The trustees of each institution shall constitute the local administrative board of such institution, with such powers and duties as are provided in this Chapter and as are delegated to it by the State Board of Community Colleges. The powers and duties of trustees shall include the following:

(1) To elect a president or chief administrative officer of the institution for such term and under such conditions as the trustees may fix. If the board of trustees chooses to use a search consultant to assist with the election process, the board of trustees shall select the search consultant through a competitive request for proposals process. A search consultant selected pursuant to this subdivision who is collecting a fee for the consultant’s services shall not be (i) an employee of a State agency, department, or institution, an appointed member of a State commission or board, or an elected official whose responsibilities include oversight or budgetary aspects of the Community College System, (ii) a lobbyist or lobbyist principal as defined in N.C. Gen. Stat. § 120C-100, or (iii) a State-level community college board of trustees association or organization. A contract with a search consultant pursuant to this subdivision shall not be subject to Article 3C of Chapter 143 of the N.C. Gen. Stat.. The election of a president or chief administrative officer shall be subject to the approval of the State Board of Community Colleges.

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(2) To elect or employ all other personnel of the institution upon nomination by the president or chief administrative officer, subject to standards established by the State Board of Community Colleges. Trustees may delegate the authority of employing such other personnel to its president or chief administrative officer.

(3) To purchase any land, easement, or right-of-way which shall be necessary for the proper operation of the institution, upon approval of the State Board of Community Colleges, and if necessary, to acquire land by condemnation in the same manner and under the same procedures as provided in General Statutes Chapter 40A. For the purpose of condemnation, the determination by the trustees as to the location and amount of land to be taken and the necessity therefor shall be conclusive.

(4) To apply the standards and requirements for admission and graduation of students and other standards established by the State Board of Community Colleges. Notwithstanding any law or administrative rule to the contrary, local community colleges are permitted to offer the following programs:

a. Subject to the approval of the State Board of Community Colleges, local community colleges may collaborate with public school units and nonpublic schools to offer courses through the following programs:

1. Repealed by Session Laws 2022-71, s. 3.2, effective July 8, 2022.

2. Academic transition pathways for qualified junior and senior high school students that lead to a career technical education certificate, diploma, or State or industry-recognized credential and academic transition pathways for qualified freshmen and sophomore high school students that lead to a career technical education certificate or diploma in (i) industrial and engineering technologies, (ii) agriculture and natural resources, (iii) transportation technology, (iv) construction, or (v) business technologies.

3. College transfer pathways requiring the successful completion of 30 semester credit hours of transfer courses, including English and mathematics, for the following students:

I. Qualified junior and senior high school students.

II. Qualified freshman and sophomore high school students, if all of the following requirements are met:

A. The student is determined to be academically gifted, have a demonstrated readiness for the course material, and have the maturity to justify admission to the community college by (i) the community college president, (ii) the student’s high school principal or equivalent administrator, and (iii) the academically gifted coordinator, if one is employed by the high school or local school administrative unit.

B. The student participates in academic advising focused on the implications of being admitted to college early with representatives from the high school and the community college.

C. The student’s parent or guardian has given consent for the student to participate.

a1. Subject to the approval of the State Board of Community Colleges, local community colleges may collaborate with local school administrative units to offer cooperative innovative high school programs, as provided by Part 9 of Article 16 of Chapter 115C of the N.C. Gen. Stat..

b. During the summer quarter, persons less than 16 years old may be permitted to take noncredit courses on a self-supporting basis, subject to rules of the State Board of Community Colleges.

c. High school students may be permitted to take noncredit courses in safe driving on a self-supporting basis during the academic year or the summer.

d. High school students 16 years and older may be permitted to take noncredit courses, except adult basic skills, subject to rules promulgated by the State Board of Community Colleges.

e. Notwithstanding any other provision of this subdivision, qualified youth 15 years and older may be permitted to enroll in courses, including certification-eligible courses, in fire training pursuant to N.C. Gen. Stat. § 95-25.5(n) and on a specialized course list approved by the State Board of Community Colleges in accordance with N.C. Gen. Stat. § 115D-5(b)(2).

(5) To receive and accept donations, gifts, devises, and the like from private donors and to apply them or invest any of them and apply the proceeds for purposes and upon the terms which the donor may prescribe and which are consistent with the provisions of this Chapter and the regulations of the State Board of Community Colleges.

