MINUTES OF THE MEETING OF THE
BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF THE COMMUNITY COLLEGE DISTRICT
OF NEWTON-McDONALD COUNTIES, MISSOURI
June 24, 2019
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, June 24, 2019, at Crowder College Nevada, Room 219.
Members present for the meeting were:
Andy Wood, Chair
Diane Andris, Member
Vickie Barnes, Treasurer
Rick Butler, Vice Chair
Larry Vancuren, Member
Also attending the meeting were:
Glenn Coltharp, President
Martha Nimmo, Administrative Assistant to the President
Jim Cullumber, Director of Institutional Advancement
Mark Fitch, Director, Webb City Instructional Center
Mickie Mahan, Associate Vice President of Information Services
Adam Morris, Vice President of Academic Affairs
Monte Padgett, Director, Nevada Instructional Center
Amy Rand, Vice President of Finance
Phillip Witt, Associate Vice President of Career and Technical Education
Keith Zoromski, Associate Vice President of Academic Affairs
Larry Nichols, Regional Outreach Administrator, Southwest Region, Missouri State University
A few moments of silence were observed to prepare for the meeting.
Minutes of Previous Meeting
Minutes of the May 20 regular Board meeting and closed session were approved as written and previously distributed.
Financial Reports
Mr. Wood noted the monthly cash flow statement saying it is nearing the end of the fiscal year. He asked if there were any questions regarding the two sets of checks for May 7-31 and June 1-7. One question was asked and responded to as needed. Checks in the amount of $1,491,333.83 were approved ON MOTION by Mr. Butler, seconded by Mr. Vancuren, and unanimously carried. The rest of the current fund balances, agency funds and other accounts were reviewed. Regarding Transport Training refresher courses, Dr. Coltharp said it is refresher training for experienced drivers when state or federal regulations change, and it is difficult to budget since it is unsure when there will be regulation changes or how many drivers will be sent for the training. Regarding the Joplin ATTC, Ms. Rand noted rent for the facility goes up gradually over the five-year contract, and this is year two. Dr. Coltharp said the contract indicates that rent will be paid at the end of the semester so that tuition can come in prior to paying rent, and also that rent would begin at a lower level and go up gradually to allow growth in the programs. Ms. Rand responded to questions as needed.
Personnel
Dr. Coltharp recommended approval of the following four resignations: Maryanna Perry, Nursing Program Coordinator/Instructor, Crowder Nevada; Taylor Juenger, Upward Bound Math/Science Academic Coordinator; Marti Millikin, Talent Search Office Assistant, and Crystal Rhodes, IT Help Desk Assistant. A MOTION to approve all four resignations as requested was made by Mrs. Barnes, seconded by Mrs. Andris and unanimously carried.
Dr. Coltharp recommended approval of the following seven employments: Crystal Rhodes, Public Services Librarian; Michael Lutz, Computer and Network Support Instructor, Joplin ATTC; Christy Dunlap, Practical Nursing Instructor, Crowder Nevada; KA’Sandra Leer, Practical Nursing Instructor, Crowder Nevada; Jaclyn Kidd, Graphic Design/Multimedia Marketing Assistant; Sarah Swayne, Evening Library Assistant (PT), and Teresa Boston, Secretary (PT), Crowder Cassville. Mr. Wood noted the rehiring of Crystal Rhodes. Dr. Coltharp noted the two Nursing Instructors were transferred to us from the Nevada Tech Center, and we included their current vacation and sick leave days as well. A MOTION to approve all seven employments was made by Mr. Vancuren, seconded by Mrs. Andris and unanimously carried.
Deborah Drive Property Sale
Dr. Coltharp thanked the Board for their efforts to solve this issue saying discussion took place a couple of months ago about what to do with this property. Ms. Rand said there are two lots at 406 and 410 Deborah Drive that the College acquired many years ago, and the intent was for the construction classes to build homes to sell. She said that program has since focused on building tiny houses or cabins; they have had great success with those sales and have no future plans to build natural homes. She said the property has simply been maintained for many years now including paying for lawn care and insurance. Ms. Rand said in March, a formal request for bid (RFB) went out for the property and no responses were received. However, a few weeks later, a couple of neighbors approached us with bids, one for $10,000 for both lots plus closing costs, and one for $4,000 for both lots. She said we have been in contact with the individual who offered $10,000 plus closing costs, and they are still interested. She said the title company can handle the paperwork once formal approval is received from the Board. Mr. Wood asked if there was any discussion, and members agreed to the sale. A MOTION was made by Mr. Butler to approve the bid of $10,000 plus closing costs for the sale of two lots at 406 and 410 Deborah Drive; property description: all of Lot 20 and 21 in Oakwood Heights Sub Division, Neosho, Newton County, Missouri; the Motion was seconded by Mr. Vancuren and unanimously approved. Ms. Rand said a copy of the minutes will begin the process, and the Board will be contacted when further paperwork or signatures are needed. Dr. Coltharp said we have been approached by the City to consider building alternative energy homes at a future housing development. He said if we agreed to that, we would not purchase the property, but simply assist in the building construction in partnership with the City of Neosho.
