Molly Broad: Colleges must attract more students

By Corey G. Johnson, The Daily Reflector

Sunday, October 09, 2005

The state's universities must boost the number of young people going to college if North Carolina is to win the economic battle with other states, retiring University of North Carolina system President Molly Broad said Saturday.

Broad, who is retiring in December, spoke to about 200 people during the East Carolina University Educators' Hall of Fame induction ceremony at Fletcher Recital Hall.

"It's increasingly important to get a college education in order to get a good job or to even keep a good job," Broad said. "The world has changed."

Broad and 20 other men and women were inducted into the Hall of Fame, created by ECU's College of Education to honor the accomplishments of teachers, administrators and education advocates in the state.

The other inductees were Estelle Aycock Ballance, William A. Ballance, Joseph Greene Boyette, Shirley Ann Carraway, Vera Loftin Claybrook, Harold Carter Griffin, Carolyn Matthews Jones, Harold A. Jones, Chia-yu Li, Tom Mallison, George C. Martin Jr., Wendy Adams Miller, Larry Stephen Mazingo, Marguerite Austin Perry, John L. Roberson, Nell Stallings, W. Scott Thomson, Susan Thomson, Ivan Wallace and Marie S. Williams.

"Over the course of my eight years, our college-going rate has moved into the top 10 in the nation," Broad said. "Before, we consistently scored below the national average."

Hall of Fame honoree Shirley Carraway, a former principal of J.H. Rose High School and current superintendent of the Orange County School System, agreed with Broad's assessment of the need to prepare students for a changing world.

"It used to be that graduating from high school was sufficient," Carraway said. "We now have to prepare everybody to go to college."

Broad also praised Chancellor Steve Ballard for the university's outreach programs to area high schools and elementary schools.

"You are a man of great vision and courage," Broad said. "Your personal values match the values of the university: excellence, truth and integrity."

Broad also encouraged ECU to continue medical research.

"If there was some ranking of cardiovascular health of the Carolina area east of (Interstate) 95, I bet it would be last in the nation," Broad said. "(ECU's) new cardiovascular institute will be vitally important."

Marilyn Sheerer, dean of the College of Education, said the university recently received grant money to plan for an early college program for high school students.

"The idea is to take kids in the ninth grade, bring them to the university and allow them to take courses designed for them," Sheerer said. "By the time they graduate from high school, they would already have college credits."

Sheerer said the planned program will target students who may need extra motivation to shoot for college. She praised Broad's leadership.

"She was definitely a role model for women leaders," Sheerer said. "She has shown that the glass ceiling definitely didn't limit her."

Corey G. Johnson can be reached at cjohnson@coxnc.com and 329-9565.