Dr. Robin Gary Cummings, chancellor of The College of North Carolina at Pembroke, not too long ago sat down with the Border Belt Impartial to speak about what’s taking place on campus and past. Subjects spanned from the coronavirus pandemic to the state funds to the college’s function in educating college students who will develop into native enterprise leaders and well being care staff.
His solutions beneath have been edited for brevity and readability.
Inform us in regards to the new constructing that can home the College of Enterprise.
It’s stunning, and with out query, when it’s full, will probably be a showpiece for Southeast North Carolina. We’re in all probability going to maneuver in over the Christmas holidays after which begin courses for the spring semester within the constructing. We’ve had some COVID-related provide chain delays. The constructing was supposed to complete again in August, and we’re nonetheless ready for a few of the supplies. However will probably be a powerful constructing. And it’s a part of the long run southeast North Carolina.
How so?
This space has so many good issues about it, however actually the problem is there in terms of enterprise. So our enterprise faculty has been rising for the final a number of years. Undergraduate involvement has been rising by 10%, in all probability every year for the final 5 – 6 years. Our MBA program, which is a web based program, final yr was the third-fastest rising on-line MBA program within the nation. We’ve gone from zero college students as much as 1,200.
I see it as we’re rising our personal. We’ve bought college students from this area coming right here, getting their diploma after which they return residence to Bladen County, they return to Columbus, they return to Richmond right here within the space, they usually assist to develop.
Southeastern North Carolina wants extra well being care sources. What’s UNCP doing to assist?
About 10 years in the past we began a division of nursing. And that division has loved nice progress over time. Mary Ann Elliott, a former trustee on the college, gave us a $6 million present earlier this yr, and we now have the McKenzie-Elliott College of Nursing inside our School of Well being Sciences. This yr, we admitted extra college students to our College of Nursing than we have now ever carried out earlier than.
Sadly, we turned away extremely certified college students as a result of to take care of accreditation for that faculty we have now to take care of a student-faculty ratio of about 10 to 1. It’s powerful to satisfy that commonplace. These college are in excessive demand. So we’ve had a problem of attracting sufficient certified college right here, which is why we might solely settle for so many college students this yr.
Our nursing college students principally come from this area. And they also come to us, we educate them, and 80%-plus find yourself staying on this area. And in the event you discuss to native hospitals, they’ll inform you that they’ll take each nurse that we ship them. So the demand for nursing is there.
What about different well being care staffing wants within the area?
We partnered with the Sheps Heart for Well being Sciences Analysis at UNC-Chapel Hill to do a survey asking which of the wants UNC Pembroke might tackle. Lengthy story quick, the examine exhibits that the workforce wants in Southeast North Carolina are astronomical. Doctor assistants, occupational therapists, bodily therapists – all of these wants. And clearly physicians.
That want didn’t simply begin yesterday or final yr. It’s been right here for many years. And so what we’re doing just isn’t working. So we have to do one thing totally different. The Sheps Heart validated that by saying UNC Pembroke wants to provide these workforce wants and we have to develop our personal. You convey them right here, you educate them, you function a degree of entry for them.
The North Carolina Normal Meeting has been at a funds deadlock for years. How would UNC profit from a brand new state funds?
We’re nonetheless below a 2018 funds. And also you speak about making an attempt to stretch a nickel and make it right into a dime – I feel we’ve carried out a great job of that. Within the funds because it’s introduced now, there’s a $91 million allied well being and science constructing. To provide you some perspective, the College of Enterprise constructing is $38 million. Think about the influence the College of Enterprise goes to have on Southeast North Carolina. Now think about when you’ve got a STEM-related constructing there, what it’s going to do for this area? It’s transformational.
Additionally in that funds is extra money than we’ve seen ever within the historical past of this college for renovation. A few of our buildings are in want of a brand new roof, want HVAC programs. We’ve got numerous buildings that for years, a long time, we have now not gotten to take care of.
A voluntary survey performed by UNCP confirmed about 88% of college, workers and college students had obtained the COVID vaccine. How can the college enhance consciousness as Robeson County has the bottom vaccination price within the state?
There’s a lot misinformation. I talked to 1 group, they usually introduced up ivermectin, a drugs that treats parasitic ailments and is usually used for animals. So that you’re telling me that individuals received’t take a COVID shot that’s been produced by a laboratory in essentially the most sterile situations. You’re involved about that, however you’ll go to a feed retailer and purchase a drugs supposed for horses and cows. I stated I don’t perceive that.
So I feel it’s a matter of training.
UNCP is essentially the most numerous regional college within the South, based on U.S. Information & World Report. What are a few of the advantages and challenges of main such a various campus?
You stroll out on my campus when courses are altering and go searching, and you will note what America will seem like in about 10 years. My strategy is: We’re numerous; now how will we reside collectively? How will we get individuals to respect each other? How will we guarantee that each particular person on this campus feels included, whether or not you’re Black, Indian, Latino, white? How will we make you are feeling that you simply’re vital on this campus?
And that’s what the world goes to need to grapple with, our nation goes to need to grapple with. UNC Pembroke truly has an unbelievable alternative to do it proper and to be an experiment, and possibly others can observe our mannequin.
We fashioned an inclusion and variety council not too long ago. How will we develop into inclusive? We encourage individuals to speak. It’s laborious to hate somebody that , and it’s simple to hate somebody in the event that they’re only a face, only a quantity.
An on-campus march in June 2020 to protest police brutality highlighted tensions between Black members of the group and Native Individuals. Have been the occasions that unfolded a very long time coming?
I feel it was symbolic and a part of what was occurring in the entire nation. I’m from this group; I grew up 2 miles down the highway. I’m a member of the Lumbee Tribe, as is my spouse. I do know the tensions that exist in Robeson County. It’s a tri-racial county, with Native Individuals, whites and Blacks. These tensions return lots of of years, no less than 100 years. However I don’t assume it’s a lot totally different than numerous different locations.
