KIRTLAND COMMUNITY COLLEGE
BOARD OF TRUSTEES MINUTES
May 17, 2007
CALL TO ORDER
Chair Sally Galer called the meeting to order at 7:04 p.m.
ROLL CALL
Members Present: Robert Bovee, Sally Galer, Richard Silverman,, Patricia Webb, Roberta Werle
Members Absent: Roy Spangler, Denis Weiss
Others Present: Stacey Barnes, Smoke Bonk, Fay Bovee, Louise Bucco, Tom Dale, Mary Ann Ferrigan, Kathy Koch, Ed Koliba, Doty Latuszek, Dennis Mansfield, Kathy Marsh, Kyle Morrison, Charles Rorie, Dale Shantz, Ilene Scherer, Tim Scherer,
WELCOME
Members and guests were welcomed by Chair Sally Galer.
OPEN DISCUSSION
Founding Fathers Recognition
College President Charles Rorie spoke on behalf of Trustee Roy Spangler who requested this topic be placed on the agenda. He recommends a special plaque recognizing the founding fathers of the college, the original board of trustees, to be placed somewhere on campus and seeks board support for this idea. Sally Galer said she thinks it is a very good idea and suggested it be dedicated with a separate ceremony inviting those former trustees. Trustee Richard Silverman thought the Student Center would be a good place for such a plaque, as it was the first permanent structure on campus and would provide the most visibility. Trustee Patricia Webb moved to go forward with obtaining a founding fathers recognition plaque, supported by Richard Silverman. Vote: Ayes, five; Nays, zero. The motion was declared carried.
Presidential Search
Dale Shantz had questions from Dr. Ponitz, the Presidential Search Consultant, about their request for assistance with preparing for a campus visit to South Arkansas Community College, where candidate Dr. Thomas Quinn is employed. Ponitz questions whether the board is clear on its purpose for the visit. He recommends they go with realistic expectations such as looking to see if the candidate is who he appears to be. Richard Silverman said each board member may have certain things they individually may wish to investigate beyond whether Dr. Quinn is what he seems to be. Shantz emphasized that time is of the essence since July 1 is a standard contract date nation-wide, and Dr. Quinn is under considerable pressure to renew his contract at South Arkansas Community College. He said now that we are at this point in the process, we would not want to lose anyone by default. Sally Galer added that we have already received withdrawals from candidates Mike Bower and Bob Jones.
Trustee Roberta Werle said that she thinks it is premature to send any kind of notification to anyone because we are a long way from making a final decision. Richard Silverman said that he supports going on a campus visit as early as possible. Some dates were discussed for early to mid-June. With that time frame in mind, Dale Shantz was charged with making the necessary contacts to see if a campus visit can be accommodated.
They discussed the need to come up with questions to ask and what direction to focus on. Board members were encouraged to express to Dale Shantz their areas of interest and he will compile the questions with assistance from Dr. Ponitz. When asked whether or not they need to meet with Dr. Ponitz on how to proceed with the visit, Dale Shantz explained that Dr. Ponitz is available for questions but has some conflicts with his schedule for the next several weeks. They decided that it was not necessary to meet personally with Ponitz. Regarding meeting with Dr. Quinn while there, it was agreed to ask him to be available to meet with the board, but he is not expected to be involved in the visit process.
Next, discussion was held on who should go on the campus visit in addition to the board members, such as someone from administration, faculty, Steelworkers and classified staff. A recommendation was made to consider those who served on the presidential search advisory committee.
MINUTES
Minutes from the April 18, 2007 special board meeting - Interview, Dr. Tom Quinn; April 18, 2007, special board meeting - Interview, Mr. Bob Jones; April 19, 2007 regular board meeting; April 24, 2007 special board meeting - Interview, Dr. Larry Ort; May 25 special board meeting - Interviews, Dr. Mike Bowers, Dr. Kevin Pollock; and May 4, 2007 special board meeting - Interview, Dr. Tom Quinn, were approved as amended with a motion from Trustee Roberta Werle, supported by Trustee Richard Silverman. Vote: Ayes, five; Nays, zero. Motion declared approved.
COMMUNICATION
Calendar of Events
President Charles Rorie reviewed the calendar of events for the board beginning with the Kirtland’s Warbler Festival on Saturday, May 19, 2007; reception to honor Robert Bovee on Thursday, June 14, 2007, from 4 to 7 p.m. followed by the regular June board meeting at 7 p.m.; retirement reception for Charles Rorie on Tuesday, June 19, 2007, from 4:30 to 8 p.m. at Kirtland House; special organizational board meeting on Monday, July 2, 2007, at 7 p.m.; board workshop on Wednesday, August 1, 2007, 1 p.m. at Kirtland House; and MCCA Summer Workshop in Traverse City August 2-4, 2007.
School Election Results
Charles Rorie announced the results of the May 8 school elections with Patricia Webb and Mary Ann Ferrigan earning seats on the board of trustees effective July 1, 2007 for the next six years. He reported that he met with Mary Ann Ferrigan for the purpose of beginning her orientation and supplied her with a packet of college information. She will be meeting with administrators in the near future to continue her orientation as a new board member.