Policy Revision: 5.12 Alcoholic Beverages
Dr. Coltharp reported in January, Mr. Cullumber approached him about possibly making alcohol available at Foundation fundraising events on our property. For the Cassville ‘Tour de Cass’ event, using an off-campus site to allow alcohol limits the number of tickets we can sell. He said the Foundation’s recent dinner theatre event was very successful, and the other campuses would like to host them as well, but finding an off-site location would be very difficult. Dr. Coltharp said all the universities in our area have alcohol policies for their campuses, and among the state community colleges, there are six who allow it and five who do not. He said we spoke with the Foundation Board, and Mr. Cullumber reviewed other policies and has developed and submitted what would work best for the Foundation. Dr. Coltharp said Executive Council worked on the policy for several months, and College Council and Legal Counsel have both reviewed it. He said this is a very conservative policy in comparison to other schools. He said the policy makes it clear that we will remain in compliance with the Drug-Free Workplace Act and the Drug-Free Schools and Communities Act, and there is no intent to encourage the use of alcohol. He said the Foundation would be required to use an outside vendor with a license to sell, serve, and distribute alcohol as recommended by our insurance company. He said the events would be held outside of the normal day-time college operations, and no College funds would be used to purchase alcohol. Dr. Coltharp said the policy went to the Foundation Board and was fully approved. Mr. Butler asked if there would ever be an open bar with mixed drinks sold. Mr. Cullumber said just because we can does not mean that we will, but it might be considered depending on the type of event being hosted. Dr. Coltharp emphasized that this would only be allowed at Foundation events, not for any outside groups such as chamber events, weddings, receptions, etc. due to the extra expense needed of hiring staff to oversee or clean up after the events. Dr. Coltharp said this would likely be for two or three events per year, but that is not specified in the policy so as not to limit it. The Foundation would have to request approval from the College President for the event at least thirty days prior to the event date. Dr. Coltharp said if there are Board members who feel strongly against this, he or she should vote however his or her conscience dictates as this does not have to be a unanimous decision. When asked, he said the decision to allow alcohol at specific events lies with the College President, not the Board, so that Board members would not be pressured about an event. When asked about a previous policy version, Dr. Coltharp said Legal Counsel made some refinements to it after the first version, and Board Policy would be changed to this updated version. Without further discussion, a MOTION was made by Mrs. Andris to pass this item on to the second reading for action; it was seconded by Mr. Butler and unanimously carried.
Missouri State University Partnership
Dr. Coltharp said this is the first time that we have invited one of our partner institutions to present to the Board, and we thank Mr. Larry Nichols of MSU for coming to Nevada this month. Mr. Nichols said this great partnership began in Fall 2007, and the program is designed to break down barriers for students who want to complete a bachelor’s degree. He said commuting to Springfield was a barrier for some students so the program encourages students to complete their lower-division classes at Crowder, and MSU offers the upper-division classes on a Crowder campus. He said we have offered programs in Agriculture, General Business and Social Work, but Elementary Education has been the most successful program. He said we have had graduates since Fall 2009, and it was expanded from the Neosho campus to Nevada in 2010 and to Cassville in 2012. He said we use video-conferencing technology to link all of the sites with one instructor so that a small number of students can still be successfully taught at various locations. Mr. Nichols showed the number of graduates from each campus showing how the program has grown at each location saying 31 students began in the Elementary Ed program in the 2019 cohort. Mr. Nichols said we are proud that we are helping at-risk students to succeed, and he reviewed data comparing percentages of MSU students in the Crowder program to all MSU Elementary Ed students for those who are Access Missouri grant eligible, adult learners 22 years and over, first generation students, and Pell eligible students. The data showed the amount of at-risk Crowder students are about twice as many as the entire MSU Elementary Ed students. Mr. Nichols said those students are also succeeding as the data shows that average GPA and standardized test scores are nearly identical for those students at Crowder as those on the Missouri State campus. He said that is a testament to Crowder’s general education curriculum and outstanding teaching skills. Mr. Nichols said we are not only serving these students, we are also serving the rural schools and communities where teacher turnover rates are high. He said we are training professional educators who want to stay in the rural community, and he showed where MSU teachers are located all over Crowder’s nine-county service region.
