North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics
Independent Commission for Fairness and Diversity

REPORT

Table of Contents:
Trustee Letter
Cover Letter
Introduction

I.	Communications
II.	Administrative Structure
III.	Leadership/Management Style
IV.	Recruitment of Personnel and Students
V.	Board Involvement/Organization
VI.	Professional Development
VII.	Competing Interests

6 March 1998

The Faculty and Staff
North Carolina School of Science & Mathematics
1219 Broad Street
Durham, North Carolina 27705

Distinguished Faculty and Staff:

The Board of Trustees of the North Carolina School of Science & Mathematics expresses to you its appreciation for your collective contributions to the Independent Commission on Fairness and Diversity. Chairman Phil Kirk has commented on the importance of your input as the commission undertook its eleven-month study.

At today's meeting of the Board of Trustees, we received the report of the Independent Commission. Chairman Kirk presented a brief overview of findings and recommendations, and the full report was shared with Trustees and other interested parties. Rather than responding to a report we had neither read nor studied, it always was the intention of the Trustees to receive the report, study it outside of the Board session, and meet again to discuss ways in which findings of the report may inform, elucidate and provide guidance for future Board deliberations. Accordingly, it is the intention of the Trustees to meet again during the month of March for this specific purpose. 

We are deeply appreciative of the Independent Commission' s contributions of time, talent and energy on behalf of NCSSM. As we study and learn from their report, we trust that NCSSM constantly will demonstrate itself as a model of fairness and diversity for the larger community of which we each are an important part. Thank you for your contribution to that success.

Yours very truly,

William P. Massey
Chair, Board of Trustees

Jonathan Martin
Chair, Committee on Fairness and Diversity

Mr. William Massey, Chairman
Board of Trustees
North Carolina School of Science of Mathematics
220 South Eugene Street
Greensboro, North Carolina 27401

Dear Chairman Massey:

The members of the Independent Commission for Fairness and Diversity at the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics are pleased to present our report to you and the board.

We have taken your charge to us very seriously. In the attached report, we have outlined the process we used to gain an understanding of the many complex issues affecting fairness and diversity at the school.  In fact, we have conservatively estimated that we have spent at least 1185 hours working on this challenge which you have presented to us.

While we certainly do not claim to be experts on the school even after spending more than six months of hard work learning about it, we believe we have produced a document which is fair and as accurate as a six-month study can be.

Now we present to you the challenge of taking our work product and evaluating our specific recommendations and areas for further study. We would expect a follow-up report every six months on the progress which you are making in dealing with the complex challenges facing NCSSM. We are ready and willing to cooperate further in every way possible, but we recognize the decision-making authority rests with you and the entire Board of Trustees.

We wish you the best of luck and success in the challenges you face and the decision you will be making in the weeks and months ahead.

With best regards,

Phillip J. Kirk, Jr. Chairman
NCSSM Independent Commission
for Fairness and Diversity

Members of Commission:
Kathleen Benzaquin
William C. Burkhardt
Ted Drain
Susan King
Valeria Lee
Staff:
Leslie Bevacqua
Lou Woods

INTRODUCTION

The North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics ("NCSSM") opened 18 years ago with a high degree of optimism present about its mission and its potential for improving the teaching and student performance in science and mathematics.

The school has generally lived up to its earliest expectations. It has served as a model, not only for other states, but for a number of foreign countries.  Students have benefited from an increased emphasis on science and mathematics and an aggressive outreach effort, especially in recent years, has reached into public schools across our state.  Many parents have expressed a high degree of approval for the education their children have received at NCSSM, in addition to the non-academic skills they received here.

However, the Commission found a school which has some challenges facing it as we move into the 21st century. As the report indicates, there is concern about the future of the school. There is an expression by many that perhaps the school is no longer viewed as "the place" where innovation and the highest level of excellence in teaching and learning in mathematics and science occur in our state.