(6) To provide all or part of the instructional services for the institution by contracting with other public or private organizations or institutions in accordance with regulations and standards adopted by the State Board of Community Colleges.

(7) To perform such other acts and do such other things as may be necessary or proper for the exercise of the foregoing specific powers, including the adoption and enforcement of all reasonable rules, regulations, and bylaws for the government and operation of the institution under this Chapter and for the discipline of students.

(8) If a board of trustees of an institution provides access to its buildings and campus and the student information directory to persons or groups which make students aware of occupational or educational options, the board of trustees shall provide access on the same basis to official recruiting representatives of the military forces of the State and of the United States for the purpose of informing students of educational and career opportunities available in the military.

(9) To encourage the establishment of private, nonprofit corporations to support the institution. The president, with approval of the board of trustees, may assign employees to assist with the establishment and operation of such corporation and may make available to the corporation office space, equipment, supplies and other related resources; provided, the sole purpose of the corporation is to support the institution. The board of directors of each private, nonprofit corporation shall secure and pay for the services of the State Auditor’s Office or employ a certified public accountant to conduct an annual audit of the financial accounts of the corporation. The board of directors shall transmit to the board of trustees a copy of the annual financial audit report of the private nonprofit corporation.

(10) To enter into guaranteed energy savings contracts pursuant to Part 2 of Article 3B of Chapter 143 of the N.C. Gen. Stat..

(10a) To enter into loan agreements under the Energy Improvement Loan Program pursuant to Part 3 of Article 36 of Chapter 143 of the N.C. Gen. Stat..

(11) To enter into lease purchase and installment purchase contracts for equipment and real property under N.C. Gen. Stat. § 115D-58.15

(12) Notwithstanding the provisions of this Chapter, a community college may permit the use of its personnel or facilities, in support of or by a private business enterprise located on a community college campus or in the service area of a community college for the specific purposes set out in N.C. Gen. Stat. § 66-58(c)(3a) and N.C. Gen. Stat. § 66-58(c)(3d). The board of trustees of a community college must specifically approve any use of facilities or personnel under this subdivision. The State Board shall adopt rules to implement this subdivision, N.C. Gen. Stat. § 66-58(c)(3a), and N.C. Gen. Stat. § 66-58(c)(3d).

(13) To enter into a public/private partnership in which all of the following conditions are met:

a. The agreement is approved in advance by the State Board of Community Colleges.

b. The board of trustees agrees to lease community college land to a private entity on condition that the entity construct a facility on the leased land.

c. The facility will be jointly owned and used by the private entity and the community college.

d. The board of trustees is not authorized to lease the facility as lessee under a long-term lease or capital lease from the private entity as lessor.

e. The board of trustees is not authorized to finance its portion of the facility by entering into an installment contract or other financing contract with the private entity.

f. State bond funds shall not be used to pay for construction of that part of the facility to be owned and used by the private entity.

g. The provisions of N.C. Gen. Stat. § 143-341(3)a. apply to the construction of a facility under this subsection.

(14) To comply with the design and construction requirements regarding energy efficiency and water use in the Sustainable Energy-Efficient Buildings Program under Article 8C of Chapter 143 of the N.C. Gen. Stat..

(15) To strive to make available one hundred percent (100%) muscadine grape juice as a beverage option in the operation of the community college’s vending facilities. (1963, c. 448, s. 23; 1979, c. 462, s. 2; c. 896, s. 13; 1979, 2nd Sess., c. 1130, s. 1; 1981, c. 901, s. 2; 1983, c. 378, s. 1; c. 596, s. 1; 1985, c. 191; 1987, c. 383, s. 2; 1993 (Reg. Sess., 1994), c. 775, s. 7; 1998-111, s. 1; 2001-368, s. 2; 2003-286, s. 1; 2005-247, s. 2; 2006-259, s. 21; 2007-476, s. 1; 2008-203, s. 2; 2009-119, s. 1; 2011-145, s. 7.1A(h); 2011-284, s. 82; 2011-391, s. 13(c); 2011-419, s. 2; 2013-310, s. 2; 2013-360, s. 10.9(a); 2015-241, s. 10.4; 2017-6, s. 3; 2017-57, ss. 9.7(a), 9.10(b); 2018-146, ss. 3.1(a), (b), 6.1; 2019-185, s. 1; 2022-69, s. 1(a); 2022-71, s. 3.2; 2023-63, s. 5(f).)