Community Colleges
From today's paper:
Community college students applying for some programs could be screened
RALEIGH - Community colleges could run criminal background checks on students hoping to enter programs that lead to a state-issued license if a bill approved by the House on Monday becomes law.
The Senate will next consider the proposal, which would allow the community college system to require a variety of academic or nonacademic criteria to screen students applying to programs such as nursing and massage therapy.
Community colleges have limited space in their programs, said Audrey Bailey, a spokeswoman for the statewide community college system. She said the bill is aimed at making sure students who will not be able to complete those programs don’t take spaces from students who could.
"In areas like nursing, the waiting list is way long," Bailey said.
Leaders of community college programs said the change would not have much of an immediate effect.
"It's not an issue yet," said Kathy Jones, department chairwoman for GTCC's nursing program. That's because the hospitals GTCC sends their students to for practical work do not require criminal background checks.
The Internet page for Rockingham Community College's nursing program sternly warns students that the state nursing board requires a criminal background check in advance of issuing a license.
"Once admitted into the nursing program, drug testing and/or criminal background checks may be requested by the clinical facilities before students are allowed to care for patients," the site warns.
Nettie Guy, the director of Rockingham's nursing program, said that some of the hospitals the college works with require background checks.
"We've been fortunate in that we've not had that problem," Guy said. None of her students have run into trouble because of such requirements, she said.
The bill passed the House will little debate Monday night.
"It just simply protects the students before they go through a program ... that they know they will be able to get a license," said Rep. Joe Tolson, a Pinetops Democrat and sponsor of the bill.