We recognize that NCSSM is a complicated undertaking. With 18 years experience and the launching of many similar schools based on this model, NCSSM is no longer a new or unique educational experiment. So just as it had growing pains in the early years, the school is clearly undergoing fundamental change and will likely have to continue to change to keep pace and to remain on the cutting edge of specialized secondary education.

There are tremendous differences in attitudes and morale among the faculty and staff.  Some are extremely positive, motivated, and enthusiastic about the school. Others are pessimistic, negative, dejected, and have little hope for the future. Differing perspectives are also offered from alumni, students, parents, former employees and people in the community.

We would emphasize that educational institutions are frequently (if not always) fraught with tension between and among administrators, faculty , staff, and students. That is certainly the case at NCSSM and it is one which we believe revolves around the somewhat general subject of effective leadership.

One thing is certain and that is that there is a genuine hunger and desire for positive leaderskip across the campus.  There needs to be a truce to the power struggle by all groups -- external and internal -- and everyone is going to have to put aside personal differences and work together in order to enhance the future of the school.

The key issue is finding a process that will make sure major issues are addressed in a responsible but serious way, a process that does not set up unproductive confrontations and that recognizes that greater cooperation is required by all parties. No one has a lock on what is "right" and/or "best" for NCSSM now and in the future. That includes the director, the faculty and staff who first opened the doors and dorms of the school, the board and the school's constituencies. We do believe that by working in a more cooperative manner, the future can be a promising one.

The primary mission of the Commission is outlined in the following excerpt from the Charge to the Commission.

"The primary mission of this Commission shall be to review and examine the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics operating environment. There should be particular and specific attention to the elements of fairness and demonstrated appreciation for diversity represented in the school community.  Relevant policies and related pertinent documents will be made available along with appropriate access to students, faculty and staff to facilitate data collection. The Commission will respect all confidentiality laws and policies in conducting its activities."

(A copy of the complete text of the Charge to the Commission can be found in the appendix beginning on page A-1.)

The Commission's original charge was to present a report to the Board of Trustees in December, 1997. After many hundreds of hours of work, we somewhat reluctantly decided to ask for a three-month extension, which was granted.

The Commission made every effort to talk with NCSSM administrators, faculty, staff, parents, alumni and students.  Several opportunities were provided for public input, written comments were encouraged and all members of the Commission made themselves available for individual meetings and telephone conversations with those who expressed interest in the work of the Commission. (A complete listing of opportunities for input and a list of meeting dates and copies of the agendas are included in the appendix beginning on page A-8.)  Additionally, the Commission asked for, received and reviewed hundreds of pages of documents about the school.

We did not have the staff, legal authority, time, or expertise to investigate every concern and to follow-up with all parties to ascertain the accuracy of every claim -- both the positives and the negatives. However, we must live with and address the overall impressions and perceptions we encountered during this process. We have strived to do that in an honest and accurate manner in our report.

What is critical to point out is the impact that perceptions carry at NCSSM.  Much of what we have found is based on the school community's perceptions of various situations.  While there is a basis of truth in many of these situations, there is often fact that refutes what is perceived. However, perceptions - left unaddressed - become the standard or are accepted as the truth. This is often the case at NCSSM.

The Board of Trustees has the tremendous challenge of figuring out how to leverage the overall excellent reputation of the school and the quality of its students and alumni in gaining the resources to enable it to remain on the leading or cutting edge in the fields of science and mathematics. Strong, imaginative, inclusive leadership and superior communication skills are absolutely essential if the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics is to continue as one of our state's "crown jewels" in education.

The report that follows includes findings and recommendations and is divided into seven topic areas including Communications, Administrative Structure, Leadership/ Managernent Style, Recruitment of Personnel and Students, Board Involvement/Organization, Professional Development and Competing Interests.

We are optimistic that this report can serve as a guide to the school and to all of its many constituencies as we move into the 21st century.

We appreciate the cooperation which we have received throughout the process from the ad hoc committee of trustees, especially Jonathan Martin for his direction and wise counsel throughout the process. There were many administrative duties and numerous requests for information which were efficiently handled by the staff. We particularly want to thank Vickie McNeil and David Stein for their many contributions.

