Connecting in North Carolina (CINC) Tour
Join other members of the Wolfpack on a bus tour of our state.
NC State has a rich history of providing and delivering unique opportunities and educational programs to the 100 counties and tribal lands in our state. The Connecting in North Carolina (CINC) Tour is an annual opportunity for recently hired faculty and staff to gain a better understanding of the University’s outreach and community engagement endeavors across North Carolina.
Each stop on the most-expenses-paid two- or three-day route features site visits, tours, presentations and authentic conversations with government and industry leaders, small business owners, cooperative extension agents and community partners. The tour rotates each year between North Carolina’s geographic regions: the Piedmont, the mountains and the coastal plains.
Hear from recent participants about their experience:
2026: Coastal Plains
The 2026 tour, which will visit community partners in the coastal plains region June 3-5, will mark the 20th time this Wolfpack tradition hits the road. The interest form for 2026 is now closed and O&E will now coordinate with Deans and other unit heads to finalize the list of riders. A new interest form will be advertised when a date is finalized for the 2027 tour.
Eligibility
Any permanent staff member hired within the last seven years may attend. Those newly interested in community engagement may also be able to attend if there are extra seats.
Faculty and staff usually only attend once, but may be able serve on the planning committee and help in future years
Rider selection
Given high demand and limited space on the bus, Deans are sent a save the date each spring and asked if they would like to prioritize attendance for any two members of their College.
If there are additional available seats after that, additional wider publicity is performed to solicit registration requests which are then prioritized by the CINC Tour Committee to achieve ridership of about 30.
Program Goals
The CINC Tour serves as a catalyst for participants to:
- Build networks with interdisciplinary colleagues and engaged citizens across the state
- Identify opportunities for engaged scholarship that will contribute to the common good
- Understand NC State’s community impact and visit communities that our students call home
The CINC tour is designed for new faculty and staff nominated by a dean or unit director who are within their first seven years of employment. Each college or department may send up to two representatives per year. Questions? Reach out to us at outreachandengagement@ncsu.edu.