculum programs to make community college more accessible for Latine students.”

As a follow up, the Cohort 4 colleges will receive individual reports later this fall with data trends from their site visits. The adult learner research team will also be sharing findings at conferences like the North Carolina Community College System Conference and the Adult Learner Conference in November.

NC Reconnect not only gave us the opportunity to transform lives, they helped us resurrect dreams.” – Dr. Johnny Smith, Vice President of Instruction and Student Support Services, Robeson Community College

About the Belk Center
The Belk Center for Community College Leadership and Research (Belk Center) works to distill knowledge into actionable insights, create meaningful opportunities for collaboration, and equip leaders to tackle pressing issues in higher education. Since 2021, the Belk Center has served as the official research partner of NC Reconnect, a state-wide effort created and led by the John M. Belk Endowment (JMBE) designed to recruit and support adult learners in North Carolina’s community colleges.