By Nicholas Allen | February 5, 2021
“I believe an awareness of global culture is always a benefit and when it is lacking, it can cause unnecessary and unwanted harm. The best way to expand and improve is to engage with one another and develop that bond of understanding and respect. We don’t always have to agree, but if we understand the culture, the solutions are easier to come by.”
Walter Dalton ended his eight year tenure at Isothermal Community College on January 29th, 2021. Dalton is the former Lieutenant Governor of North Carolina and also served six terms in the state senate. As a public servant to the state of North Carolina and a community college leader, he has had his thumb on the pulse of North Carolina’s most pressing issues. We were lucky enough to ask him a few questions before his retirement and are proud to highlight his career with February’s Global Educator Spotlight.
When asked to describe Isothermal Community College, Dalton had two words: hope and opportunity. The college offers its students the opportunity to improve themselves through college transfer degrees in the arts and sciences or with two year degrees in the applied sciences and technical skills. “We also offer the opportunity for people to ‘skill up’ by taking advantage of continuing education courses and adult education classes,” he expanded. Isothermal is also integrating industry-informed curriculum as part of their effort to empower their students with the best education. Local and international businesses are partnering with the college on customized training and help to create and retain jobs.
Despite an ambitious slate of opportunities, the college works hard to keep prices affordable. Isothermal also has a scholarship available for each student from Rutherford County and Polk County that provides free tuition through the Lee L. Powers Service Scholarship. “It truly is a place for lifelong learning,” Dalton reflected. “To be president of such an institution, especially in my home county, is an honor and a privilege. You hope to make a difference in someone’s life and there is no better way than through a community college.” Rutherford County and Polk County were devastated by the Great Recession: the industrial base eroded and jobs migrated offshore, but Isothermal has answered the need of its community. “We have been there to help meet this ‘challenge of change’ and through new programs and new and upgraded facilities, we are poised to compete in the modern economy,” explained Dalton. That “challenge of change” has now taken on global components, and as a partner, UNC World View is honored to be a part of Isothermal’s mission to meet that challenge.
UNC World View first came across Walter Dalton’s desk through Robert Phay, Director Emeritus, and Jim Peacock, former World View Advisory Board Chair, when Dalton was a Chair of Education and later an Appropriations Chair in the North Carolina Senate. “I was always impressed by their professionalism, passion, and mission,” he remembered, “At that time, their work was principally with K-12 teachers through professional development and their focus on globalization was ahead of its time.” Although UNC World View’s leadership changed, our relationship to Isothermal remained strong.
After becoming president of ICC, Dalton was introduced to incoming World View Director Charlé LaMonica by a friend and trustee of the college, Ron Giles. “I had recommended Ron for service on the World View Board and he wanted me to meet Charlé, the new director replacing Robert Phay after his retirement. I did and I realized that World View was in good hands,” Dalton expounded. He has also served on UNC World View’s Council of Advisors and on various panels at conferences throughout the years.
We’re pleased that President Dalton finds benefits in our mission and programming as much as we have benefitted from our relationship with him. He explained that UNC World View has provided a resource that allows instructors and students to look beyond the bounds of their community and appreciate how globally interdependent we all are. In general, globally-focused professional development and curricula provide educators and their students with a broadening experience, and the N.C. Scholar of Global Distinction Program is a large part of that at the community college level. A national model for university-community college collaboration in global learning, this program has taken root at many of North Carolina’s community colleges, Isothermal included. “It really makes a difference in students’ understanding and perspective if they have a global context of the issue they are working on,” he explained. “If we are indeed training a global workforce, then awareness of that globe and awareness of reverberations from travails in a distant land is important. If we want to develop critical thinking—and we do—then a knowledge of the breadth of what you are critiquing is a necessity to fully achieve the best result.” And indeed, through President Dalton, Isothermal has proved its dedication to global education and expanded its networks far beyond state lines.
They’re increasing their global capacity with the help of an Appalachian Regional Commission grant which has resulted in a partnership with Trelleborg, a Swedish company traded on the New York Stock Exchange. Trelleborg’s U.S. headquarters for rubber coated fabric are in Rutherford County and their manufacturing of their multiple products spans fifty different countries. The grant calls for Trelleborg to identify real world industrial problems; then, a small number of Isothermal students will work on the problems in virtual collaboration with students from Sweden. In the spring, there is a student exchange where Isothermal students go to Sweden for a week and the Swedish students come to North Carolina. At the end of the process the students will receive a credential recognized by the industry in general. The students will also receive credit hours for their work and credit toward the global distinction recognition. “We are also building relationships with the Oldenburg Society and the Hanoverian Societies in Germany in conjunction with our agribusiness and equine programs and our partnership with Tryon International Equestrian Center,” Dalton noted. Aside from in-person student exchanges, these programs continue to grow despite limitations imposed by the coronavirus pandemic. In fact, UNC World View is partnering with Isothermal to present Global is Local Business Summit: The Future of Work on March 5th, 2021.
To President Dalton’s stalwart sense of optimism, COVID-19 has been a boon to global education.
I think COVID, in a sense, has caused us to embrace global education to a greater degree. A pandemic knows no political boundaries. We are impacted by its infectious and deleterious nature. By the same token, it has forced us into greater virtual learning and collaborative opportunities. It has by necessity expanded our technological skillsets and broadened the population using virtual learning. Thus, it has facilitated communication across political, ethnic, and linguistic lines.
He is not turning a blind eye to the negatives, however, acknowledging that limitations on travel have delayed full implementation of initiatives like the partnership with Trelleborg and adversely impacted many industries trading globally due to COVID restrictions and a diminishing demand for certain products and services, such as airline construction, travel, tourism, and dining. We’re excited to see how Isothermal continues to meet its communities’ “challenge of change” under the direction of incoming president Margaret Annunziata.
As President Dalton reflected on his career as a public servant and community college administrator, he shared a story about partnership and global literacy. He first noted its benefit to all that we do, stating that “understanding and appreciating one another is the first step toward progress.” As a chair of the JOBS (Joining Our Businesses and Schools) Commission, a statewide effort established by the legislature, Dalton discovered that approximately 60 languages were spoken in Cumberland County and that every Special Forces soldier at Fort Bragg was assigned by hemisphere. For that reason, the commission wanted the military to support an early college in Fayetteville focused on language. “They did, but did so only if the education included an awareness and understanding of the cultures, and not just the learning of a language,” he remembered. “Talking to people is one thing. Understanding, appreciating, and respecting them is another.” That level of commitment to connecting people and cultures speaks volumes to the legacy he has helped build at Isothermal Community College.
We will remember President Dalton’s tenure as one that expanded global literacy, understanding, appreciation, and respect, and we wish him well on his next adventure. Thank you for your service, President Dalton.
Please take a few minutes to watch this video created by students at Isothermal Community College detailing the collaboration between Isothermal, Trelleborg, and UNC World View on Global is Local Business Summit: The Future of Work.