RALEIGH — According to a severance agreement obtained by Raleigh television station WRAL, the former NC Community College System president Thomas Stith is being paid $97,000, or around four months of his salary, to leave early. Stith was being paid an annual salary of $292,000.
According to the report, the NC Community Colleges system released documents of the agreement after a week-and-a-half of requests made by WRAL. The documents show Stith will retain his health insurance through November and includes a non-disparagement clause.
Stith was forced out after sources confirmed to North State Journal that his removal was discussed during a three-hour closed session of the system’s board on July 15. He announced his resignation on July 19 but it did not take effect until July 22. According to those same sources, the removal of Stith had “been an ongoing conversation for several months.”
Stith had been president for about a year and a half after being named president of the system on Jan. 11, 2021.
The State Board of Community Colleges held an emergency meeting virtually on July 20. At that time, Bill Carver was named as the interim president of the state’s community colleges system and is the seventh president of the system to serve in the same number of years.
Carver served as president of Nash Community College from 2005 to 2019. While at Nash Community College, Carver had also been an instructor as well as dean of continuing education and vice president of instruction. He holds an Ed.D. from Nova Southeastern University and a graduate degree in business administration from Campbell University.
