Although the N.C. State Board of Community Colleges at its meeting Friday gave the green light to the Cape Fear Community College Board of Trustees' selection of James "Jim" Morton as the new college president, the unanimous decision did not come without a few strings.

“The [state] board did approve [Morton’s] selection but will send a letter to the Cape Fear Community College Board of Trustees about the public perception of their actions, and encourage the board of trustees to be more proactive in their communications and to increase their transparency,” Brian Long, spokesman for the N.C. Community College System, said Friday.

Long said that the state board also has directed N.C. Community Colleges staff to develop some language for the State Board Code – essentially its body of rules and regulations – regarding the selection of college presidents.

“They want to see that language at their May meeting,” Long said.

For more than a year, a state board task force had worked on issues related to system governance and made recommendations, Long said. In the past few months, it considered the issue of a presidential search process.

At present, according to officials, there is no formal search process required for a community college in the state system seeking a new president.

“The situation at Cape Fear has created a greater sense of urgency; it’s something the board is going to examine in greater detail,” he added. “Based on their actions today, the state board’s concern is with process. Something is going to be discussed at the state board meeting in mid-May.”