North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics
Independent Commission For Fairness and Diversity:

Phillip J. Kirk, Jr. Chairman
Kathleen Benzaquin
William C. Burkhardt
Ted Drain
Susan King
Valeria Lee

I. COMMUNICATIONS

FINDINGS

The Commission acknowledges that effective communication is a challenge for all organizations, institutions, and businesses. This is particularly critical when issues of fairness and diversity have been raised.

This is an area of weakness at NCSSM and the Commission believes that substantial and immediate improvement is needed.

There are few vehicles for effective internal communication. Most communication appears to be from the top down with little opportunity for input from below. The new faculty/staff newsletter, which has been slow coming into being, has the potential for improving communication if the content is meaningful and if it is done on a regular basis.

There seems to be a lot of paper produced, but too much of it appears to be directed toward external audiences and not enough addressed internally. This apparent lack of understanding about the need for effective, early communication within the campus family has led to a number of problems:

•	There are complaints that input is often sought, but there is a perception that the solicitation is done so that it can be said that it was sought; in other words, to be "politically correct". There were numerous complaints that the Executive Director does not listen well and is sometimes argumentative with those who disagree with him.  Rather than fostering open communication and a sense of fairness, this has led to an atmosphere of intimidation where staff and faculty are afraid to disagree with the administration .

•	Students in particular complained not only of being asked for input late in the process, but also indicated they are often uninformed about the changing of rules which directly affect them. Parents, too, indicated a lack of knowledge about many of the school's activities.

•	Complaints about suggestions not being seriously considered were heard, but more importantly, there is a concern that no response is too often the answer to suggestions.

•	Finally, there are concerns about the confidentiality of information that should not be shared. This contributes to an atmosphere of distrust among administration, staff and faculty and, again, concerns about fairness.

RECOMMENDATIONS

1.	Regular staff meetings and faculty meetings should be held, occasionally together, with a prepared, pre-announced agenda, but also providing a time for any participant to introduce subjects for discussion. where action is required, minutes from the meeting need to reflect action required, who is responsible, and when to report back.

2.	The Executive Director should use these meetings to help formulate a proposed annual plan of work for the school. This plan should be communicated to all parts of the community for discussion and briefing. A multi-year plan should also be considered. Follow-up and an accountability plan needs to be put in place.

3.	A system of regular e-mail communication with parents should be established. Where e-mail is not available, parents should be mailed campus and academic information. Orientation packets for parents and students need to be improved so there is a full understanding of what the school offers.

4.	The Student Government Association should be used more effectively to get student input before policies affecting them are decided and to provide the board, administration, faculty and staff an opportunity to more effectively communicate with students.
II. ADMINISTRATIVE STRUCTURE

FINDINGS

The organizational structure of an institution should be designed to carry out its mission in an effective and cohesive manner. Administration is charged with the task of leading the school forward while engaging in activities that promote productivity, encourage harmony and foster a sense of fairness and appreciation for the diverse contributions of its members.  Administrative authority, while vested in the leadership of the school, can be delegated to others within the school membership in order to promote a sense of shared responsibility. Such an approach encourages ownership of the school's mission and reduces the perception that members do not have a voice in the process of running the school.

The Commission questioned the school's administrative structure which heavily concentrates power and authority in the cabinet. At a minimum, the Commission suggested that presently there is inadequate faculty and staff representation on the cabinet. The cabinet structure, while it may be viewed as an efficient method of getting things done in a business, may not be the most effective structure in an innovative educational institution like NCSSM.

The cabinet is perceived as "aloof" and removed from the rest of the campus and the community. This has led to misunderstandings and deficiencies in communication. There seems to be an artificial separation between faculty and staff.  There has been a shift back and forth in the use of the terms "staff" and "faculty." However, the feelings are deeper than the choice of words to describe the groups. There is a lack of understanding of the diverse roles, changes, pluses and minuses of each of the departments within the overall operation of the school.

