Minutes provided for Crowder College Board of Trustees meeting

MINUTES OF THE MEETING OF THE

BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF THE COMMUNITY COLLEGE DISTRICT

OF NEWTON-McDONALD COUNTIES, MISSOURI

July 23, 2018

There being a quorum present, the meeting of the Crowder College Board of Trustees of the Community College District of Newton-McDonald Counties, Missouri, was called to order by Board Chair, Mr. Andy Wood, at 10:01 a.m. on Monday, July 23, 2018, in the Crowder College Student Center Fireside Room.

Members present for the meeting were:

                Andy Wood, Chair

                Diane Andris, Member

                Vickie Barnes, Treasurer

                Rick Butler, Vice Chair

                Al Chapman, Secretary

                Larry Vancuren, Member

Also attending the meeting were:

                Tom Burke, Interim President

                Martha Nimmo, Administrative Assistant to the President

TJ Angel, Director of Physical Plant

Joseph Brenner, Accounts Receivable Manager

                Kathy Parker-Collier, Grants Director

                Glenn Coltharp, Vice President of Academic Affairs

                Mitch Cordray, Director of Information Technology

                Christina Cullers, Controller

                Jim Cullumber, Director of Institutional Advancement

                Chett Daniel, Director of Institutional Research

                Curtis Daniels, Career and Technical Education Division Chair/Computer Tech Instructor

                JP Dickey, Director of Admissions

                Kristi Enloe, Accounts Payable Accountant

                Tom Franklin, Associate Director, Crowder Training and Development Solutions

                Mickie Mahan, Associate Vice President of Information Services

                Christy Manning, Coordinator, Office of Disability Services

                Adam Morris, Associate Vice President of Academic Affairs

                Melissa Oates, Director of MARET Center

                Monte Padgett, Director, Nevada Instructional Center

                Amy Rand, Vice President of Finance

                Angela Seymour, Director, Cassville Instructional Center

                Kerry Whitehead, Education Technology Specialist

                Sandra Wilson, Director of Nursing/Division Chair

                Steven Wolven, Education Technology Assistant

                Keith Zoromski, Title III Curriculum Specialist/Social Science Division Chair

A few moments of silence were observed to prepare for the meeting. Two new employees were introduced and welcomed:  Dr. Phil Witt, Associate Vice President for Career and Technical Education and Kristian Vinson, Nursing Instructor.

Minutes of Previous Meeting

Minutes of the June 25 regular meeting were approved as written and previously distributed.

Financial Reports

Mr. Wood said this is the final current fund balance sheet for fiscal year 2018 with the corrected handout dated June 30. Ms. Rand noted that an additional receivable came in for FY18 of over $142,000 in the Perkins state grant account which is reflected on the updated financials. 

Mr. Wood noted the anticipated bank balance on the monthly cash flow statement. He asked if there were any questions regarding checks written. Ms. Rand explained several checks that were for customized training grants through the state. Mr. Wood said two sets of checks are shown for June 11-29 and July 2-11, 2018. With no further questions, checks in the amount of $2,140,707.60 were approved ON MOTION by Mr. Butler, seconded by Mr. Vancuren and unanimously carried. The rest of the fund balances and agency accounts were reviewed. Mrs. Andris asked about the Tech Ed budget that fell short, and lower enrollment was noted as the reason. Transport Training came in over budget. Mrs. Barnes asked about the Customized Training budget. Mr. Franklin reported that additional adjunct instructors were used due to a retirement in the department which caused more expenses in one particular line number than expected, and brief discussion took place. It was noted that the instructional centers are down a little in enrollment which also affected the Bookstore revenue. Mr. Wood said we are hoping the Joplin ATTC site will catch up over time, and this will be the last report for the Monett site. Mr. Wood said we came in below expected on revenues, but even lower in expenses which allowed us to end about $1.3M ahead for the year. Dr. Chapman asked what triggers the use of reserve funds. Ms. Rand said it is strictly based on cash flow, and all of our funds are currently in unrestricted accounts in the highest interest-bearing checking accounts to allow for easy access and best investment opportunity. She said our goal is to have at least 15% in reserve funds each month, and we have averaged 3% higher this year than last year.

Policy Revisions:  Policy 4.4 Bid Regulations, Policy 4.11 Purchasing Procedure

Ms. Rand referred to the packet handout saying the highlighted portions indicate additions to the current policies that were discussed last month, and one green shaded addition was added for clarification in policy 4.4.1 following last month’s review. She said information was also sent to the Board regarding what is a labor surplus area which are determined by the Department of Labor where unemployment rates are twenty percent higher or more than the national average. She said we are not affected by this in our area at the current time. Ms. Rand said there were no further changes to these policies from the first reading, other than as noted in 4.1.1. She said these changes came to us as recommended by the Department of Labor and the Missouri Division of Workforce Development. A MOTION to approve the policy revisions for 4.4 and 4.11 as provided was made by Dr. Chapman, seconded by Mrs. Barnes and unanimously carried.