Audit Engagement Letter
Edmund Koliba, Chief Business and Finance Officer, referred to the audit engagement letter from Mari McKenzie, CPA, with Yeo and Yeo CPAs & Business Consultants for the annual audit services they will provide for the year ended June 30, 2007. They “will audit the financial statements of the business-type activities, which comprise the entity’s basic financial statements, of Kirtland Community College as of and for the year ended June 30, 2007.”
Trustee Roberta Werle asked how often the college requests bids for auditing services. Koliba explained that usually it is five years, but with the recent mandated changes to the general accounting standards, the board previously agreed that we would retain Yeo and Yeo until that transition period is completed. Now that has happened, so his recommendation is to wait until November, after the annual audit is completed and reported, to put out a request for proposals.
PRESENTATIONS
Automotive Department
Richard, “Smoke,” Bonk, Instructor, Automotive Technology, provided an update on the status of the automotive program. Last time he addressed the board, they were in transition due to the retirement of Bob Shingledecker. Instead of two full-time faculty, we hired two part-time faculty and a paraprofessional. He said that it is working out very well with very qualified instructors.
He has been working with Chrysler Corporation for the last couple of years as a site for their technician training program for area dealerships. This year the lead trainer asked to come for two months, until the end of June. In return, they are giving us about $100,000 worth of new Chrysler vehicles for our automotive program. He learned that Ferris State University stopped doing the training programs for General Motors so we have extended an invitation to become a site for their training. He feels that we are doing a great service to northern Michigan by offering this training on our campus.
Smoke Bonk thanked Kathy Marsh, Dean of Instruction, and Karen Brown, Associate Dean, for their support which has helped with the success of the automotive program. He is looking forward to a new chapter this fall because the entire automotive facility will be painted from ceilings to walls and floors. It will be a great new facility. He invites everyone to come to the automotive department this fall to see the new look.
He said that enrollments have been steady, but not fantastic. He explained how repairs are getting more difficult due to technological advances, and why specialization is necessary in today’s market. He said he has some very good students in their third semester and we have students who have gone on to Ferris. We are in the process of renewing our certification, to be completed before October 2008.
Visiting Naturalist Program
Tom Dale, Visiting Naturalist, gave a presentation on his recently completed series on bears. He visited 24 schools presenting to over 5,000 students about bears. The goal is to use something interesting to reach the students about wildlife and stewardship of this planet.
He referred to the young artists’ calendar contest entries on display in the room and commented that there were just under 1,200 entries for the Kirtland’s Warbler Festival calendar. He showed artwork by Scott Rice that promotes North America’s three bears with the Kirtland’s Warbler and said that he gives a sticker to all the children he presents to. This year, the sticker itself became the admissions button for the Warbler festival.
Dale expressed his appreciation for Kirtland’s support of the visiting naturalist program. He is writing a grant proposal for JP Morgan/Chase bank who actually solicited us for the grant. The next series will feature weasels including the Wolverine as part of the whole weasel family.
When working with children, he said you need to have props to keep their attention. He brought the bear test which consists of matching pictures of bears with names of bears. There are only eight kinds of bears in the world. After matching them, he provided a world map to place where the bears live.
BUSINESS FOR BOARD ACTION
1. Resolution to Bestow Honoraire Status, Louise Bucco
The following preamble and resolution were offered by Trustee Patricia Webb and supported by Trustee Richard Silverman:
WHEREAS
1. Louise Bucco has dedicated 17 years of service as staff at Kirtland Community College;
2. She has ably discharged her responsibilities as director of the library;
3. She has overseen the continued development of the library, including implementation of an automated interactive library system, expansion of information literacy, development of one of the first publicly accessible computer labs, upgrading of the collection, and creation of the Ted and Margaret Lawrence Children’s Collection;
4. She has ably assisted her colleagues through her service on various committees, both formal and ad hoc, including the College Administration Team (CAT), Curriculum and Instruction Committee (CIC), Instructional Council (IC), ADA, Critical Thinking, Assessment, and on hiring committees;
5. She has ably assisted her profession through her service and leadership in the American and Michigan Library Associations, the Michigan Community College Library Association, and the Michigan Library Consortium;
6. She has ably assisted her community through her service and leadership in the Roscommon County Literacy Council, the Roscommon County Community Foundation, and the Zonta Club;
7. She has continually demonstrated her concern and dedication for the students we serve;
8. Her concern, dedication, and skills will be greatly missed by the students we serve, her colleagues, and this board;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED THAT
The board of trustees, in public recognition and appreciation of these years of service, does hereby bestow Honoraire Status on Louise Bucco, with all the honors and privileges such status entails.
Discussion: Tom Dale testified that before Louise Bucco came to Kirtland, we were unable to do legitimate research at the library. Richard Silverman said that information literacy is so important and he appreciates that she saw the importance of reading as a function of the library. Roberta Werle said that whenever she went into the library, she found Louise to be very welcoming and good humored.
