The North Central Missouri College Board of Trustees approved bids and purchases as well as personnel matters July 27th.
Athletic insurance was purchased through Dissinger Reed of Overland Park, Kansas for the 2021-2022 sports year at a cost of $31,467. That was for $26,980 for secondary accident insurance and $4,487 for catastrophic accident insurance with an additional catastrophic cash benefit option. The renewal is August 1st, and there is no increase in premium from the previous year. Vice President of Business and Finance Tyson Otto, in a written document, reported Dissinger Reed obtained quotes from several companies, and that was the lowest cost option for a $500 deductible plan.
NCMC purchased software and support licenses through CDW-G at $142,118.40. That includes a VMWare vSphere Enterprise Plus Upgrade for data centers for five years at $126,758.88 and a VMWare vSphere Standard Renewal for extended sites and a phone server for two years at $15,359.52. The upgrade will be purchased with COVID-19 funding, and the renewal will be purchased with the Information Technology Services Computer Operations budget.
The board approved the renewal of NCMC’s service contract with MOREnet for $55,132.68 for service from July 1st, 2021 to June 30th, 2022. MOREnet provides internet services to the main campus, Barton campus, and North Belt Center. The cost will be funded from the Computer Operations budget.
A purchase was approved for a 2021 Ford Transit Van for Green Hills Head Start with a final purchase price of $30,320 after the $1,600 trade in and incentives. The purchase was made through Barnes-Baker Automotive of Trenton.
Assessment Technologies Institute of Leawood, Kansas was paid a total of $141,775.50 for testing supplies for nursing. That includes for the Trenton Practical and Associate Degree in Nursing, online ADN, Maryville PN and ADN, and Bethany PN programs. NCMC’s nursing division has used ATI’s services for more than 10 years.
The board approved the retirement of Custodian Mike Dennis. His last day of employment with NCMC will be Thursday (July 29th), and he is officially retiring August 2nd. Dennis has been employed at the college since August 2010.
Associate Director of Admissions Erin Gardner’s resignation was approved. The resignation becomes effective August 1st. Chief of Staff Kristi Harris said Gardner received an opportunity in healthcare.
Angela Heins of Chillicothe will transfer from Trio Administrative Assistant to Student Support Services Academic Advisor on the administrative management professionals salary scale group 5. She will begin her position August 1st. This transfer will leave the Trio Administrative Assistant position open to be filled.
Randy Cox of Trenton was approved for a maintenance position on the classified staff salary schedule at 2B-12. He began the position July 12th.
The board approved hiring Kristie Cross of Smithfield, Virginia as a grant writer on the AMP salary scale group 4. She will begin the position Monday (August 2nd), and she will be a 100% remote-work employee. The position will be funded through the NCMC Foundation until June 30th, 2022. Cross was previously the Director of Admissions and Marketing at NCMC.
McKinley Hurley of Trenton was approved as the Residence Life Coordinator and Assistant Softball Coach on the AMP-5 range. Compensation will include a Residence Life Coordinator salary and assistant coach stipend. She will be provided the Selby Residence Coordinator apartment and a meal plan for the duration of the academic year. Hurley will begin the position August 9th.
Traci Norris of Chillicothe and Jeremy Wilson of Savannah were employed as adjunct instructors. Norris will teach mathematics courses, and Wilson will teach surgical tech courses. They will begin their positions this fall.
Nicole Talbott of Burlington Junction, Melissa Cranfield of Saint Joseph, and Brittney Siddens of Albany were hired as clinical adjunct instructors at the current clinical rate.
The board approved changing the job description of Associate Director of Admissions to Admissions Recruiter (Western Region) at the North Belt Center. The position will be similar to the Recruiter position at the main campus, but it will be located at and serve the North Belt Center and Western Region. Once NCMC has completed the site in Savannah and is established in Buchanan County, the college plans to reevaluate personnel needs.
The board approved the Code of Ethics and Conflict of Interest Ordinance as presented. Chief of Staff and Board Clerk Kristi Harris reported the ordinance has to be approved every other year. She is to file a certified copy with the Missouri Ethics Commission within 10 days.
The college’s annual levy hearing was set for August 24th at 5:25 in the evening preceding the regular August board meeting.
New employees were introduced to the North Central Missouri College Board of Trustees July 27th. The employees included Diagnostic Imaging Instructor Mallory Hann, Head Men’s and Women’s Golf Coach and Athletics Assistant Nate Swan, Digital Media Specialist Rick Cole, and Campus Activities Coordinator and Assistant Women’s Basketball Coach Lesli Collins.
Board Vice President Doctor NiCole Neal asked Cole if he would like to go to the high school to promote the Digital Media Program. He said he would love to. Board President Diane Lowrey said she would like to see collaboration with Trenton High School now that the performing arts center is open.
Cole commented he would like feedback on the Digital Media Program.
Collins reported she is looking to hold a festival on campus October 23rd, so students can have their families on campus. She is planning live entertainment that day.
