Connecting North Carolina to the 21st century
“This is a great day for the UNC system and all of North Carolina. We are grateful to the voters for approving the Connect NC Bond package and for their demonstration of support and confidence in our public University and community colleges. North Carolina is known for its longstanding commitment to public higher education, and the economic return on that investment has been tremendous. Today—at the ballot box—our citizens reaffirmed that historic commitment. With their votes, they said that higher education must continue to help meet the needs of the state and to open the doors of economic opportunity for their children and grandchildren.”
- UNC system President Margaret Spellings
The Connect NC bond will benefit the entire state
In March 2016, North Carolina voters will decide on a proposed $2 billion bond package that would enable statewide investments in higher education, safety, parks, recreation, and water and sewer infrastructure improvements. The bond package is referred to as the “Connect NC” public improvement bond because it is described as “connecting North Carolina to the twenty-first century.”
No new taxes or tax increases are necessary to finance the Connect NC bond.
What will the Connect NC bond do for North Carolina?
Through targeted, long-term investments statewide, the $2 billion package will connect North Carolina to future growth.
76 counties will receive support for education, parks, safety, recreation, and water and sewer infrastructure, which are vital to North Carolina’s competitiveness.
20-year financing will allow the citizens of North Carolina to pay for assets that will last for 50 years. Most of these projects cannot be financed from our annual operating budget, just as most homeowners pay for a house as they use it over time, rather than the day they move in.
Without jeopardizing North Carolina’s strong credit ratings, the Connect NC bond will benefit the entire state. The Connect NC bond proposal is well within current debt affordability as determined by the State Treasurer and the nonpartisan Debt Affordability Committee.
North Carolina is one of only 10 states with AAA credit rating from all three major ratings agencies. This top credit rating saves North Carolina taxpayers millions of dollars. Because our state is paying off our existing debt rapidly, overall debt levels will not increase with this new bond.
If approved by voters, over $980 million of the bond revenues will fund improvement and expansion projects across the University of North Carolina system.
What will the Connect NC bond do for Appalachian?
Funding from the Connect NC bond will provide $70 million for Appalachian to build a facility for the Beaver College of Health Sciences.
Since its founding in 2008, the number of students taught by Beaver College of Health Sciences faculty has doubled, and departments in the college are located in numerous locations across the Appalachian campus.
A facility for the Beaver College of Health Sciences will allow for interprofessional collaboration among all program areas in the college, including Nursing, Social Work, Nutrition and Health and Exercise Science. Academic and public service programs will be strengthened by this collaboration.
The building complex would be constructed in association with the Appalachian Regional health care System, which also donated the land for the building site. The classroom and office space in Edwin Duncan Hall which is currently occupied by the College of Health Sciences will be vacated and become available for use by other colleges.
Located in close proximity to Watauga Medical Center, the learning facility would greatly expand the volume and quality of education, research and public service for the community and region.
What would a new home for the Beaver College of Health Sciences look like? View a 3-D rendering here:
How will the Connect NC bond allow Appalachian to better serve North Carolina?
“With funding from the Connect NC bond, Appalachian will expand its capacity to provide health care professionals for North Carolina. With qualified health care professionals and health care educators, Appalachian can help meet the demand created by a critical shortage of health care access, particularly for residents in the rural areas of our state.” – Chancellor Sheri N. Everts
While primary care supply is currently strong overall in North Carolina, uneven distribution in rural areas means many areas of North Carolina qualify as a primary care Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSAs).*
The current primary care workforce and workforce in training in North Carolina are not adequate to handle the large increase in the demand for health care services, particularly in rural areas.*
Appalachian has entered into an innovative partnership with Wake Forest University to increase access to health care for rural North Carolinians. Increased access to quality health care will increase life expectancy for the citizens of North Carolina. Additionally, as better health care lowers overall health care costs, future health care costs borne by the state could decrease.
Bureau of Labor Statistics data project high demand for qualified health care professionals. By the year 2022, available jobs are projected to exceed 3.2 million nationwide.
Appalachian’s ability to help meet these needs is constrained without a facility.
Dr. Kathleen Ryman, Chair of the Department of Nursing, talks about the impact having a home for Appalachian’s Beaver College of Health Sciences will have for the state of North Carolina.
* Source: 2012 Physicians Foundation Survey
Richard Sparks, President/CEO of Appalachian Regional Healthcare System (ARHS), on Appalachian's longstanding commitment to providing quality health care in rural North Carolina, and why he supports the Connect NC bond.
When is the vote?
Absentee voting begins January 25
Voter registration deadline for primary participation: February 19
One-stop voting / early voting begins March 3
Mail-in absentee ballots must be received by the county board of elections by 5pm March 8
One-stop / early voting ends March 12
STATEWIDE PRIMARY ELECTION:
Tuesday, March 15, 2016
Additional information
Please note: clicking on the links below will take you away from Appalachian State University’s website. These sites and the content therein are not maintained or controlled by Appalachian State University.
Download an informational flyer about the Connect NC bond here (pdf, 8.5x11)
Download a quickfacts flyer here (pdf, 8.5x11)
Connect NC bond Q&A with Chancellor Sheri N. Everts
Don Flow on the importance of the University of North Carolina system
Find out more about the Connect NC bond on the official Connect NC website
Stay informed about the Connect NC bond on the bi-partisan coalition Connect NC Committee’s website
Read about North Carolina's 2016 Debt Affordability Study