The North Central Missouri College Board of Trustees March 23rd approved tuition and fees as well as room and board rates for the 2021-2022 academic year.
The majority of tuition and fees increased by $5 per credit hour. The student development, facility, and technology fees increased by $1 per credit hour. Dual credit increased by $8 per credit hour. Vice President of Business and Finance Tyson Otto said the greater increase for dual credit was to offset providing textbooks to schools.
Tuition for NCMC district students will be $92 per credit hour for the 2021-2022 academic year, other Missouri students $153, and other United States residents and international students $190. Online, outreach and course by arrangement will each cost $175 per credit hour. The student development and facility fees will each be $18 per credit hour. The technology fee will be $8. Dual credit will be $108 per credit hour. Early college in the NCMC district will be $17 per credit hour, and early college out of district and online and outreach will each be $67.
Online nursing program fees will remain at $2,500 for the initial semester, $2,100 for the second semester, and $2,100 for the summer.
NCMC President Doctor Lenny Klaver said the increase in tuition and fees was lower than at some other schools.
Rooms and what was the 17-meal plan will decrease in price from the 2020-2021 school year. Vice President of Student Affairs Doctor Kristen Alley said the decrease is due to the college understanding the economic struggles due to COVID-19.
A double-occupancy room will cost $2,980, which is down by $993. A single-occupancy room will be $3,972, which is a decrease of $124. An apartment will cost $4,965.
NCMC will switch to an all-access option for students residing in Ellsworth and Selby halls, which will provide them with open access to the dining hall throughout the day. Students in the apartments will have an eight-meal plan.
The all-access meal plan will cost $3,120. The eight-meal plan will be $1,680.
The purchase was approved of a 2021 Freightliner Glaval 40-passenger shuttle bus from Master’s Transportation of Belton for $142,500. It was the lowest of five bids.
Otto noted the shuttle was purchased with federal COVID-19 funds due to NCMC’s limited capacity for social distancing on trips for students. The college already has the bus, and graphics will be added later.
The board approved an Informational Technology Services request regarding an upgrade of email security coverage with expanded Proofpoint services. The cost for one year of service is $33,332. The cost was provided as part of a state-approved contract, and the purchase will be covered by COVID-19 funding.
Chief Information Officer Jennifer Triplett said the college is already receiving services from Proofpoint. The upgrade will include moving to the company’s cloud-hosted platform, expanding coverage to include inbound and outbound emails and include students, improved support services, and professional services to ensure the college’s migration to the new platform is successful.
Triplett said email security is critically needed. Vulnerabilities like ransomware, viruses, and security breaches can start from emails. She noted the upgrade will “significantly increase” the college’s cybersecurity strategy.
The implementation of a four-day workweek was approved for faculty and staff from May 10th to August 13th.
Chief of Staff Kristi Harris noted that the four-day workweek for the summer was “typical.” Faculty and staff, with supervisor approval, will work their required hours of time during the week and can work their hours in four days from Monday through Thursday if they choose. Office hours for the public will be Monday through Thursday from 8 o’clock to 4:30. The Ketcham Community Center will remain on its standard summer hours.
Faculty and staff will also be allowed to wear casual attire during the summer. Harris said this was a cost-efficient benefit to boost employee morale and increase productivity.
The board approved the reemployment of 38 full-time faculty members for the 2021-2022 year, pending any staffing reductions related to loss of state or federal revenue. Salaries will be determined at a later date.
The employment was approved of Tarasa Gardner of Kirksville for yoga courses beginning in the fall.
Internal transfers were approved. One was for Megan Pester from Marketing Specialist to Director of Marketing and Admissions with an annual salary of $54,000. She will begin the position on April 1st.
Nathan Gamet will transfer from Director of the Ketcham Community Center to Athletic Director with an annual salary of $63,000. The position will begin on July 1st. Harris noted Gamet will still hold Ketcham Center director duties.
Industrial Technology Instructor Stan Scott’s resignation/retirement was accepted. It will be effective June 30th.
The board approved revised and new job descriptions. Changes were made to the duties and responsibilities of the Library Assistant 2 Testing Center Coordinator. There were no changes in the classification or direct supervisor.
The title of Marketing Specialist was changed to Enrollment Marketing Specialist, and there was a change in the duties and responsibilities. There were no changes in the classification or direct supervisor, and the position will be funded with the current position budgeted.