It is appropriate that the Executive Director is accountable only to the Board of Trustees, but it is unclear how the board defines his responsibilities and measures his effectiveness on a regular, systematic basis. It is not clear how the objectives of the Executive Director are established nor is there any evidence that there is a regular review or evaluation process in place.

RECOMMENDATIONS

1.	Trustees need to define the role and responsibilities of the Executive Director regarding internal and external affairs and communicate to the campus community on how these responsibilities are defined. The proper management structure needs to be established to carry out these responsibilities in a clear, efficient and inclusive way.

2.	There should be more interaction and collaboration in such a student-centered school. The Executive Director and the Board of Trustees need a more effective mechanism to assure the input of those closest to the students in the classroom and residence halls.

3.	The board and Executive Director should review the administrative structure of the cabinet including representation of various groups.  (For example, consideration should be given to adding additional faculty and staff representation.)

4.	The Commission sees a major opportunity, particularly as the distance learning component of the school's mission expands, to seek a new level of expertise on the board.  The addition and emphasis on the distance learning program should be reason enough for a review of the way the campus operates.  The board or a subcommittee of the board needs to become more involved in achieving a balance of the often-competing programs within the NCSSM structure.

5.	Regular meetings of senior administrators, faculty department heads and staff should be held for discussion, problem exploration, and consensus building.

6.	At a minimum, more across-the-board team-building and team-training should occur.  At present, the cabinet seems to be the group most involved in this approach.  In particular, diversity training needs to be mandated for all faculty and staff on a regular basis.  While the Commission recognizes that additional resources will be needed to accomplish this, it is critical to the future of NCSSM.

7.	The Commission heard numerous concerns about the faculty contract renewal process and specific fear that faculty could be dismissed/not renewed without cause or fair warning.  There needs to be linkage between faculty performance, contract review and renewals in order to assure that the process is uniformly and fairly applied.  At a minimum, the appeals process for non-contract renewal needs to be reviewed, with
6.	faculty input, and in line with state law and personnel regulations .

7.	A meaningful, effective Staff Council should be formed, and it should be representative of all staff functions.  There should be no climate of fear in regard to honest, open discussions at the council meetings and there should be regular opportunities for interaction with the administration and the Faculty Council.

III. LEADERSHIP/MANAGEMENT STYLE

FINDINGS

The leadership of the school is responsible for setting the tone for the institution based on established criteria provided by the legislature and the Board of Trustees. The position of the Executive Director is a critical job as this individual must guide the school forward while never losing sight of the day-to-day operations and needs of the school community. To paraphrase a popular statement, ''A school is the length of the shadow thrown by the director." At NCSSM that shadow must be tall and wide, encompassing a mission that includes internal development as well as external promotions of its valuable educational product. The leadership is successful when it is viewed as fair and considerate of the diversity of those who are led, and values open exchange of ideas and dialogue in order to make this forward progress.

The Commission's six-month study suggests that the Executive Director lacks important communication and leadership skills needed for an innovative, academically intensive, student-centered school like NCSSM. These needs are all the more important as NCSSM moves from a unique educational experiment to a more mature academic institution and from a single campus to a model of technology-based distance learning for multiple public school sites in North Carolina.

The residential or core campus must not be neglected or its importance downplayed as the school's outreach efforts are strengthened. If the "home base" is not healthy, it cannot be an effective model for academic outreach.

In general, the Commission finds that the Executive Director has not been able to forge a community of faculty, administration and students strongly committed to a well understood and enhanced mission of excellence based on trust, respect, leadership support and responsiveness to the needs of all.

There is still some anger about how the director was hired and received during the early times when he first came to the school. Not only do too many of the long time faculty and staff refuse to let go of the past, but this distressful fact also applies to the Executive Director.

These broad conclusions are based on specific observations and discussions with NCSSM faculty and staff both in public and in private. Repeatedly, the commission heard about the "old" versus the "new" which causes real concerns about the ability of the community to work together as a team. Recognizing that critics may be more willing to speak out than those who are neutral or supportive, we found few positive commentaries about the tone and tenor on campus. While there has been some improvement recently, there remains on campus a fear of punishment/retribution for open, candid disagreement with the administration.