She also wants to have Bingo nights every fourth Friday with different themes and prizes, Service Days, and a six-week yoga program for students this fall.
Collins said she has talked to Main Street Trenton Executive Director Megan Taul, and Taul wants the college to be involved with the Five Points Festival August 28th.
Director of Development Alicia Endicott submitted a written update on the NCMC Foundation and Alumni Association.
She reported the Foundation Board voted at a special meeting July 7th to contract with Rich Gross Solutions as the consulting firm for a Major Gifts Campaign. A feasibility study report is being prepared and will be shared with those who were interviewed and summit participants.
The Foundation has a suite reserved for the Kansas City Royals game against the Saint Louis Cardinals August 15th. Tickets are limited, and Endicott should be contacted for more information.
Vice President for Academic Affairs Doctor Tristan Londre reported an adjunct and dual credit summer workshop at the end of June had 12 in-person attendees and other virtual attendees.
The North Central Missouri Teacher Energizer will be August 5th. It is cosponsored by NCMC and Central Methodist University. Eighty-five people are registered already, and the colleges plan to cap attendance at 100.
Londre said NCMC is monitoring enrollments for the fall, and class capacities have been raised back to normal. Chairs are being added back into classrooms.
There will be five reviewers from the Higher Learning Commission for the scheduled campus visit in September.
Vice President for Student Affairs Doctor Kristen Alley submitted a written report.
It said there were 63 men’s contracts for residence life, and 10 more contracts were anticipated from men. There were 53 women’s contracts, and a few more were anticipated from women.
Move-in times will be staggered, and masks are recommended.
Alley reported Student Affairs is working with the Office of Campus Activities to host a vaccination clinic on campus early in the fall semester for staff and students to get vaccinated if they choose.
Regarding financial aid, she noted Summer Pell Grant disbursements to date total $302,628 for 201 students. Summer A Plus Scholarship disbursements to date total $143,198 for 112 students.
All Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund 2 money was expended the week of July 6th, with the last round of free summer tuition credit. NCMC dipped a bit into HEERF 3, which satisfied the 90-day drawdown requirement.
Final summer HEERF disbursement included $90,280 awarded to 204 students from June 14th through July 6th.
Alley reported the first round of HEERF payments were the week of July 19th. They included $1,000 payments to 439 students, $800 payments to 71 students, and $600 payments to 186 students.
A text message was sent July 20th to students who sent NCMC their Free Application for Federal Student Aid but had not enrolled. A Pirate email was sent July 20th to students currently enrolled for the fall but had not sent NCMC their FAFSA. As of July 20th, 1,648 FAFSAs had been received at NCMC. That is down compared to a year ago, when 1,748 FAFSAs had been received.
Alley said students have been contacted who inquired but not applied for the fall with a reminder to apply. The deadline is August 5th.
On-campus attendance has already surpassed last year’s with an increase of 48 students year over year. Two hundred fifty-one students have attended on campus in Trenton and the North Belt Center. July 27th was the last on-campus orientation, advising, and registration.
Green Hills Head Start Director Janet Gott reported health screenings have gone well.
Head Start is working on policies and procedures to reopen for the scheduled start of August 17th.
The centers did not do tooth brushing or family-style meals last year, and Gott is contacting health departments for guidance. She said she is getting different advice from different health departments.
Head Start Director Sue Ewigman reported home-based Head Start will be done in person, and virtual visits will no longer be viable. Health checks will be done before entering homes. If there are days missed for home-based students, they will have to be made up.
Gott noted Head Start will begin monitoring and tracking enrollment in January. There must be two eligible children on a waiting list.
A garage sale will be at the former Trenton center July 30th.
Chief Information Officer Jennifer Triplett reported on NCMC’s Infrastructure Refresh project, including improvements to the college’s data centers, wired and wireless networks, firewalls, and video surveillance system.
Progress in July included continued tuning of data center and network technologies and installation of a redundant link between the Frey data center and the Selby core switch. There was also continued planning of the logical network redesign, which yielded initial work plan documentation and additional network improvement designs for a backup connection between the Frey and Barton data centers.
A year in review was presented. It indicated the board spent 23 hours and 35 minutes in meetings. There have been 12 meetings in regular session, two special sessions, 11 executive sessions, two retreats, and one levy hearing. Approved purchases totaled $4,267,969.34. There were 47 hires, 11 transfers, seven new positions, three emeriti, and three tenured faculty. Two hundred fifty-one motions were made.
NCMC President Doctor Lenny Klaver also reviewed the 2020-2021 year as well as Plan 2025 initiatives, including academic excellence, student success, strategic enrollment management, campus and community, and culture of responsibility.
He said the last year was a challenge, but it was successful in terms of multiple accomplishments. Klaver commented he was “grateful” and “humbled” to work with the group of people at the college.
Trustee Doctor John Holcomb commended Klaver and his team for accomplishing so much with the small taxing district.
An executive session was held for real estate matters.
(email [email protected] for comments and concerns on this article)