Vote: Ayes, five Nays, zero Abstain, zero Absent, two Resolution declared adopted.
2. First reading: Resolution to Move POL 6.125 RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF STUDENTS Revision to Second Reading
The following preamble and resolution were offered by Trustee Patricia Webb and supported by Trustee Roberta Werle:
WHEREAS
The Kirtland Community College Board of Trustees has been presented the proposed revisions to POL 6.125 RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF STUDENTS as a first reading at this meeting,
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED THAT
This proposed revision to POL 6.125 RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF STUDENTS be moved to a second reading at the next scheduled meeting.
Vote: Ayes, five Nays, zero Abstain, zero Absent, two Resolution declared adopted.
3. RESOLUTION TO APPROVE THE 2007-2008 PRELIMINARY BUDGET
The following preamble and resolution were offered by Trustee Patricia Webb and supported by Trustee Robert Bovee:
WHEREAS
The 2007-2008 Preliminary Budget was presented as a first reading at this meeting of the Board of Trustees,
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED THAT
The 2007-2008 Preliminary Budget be moved to a second reading at the next scheduled meeting.
Vote: Ayes, five Nays, zero Abstain, zero Absent, two Resolution declared adopted.
REPORTS FOR BOARD INFORMATION
Winter Enrollment Report
Stacey Barnes, Dean of Student Services, pointed out a few changes to the look of the report which now gives a five-year comparison along with a one-year comparison. Guest student status has been eliminated because it has become too difficult to track now that universities no longer require a guest student form that used to identify those students. Headcount is down, but credit hours are up. She noted a few changes, under county of residence, Oscoda County has increased significantly from this year to last year, but over five years, it is a decrease. Therefore, she pointed out that it is important to look at the trends along with the detail. The category, First Time In Any College (FTIAC), over one year shows a significant increase, but over a five year period, it shows a decrease. Our eighth grade students are included in the winter semester, so they also show up in the FTIAC category. The three largest program areas are health careers, transfers, and industrial technologies (the personal interest category is non-degree seeking). The increase in industrial technologies from last year is eighteen students and the new outdoor engines enrollment accounts for seventeen of those students.
AQIP Actions Projects update on “Commitment to Improving Environmental Conditions”
Kathy Marsh, Dean of Instruction, described the report that was included in the board packets, for the action project which is updated on an annual basis to the Higher Learning Commission. The report contains the reviewer’s comments. Then she turned to Tim Scherer who chairs the action project committee, for a presentation on the process up to where we are now. It began with Conversation Day to identify the problems, then milestones were set with action items along with developing the process. They worked closely with the Financial and Physical Resources committee to prioritize deferred maintenance and special requests. It is one of the early projects and is expected to be brought to a close soon although it will be an ongoing process for improvement.
Internet Service Costs
Tim Scherer, Director of Institutional Services, provided a presentation about Internet access at Kirtland and he displayed the Digital Community College Survey award from the Center of Digital Education and the American Association of Community Colleges. Kirtland is one of the top ten digital community colleges in the country for our size college.
Our goals for internet access are to continuously improve the quality and availability of Internet services while keeping costs under control. We periodically review the agreement with our service provider, M-33 Access, and periodically compare their services with other providers. If it were not for the Northern Michigan Electronic Consortium (NMEC), a group of K-12 schools, an intermediate school district (COOR), an educational school district (AMA) and Kirtland, we would not have the level of coverage that we currently have. In the past five years, we have saved about $548,000 total for the entire consortium, quantified by comparing other providers and network systems to what we were doing before forming the consortium, plus, we have increased services dramatically, by over 400 percent. It is one of the largest wireless networks in the country, right here in Northern Michigan. The most recent bid process showed that our current provider is about $199,000 per year less than the nearest bidder and they have provided us with reliable service. The next big thing with us and NMEC is updating phone systems seeking cost savings through the consortium.
M-TEC Update
Doty Latuszek, Provost, reported on four things happening at M-TEC. First, we will be receiving a check from the University Center for about $41,000 for underpayment of utilities for the first four years we were open. Because the joint operating agreement is so ambiguous, her best estimate is that they owe closer to $60,000. However, they have offered $41,000 to resolve the issue. The governing advisory board is supportive of their offer, so she will move forward to receive those funds. Second, we originally estimated revenues over expenses for this year at $40,000, but she has learned from Ed Koliba that we are closer to $90,000 in revenues over expenses. Third, we are in the process of creating a new joint operating agreement that will clear up the ambiguity and simplify the agreement. Our legal council is helping with drafting of the agreement and the University Center has formed a committee to work on it. It will not contain the curriculum restriction previously stipulated. Fourth, the sonography program has moved in and the program began this week. It will represent about a 35 to 40 percent increase in enrollment over the next year.
ADJOURNMENT
With no further business to come before the board, the meeting was declared adjourned at 10:01 p.m. by Chair Sally Galer.
Respectfully submitted,
Kathy Koch
Recording Secretary