News from the State Office for Independent Higher Education in North Carolina
Ethics Bowl Hits all the Marks
Two tenets of NCICU's mission are to advocate for North Carolina independent higher education, and to support student enrichment programs.

Our annual Ethics Bowl not only provides a valuable learning experience for students from across the state but, it also introduces them to business, non-profit and government leaders who may provide scholarships, internship and job opportunities.

The 2018 Ethics Bowl drew teams from 24 NCICU colleges in the state and focused on Ethics and the Future of Community - from neighborhoods to business to online communities.

Winning the event,for the second year in a row, was the Salem College team which faced Chowan

University in the final round. Gardner-Webb University and Meredith College were also in the semifinals.

Duke Energy and Wells Fargo led 29 sponsors who made the event possible.
RN to BSN Articulation Agreement Signed
Registered nurses with an associate degree from a North Carolina community college may save time and money in earning a Bachelor of Science
in Nursing degree at 10 private colleges because of a new agreement between the NC Community College System and NC Independent Colleges and Universities.

The agreement, signed February 9 by NCICU President Hope Williams and NCCCS Interim President Jennifer Haygood , includes Barton College, Cabarrus College of Health Sciences, Gardner-Webb University, Lees-McRae College, Lenoir-Rhyne University, Mars Hill University, Pfeiffer University, Queens University of Charlotte and the University of Mount Olive.

NCICU appreciated NC Representative Linda Johnson (center) joining the Nursing Deans from participating colleges for the ceremony.
Hope Williams (L) and Jennifer Haygood

“The RN to BSN articulation agreement is an excellent example of the partnerships between NCICU and NCCCS, in this case benefiting
thousands of RNs across the state who seek to advance their careers with a Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing,” Williams said. 
NCICU Annual Meeting
NCICU's Annual Meeting, held in March, brought NCICU presidents, who comprise the NCICU Board of Directors, and the Advisory Board of the Independent College Fund of North Carolina together for two days of discussions, planning and presentations.
President Hope Williams presents during the business session as NCICU Chair and Wake Forest University President Nathan Hatch looks on.
Golden Leaf Foundation President Dan Gerlach relaxes after presenting to the group.
U.S. Senator Richard Burr discusses higher education as well as matters of State with Nathan Hatch as moderator.
NCICU and Duke University President Vincent Price welcomed American Council on Education President Ted Mitchell to a forum with North Carolina college and university presidents and chancellors on March 1 at Duke.

More than 100 NCICU Advancement professionals met at Meredith College in January. Here, Jason McNeal , partner with Gonser Gerber Advancement Consultants speaks on “Rediscovering our Purpose in Development.” The two-day event also featured speakers from NCICU campuses and advancement organizations.
NCICU Secures $50k Grant
Council of Independent Colleges Vice President Carol Schuler (2nd from left) presented The Independent College Fund with a $25,000 grant to create an online portal that will ease the process of transferring from a community college to a private college in North Carolina. The grant was matched by ICFNC donors for a total of $50,000. Also pictured are Delores Sides , chair of ICFNC, Hope Williams and Colleen Kinser , director of ICFNC.

ICFNC Raises $2.2 million in Annual Campaign

The Independent College Fund of North Carolina (ICFNC), the fundraising division of NCICU, has raised $701,662 in scholarship support, $253,363 for student enrichment programs and other grants, and more than $1.2 million in in-kind gifts, resulting in a total of $2.2 million in contributions for its 2017-18 campaign. 

As advocates of independent higher education in the state, ICFNC is always looking for new ways to support North Carolina’s independent colleges and universities through the creation of programs and funding for scholarships. Listed below are some new grants received during this campaign:

  1. Teacher Education Scholarship Challenge Grant - This $50,000 grant will be awarded to students pursuing teacher education.
  2. North Carolina College Completion Portal - A grant to create an online portal that will ease the process of transferring from a community college to a private college in North Carolina. 
  3. Library Collaboration Initiative - The State Library of North Carolina approved $50,275.64 in federal LSTA grant funds to NCICU for a collaborative libraries’ project.  

Colleen Kinser , director of ICFNC, expresses her sincere appreciate to all the contributors that made this year a success! A full list of donors and sponsors can be found on our website: http://ncicu.org/support-ncicu/donorssponsors/.
Presidential Transitions

The following new presidents have taken office since January 1: Clarence D. (Clay) Armbrister, J.D., Johnson C. Smith University; Dr. Gary M. Brown, Louisburg College; and Dr. Connie Book, Elon University. In addition, Sandra J. Doran is serving as interim president of Salem College.

New presidents have been named at three institutions and will take office this summer: Mars Hill University ( John Anthony (Tony) Floyd, J.D.); Chowan University ( Dr. Kirk E. Peterson); and Lees-McRae College ( Dr. Herbert L. King, Jr.).

Dr. Frank Bonner, Gardner-Webb University president and Dr. Pamela Davies, president of Queens University of Charlotte have announced that they will retire in January and June respectively.
Our Newest Business Affiliates


The NCICU Business Affiliate Program provides a mutually beneficial link between North Carolina’s business community and the state’s 36 private colleges and universities.

Our Business Affiliates are companies or individuals whose work with NCICU colleges and universities has earned NCICU’s endorsement.