Mr. Nichols said this partnership works well because it benefits both partners. The data showed from Fall 2007 to Spring 2019, 401 unique students have taken at least one seated MSU class on a Crowder campus, and there were 163 BSEd graduates from Crowder locations. He said students in the MSU program continue to take Crowder classes with students taking an average of eight credit hours from Crowder after transferring to the MSU program and, as a result, generating over $230,000 in tuition. He said Crowder and MSU share a commitment to service to both the students and our communities, and both provide high-quality instruction. Mr. Nichols said we always strongly encourage students to complete a Crowder degree before transferring, and we now have students coming to Crowder specifically to complete their bachelor’s degree through MSU. He said we work hard on transferability often accepting Crowder classes as 300-level courses. Mr. Nichols said there are strong relationships between administration, faculty, and staff at both institutions, and thanked the Board for supporting the program. He responded to questions saying we are looking at changing the MSU Agriculture program to improve it in the future. Dr. Coltharp said we have students who will not go to Springfield to complete their degree, and while the dollar amount of income to Crowder that Mr. Nichols estimates is surprising, the true benefit is to our students. Dr. Coltharp thanked Mr. Nichols for doing such a great job working with students saying local school districts are thrilled with this program that is helping to keep teachers in their schools. Mr. Wood asked what incentive students have to complete their degree at Crowder first. Dr. Coltharp said cost is the major incentive because tuition is lower here and students can use A+ funding. Mr. Nichols agreed saying it only benefits the student to complete first, and we never view Crowder as a competitor, always as a partner. The Board thanked him for the great report.
President’s Update
Dr. Coltharp said since the last meeting, a signing was held at the Cassville campus for Drury University to offer two bachelor’s degrees on the Cassville campus, one in Leadership through their business program and one in Community Health through their psychology department. He said we have also signed an articulation agreement with John Brown University in Arkansas, and they are providing transfer scholarships as well. Dr. Coltharp thanked the Sunderland Foundation for recently donating $150,000 towards the Cassville remodel project to support rural education, and the Crowder Foundation wrote the grant for that. Dr. Coltharp reported the Governor has signed legislation for the Fast Track scholarship program, and DHE is working out the guidelines for it to begin in January 2020. He said it is for non-traditional students 25 years or older who have been out of school for two to three years, and the scholarship will pay for tuition and common fees. Dr. Coltharp said we will need to consider what careers might be ‘recession proof’ that we should market to these students, and we will work to add night classes and encourage taking six hours per semester while students continue to work. He said we will be recruiting in the spring for the Fall 2020 semester. He said it is good that funding for this does not come out of the A+ program. Dr. Coltharp said the Missouri One Start program will bring in state funds for industries to provide training that we hope will come from us similar to our customized training program. He announced that Melissa Smith will now be over the Joplin ATTC as well as customized training, Training and Development Solutions. Dr. Coltharp said the Governor has also approved the one-time nursing expansion funding for us for $300,000 that will provide a full-time nurse instructor and equipment at the McDonald County site and some funding for the Nevada LPN program and the Cassville nursing program. Dr. Coltharp said we just finished our second quarter of the year, and he provided a list of activities that he has participated in during that time as a way of evaluating his performance.
Closed Session and Adjournment
With no further business, Mr. Wood called for a motion to go into closed session. At 11:20 a.m., the regular meeting adjourned and a MOTION to go into closed session in accordance with RSMo 610.021 was made by Mrs. Barnes, seconded by Mr. Butler and passed unanimously on the following roll call vote:
Andris: Yes Vancuren: Yes Barnes: Yes
Butler: Yes Wood: Yes
Members moved to room 202, and discussion took place with Dr. Coltharp regarding personnel; no Board action was taken. A MOTION to adjourn was made at about 12:05 p.m. by Mrs. Barnes, seconded by Mr. Vancuren and unanimously carried on the following roll call vote:
Barnes: Yes Vancuren: Yes Andris: Yes
Wood: Yes Butler: Yes
The next regularly scheduled meeting is set for Monday, July 22, on the Neosho campus in the Fireside Room. Members returned to room 219 for lunch at about 12:10 p.m.
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