The North Central Missouri College Board of Trustees heard a report on March 28th about Dean of Instruction Doctor Mitch Holder’s visit to Tonga in February. He visited the country on behalf of the college and to further the relationship between NCMC and Tonga.
Holder reported he met the prime minister, and he is supportive of the partnership with NCMC. The prime minister is also supportive of government scholarships for sending students to NCMC.
Holder said the idea is for Tonga students to come to NCMC for their education and then go back to Tonga. He believes students from Tonga could benefit from American education.
Holder also met the principal of Tonga High School. She wanted to generate support from alumni for sending students to NCMC.
Holder visited a school with the type of students who would be looking at attending NCMC.
He reported a national university launched in Tonga in January.
Vice President of Academic Affairs Doctor Tristan Londre called the recent ag contest at NCMC “successful.” He reported about 1,750 high school agriculture students attended from more than 80 high schools.
The Surgical Technology program had a virtual accreditation visit that ended March 28th. Londre said it went well. The Accreditation Review Committee in Surgical Technology and Surgical Assisting will visit in September. If that goes well, he noted NCMC will receive final notification from the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs in November. The Radiologic Technology program will host its visit in April.
Vice President of Student Affairs Doctor Kristen Alley reported registration will start April 3rd for returning NCMC students and April 17th for new students.
Room sign up will take place in April. Returning students will go first and then new students.
Chief Information Officer Jennifer Triplett reported on Information Technology Services progress at the Savannah Campus. It included the 90% completion of data cable runs on the second floor, Phase 2 battery backup units ordered and classroom technology installation plans refined, and implementation of telephony system configuration improvements. Wiring closet air conditioning units have been installed.
Triplett said NCMC partnered with Spyglass to conduct an audit of telecommunications spending, and it concluded this week. She noted the assessment determined NCMC is running efficiently in its telecommunications costs. Spyglass was able to find a few areas of savings, which have been actioned. NCMC will be able to save about $350 annually.
Development Director Alicia Endicott reported on the NCMC Foundation. She reported the public portion of a funding campaign will kick off May 10th with an event. It will be announced then what the campaign goal is and the name for the proposed student center. There will be a similar event in Savannah May 18th.
NCMC President Doctor Lenny Klaver reported Rich Gross with Gross and Associates had a monthly campaign visit. It included follow up visits and new leads, which will lead to the public launches in May. An executive committee is working on strategies and reports on donor contacts.
Klaver also reported on meetings he attended in the last month.
He said the Missouri Community College Association Presidents support the governor’s budget.
He noted there has been a lot of discussion in the state legislature about transgender athletes. He commented the legislation would be more strict than the National Collegiate Athletic Association, and it would effect athletes in high school and college.
Klaver reported he met the new Missouri Department of Higher Education and Workforce Development, Doctor Bennett Boggs. Klaver said they met at a meeting a few weeks ago, and he believes Boggs will do a good job. He also believes Boggs is a good collaborator and peace maker.
NCMC submitted a report for a National Center for Higher Education Management Systems funding study. Klaver said there are some potential funding metrics that are being further developed. They are academic progress, completions, responsiveness to workforce needs, employment outcomes, efficiencies, and collaborations.
Klaver hopes NCMC will score high with the funding study. He noted that the National Center for Higher Education Management Systems reports colleges will be compared to themselves. He does not know if the study will change the funding formula or not.
A Plus+ liaisons were on campus earlier this month. Klaver reported there were 488 students participating this year, and $912,345 was awarded in the fall and spring.
A NCMC Shared Governance meeting was held. A campus climate and work-life balance survey is in progress.
Klaver presented to the Chillicothe Rotary Club on the state of the college. He discussed NCMC’s new programs, the Savannah Campus, and the possibility of looking south in the future.
Green Hills Head Start Director Janet Gott reported Head Start submitted class videos for a pilot program. Head Start was asked to complete a survey with pros and cons. She noted the main concerns were with the amount of time and money it cost.
Green Hills Head Start had two recorders who traveled to some of the centers two or three times during the process. Gott said they were asked to not move the iPad, which made it difficult to see the teachers and children in the recording. They were also asked to not have anyone in the classrooms that were not normally there, which also made it difficult to make sure the teacher and children were within the viewing most of the time. That is why there were multiple trips to some of the centers.
Gott said she thought the class video pilot went well. Green Hills Head Start should hear back in eight to 10 weeks any concerns.
The North Central Missouri College Board of Trustees approved room and board rates March 28th. Salary schedules and recommendations were also approved with one exception.
Double occupancy rooms for the 2023-2024 academic year, starting with the fall semester, will be $3,070, and single occupancy will be $4,090. Apartments will be $5,270. An all-access meal plan will cost $3,425, and an eight-meal plan will be $1,845.
The rates reflect a stable room rate for Selby and Ellsworth halls and a three percent increase for the Anchor apartments. Vice President of Student Affairs Doctor Kristen Alley reported there is a lot of demand for the Anchors.
She noted NCMC did a cost comparison of room rates at Missouri community colleges, and NCMC’s rates are competitive. The Consumer Price Index is projected to stay around 4.2% in 2023 and about three percent in 2024.
There is a five percent increase in the meal plan rates. NCMC will incur a six percent contractual increase in board rates for services provided by Great Western Dining. The contract increase is due to an expected eight percent increase in the Consumer Price Index Food Away from Home.
The non-nursing faculty salary schedule for 2023-2024 involves increasing the base by $1,750 to $35,437. It also involves allowing the movement of one vertical step for an approximate 6.8% increase.
The nursing faculty schedule involves allowing the movement of one vertical step for an approximate two percent increase. It also involves changing years 11 to 15 to a two percent increase and years 16 and more to a 1.5% increase.
