Transportation Secretary Visits Students and Staff at N.C. State by
Raleigh – Fall classes are under way at N.C. State, and Transportation Secretary Nick Tennyson paid a visit to campus Tuesday to encourage students to consider working toward a career with the department. Secretary Tennyson sat in on a civil engineering class in the school’s Department of Civil, Construction and Environmental Engineering. He reminded students that the transportation challenges we face in the 21st century, coupled with Governor Pat McCrory’s emphasis on improving the state’s transportation infrastructure through his 25-year Transportation Vision plan, means there will be well-paying and personally rewarding job opportunities. “We need smart, highly-trained people like you to keep North Carolina at the forefront of economic growth,” said Secretary Tennyson. “And the transportation department will play a key role in that growth by continuing to improve the connections between communities and businesses, a key for keeping and adding jobs in our state.” Tennyson reminded students that Governor McCrory’s new education initiatives are aimed at making higher education at state schools like N.C. State more affordable. That includes a budget provision that guarantees a student’s undergraduate tuition rate if they graduate within four or five years, depending on their field of study. In addition to the tuition provision, the budget caps fee increases at three percent annually. “College life can be stressful, but at least one less thing to worry about for students and their families is how to deal with a significant increase in the cost of tuition,” said Tennyson. “As a parent, I know the importance of predictable, affordable college tuition.” Tennyson also met with N.C. State Chancellor Randy Woodson, as well as College of Engineering Dean Louie Martin-Vega and transportation faculty members Dr. George List and Dr. Billy Williams to discuss how the state can partner with the school to encourage graduates to consider a career with the Department of Transportation. ***NCDOT***
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