KIRTLAND COMMUNITY COLLEGE
BOARD OF TRUSTEES MINUTES
September 20, 2007
Note: At 6:30 p.m. board members and guests were provided a tour of the newly painted Automotive Lab.
CALL TO ORDER
Chair Roy Spangler called the meeting to order at 7:07 p.m. with the Pledge of Allegiance.
ROLL CALL
Members Present: MaryAnn Ferrigan, Roy Spangler, Richard Silverman, Denis Weiss, Patricia Webb,
Roberta Werle
Members Absent: Sally Galer
Others Present: Nick Baker, Stacey Barnes, Karen Brown, Phil Collins, Jo Ann Comerford, Gordon Hess, Amy Hess, Nick Holton, Matt Kearis, Ed Koliba, Kathy Koch, Dennis Mansfield, Kathy Marsh, Mark McCully, Kyle Morrison, Tom Quinn, Marcell Romancky, Ilene Scherer, Tim Scherer, Deb Shumaker, Dale Shantz, Kathleen Wray
WELCOME
Members and guests were welcomed by Chair Roy Spangler.
PUBLIC COMMENT
None
MINUTES
Minutes from the July 19, 2007 regular board meeting were reviewed and approved as presented with a motion from Trustee Richard Silverman, supported by Trustee Denis Weiss.
Minutes from the August 1, 2007 special board meeting were approved as presented after discussion and with a motion from Trustee Richard Silverman, supported by Trustee MaryAnn Ferrigan.
PRESIDENT’S REPORT
Introduction of new employees; resignations; transfers
College President, Thomas Quinn, asked Dale Shantz, Director of Human Resources, to introduce new employees and to report on personnel news. New hires or non-seasonal position changes in the past six months include the following;
Melanie Blayer, part-time Financial Aid Data Support Specialist
Phillip Collins, Paraprofessional, Science Lab
Joan Cyman, part-time eServices Office Support
Lisa Lashley, full-time office Information Systems Instructor
Matt Kearis, full-time English Instructor
Renae Klee, Paraprofessional, Flex Lab
Mark McCully, Interim Director, M-TEC
Ty McGregor, Head Men’s Basketball Coach
Deb Shumaker, Director of Library
Kathleen Wray, Assistant Registrar
Doty Latuszek submitted her resignation as Provost, M-TEC at Kirtland-Gaylord to accept a position as Associate Provost for Academic Affairs at Gateway Community and Technical College in Covington, Kentucky. Debbie Rathburn, Tutoring Paraprofessional resigned due to conflicts with her substitute teaching schedule. Max Garnet has been released from his position as Firing Rangemaster.
Awards and recognitions
Dale Shantz announced that Lisa Lashley, Office Information Systems Instructor, has been awarded her Masters degree in Business Administration from Walden University.
Cathy Meadows, Food Services Assistant, was elected the first female Vice-president of the Michigan Trap- Shooting Association.
Bob Schneider, part-time Custodian, has won the Democratic Primary Election for Roscommon County Commissioner.
Communications
Tom Quinn thanked the board members for the get-well cards and sympathy cards for the death of his father, and he appreciated the large number of cards received from staff, faculty and administrators.
He shared a “good news item” that we received a $300,000 grant for M-TEC from Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) for September 2007 and an additional $200,000 for September 2008. This is part of the $800,000 award for training of displaced workers.
Tom Quinn announced that there is a Northern Michigan Broadband Conference on October 8 in Grayling. He declared that communication systems are vitally important to us, especially in online education, so representation from the board would be welcome at that meeting.
On October 22, there will be a Government Forum Joint City, Townships, School and County at the Grayling High School. Patrick Crosson, Main Street American developer, will present the four-season theme park project. After dinner a facilitated discussion will focus on the questions, “What impact will the Main Street America project place on your governing unit?” Tickets for this dinner meeting are $20 each. Mary Ann Ferrigan indicated that she would attend to represent the board. If any other board member wishes to attend they were asked to contact Kathy Koch for reservation arrangements.
