NCMC Board of Trustees address busy agenda at Tuesday meeting

NCMC - North Central Missouri College
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North Central Missouri College Vice President for Student Affairs Doctor Kristen Alley reported on recognition at the NCMC Board of Trustees meeting Tuesday evening. Jaqueline Perez of Milan was nominated for the Newman Civic Fellowship.

Four A-Plus students were recognized as outstanding students: Sidney Lynch of Trenton High School, Josephine Deen of Jefferson C-124 High School of Conception Junction, Madison Eller of Chillicothe High School, and Taya Kirks of South Harrison High School of Bethany. An A Plus meeting will be on March 10th. Alley said the college has received positive comments, and she wants to continue the positive relationship with students.

President Doctor Lenny Klaver reported NCMC will celebrate its centennial in five years, and the college will hold private fundraising. He talked about a tentative schedule of program additions. Co-curricular programs he hopes are introduced include livestock judging this fall, instrumental and vocal ensembles in fall 2021, and a drama troupe in fall 2022. Tentative extra-curricular programs to be introduced would include women’s and men’s cross country and women’s and men’s tennis in fall 2022 as well as women’s volleyball in fall 2023.

Klaver said 112 students participated so far in a service region survey, which has only been open one week. He noted guidance counselors are asking students to fill out the survey. He wants the college to follow the results and try to get back to schools to get names of students interested in specific programs.

Klaver announced State Representative Rusty Black will be the speaker at the commencement ceremony on the morning of May 9th at 9 o’clock. He has invited the head of surgery at a medical group to speak at the ceremony at 1 o’clock in the afternoon.

One hundred 60 persons have made reservations for the Pirates Ball at the Red Barn of Trenton Saturday evening starting at 6 o’clock.

Nineteen superintendents are to attend a Superintendents Education Forum at the Barton Farm Campus Friday from 10 to 2 o’clock. Topics will include dual credit plans and changes, A Plus program updates and information, what students struggle with at college and how to prepare them, how NCMC can help students and parents prepare for college, current academic offerings, new program considerations, co- and extra-curricular considerations, and what the superintendents would like to see offered.

Vice President for Academic Affairs Doctor Tristan Londre reported NCMC is looking into submitting a grant for Talent Search, which can help students starting in the sixth grade.

Staff members have attended various events lately, and many activities have been held to bring students to campus.

Green Hills Head Start Director Janet Gott reported she and Director Sue Ewigman received the first five-year grant they prepared. It was received on January 28th.

Gott said sheetrock was hauled into the Trenton building site on Tuesday morning, and the fire marshal was there Monday. The building might be finished in April. Then work would be done in the summer to get it set up for the next school year. Ewigman noted Modine has been giving monthly donations to help purchase playground equipment. Gott said the donations started at $500 and are now up to $750.

Ewigman said staff received Child Plus software training, which she hopes will streamline data.

Student Senate President Katie Blanchard of Lucerne, Vice President TJ Hudlemeyer of Kearney, and Secretary Gregoor Moesker of Curacao reported on Student Senate activities. Those activities included the Missouri Community College Association Leadership Conference at the Capitol, a roll call event for veterans, the legislative forum, Homecoming, blood drives in the spring and fall, a Christmas lighting ceremony, and a 90th birthday celebration for Doctor Albert Cross.

Hudlemeyer said new NCMC clubs being planned are livestock judging and the Nerd Guild.

Blanchard noted recent class gifts include picnic tables from 2018, Christmas lights from 2019, and a new Patch costume for 2020.

Trustee NiCole Neal congratulated the Student Senate on its efforts, and Trustee John Holcomb said the organization does more now than it did more than 50 years ago.

The North Central Missouri College Board of Trustees voted to endorse a grant proposal to be submitted to fund a plan for Adult Education and Literacy with NCMC supporting the new organization as a hosting fiscal agent. The proposal will be submitted to the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education Adult Education Division.

The program is asking for a 2020-2021 budget request of $367,129.86l. Associate Vice President for Business and Finance Tyson Otto reported NCMC would provide support services. John Bennett with Saint Joseph Adult Education said other funding would come from the state.

Bennett planned the transition with Saint Joseph Adult Education Director Betty Wymore to expand education coverage in North Central Missouri into locations that are underserved.

Bennett would be the director of the organization, which would expand the program to new teaching sites in Milan and Princeton. Bennett said the two sites would offer English Language Education and citizenship training as well as a new High School Equivalency program in Milan. Milan has 1,195, Smithfield international workers and spouses, and Princeton has approximately 324 and Smithfield international workers and spouses in need of locally available English language training.

The proposed program is to help improve English language skills of the adult students, enabling better communication at work and improved connection in the community.  The language students may proceed to the High School Equivalency program, which could offer improved job prospects and an opportunity to attend college or a trade school. That could lead to financial stability and self-sufficiency.

The new program would serve about 450 students annually in six North Missouri counties: Grundy, Mercer, Sullivan, Putnam, Daviess, and Harrison. It would begin July 1st, and the grant period would be for three years, with operations based from NCMC.  The Trenton and Bethany High School Equivalency programs would continue.

The board approved the renewal of NCMC’s Fortinet network security device subscriptions and support through CDW-G at a cost of $31,487.24. The renewal will have full 365-day coverage until March 6th, 2021.

A request for proposals process was conducted and two bids were received. Chief Information Officer Jennifer Triplett reported CDW-G submitted the most accurate bid per requirements. Blue Ally submitted a bid for around $29,600 ($29,618.54), but Triplett said it had the wrong term, wrong subscription type quoted for some of the devices, and prices were not itemized.

The board approved tenure status for Math Instructor Traci Norris as well as Nursing Instructors Jamie Pittman and Lisa Schilling.

Megan Pester of Trenton was approved, on a vote of five to zero, to transfer from Director of Advising and Retention to Marketing Specialist with no adjustments to her salary. Trustee Diane Lowrey abstained from the vote. Shanell Mullins of Trenton was hired as a custodian at a rate of $10.75 per hour. Pester and Mullins will begin their positions on March 2nd.

The board approved a salary adjustment for Green Hills Head Start field staff to bring them up to the new minimum wage. The increase will affect all staff with wages below the minimum wage of $9.45 per hour and go into effect with the March payroll.

The 2020-2021 Head Start Child Selection Criteria was approved for Preschool and Early Head Start. Preschool Head Start criteria prioritize lower-income families and older children who will enter public school first, Early Head Start criteria prioritize low income younger children, and Prenatal selection criteria prioritize pregnant teens.

The board approved to increase the cost of a blood lead test from $10 to $14.95 for Head Start. The test is through Tamarac Medical.

Vice President of Academic Affairs Doctor Tristan Londre recommended two additions to the Board of Trustees policy, and they were read for the first time. One involves NCMC maintaining “procedures for determining and verifying appropriate faculty credentials, in compliance with High Learning Commission guidelines.”

The other involves the college maintaining “procedures for assuring the instructional calendar includes sufficient minutes of instructional time for assignment credit hours in compliance with definitions, guidelines, and policies concerning credits, program length, and tuition established by the Higher Learning Commission, the Missouri Coordinating Board of Higher Education, and the United States Department of Education.”

Chief of Staff Kristi Harris asked the board to think about how it accepts resignations and what it could do in the future regarding resignations that go into effect before the board votes on them.

The board entered into an executive session to discuss employee matters, legal action, and real estate.


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