Specific concerns about the Executive Director include:

•	Exhibiting autocratic, authoritarian style (manages "up" to the board rather than "down" or across with faculty and staff.)

•	The reputation of being a poor listener (asking for input/opinion because it is politically correct to do so, but not seriously considering others' opinions.)  Limited improvement has been noted.

•	Delay and reluctance in addressing problems, especially personnel problems; the appearance that there must be a crisis for problems to be addressed.

•	Can become emotional and defensive when challenged or questioned.

•	Sense that original emphasis on innovation, creativity and experimentation have been de-emphasized, except with distance learning.

RECOMMENDATIONS

1.	The school was developed on principles of openness, inquiry, intellectual vigor, discovery and debate. The board needs to look at this and determine innovative ways to make sure that NCSSM retains its cutting edge reputation and indeed strengthens it.

2.	The leadership must set the tone and the example for the campus to follow. Any compromise on issues of fairness -- whether real or perceived -- or any reluctance or slowness in tackling the complex issues relating to diversity leads to low morale, lack of clear purpose, and drifting.

3.	Some community building is now underway. However, the implementation of the recommendations of the community building report has been moving at a distressingly slow pace. This could be interpreted as it having a low priority with the administration and the board.

4.	Team-building needs to be emphasized for the entire staff and faculty.

5.	Regular employee climate surveys need to be initiated.  There should be concrete mechanisms for consideration of all suggestions and reporting on decisions made on each one.  The  surveys should identify what is going well and what can be improved. Results should be discussed with all units; in addition, action plans should be developed. The surveys should be totally anonymous. They were not in the most recent one, thus resulting in a low response and leading to a feeling that the survey results were not candid or honest in all cases because of the ability to identify the respondents.

6.	The Executive Director needs to address the perceptions of some faculty, staff and parents that minority faculty and staff are treated differently, that minority students are treated more harshly, and that he has not been vigorous in recruiting and retaining minority staff and faculty.

IV. RECRUITMENT OF PERSONNEL AND STUDENTS

FINDINGS

Those who are employed at an institution are the true soul of its operation. These people are the embodiment of the mission and must represent all that is good and positive about the institution and the good work it does. In order to promote this image successfully, it is critical that outstanding faculty, staff, and students are recruited to enhance those currently a part of NCSSM.

Issues of diversity are raised in a negative sense when appropriate role models are not made available to students in the classrooms or do not reflect the rich diversity of the student body itself. Issues of fairness are raised when questions surface about how recruitment is handled or how opportunities are provided to those already employed.

The Commission found that there is a shortage of minority faculty and a declining number of student applications, especially from minorities.  Some qualified minority faculty turn down employment offers. This lack of diversity and adult role models is a concern.

Some students indicated there is a lack of knowledge about NCSSM in high schools across the state.

As public schools change and as the nature of society changes in such areas as increased reliance on distance learning, the school needs to make sure these changes are reflected in the mission and goals of the school.

On the positive side, the staff working with residential life represents diversity and they are addressing role model needs.  Recently, there seem to be greater efforts being made to recruit alumni to the faculty and staff.

RECOMMENDATIONS

1.	A study should be undertaken to determine strategies for recruiting more minority faculty and students.

•	The faculty recruitment and selection processes need to be evaluated and recruitment strategies need to be reviewed.  This should include looking at barriers to recruiting highly qualified minority faculty, especially initial offers where contracts may not provide adequate job security to attract the most competitive candidates.  Policies and procedures that may be barriers to employment should be examined and changed if necessary.

•	Efforts should be made to make sure that high school guidance counselors across the state are aware of NCSSM as an opportunity for some students and they need to be encouraged to urge students in their schools to consider NCSSM.

