CFCC Students Strike After Marine Technology Department Chair Fired

About 40 members of Cape Fear Community College’s marine technology program walked out of class at noon Wednesday.

Students, faculty and alumni have protested the recent ouster of Jason Rogers, former head of CFCC’s marine technology program. Rogers led the program for 19 years, but last week the college effectively fired him.

Now the marine technology program that Rogers once headed wants answers.

“I just think there should be more transparency around this type of thing,” said student Melanie Vandenberg. “You know, it just seems like students have really been left in the dark.”

“Why throw Jay out?”

The decision sparked outrage among students. One student, Micah Barton, told WHQR that Rogers was more than just the program chair — he was a professor, academic advisor, and friend.

“Nobody gave us any answers, even though we all asked,” she said. “Even the day he passed away, Rogers himself had to write to us.”

Rogers contacted students and faculty last week announcing his departure. In an email sent Tuesday, he explained that his application to continue to lead the program had been rejected by the CFCC administration.

The next day, North Campus Vice Chancellor Shawn Dixon informed members of the CFCC Marine Technology Advisory Committee that the department would undergo a restructuring as of July 1. The three programs in Marine Technology, Boatbuilding, and Boat Manufacturing would now be combined into a new department called Applied Technology. John Branner was named chairman of the new program.

But as of this writing, Rogers’ successor has not been named. The CFCC posted a job opening Tuesday for its marine technology chairman.

“We have not heard anything from the school regarding this matter,” Barton said. “And the university has not made any offers to assist us in any way.”

Retaliation?

Some students say the firing was retaliatory. In 2022, CFCC quietly changed the employment status of crew aboard the college’s research vessel, the Cape Hatteras. Crew members were “fired,” meaning they lost PTO and did not receive time off.

Students and faculty from the Marine Engineering Department protested the change. As did Rogers. Faced with the resignations of many crew members, including Captain Robert Daniels, he pressured the CFCC board to reverse course on the matter.

Rogers and the marine technology program had some success. Although Daniels was not reinstated to his former position, CFCC began offering crew members “sea time”—an hour of PTO for every hour of overtime.

But students say Rogers’ activities on their behalf may have cost him his job.

“I think part of the reason he was removed was because he was always defending the students in the program,” said graduate Colton Stanley. “And that irritated people in the administration.”

Consequences

During the 2022 PTO controversy, crew resignations left Cape Hatteras “without a captain.” This was a huge blow to many students. The work on Cape Hatteras is a central part of the marine technology program, but because the ship was docked for months, many were unable to participate.

During Wednesday’s protest, students said Rogers’ departure was having a similar impact on their learning.

“I lost my academic advisor, like a lot of other students,” Barton said. “I reached out to (the) advising department. It’s been a few days now and I still haven’t heard anything. So I have no way to plan the rest of my degree here. I’m a little worried about that.”

“He taught some really key classes,” Vandenberg said. “And I worry about how that will affect other teachers, of course, and potentially new teachers if they take over those classes. I know our current professors have a lot on their plate.”

“There is no safety net at this point, we still have a semester left and we are not sure if we will be able to complete it,” Barton said.