NCCCS Launches Student Innovation Council to Help Shape the Student Experience
Raleigh, N.C.—Ten community college students from across North Carolina now have a direct say in how the state’s 58 community colleges modernize the student experience. The North Carolina Community College System (System) launched its Student Innovation Council on Oct. 20 at Lenovo’s North American headquarters in Morrisville, where students, System leaders, North Carolina Community College State Board members, and industry partners met for the Council’s first working session.
The Council is supported by the NC Community Colleges Foundation through a gift from State Board Chair Tom Looney and his wife Lucy; it will provide a forum for students to share their insights, identify barriers to success, and recommend opportunities to improve the student journey.
The inaugural Council brings together 10 student leaders representing community colleges across North Carolina: Stephanie Pano, president of the North Carolina Comprehensive Community College Student Government Association (N4CSGA), and Gabriel Robertson of Johnston Community College; Joshua Hopper of Forsyth Technical Community College; Etoo Owaraga of Wake Technical Community College; Citlaly Garcia Guijon of Alamance Community College; Destini Dawson of Craven Community College; Colin Williams and Keydra Oglesby of Rowan-Cabarrus Community College; Kevin Hernandez-Perez of Durham Technical Community College; and Daniel Vernon of Surry Community College.
Together, these students will help identify opportunities to make college more accessible, connected, and supportive, ensuring that student perspectives inform efforts to improve the experience from enrollment through completion and beyond.
For Robertson, the Council represents an opportunity to make a lasting difference for future students.
“I hope that, even if I don’t experience it myself, future students will reap the benefits of what we’re doing today,” said Robertson. “Students deserve to enter college with the resources and support they need to succeed and have a great college experience. The Council is the perfect opportunity to help make that happen.”
During his opening remarks, Chair Looney emphasized the importance of incorporating student feedback into decisions shaping the future of the community college system.
“I don’t think we listen to students enough. Today, you, the students, are the most important people in the room. You should have a seamless college experience no matter what college you go to,” Chair Looney said. “We are fighting for change in education so that we can market to and serve students with world-class tools.”
Dr. Monty Sullivan, acting president and CEO of the North Carolina Community College System, echoed that commitment, emphasizing the importance of ensuring students have the same access to the tools and resources they need to succeed.
“Our goal is to level the playing field so that no matter your zip code you have the same access as everyone else,” Dr. Sullivan said. “We have to do a better job of coming forward with products and systems that make this process easy for students.”
Learning from Industry Leaders
The inaugural meeting focused on how technology, innovation, and student feedback can help create a more accessible, connected, and effective educational experience across the System.
Lenovo leaders shared perspectives on innovation and user satisfaction, providing a framework for students to consider how these principles might translate to higher education. Dilip Bhatia, vice president and chief experience officer at Lenovo, advised that the experience of using a product is just as important as the product itself.
“People don’t buy products. They buy experiences. And experience is what drives businesses,” Bhatia said. “You want students to choose community colleges, so you must focus on their experiences and design them to be seamless. You have to think about where in the journey people are getting stuck. Products get you considered. Experiences buy you loyalty.”
Tom Butler, vice president of worldwide commercial portfolio and product management at Lenovo, demonstrated Lenovo’s flagship product, the ThinkPad, and explained how user interface considerations influenced the design and development. The demonstration reinforced a central message of the day: just as products evolve and improve when they are shaped by consumers, so, too, will the student journey when the System listens to students and acts on their feedback.
Council members also participated in a guided tour of Lenovo’s product facilities, offering an opportunity to learn more about the company’s technology development and partnerships.
Reflecting on the Student Experience
During an interactive, student-centered mapping session, Dr. Torry Reynolds, associate vice president of student services for the System, and Dr. Michelle Lair, state director of student success for the System, reflected on their educations and invited the Council members to do the same.
Together, the group then took a broader look at the student experience across the state, identifying common barriers and brainstorming improvements at every stage, from exploring college options and applying to enrolling, paying, and completing a program, transferring, or entering the workforce. Council members highlighted opportunities to enhance connectivity, communication, coursework management, payment structures, and access to campus resources, exploring ways to make the college experience more seamless and supportive for students across North Carolina.
The meeting also connected student recommendations to ongoing System efforts. Scott Ottman, transformation committee chair of the State Board, closed the working session with an overview of ways the State Board is currently addressing pain points within the student experience, including the transition to a systemwide learning management system (LMS) and enhancements to customer relationship management (CRM) and student engagement to strengthen communication and support.
By bringing student feedback into conversations about these initiatives, the Council can help inform how existing and future solutions are designed, prioritized, and implemented.
Building a Foundation for Future Success
The inaugural meeting established a foundation for continued collaboration among students, System leadership, and industry partners. The next phase will focus on translating the Council’s ideas into actionable recommendations and identify concrete steps to put them into practice.
The Student Innovation Council reflects the System’s commitment to more than listening to students. By creating a direct channel for student input and connecting recommendations to System-level decision-making, the Council will help shape practical solutions that support student success.
About the North Carolina Community College System: The North Carolina Community College System (System) is the engine for workforce development in North Carolina and the only public entity dedicated to providing affordable college access to anyone in the state. The System is governed by the NC State Board of Community Colleges with administration from the NC Community College System Office, and support from the NC Community Colleges Foundation, and is powered by the 58 community colleges and their respective foundations. Together, the System serves 600,000 students and awards more than 60,000 degrees, diplomas, and certificates annually. For more information, visit https://www.nccommunitycolleges.edu/
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