A new athletic trainer position was needed to maintain compliance, liability, and best practices. The position will be budgeted to begin with the new fiscal year.
The board gave final approval to the Green Hills Head Start Home Base Service Options During a Pandemic revision for 2021. Director Sue Ewigman noted the revisions included information for home visitors to begin in-home visits with safety checks, the use of masks, and limiting time for visits to one hour or less.
The Head Start Policy Council Bylaws for 2021-2022 were also approved. The bylaws are the guidelines for the operation of the council, which provides opportunities for parents to be involved in shared decision-making activities with the governing body.
The North Central Missouri College Board of Trustees heard a report on Information Technology Services on March 23rd.
Chief Information Officer Jennifer Triplett said a Spring Break infrastructure refresh advancement included the completion of nine new drops, the installation of 33 switches, and the installation of 122 wireless access points. Nine staff were directly engaged with the project, and 290 hours were worked in four days.
Triplett reported other IT updates involved residence halls wireless improvements as well as new network switches and replacement wireless access points in the Alexander Student Center, the Barton Farm Campus, the Frey Administrative Center, the Ketcham Community Center, and Cross, Ellsworth, Geyer, and Selby halls.
Next steps include additional switch and wireless point replacements in the remaining buildings at the Main and Barton campuses and troubleshooting issues and refining configuration for newly installed hardware. Other steps include installing video surveillance cameras and installing outdoor wireless access points and antennas for Cross Hall and Geyer Hall parking lot coverage.
Vice President for Academic Affairs Doctor Tristan Londre reported NCMC has completed the process to become a Cisco Networking Academy, which gives the college access to training materials and the ability to offer Cisco-recognized training. He noted Cisco offers different training courses related to IT, and the courses are free.
Londre said the Associate Degree in Nursing program is the only ADN program in Missouri and the only community college program in Missouri now accredited by the National League for Nursing Commission for Nursing Education Accreditation. The initial term of accreditation is through 2027.
Accreditation is not required to operate the program. Londre noted it is a voluntary process, in addition to state board of nursing approval, to give NCMC additional oversight and assurance of quality.
The college continues to prepare for the Higher Learning Commission accreditation visit scheduled for the fall. Londre provided some sample questions of what the trustees might be asked during a review team visit.
Vice President for Student Affairs Doctor Kristen Alley reported 473 degrees and certificates will go to 432 graduates this spring. That number is lower than the last two years, which had the highest number of graduates in the college’s history. Graduation is scheduled for May 8th.
A financial aid review was recently conducted. She said it was good overall. Strengths, weaknesses, and recommendations were provided.
NCMC President Doctor Lenny Klaver noted “full-blown” recommendations will be provided within 40 days.
Alley noted there have not been any reported cases of COVID-19 at NCMC for several weeks, and restrictions are decreasing.
Klaver reported that the Association of Community College Trustees estimates NCMC will receive $3.5 million from the latest Higher Education Emergency Relief funds. He said half would go to aid students, and the other half would go for institutional uses.
Klaver reported on Senate Bill 390, which involves Buchanan County being added into NCMC’s service area. The bill passed in the Senate Education Committee on March 23rd.
Klaver said the bill was not as controversial with Metropolitan Community College and NCMC as it seemed to be in the legislature and Saint Joseph. He explained NCMC is not battling with Metro, and some Saint Joseph residents want a community college presence there.
NCMC is going ahead with its plans in Savannah. Some Governor’s Emergency Education Response Excel funds are proposed to be used for enhancing the Savannah site by providing more machines for career and technical training.
Klaver reported rafters are on the new residence halls being constructed in Trenton. Roofing is underway. There have been some “minor” change orders, which include mirrors and different-colored bricks.
Rich Gross Solutions has held two Zoom meetings recently regarding a feasibility study in preparation for NCMC’s 100-year celebration in 2025. Klaver said the company is doing a good job of preparing for the campaign and using information from the college’s five-year plan for the campaign. He commented there was a lot of work to be done, but he was “confident” Rich Gross had a good start.
Green Hills Head Start Director Janet Gott reported 11 student slots need to be filled for Head Start. Head Start is “actively recruiting” for the next school year. It has received a few applications for new children.