On behalf of Dale Shantz, Tom Quinn asked the board chair to appoint an ad hoc committee of the board to review personnel policies for possible changes and updates. Richard Silverman, Roberta Werle, and Denis Weiss volunteered to serve on such a committee.
Later on in the agenda he would like to ask to schedule a special board workshop on programming sometime in October.
The board members had before them a copy of a letter to Kathy Marsh, Dean of Instruction, regarding a plea for an associate degree in Early Childhood Education. Quinn said that he considered it a positive letter for administration to address.
Tom Quinn provided a presentation on growth possibilities as a beginning for strategic planning with the question, “How big can, or should, this college become?” The purpose is to create conversations and a sense of urgency for strategic planning. There is a need to establish a benchmark for decision-making and to create goals for programming. Discussion followed regarding what growth can we realistically obtain. What must we do to grow?
Richard Silverman: Non-traditional students is an area of potential growth, specifically senior citizens. Creative kinds of summer programming should be considered. People like to come up north in the summer. The arts is one area; find a university willing to participate with us in such programs outside of the district; identify certain areas which are our strengths to grow more to become a regional center for certain things that we do well.
Denis Weiss: Some incremental growth is necessary with a long-term goal. Keys for success include looking for positive trends and good programming.
MaryAnn Ferrigan: We can grow astronomically and we should approach it that way; make Kirtland the next step for high school students. She discussed the Michigan Community College Association (MCCA) Summer Workshop session on “Tough Choices for Tough Times” which indicates the need to revamp the entire educational system.
Roberta Werle: Our concept of working in Michigan has been a manufacturing or agricultural base which has shrunk. We have not been able to grasp the necessary change for the workforce of the future. If we don’t grow, we will lose market share and become victims of the future. The focus has been on two major programs and a third half program, criminal justice, nursing and technology. Our arts program has gone out of sight because of the skills and talents of the instructors. We are one of the few to offer a degree in fine arts. Summer programming is a potential. For example, consider bringing in competitions to the shooting range. Then there are medical programs, theatre, and music to consider focusing on what we do well. We have wonderful talent that we should be working with to expand programs for summer.
Richard Silverman: A demographer and census expert spoke at the MCCA Summer Workshop. He talked about the realities of Michigan which is second only to Texas in retaining its population, and second to one other state in the number of people who leave and then come back. Our strengths as a college lie in that area; we have the environment, environmental experts, quality of life such as hunting, fishing, skiing; we could become an environmental education center of Michigan.
Roy Spangler: Programming was mentioned most often for the reason students choose Kirtland. If we have programs people want, if we build it, will they come? Statistics can be used to find the jobs; identify some programs we should be looking at. We need more good news articles in the papers.
Quinn thanked them and said the conversation will be continuing with employees.
Summer and fall enrollment reports
The reports were furnished to the board members in their packets. Tom Quinn asked whether they had any questions. There were none.
Fall faculty list
The fall faculty list was provided as an information item.
BOARD MEMBER REPORTS/OPEN DISCUSSION
MCCA representative
Richard Silverman reported on the MCCA Summer Workshop Board of Directors meeting at which he represented Kirtland as the alternate. Roy Spangler is the representative from Kirtland with Silverman serving as alternate. He reported that at that meeting, they elected the trustee members of the MCCA executive committee and he passed out a listing of the members of the executive committee. Roy Spangler added that MCCA keeps track of what is going on in Lansing and a key thing to stay informed on is a movement to create a bill to offer vocationally oriented baccalaureate degrees at community colleges. This alone could provide growth opportunities that would increase our enrollment by 10 percent.
Richard Silverman also passed out the 2007-2010 goals of MCCA with a summary of achievements last year. It gives a sense of what the organization is focusing on and what has been accomplished.
Basketball facility
Richard Silverman visited the new privately-owned facility under construction awhile ago and was skeptical of it being ready for the basketball season. However, last week he visited it again with Kirtland’s athletic director and was very impressed with the quality of the high-tech court which is constructed to be very flexible. It is absolutely a beautiful facility and our student athletes are going to be very pleased. Many are choosing to live in Mio and a part of the facility will be devoted to study-hall. He was very impressed with, not only the facility, but the energy and enthusiasm of the new coach, Ty McGregor. It will be ready for the first official practice on October 1. He is optimistic that this trial move of the home court will be successful.
