SCC Administrators Complete State Leadership Program, Bring New Strategies to Campus

Whiteville – Two Southeastern Community College administrators say a statewide leadership program is already shaping how they approach student success, collaboration, and campus operations.

Colene Faulk, Dean of Student Services, and Jason Strickland, Chief Information Officer, completed the Spring 2026 cohort of the North Carolina Community College Leadership Program (NCCCLP), offered through the Belk Center for Community College Leadership.

About the Program

• Statewide leadership development initiative for emerging community college leaders
• Focus areas include strategic planning, budgeting, operations, leadership, and systemwide collaboration
• Builds a network of peers across the North Carolina Community College System

Faulk: A Broader View of Leadership

• Described the experience as “transformational”, offering space to step back from daily responsibilities
• Key takeaway: cross‑departmental collaboration strengthens student support
• Emphasized leadership rooted in listening, adapting, and keeping students at the center
• Says the program is already influencing her work:
  • More strategic approach to student services
  • Stronger partnerships across campus
  • Clearer focus on how every initiative connects to student success
• Called her selection an honor and highlighted the value of statewide professional connections

Strickland: Practical Tools for IT and Beyond

• Applied the Team Player Styles Inventory with his IT department to improve communication and effectiveness
• Gained insight into leadership pathways across the community college system
• Appreciated hearing from college presidents with diverse career journeys
• Program broadened his understanding of:
  • Budgeting
  • Planning
  • Talent management
  • Program evaluation
• Says being selected shows SCC leadership sees potential in him as an emerging leader
• Already collaborating with peers:
  • Networking with the IT director at Vance‑Granville Community College
  • Connecting with the new IT director at Bladen Community College

Looking Ahead

Both administrators say the relationships, ideas, and tools gained through NCCCLP will continue shaping their work at SCC.

• Faulk: “Everything we do should connect back to student success.”
• Strickland: “The relationships and ideas I gained are something I’ll continue to build on.”

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