2.	Alumni should be utilized more in the recruitment of students and teachers.

3.	Efforts should be made to attract more minority and female students into higher level "topics" classes.

4.	Exit interviews should be used extensively to find out why staff and faculty leave NCSSM and why some teachers reject employment offers at NCSSM. Similar techniques should be used to find out why some of the state's most talented juniors do not enroll at the school.

5.	Although we recognize the legislative mandate for geographical diversity, the Research Triangle and its public and private colleges and universities should offer a unique and large pool of prospective faculty and students.

V. BOARD INVOLVEMENT/ORGANIZATION

FINDINGS

The Board of Trustees has the responsibility for setting  the policy and expectations of the school. As such, the board is obliged to set the tone on issues of fairness and diversity in representing and promoting the school.

As with many boards, there is more involvement on the part of the members of the executive committee than with the other members. While some members have shown an active interest in the school, others perform more in a perfunctory manner by attending a few meetings a year and doing little or nothing more.

The "behavior" of the board has changed, possibly creating some tension and some misunderstanding. Faculty and staff had too much contact with the board years ago. They often by-passed the proper administrative channels to resolve their concerns and attempted to involve board members directly in the day-to- day internal operations of the school, while most would agree the current operating procedures of the board are much preferred over the past, there is a level of misunderstanding about the role and relationship of the Board of Trustees with some members of the campus community.

There are differing opinions as to what kinds of board members the school needs and should have. Some feel fund- raising expertise is critical. Others are more attuned to educational interests or business interests. Members are appointed by several different authorities. Board members come to their roles with differing expectations and often little knowledge about the school.

There appears to be considerable turnover on the board which leads to a lack of knowledge of tradition and lessened involvement in policy-making.

The board's evaluation of the Executive Director seems to be inconsistent.

Although faculty representatives have been assigned to various board committees, there is some concern about the ability of the faculty to be candid in expressing their opinions.

RECOMMENDATIONS

1.	The board members should participate in a meaningful strategic planning process, perhaps every three or four years.  Faculty, staff, alumni, students and parents should be involved. Issues of fairness and diversity should be examined in that strategic review.

2.	Specific oversight responsibilities should be assigned to committees or subcommittees of the board which result in regular contact and communication with faculty, staff, and students.

3.	Input into the board from the school's constituencies needs to be strengthened.

4.	There needs to be a strong board orientation program for new and continuing board members.

5.	A meeting should be held with the appropriate staff people from the offices of those who appoint board members to be certain that they have a better understanding of the types of people and the specific strengths and expertise needed on the board, along with expectations and time commitments and consideration for diversity. That level of understanding is critical if the role of the board is to be strengthened.

6.	The size of the board needs to be reviewed, as well as its organizational structure, to assure that the board is prepared to provide the leadership that will be required in the future.

VI. PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

FINDINGS

Professional development is a key factor in moving an institution forward. Those who work at NCSSM must be kept abreast of changing norms in education as well as in ways that enhance work efficiency. Training opportunities not only reward loyal and conscientious employees but they provide increased work efficiency and productivity. A well-developed program for both faculty and staff can promote a greater appreciation for each other as well as for the mission of the school.  Issues of diversity can be addressed in a positive manner that promotes open discussion and appreciation for differences as well as similarities and commitment to working together for a common goal.

As is true throughout state government, funds for professional development are limited, especially when compared to spending in this area in the private sector. Concern about fairness and diversity make this more imperative. This has not appeared to be a priority in the past, but it is gaining in emphasis now.

Faculty and staff orientation appears to be reasonably effective; however, some departments seem to do a more comprehensive job than others.  Diversity training has been primarily voluntary in the past.

There is some feeling that avenues for promotional opportunities exist within an employee's department, but in other areas these opportunities need to be more clearly communicated.

RECOMMENDATIONS

1.	A more uniform, more comprehensive campus-wide program for employee orientation needs to be developed with input from existing staff and faculty.  All employees should have a written professional development plan on file at the beginning of each school year.

2.	Diversity training needs to be mandated and opportunities for interaction with all staff and faculty need to be increased.  There are a number of model programs available across the country.

