There is something about Robeson County — a sense of community, a feeling of belonging — that keeps people rooted here and draws those of us who leave, myself included, back home.
That bond is fundamental to a brighter future, one in which Robeson County no longer finds itself on the wrong end of health, poverty and crime rankings. We must also fully leverage our assets, including a high-quality hospital, Interstates 95 and 74, and our proximity to growing urban and coastal areas. Then there is our most powerful driver — education.
Education is the cure to a lot of the ills our county faces.
Robeson County is in the enviable position of being home to a UNC System institution and community college, and is one of only a few rural counties in the state with such a robust combination of resources. To advance our county, it is imperative we fully leverage the strength and potential of UNC Pembroke, Robeson Community College and the Public Schools of Robeson County.
The university values our strong relationships with our local education partners. Collaboration is vital to break through institutional silos and improve the holistic education of our children, from pre-kindergarten through higher education. Yes, UNCP is the final step in this path, but we also contribute greatly to the beginning. Nearly 60 percent of certified personnel in the Public Schools of Robeson County are UNCP alumni.
Educator preparation is the reason our institution was founded in 1887 and it remains a vital part of our academic mission. As technology, instructional methods and the needs of schoolchildren have changed over the past 130 years, so has our approach to preparing teachers, administrators and counselors. This constant evaluation and improvement continues today on our campus and at the state level. Last week, Dr. Alfred Bryant, dean of the School of Education, and his counterparts from across the UNC System met with President Margaret Spellings to strategize about the effectiveness of educator preparation programs, specifically around literacy. We look forward to continuing that conversation when UNCP hosts PSRC administrators from throughout the county on our campus in March.
Work at the state level also focuses on building pathways between public universities and community colleges to improve student outcomes, reduce their financial burden and maximize public investment. Robeson County is at the forefront of these efforts thanks to the new BraveStep partnership envisioned by RCC President Kim Gold. The program, finalized this week, creates a pathway for qualified applicants to begin their college career at RCC and transfer to UNCP after the completion of 30 credit hours. BraveStep is designed as a comprehensive degree-completion strategy that includes advising from both institutions and exposure to the UNCP campus from Day 1. The goal is to provide co-admitted students with an affordable, high-quality education close to home and ensure they are primed for university-level academic success.
BraveStep is just one of the ways UNCP is enhancing our impact locally while growing our prominence across the state and beyond. Much of the increasing interest in the university is due to NC Promise, the tuition buy-down program that begins this fall. NC Promise positions UNCP for significant and strategic growth in the coming years, but be assured that our commitment to Robeson County is as strong as ever. Growth on our campus will increase our resources and ability to improve educational outcomes here at home. Indeed, as UNCP grows, all of Robeson County will prosper economically as well.
We are proud of our impact and your university is eager to do more. With the continued strong support of our local educational partners, together we will move Robeson County forward — one student at a time. Let us work to lay a foundation for the next seven generations.