 Service Hours Proposal

Mr. Wood asked if there were any questions for this second reading of the Service Hours Proposal. Mrs. Andris asked what type of records will be kept on the service hours that are completed and how will they be reported to the Board. Dr. Oates explained we plan to make a simple revision to the current Absence Notification Form to include ‘Service Hours’, and once the forms are returned to HR, they will be given to Cohort 4 annually to develop a data report for the Board and for marketing purposes. She said we did not want to make gathering the data labor intensive with changes to Jenzabar so we believe this will be the easiest method. Dr. Chapman said he is still concerned about the possibility of attempts to do ‘community service’ for a ‘for profit’ company. Dr. Oates said our next step will be to specify more clearly defined guidelines, but we did not want to have too much policy verbiage for the first year to discourage supervisors and employees. Dr. Coltharp said at this time, we would like to get the Board’s philosophical support for this proposal, and come back to you at a later date with a more detailed and formal ‘policy’. Mr. Wood said he was unaware of that, and while we believe this is a good program, the broad nature of the current wording will not serve us well over time unless further definitions and clarifications are made regarding what are appropriate ‘community service’ projects. He said in addition, the supervisor should have clear discretion to turn down requests from employees that engage in political or religious activities. Dr. Coltharp said our goal is to present something more detailed to you at the September Board Retreat followed by more formal approval at a Board meeting after that. Mr. Wood clarified that we are approving the general program to allow eight hours per year for employees to do service with more definition to come later. Dr. Coltharp agreed. Dr. Chapman asked when it would be implemented. Dr. Oates said we had hoped to begin it for this year, but it can wait until final approval is made. She said at this point, we are requesting conceptual approval. Dr. Coltharp said we did not want the Cohort to develop a detailed policy if the Board would not support the concept, and the supervisors will want more detailed guidelines as well so a later start date may be needed. Without further discussion, a MOTION to approve the general concept of allowing eight hours of leave per fiscal year for employees to do ‘service’ was made by Mrs. Andris, seconded by Dr. Chapman and unanimously carried. Board members noted that it is a good concept as long as more clarification is added.

Conflict of Interest Resolution

Dr. Burke reported this is the bi-annual Conflict of Interest Resolution that is requested by the Missouri Ethics Commission so that Board members do not have to file the lengthy Personal Financial Disclosure statements each year. There being no discussion, a MOTION to approve the Resolution was made by Mr. Butler, seconded by Mr. Vancuren and unanimously carried.

Personnel

Dr. Burke recommended approval of the retirement of Barbara ‘Karen’ Hardage, Custodian, who has served for seven years, and approval of the resignation of Kyle Williams, Assistant Baseball Coach. A MOTION to approve both requests was made by Mrs. Andris, seconded by Mr. Butler and unanimously carried.

Dr. Burke recommended approval of the following five employments:  Darla Bearden, Nursing Coordinator/ Instructor, Crowder McDonald County; Caitlin Barker, Fine Arts Departmental Assistant; Wade Williams, EOC Director (Educational Opportunity Center); Nathan Martin, Performance Consultant, Crowder Training and Development Solutions, and Jarred Lewis, Farm Manager. A MOTION to approve all five employments as requested was made by Mr. Vancuren, seconded by Mrs. Barnes and unanimously carried.

Facilities Corporation Approval of Directors

Ms. Rand said this an annual approval request. She said the Facilities Corporation was established in the 1980’s, and its sole purpose is to benefit the College. She said it can finance property, purchase or acquire property, finance construction or renovations, or acquire loans and issue bonds with the approval of the Board of Trustees. Ms. Rand said they are typically used to finance property. She said the Facilities Corporation makes recommendations to the Board of Trustees and they cannot take any official action without the Board’s approval. She said there are five members of the Corporation who serve on a rotating three-year term. July is the month for their annual meeting to review financials and the audit, and to elect directors and officers. Ms. Rand said the terms expired for Dr. Kent Farnsworth and Mr. Kevin Wilson, and Mrs. Vicki Babbitt passed away this year providing three open positions. The directors elected Dr. Farnsworth and Mr. Wilson to serve another three year term, and Heather Milleson-Garner of U.S. Bank was elected as the newest member for one year completing Mrs. Babbitt’s term. Officers were also elected with Jim Armstrong as President, Cary Marion as Vice President and Kent Farnsworth as Treasurer. Ms. Rand said the Director of Institutional Advancement, currently Jim Cullumber, always serves as the Secretary of the Facilities Corporation. When asked, Ms. Rand said the group provides expertise to the College on finances, loans and bond issuances, and they also serve as the legal purchasing entity for Crowder College when needed. Mr. Wood said this is a standard organization for all community colleges in Missouri. A MOTION to approve the Facilities Corporation Directors as listed was made by Mr. Butler, seconded by Mr. Vancuren and unanimously carried.

