| A $2 billion bond referendum for statewide infrastructure will appear on the March 15 ballot. The bond includes projects across 77 of the state’s 100 counties with a bulk of the funds going to support construction, renovation and repair projects across the University of North Carolina System and community colleges.
The UNC System would receive $980 million for capital projects and repairs, of that, $180 million goes directly to historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) in North Carolina. As the largest HBCU and producer of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) graduates, North Carolina A&T State University would receive $90 million for the new Engineering Research Innovation Complex (ERIC).
The ERIC Complex will: create jobs by serving as a catalyst for economic growth and development both in the short and long term, establish a pipeline of diverse STEM leaders by providing the necessary space to accommodate the increasing number of engineering students and to support their respective research interests, and enlarge the university’s economic impact by aiding in the recruitment and retention of some of the world’s most high-achieving and highly motivated STEM students and educators to N.C. A&T and the Piedmont Triad.
In December, the A&T Board of Trustees voted unanimously to support the Connect NC bond referendum. Aggies, supporters, and friends of the university can learn more about the bond referendum by visiting connect.nc.gov. |