Other reports
None
NEW BUSINESS/BOARD ACTION
Resolution to approve M-TEC℠/University Center Joint Operating Agreement
Discussion was launched by Trustee Silverman with a concern about a curriculum limitation agreement with North Central Community College in Petoskey. Trustee Ferrigan expressed concern over a restriction not to offer anything above the 200 level. The agreement covers five years, and Karen Brown, Associate Dean of Instruction, commented that it is not anticipated that an opportunity to offer a baccalaureate degree would happen before then. It would take time to grow a program above the current level allowed by the community college act. Trustee Werle pointed out a parenthetical typo on page three. Silverman asked who the current players at the University Center are. The response was the executive director, Davenport University, Spring Arbor University, and North Central Community College. He asked who will administer this agreement, and Tom Quinn responded that it will be the new director of M-TEC.
The following preamble and resolution were offered by Trustee Denis Weiss and supported by Trustee Richard Silverman as corrected:
WHEREAS
1. The Kirtland Community College approved the partnership between the Alpine Regional Education Center (AREC) in a revision of the original M-TEC grant proposal from the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) on July 8, 1999, and
2. The University Center at Gaylord (previously known as the Alpine Regional Education Center) partnership was approved in an effort to facilitate the coordination of educational programs and services and to provide for shared human and physical resources between the partners, and
3. The intent of the original joint operating agreement between M-TEC at Kirtland-Gaylord and the University Center (UC), the first of its kind for both entities, was to be a “best effort” attempt to create an Operating Agreement that would cover all subject matter in the best interest of both parties, and
4. It was recognized that the partners may find that the Agreement does not meet the objective and require modification, and
5. Although the agreement was intended to be self-renewing, Kirtland and the UC agreed that the term of the agreement would be short so that the agreement can be revised if necessary upon renewal.
6. The Kirtland Community College has been presented a copy of the new, revised Joint Operating Agreement for approval.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED THAT
The Kirtland Community College Board of Trustees approves the Joint Operating Agreement between M-TEC℠at Kirtland-Gaylord and the University Center.
Vote: Ayes, six Nays, zero Abstain, zero Absent, one Resolution declared adopted.
FINANCIAL REPORT
2006-2007 Year End
Ed Koliba, Chief Business and Financial Officer, provided a presentation of the 2006-07 Year-end Financial report with comparative figures at June 30, 2006.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Tom Quinn informed that board of an emergency expenditure required to hire an engineer to investigate deterioration of the bridge walkway from the Instructional Building (INS). The cost is estimated at $10,000 for partial demolition of the structure to investigate the extent of repair needed.
Tom Quinn provided a quiz challenge, just for fun, for board members of facts from the fall student survey, Fact Book, and the CCSSE survey administered during the Winter 2007 semester. All of these sources are on the college website. He provided a return envelope and declared that the winner with the most correct answers will receive a prize.
The request for a special workshop on college programming was discussed and agreed upon for Thursday, October 25, at 6:30 p.m. at Kirtland House.
Kathy Marsh announced that on Oct 1 the Academic Quality Improvement Project (AQIP) system portfolio, our re-accreditation document, will be posted to the college website. She asked the board members to look at it and provide feedback. The report is due to the Higher Learning Commission by November 1.
Amy Hess, owner and operator of the Child Care Center which serves the college, referred to the Early Childhood Education degree request. She has found that students who need credits to receive their CDA credential to provide child care services can only get two classes here at Kirtland. Baker College offers 15 credits. CDA is the first credential that can be earned for early childhood education; 12 credits are required for CDA. Kathy Marsh commented that we have not had enough enrollments to offer the classes. However, the instructional division will look at the possibility along with other programming opportunities.
ADJOURNMENT
With no further business to come before the board, the meeting was declared adjourned at 9:07 p.m. by Chair Roy Spangler.
Respectfully submitted,
Kathy Koch
Recording Secretary