RCC, NC State sign transfer agreement
Jan 23, 2026NC State University Chancellor Kevin Howell visited the Rockingham Community College campus on Friday, Jan. 23, for a celebration marking the signing of the Wolfpack Connect agreement—a partnership that creates a seamless pathway for RCC students to transfer to NC State and complete a four‑year bachelor’s degree.
The event welcomed community members; local, state, and county officials; RCC employees and students; and NC State leadership. The campus lobby of RCC’s Center for Workforce Development was filled with red-and-white décor as guests greeted Chancellor Howell and his team, including Vice Provost Cindy Barr—who grew up on a Rockingham County farm—and Vice Chancellor and Chief of Staff Julie Smith.
RCC President Dr. Sylvia Cox and Chancellor Howell, both NC State alumni who began their leadership roles last May, addressed the crowd during what many described as a historic moment for the college and community.
“The Wolfpack Connect partnership strengthens opportunities for students, supports workforce development, and deepens the pipeline between education and economic development for this region,” Dr. Cox said.
She emphasized the important role community colleges play as an accessible first step for students.
“Faculty and staff can work closely with them, help them build confidence, strengthen their readiness, and prepare them for their next step,” she said. “And that is what we do at RCC every single day: we prepare students not only for a credential or a degree, but for their future.”
Reflecting on her own experience, Dr. Cox added, “As a first‑generation college student, I am a living, breathing example of a life changed by NC State, from a very small community in eastern North Carolina.” She noted that the missions of RCC and NC State “collide beautifully together.”
Chancellor Howell praised RCC’s role in providing accessible, foundational education for students pursuing their goals.
With Wolfpack Connect, he said, RCC students now have “a clear, affordable, and achievable path to NC State. It’s reducing the barriers for higher education.”
He emphasized the program’s ripple effect: “That a student can come to Rockingham Community College or later to NC State with this Wolfpack Connect program is not just for that one individual; it’s for that community. It’s for everybody on that student’s street. It’s for that family.”
North Carolina Senate President Pro Tempore Phil Berger also spoke, saying, “Today, North Carolina is signaling to students: if you work hard, you meet academic expectations, you will have a guaranteed pathway forward into one of our finest universities, NC State.” Berger noted that attending a community college was the only way he was able to move from high school to a university and ultimately to where he is today.
Under the Wolfpack Connect program, students who complete an Associate in Arts or Associate in Science degree, maintain at least a 3.0 GPA, and meet transfer deadlines receive guaranteed admission into more than 100 majors and concentrations at NC State. Participants also gain access to early academic planning resources, including NC State’s real‑time Transfer Planner and coordinated advising that helps them stay on track.
RCC Associate in Science student Steven Britt celebrated the news, saying the guaranteed admission program “takes the stress out of college applications and enables students to make sure their RCC credits will transfer.”
“This partnership with NC State makes me view RCC as a place of great opportunities for the future,” Britt said, “and further makes me believe that I made a good decision in enrolling at RCC with plans to transfer to NC State.”
NC Rep. Reece Pyrtle and NC Senate President Pro Tempore Phil Berger, standing, watch as RCC President Dr. Sylvia Cox and NC State University Chancellor Kevin Howell sign a transfer agreement.
~By Gerri Hunt, RCC Director of Public Information
