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| Assessment, Contractual Education and Partnership Development | Center for Urban Affairs & Community Services |
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Founded in 1887 as North Carolina College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts, North Carolina State University was established by the North Carolina General Assembly as the state's land-grant institution to provide teaching, research and extension services to the people of the state. Known as the "People's University," NC State has developed into a vital educational resource, providing a wealth of academic offerings, in-depth research, and university outreach and extension programs to all sectors of the state's economy and its citizens. With a student body of approximately 32,000, nearly 2,000 faculty and 6,000 staff members, and research and program expenditures over $440 million, the University is an active and vital part of North Carolina life. An integral part of NC State's educational mission is the provision of extension and outreach activities.
The McKimmon Center for Extension & Continuing Education (MCE&CE) was established by NC State in 1924 to facilitate access by the general public to the University's intellectual and technical resources. In order to be of greatest value to the diverse constituents it serves, MCE&CE collaborates with partners within the University and throughout the community to deliver timely, relevant, and effective quality programs and services. Through relationships with NC State faculty and staff, local and state governments, nonprofit organizations, business and industry, this centralized, administrative unit of 150+ employees (140 permanent and over 60 temporary workers), is involved in over 1,500 non-degree activities (including those that provide Continuing Education Units, CEUs, and those that do not provide CEUs) for more than 124,000 registrants.
This educational outreach is accomplished through the efforts of the six units that comprise MCE&CE. Assessment, Contractual Education and Partnership Development (ACEPD) provides assessments, partnership and program development services for the units of MCE&CE, to campus partners, and external clientele. Needs surveys, outcome/impact assessments and methodologies are key specialties within ACEPD. A key component of this unit is Customized Contractual Education which utilizes the intellectual capital of NC State faculty and staff to develop and deliver contractual/customized education and noncredit distance education opportunities tailored to an organization's unique training needs.
The Center for Urban Affairs and Community Services (CUACS) was established in 1966 by the North Carolina Legislature. CUACS provides survey research, program evaluations, outcomes assessment and applied research to public agencies, schools and nonprofit organizations primarily through contractual arrangements that typically exceed $4 million annually. CUACS's Technical Outreach for Public Schools (TOPS) initiative with the NC Department of Public Instruction is a prime example of a long-term relationship with a state agency, spanning 15 consecutive years.
Three of the units represent the non-degree Continuing and Professional Education (CPE) component of MCE&CE. The McKimmon Conference and Training Center (MCTC) provides facilities and meeting support services for over 226,000 participants in 2,100 events last year; the Office of Professional Development (OPD) manages approximately 400 programs serving over 19,000 attendees annually; and the Computer Training Unit (CTU) implements more than 500 courses with 2,000 registrants during a given fiscal year. These combined CPE units generate more than $5 million in receipts-based revenue on an annual basis, providing needed personal growth, IT training and professional development opportunities to citizens of North Carolina and beyond, utilizing minimal state appropriations. Collectively, CPE participants add an estimated $10,000,000 to the local economy annually, based on the formula utilized by the Raleigh Convention and Visitors Bureau.
The Encore Center was approved by the Board of Governors in 1992 and provides lifelong enrichment options for adults over 50 years of age, serving more than 1,000 members each year. Encore's 70+ annual non-credit, six-week courses, which are heavily dependent on the volunteer instruction provided by NC State faculty and staff, add a group of third-age learners to the NC State constituent base.
To learn of our accomplishments, and how these units have helped others achieve their goals, click on any of the six units to hear their stories.
