Teamwork with teeth
The Charlotte Observer editorial
ECU's dental school: Open wide, and say `ah-hah!'
North Carolina ranks 47th among the 50 states in the number of dentists per person. Only eight counties have more than the national average of 5.8 dentists per 100,000 residents (Mecklenburg is one). Five counties in Eastern North Carolina have no dentist at all.
That cavity needs to be filled, and the University of North Carolina Board of Governors recently took the first step. It approved a request for planning funds for a school of dentistry at East Carolina University, tying it to a proposed expansion of the state's existing dental school at UNC Chapel Hill.
Why is that fact important to Charlotte? For starters, we all pay the price for poor dental health. But there's another reason. This fledgling step toward a second dental school happened at a time when establishing expensive professional degree programs is hard to accomplish. How it came to pass offers a road map for UNC Charlotte as it decides whether to pursue a public law school.
First, some facts.
This planning money does not commit the UNC system to building a dental school at ECU. A number of other steps must be taken. The legislature must also earmark the money -- a fact that's always politically precarious.
Also, the dental school at ECU would be a rural training program, not a research-oriented one. It would focus on getting dental students into the field in underserved areas and poor counties of Eastern North Carolina.
But the most important thing to note is this: Two universities that might be at odds over a proposal are on the same side. Why? They forged a partnership focused on a public need, not territory. That sidestepped any notion of turf or competition. It also will save taxpayers money. A service-based dental school is much less expensive -- and more to the point -- than duplicating Chapel Hill's expensive research programs at another campus.
A public law school is a natural fit for UNCC. It would serve Charlotte's need as the second largest financial center in the nation. Yet starting one would not be a easy. The Board of Governors -- with good reason -- is careful about "mission creep," new programs that duplicate services offered at other campuses. But a partnership with the UNC law school focused on a specific area of service is a different matter.
Now there's a blueprint for how that might work. Take an urgent public need. Document it well. Then forge a partnership with the top problem-solver in that field.
