NORTH CAROLINA GENERAL ASSEMBLY

1965 SESSION

 

 

CHAPTER 1148

HOUSE BILL 1072

 

 

AN ACT TO ESTABLISH A LOAN FUND FOR PROSPECTIVE COLLEGE TEACHERS.

 

WHEREAS, education beyond the high school has become essential to all agricultural, industrial, civic, and professional occupations in the development of North Carolina; and

WHEREAS, due to the rapid increase in births during the post-war years of 1946-47, the graduates from North Carolina high schools increased by nearly 5,000 in 1964 (1963—48,480; 1964—53,106) and is expected to increase by approximately 15,000 in 1965 (1965 — 68,094); and

WHEREAS, the percentage of high school graduates seeking education beyond the high school has tended to increase both nationally and in North Carolina; and

WHEREAS, the State Lgislature has authorized the development of a community college system; and

WHEREAS, the twelve community colleges which have been approved will need a minimum of 550 faculty members by 1967, according to projected enrollment figures; and

WHEREAS, in addition to these needs, the 1965-67 "A" Budget requests for technical institutes amount to 298 faculty positions; and WHEREAS, the 1965-67 "A" Budget requests for faculty positions in public senior institutions amount to 542; and

WHEREAS, the faculty positions needed in the next two years in North Carolina's 26 private senior colleges, 16 private junior colleges, and 4 Bible schools will probably range between 180-250; and

WHEREAS, the total number of projected faculty positions needed for education beyond the high school during this biennium in North Carolina appears to range between 1,570-1,640; and

WHEREAS, in order to preserve quality, there should be more than one applicant for each position; and

WHEREAS, in 1964 all senior institutions graduated only 1,781 persons with the master's degree and 195 with the doctor's degree for all professions (including the areas of law, medicine, dentistry, elementary and secondary education, among others); and

WHEREAS, the deans of graduate programs in the State of North Carolina have indicated that the competition from other professions and occupations necessitates special inducements to encourage qualified persons to prepare for careers in higher education; and

WHEREAS, it can be seen that an immediate shortage of qualified faculty members exists and will continue to exist in the State of North Carolina unless appropriate steps are taken: Now, therefore,

 

The General Assembly of North Carolina do enact:

 

Section 1.  Chapter 116 of the General Statutes shall be amended by the addition of a new Article which shall be designated "Article 5. Loan Fund for Prospective College Teachers." and shall read as follows:

"Article 5.

"Loan Fund for Prospective College Teachers.

"G.S. 116-71.  Purpose of Article. The purpose of this Article is to encourage, assist, and expedite the post graduate level education and training of competent teachers for the public and private universities, colleges and technical institutes in this State by the granting of loans to finance such study. The funds shall be used to increase the number of teaching faculty as distinguished from research specialists.

"G.S. 116-72.  Loan Fund Established. There is established a loan fund for prospective college teachers to assist capable persons to pursue study and training leading to masters or doctorate degrees in preparation to become teachers in the public and private institutions of education beyond the high school in North Carolina. Both private and public sources may be solicited in the creation of the fund.

"G.S. 116-73.  Administration of Fund. 'The Scholarship Loan Fund for Prospective College Teachers' shall be the responsibility of the State Board of Higher Education and the State Board of Education and will be administered by them through a joint committee, 'The College Scholarship Loan Committee.' This committee will operate under the following rules and regulations and under such further rules and regulations as the State Board of Higher Education and the State Board of Education shall jointly promulgate.

1.         The nomination of applicants and recommendations of renewals shall be the responsibility of the College Scholarship Loan Committee.

2.         Loans should be made for a single academic year (nine months) with renewal possible for two successive years for students successfully pursuing masters or doctoral programs. Loans shall not exceed two thousand dollars ($2,000.00) for single students and three thousand dollars ($3,000.00) for married students.

3.         All scholarship loans shall be evidenced by notes, with sufficient sureties, made payable to the State Board of Education and shall bear interest at the rate of four per cent (4%) per annum from and after September 1 following the awarding of the candidate's degree.

4.         Recipients of loans may have them repaid by teaching in a college or other educational institution beyond the high school level in North Carolina upon completion of their masters or doctorate degree program, at the rate of one hundred dollars ($100.00) per month for each month of such teaching. If a student supported by a loan in this program should fail to so teach in a North Carolina institution, the loan would become repayable to the State, with interest, for that part of the teaching commitment not met, said note to be repaid according to the terms thereof.

5.         Loans for twelve weeks of summer study, carrying stipends not to exceed five hundred dollars ($500.00) for single and married students, should be available to students who do not plan to attend post graduate school as full-time students during the regular academic year. Recipients should be eligible for up to three renewals over a four-year period. The obligation to teach in a North Carolina college or other educational institution, or failing that, to repay the State, shall apply proportionally as indicated above.

"G.S. 116-74.  Continuation of Fund. The Scholarship Loan Fund for Prospective College Teachers shall continue in effect until terminated by action of the General Assembly of North Carolina. Such amounts of loans shall be repaid from time to time under the provisions of this Article, together with such amounts of interests as may be received on account of loans made shall become a part of the principal amount of said Loan Fund. These funds shall be administered for the same purposes and under the same provisions as are set forth herein to the end that they may be utilized in addition to such further amounts as may be privately donated or appropriated from time to time by public or corporate bodies.

Sec. 2.  All laws and clauses of laws in conflict with this Act are hereby repealed.

Sec. 3.  This Article shall be in full force and effect on and after July 1, 1965.

In the General Assembly read three times and ratified, this the 17th day of June, 1965.