In the late 1950s, the North Carolina General Assembly approved funding for a new concept in higher education: industrial education centers for the purpose of training adults in vocational and technical skills needed by emerging industries. In 1963, Rowan Industrial Education Center became one of the first of 58 colleges in the NC Community College System, under the leadership of founding president Merrill Hamilton. Brownell followed Hamilton as president in 1977 and served in that capacity for thirty years. In 1991, under his leadership, the College earned distinction as the first multi-campus community college in the state of North Carolina. The College experienced four significant name changes in its 60-year history: Rowan Industrial Education Center (1961); Rowan Technical Institute (1964); Rowan Technical College (1979); and Rowan-Cabarrus Community College (1987). In 2008, Dr. Carol S. Spalding became the third president of Rowan-Cabarrus. During her tenure, the College has continued to grow and thrive. Rowan-Cabarrus demonstrates a deep commitment to teaching excellence, student support and affordable education and training. Rowan-Cabarrus Community College has two main campuses covering two counties, the North Campus in Salisbury and the South Campus in Concord. The College serves residents of Rowan and Cabarrus counties on these campuses, at additional College locations and off-campus instructional sites that are conveniently and strategically located in the counties, and through online programs. Enrollment has grown to more than 22,000 students annually, and today, 61 years after its opening, Rowan-Cabarrus serves as a catalyst for local economic development by providing a skilled workforce for the region. The College offers fully accredited associate degree programs in more than 30 areas of study, including arts and sciences, business, information technology, health and public services, and engineering technologies, as well as dozens of diplomas and certifications. Rowan-Cabarrus also offers numerous degrees entirely online, as well as accredited diploma and certificate programs focused on career and technical training, continuing education and adult basic education. Additionally, the College provides a strong general education foundation and transferable credits for students advancing to four-year colleges and universities while helping many adults secure the additional training they need to start or change careers. Rowan-Cabarrus is the area’s only public college, the largest workforce training resource and one of our largest employers. Most graduates continue to live and work in our local communities and provide essential and critical services in healthcare, public safety, manufacturing, government, business and human services. Since its inception in 1963, Rowan-Cabarrus has changed the lives of many individuals in our region and is committed to building sustainable futures for our citizens through public higher education.
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Social Media Community Standards
Rowan-Cabarrus Community College encourages interaction, discussion, comments and questions. We ask that individuals keep comments and posts relevant and respectful. The College has established these Social Media Community Standards to govern posts. The College’s official social media accounts (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, Threads and
YouTube) are administered and moderated by the College’s Marketing and Communications department. The administrators of Rowan-Cabarrus Community College accounts reserve the right to delete comments, replies or other content and interactions they deem to be in violation of the College’s Social Media Community Standards or in violation of the social media platform's community standards. The administrators may also take action to report, block or ban users from social media platforms for violations. In accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Rowan-Cabarrus Community College is committed to maintaining inclusive and accessible digital spaces. All interactions on official platforms must align with this commitment to ensure full participation by individuals with disabilities. Social media submissions that will be removed and reported may include, but are not
limited to:
• Harassing, intimidating or threatening comments to another person
• Comments that incite violence or other action in violation of any federal or state
anti-discrimination laws
• Sexually explicit, sexually vulgar, or violent language, profanity or imagery
• Infringement on copyrights or trademarks
• Comments that promote illegal activity
• Solicitations or promotions of products or services of any third party, unless approved
in advance by the Marketing and Communications department, or designee
• Comments that include false or defamatory information
• Posts that misrepresent or hide the poster’s identity
• Comments that violate privacy or confidentiality, especially as it relates to the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)
• Comments unrelated to the topic of the post or to the College community
• Repetitive comments and spam posts
Additional Community Standards for each social media platform are found here:
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/communitystandards/
• Twitter: https://help.twitter.com/en/rules-and-policies/twitter-rules
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/legal/professional-community-policies
• Instagram: https://help.instagram.com/477434105621119
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/yt/about/policies/ -guidelines
• Threads: https://transparency.meta.com/policies/community-standards
Revised April 2025. Original (signed) procedure is on file in the Rowan-Cabarrus Community College President’s Office.