The classified staff salary schedule involves increasing the base by 72 cents to $9.90, which is 6.5%. It also involves a horizontal movement of employees in Ranges 3 and 4. NCMC is exempt from paying the state’s minimum wage.
Administrative, management, and professional employees will see a five percent increase.
The maximum salary for NCMC President Doctor Lenny Klaver was recommended at $200,000. However, the salary schedule and recommendations were approved with the exception of Klaver’s salary because the board had not yet completed his evaluation.
Other AMP salaries include Vice President of Academic Affairs Doctor Tristan Londre, in Group 1, at a maximum salary of $135,000. AMP employees with a maximum salary of $105,000, in Group 2, are Vice President of Student Affairs Doctor Kristen Alley, Vice President of Business and Finance Tyson Otto, Dean of Instruction Doctor Mitch Holder, and Chief Information Officer Jennifer Triplett.
The maximum salary is $80,000 for the 14 employees in Group 3. The maximum salary is $65,000 for the seven employees in Group 4. Group 5’s maximum salary is $52,500, and there are 16 employees in that category.
The adjunct/overload rate for a master’s degree will increase by $75 to $650 per credit hour. It will also increase by $75 for a bachelor’s degree to $575 per credit hour. The clinical nursing rate will increase by $4 to $40 per hour.
The dance team coach stipend will increase by $500 to $3,250. The Shooting Club coach stipend will be $3,500 and be split between two employees.
Otto noted there has been an increase in salaries of about $1.4 million in the past two years.
The board approved personnel matters, including the resignation of Custodian/Maintenance Technician Ron Emberton.
Transfers were approved for the main campus. Brandon Mysliwiec of Trenton was transferred from Personal Computer Specialist II to Database Administrator. Chris Flowers of Chillicothe was transferred from Personal Computer Specialist I to Personal Computer Specialist II.
The board approved hirings. They included Doctor Billi Tiner of Maryville as a Life Science instructor for Savannah. Melinda Matter of Stewartsville was hired as an English instructor for Savannah and the main campus. Galen Johnson of Savannah was employed as an adjunct instructor.
Green Hills Head Start personnel matters were also approved. Those included the resignations of Karrigan Bowling as a Bethany teacher aide, Cierra May as a Trenton teacher aide, Kelly Crumpton as a Chillicothe B teacher aide, and Brittany Robbins as a Chillicothe teacher aide. The end of employment was approved for Lynda Brosdahl as a Brookfield B teacher aide. Taffi Robbins was employed as a teacher aide at Unionville.
The trustees approved the Green Hills Head Start Policy Council bylaws, cost of living adjustment, quality improvement grant, and change of scope.
Cost of living adjustment funds of $139,814 will be used to increase staff hourly rates by 5.6%. A portion of COLA funds will be allocated to offset the increased fringe benefit costs associated with increased wage rates.
Green Hills Head Start Director Sue Ewigman reported staff members falling at or below the $13.50 per hour threshold will receive a 7.6% wage increase to help balance minimum wage requirements.
Head Start will use quality improvement funds of $69,653 to increase staff salaries and fringe benefits to help maintain qualified staff. Professional staff salaries will increase by an additional three percent over the 5.6% COLA increase.
The remainder of quality improvement funds will be used to update playgrounds and for additional maintenance.
The Green Hills Head Start’s change of scope included a proposal to provide Early Head Start center-based services in Unionville and Chillicothe. One Brookfield center will be closed. Head Start also proposed moving to a four-day week for employees.
The trustees approved increasing the amount for NCMC employee tuition reimbursement by $30 per credit hour to $100 per credit hour. The change will be effective for fiscal year 2024. The employee tuition reimbursement involves coursework taken outside of NCMC for bachelor or graduate level courses. Otto noted the current rate had been in place for at least 10 years.
The fees for the Medical Diagnostic Sonography program were approved for the 2023-2024 academic year. It will cost $315 per credit hour for Sonography tuition. The program fees will be $500 per semester.
Vice President of Business and Finance Tyson Otto reported the new program’s rates are based on the expected costs to be covered. The Medical Diagnostic Sonography program rates are the same as those for the Radiologic Technology program.
A bid from Shuler Concrete and Construction of Trenton was approved for new concrete for the Alexander Student Center parking lot. The price is $102,200, and it will be covered by state deferred maintenance funds.
The trustees approved the purchase of furnishings for Phase 2 of the Savannah Campus from KI through a Sourcewell Contract. The price is $501,998, and it will include furnishings for the remainder of the Savannah project.
The board approved a recommendation from the Strategic Enrollment Management Committee for the college to buy the Element451 Customer Relationship Management system. Element451 proposed a cost of $40,000 each year for the next five years.
The board waived the first readings of changes on two policies and approved the changes.
One changed policy was a revised Policy on Procurement that involves the purchasing of goods and services with federal funds. Some sections were moved and renumbered to better align with the appropriate purchasing method or guideline.
The other policy changed was the NCMC Employee/Dependent Tuition Waiver Policy, and the changes will go into effect for fiscal year 2024. Otto noted major changes involved covering the tuition rate was changed to the employee or dependent and not capped at an in-state rate. Another change was covering general fees, such as student development, facility, and technology.
There is the addition of a potential voucher if an employee or a dependent is eligible for other aid that already covers tuition and fees. That would include a voucher of up to $500 for the fall and spring semesters and $250 for the summer.
The changes also included the addition of language to clarify or allow full-time and part-time employees to audit a course for no cost. Language was also added regarding employees whose employment terminates.
The board of trustees approved its annual joint meeting with the NCMC Foundation. The meeting will be in Cross Hall May 16th with dinner at 5 o’clock and the meeting at 5:30.
The board entered into an executive session for possible discussion of employees, legal action, and real estate.