Disability Services Program Review

Mrs. Manning said her main duties as Disability Services Coordinator are to receive disability requests for accommodations from students, make sure what accommodations are allowed by their supporting documentation, and then work to create those accommodations with the instructors. Faculty are notified of what accommodations must be made such as extended time for test-taking, and Mrs. Manning proctors those exams on the Neosho campus when needed. She said there are other designated staff members at each of the branch campuses who assist with the accommodations at those locations. Mrs. Manning said there have been as many as 115 students assisted per semester in the past, but as enrollment has declined, we are now serving 75 to 80 students who actually received accommodations. Mrs. Manning also serves on the Behavior Intervention Team (BIT) that meets weekly, and students are identified there to reach out to for possible services or resources. She said new computers were added in the testing room recently through the IT department, and updated screen reading and text-to-speech software were added last year. Mrs. Manning recently attended a national conference for disability services providers where a lot of new information was received, and some changes will be needed here as a result. She said we typically do accommodations for students with learning disabilities and physical disabilities as well as students on the Autism spectrum and some with mental health disabilities. When asked, she said we may need to make some changes to our policy regarding allowing emotional support animals (ESAs) in housing. Dr. Chapman asked how we know what accommodations a student needs. Mrs. Manning said it is based on various test results done in the K-12 system, by outside psychologists or other doctors with all of the diagnoses provided to us by the student. She said if a student does not have a diagnosis, the student is given an application, but they must provide specific documentation to us before we can allow accommodations to take place. She said what accommodations are allowed is based on what their documentation indicates is needed. Students may also be referred to Counselor Jamie Ward when needed. Mrs. Manning emphasized that our office does not do diagnostic testing of any sort, and we see many more students than receive accommodations if they never get their documentation submitted. Mrs. Manning was asked about the rules about emotional support animals which are different from service animals. She said the federal guidelines do not designate what type of animals are ESAs, and we only allow them in housing, not in classrooms or other areas like service animals. Discussion took place regarding this issue, and Mrs. Manning said ‘due process’ is specified as to why we may deny a request including if it infringes on or is dangerous to another student. She said requests appear to be increasing in this area. Mrs. Manning said a student’s accommodation plan follows them throughout their time here although a new plan may be added if a different disability is diagnosed. Dr. Coltharp congratulated Mrs. Manning saying she does an amazing job of coordinating accommodations with the faculty when that is often a difficult thing to do. Mrs. Manning thanked him saying we have amazing faculty here who truly care about assisting our students.

Educational Technology Program Review

Mrs. Whitehead provided the Education Technology Annual Report saying their department is made up of two employees who support students and employees through technology training, educational software, maintaining audiovisual equipment, and maintaining the Blackboard Learning Management System and TK20 Course Evaluation Software. She noted their annual budget and expenses for the past four years saying Blackboard is a three year contract while TK20 is a five year contract with two years left on it. She said Turn-It-In is a plagiarism software on a yearly contract used by English instructors, and Qwickly is software that works in conjunction with Blackboard to track student attendance. Mrs. Whitehead said the costs for projectors and lamps went down tremendously last year because we are switching to TVs that are being funded through Title III and Enhancement grant funds. Mrs. Whitehead said she and Ed Tech Assistant Steven Wolven have been with the College for one year, and we began tracking what requests have been received. She showed pie charts indicating that most of the 814 requests were received by email with about half dealing with Blackboard and TK20 and only 14% for other types of requests. Mrs. Whitehead said she recently attended Blackboard World 2018, and she will be providing staff development sessions on the information learned there. She reviewed a listing of the many staff development trainings they have done over the past year. She said we are still investigating interactive possibilities with the new TVs as well as ways to improve audio in the Gym for graduation. She said we secured a new, lower cost three-year contract with Blackboard as well as some additional training for us, and the new Qwickly attendance software was implemented institution-wide this past year. Mrs. Whitehead said improved live streaming of graduation was made possible this year with a wireless video streaming device along with the Ed Tech You Tube channel, wireless mics, camcorder, and other equipment. She said through the Title III grant, 15 new Ed Tech TVs and computers were installed on the Neosho campus; next year installments will take place at Webb City followed by Cassville and Nevada in the following years. Mr. Wood asked about the reason for actual expenses going down each year. Mrs. Whitehead said it has been a combination of some budget cuts while also becoming more efficient. She said we worked hard this year to keep expenses down while continuing to meet the needs of faculty and staff. Mr. Wood thanked her for their efforts and the good report.

President’s Update

Dr. Burke said he is looking forward to his time at Crowder for the next several months, and it is somewhat of a homecoming for his wife who is from Neosho. He hopes to meet many employees over the next few weeks as well as visit all of the branch campuses and instructional sites. Dr. Burke said he will be especially looking at overall security at all locations while here. He reviewed several upcoming dates for the Board to be aware of including the Neosho Chamber’s New Teachers Tour on August 8, the Foundation Annual Banquet on August 13, All Staff Day on August 16, Move-In Day on August 18 followed by classes starting on August 20. He said the August Board of Trustees meeting was moved from August 27 back to Wednesday, August 22, at 10:00 a.m. in the Fireside Room due to some scheduling conflicts. The annual All Staff Picnic is being planned for August 30 prior to the Labor Day Holiday, and the Board Retreat is set for September 14. Mr. Wood thanked him for the good information.

Adjournment

Without further discussion, the meeting adjourned to lunch at about 11:30 a.m.