3.	Professional growth and skills enhancement need to be emphasized and encouraged so upper mobility can be achieved as new opportunities arise on campus.  Challenges posed to teaching via distance learning technologies require teaching strategies that may be very different from those required to teach in traditional classrooms.  Further, the diversity of students and learning environments suggests approaches to teaching that may be non-traditional. The teaching staff should be afforded opportunities for staff development which take into account these new and different learning environments and which will help them have the skills to be effective with their students and to model best practices in the profession.

4.	The Innovation Fund needs to be expanded to encourage staff, faculty, and students to develop and implement new ideas.

5.	There need to be more positive recognition programs for faculty and staff, thus helping to improve morale and to encourage excellence and innovation.

VI. COMPETING INTERESTS

FINDINGS

It is not uncommon to find competing interests within an institution.  With limited resources and personnel, there can often be a sense of privilege given to one group or project over another.  What can cause divisiveness is this perception of favoritism.  While people instinctively know that not all programs and activities can be funded or undertaken, it is the responsibility of the leadership to articulate how decisions are made affecting the common goal.  Issues of fairness surface frequently in this area.  It is, therefore, mandatory that perceptions do not become reality, but rather that there is a clear understanding of how each project or program fits into the total scheme.

There are many divisive issues at NCSSM. In some ways, this contributes to a healthy sense of dialogue over priorities and the need to share resources. In other ways it promotes a sense of "us versus them" where members see favoritism bestowed on some departments or programs. Of special note is the sense of "old versus new," where there continues to be a division between veteran school employees and newer hires. Closure has not been brought to many past grievances, thus inhibiting the ability for those involved to move on with their personal work and the work of the institution, while many state their desire to get beyond the past, there is need for some leadership and sensitivity in this area to help accomplish this "dream."

Change does not come easily even on a unique campus like NCSSM, especially when the entire faculty and staff are not involved sufficiently in the development process.  Such is apparently the case in the increased emphasis on distance learning.  There is some tension on campus concerning the original mission of the school versus distance learning programs. Effective communication and work with the entire faculty/staff could have prevented some of the dissatisfaction and unrest about this shift in emphasis.  

Distance learning will obviously enable the school to reach many more students, thus increasing its contribution to the improvement in student achievement across the state.  This in itself is very important to the education process and should improve already good legislative support for the school.

Campus computing facilities are not on par with distance learning labs and equipment. The residential facilities are not as advanced in technology capabilities as many homes and schools from which the students come.

A widespread lack of sense of community is present, along with a lack of an enthusiastic commitment to a common purpose.  There are some who feel too much attention is paid to fund-raising and external constituencies. However, the Commission recognizes fully the need for additional resources above the level of funds provided by the government.

Another competing interest is the perception of some, but not all, of preference for white personnel versus faculty and staff that are diverse. Without compromising quality, the school should have selection criteria which recognizes individual strengths and competencies as well as standardized measures.

RECOMMENDATIONS

1.	The future of the school and its changes need to be discussed openly with the entire community. Core faculty needs reassurance that traditional campus, residential programs will not suffer as distance learning expands. New opportunities for students and faculty are presented by the distance learning program. The board needs to articulate clearly its plans for distance learning and a management structure needs to be put into place to execute this plan.

2.	Diversity needs to be considered in selecting those who work with distance learning; however, all faculty should have involvement of varying degrees with the distance learning initiative.

3.	Criteria for selecting students, faculty, staff and consultants should be clearly stated and a variety of competencies should be recognized and valued.

4.	All students should have equal and easy access to computers.

5.	Focus groups could be comprised of faculty and staff to determine the issues which divide the campus into various groups with the goal being to resolve and eliminate misunderstandings from the past.

6.	Community-building retreats should be made a priority as time and resources permit. Anonymous climate surveys can be used to help shape the agenda.

7.	The campus should not be neglected in terms of student activity/recreational space, grounds upkeep and landscaping.  Possibly some in-kind contributions in this area can be obtained with appropriate recognition being given.

END