North Central Missouri College President Doctor Lenny Klaver reported on the fall enrollment outlook at July 26th’s Board of Trustees meeting. He said overall applications received are up 81 from last year at this time with 1,109 received as of July 25th. Full-time freshmen applications are up 95 with 737.
Klaver reported steel is up at the Savannah Campus, and work is being done on the inside of the building. A fire suppression water line issue was resolved. He explained a line was corroded, and the City of Savannah agreed to bring a pipe to the corner where there can be a fire hydrant and water into the building. NCMC will pay for the boring.
Vice President of Academic Affairs Doctor Tristan Londre reported there have been changes to the Missouri Fast Track program. It is now a grant instead of a forgivable loan. He hopes that will make the program more appealing to students.
Londre explained the Fast Track program is for students who are at least 25 years old or who have not been attending college in the last two years. For eligible students, it can pick up tuition and fees that federal aid does not cover. It also applies toward most of NCMC’s career prep degrees and certificates.
NCMC is also working to register its first student for the fall with National Farmworker Jobs Program funding. Londre said the grant is designed for people who have done seasonal agriculture work.
The college has been awarded a supplemental Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund grant for about $375,000. Londre reported half of the funds will go toward emergency student support, and half will go toward institutional support.
Chief Information Officer Jennifer Triplett reported work is advancing on multiple Information Technology Services projects. One of those is the remote learning classroom upgrade. IT Services is collaborating with vendors in response to additional delays of Creston audio/visual equipment. An onsite vendor visit is planned for next week to install portions of rooms in Geyer and Hoffman halls.
Triplett said upgrades are also underway to NCMC’s data center systems to ensure the college remains current and supported. The project is an uplift of the college’s virtualized environment, which is the foundation of all on-premises systems.
Green Hills Head Start Director Janet Gott reported there are 15 prekindergarten slots and one Early Head Start opening for the upcoming school year. She noted that is a low number of slots open for this time of the year. Head Start is ending the 2021-2022 school year with two Early Head Start openings.
Head Start is updating its policies and procedures for weather-related make up days. Gott reported Head Start will provide virtual learning, educational activity bags, and meals to avoid multiple make up days. The Second Harvest Community Food Bank will provide food bags to each family in the centers. The bags will be designed to feed a family of four for a weekend. The activity and food bags will be sent home with each student the first of November and the beginning of each month through the winter. Gott noted that will make up two weather-related days each month.
Multiple annual reports were provided to the Board of Trustees.
The North Central Missouri College Board of Trustees approved purchases .
One purchase was testing and accreditation supplies for the nursing programs from Assessment Technologies Institute of Leawood, Kansas for a total of $148,400. The supplies will go to the Trenton Practical Nursing and Associate Degree in Nursing, Online ADN, Maryville PN and ADN, and Bethany PN programs. The money will come from budgeted funds allotted to the nursing programs for testing supplies and accreditation needs.
Athletic insurance was renewed through Dissinger Reed of Overland Park, Kansas for the 2022-2023 sports year for about $31,500 ($31,467). The cost includes secondary/accident insurance and catastrophic/accident insurance. The renewal will be August 1st, and there is no increase in the premium from the previous year. Dissinger Reed obtained quotes from several companies, and this was the lowest cost option for a $500 deductible plan.
The trustees approved the purchase of classroom audio/visual hardware and implementation services for the Savannah Campus for a total of $727,311.82. CDWG quoted the hardware under Sourcewell consortium pricing. The purchase will be funded by campaign donations, the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund, and grants.
Counselor Grace Carder’s resignation was accepted.
Action was also taken on Green Hills Head Start personnel. It included the acceptance of a resignation from Brookfield A Teacher Aide Janessa Gaunt. Employment was approved for Kaylee Bell and Brittany Robbins as Chillicothe Teacher Aides, Joni Eller Cook as Chillicothe Cook, and Connie Wilson as Brookfield B Teacher Aide.
The Head Start Certificate of Compensation Cap, Wage Comparability Study, and Certificate of Cost Allocation Plan were approved.
The trustees set the annual levy hearing for August 23rd at 5:25 in the evening before the regular August board meeting.
The board entered into an executive session for discussion of employees, legal action, and real estate.
Board Vice President Chris Hoffman presided at July 26th’s meeting. President Doctor NiCole Neal was absent.
