DATE:                    August 9, 2007
TIME:                     5:30 p.m.
PLACE:                   Student Union, Room 209

MEMBERS PRESENT: Kevin Berthot
                             Charles Boaz
                             Clint Isaac
                             Mariam Mih
                             David Peter
                             Basil Swalley

PRESENT:               Dr. Vicky Smith, President
                             Dr. Brian Inbody, Vice President for Student Learning
                             Ben Smith, Dean of Planning and Operations
                             Sandi Solander, Dean of Finance
                             Brenda Krumm, Dean of Outreach & Workforce Development
                             Dale Ernst, Dean of Ottawa Campus
                             Kerry Ranabargar, Technology Services Director
                             Kent Pringle, Board Attorney
                             Terri Dale, Board Clerk
                             Adam Vogler, Chanute Tribune

Mr. Peter called the meeting to order at 5:30 p.m. in room 209 in the Student Union.

There were no speakers.

Mr. Peter amended the consent agenda as follows: the salary for Mindy Ayers should be $32,909, and assistant coach Andrew Call will not be returning to the college. The agenda was also amended under new business. Item F-Revised Classification for Allied Health Administrative Assistant and item G-Financial Aid/Library Clerk were added.

There were no comments on the proposed budget.

The following items were approved by consent.

It was the President’s recommendation that the Board employ Jennifer Daisy as the Cashier at Ottawa. Ms. Daisy earned a Bachelor of Arts in Accounting from Ottawa University and Associates of Arts from Johnson County Community College.

Before completing her bachelor’s degree Ms. Daisy was a Master Hair Designer at Salon Bliss and Day Spa in Overland Park. Ms. Daisy will be paid $10 per hour with clerical benefits starting August 10, 2007.

It was the President’s recommendation that the Board employ Mindy Ayers as the History instructor for the Chanute campus. Ms. Ayers is a graduate of Emporia State University with a Masters degree in American History. She earned her BS in Education from Pittsburg State University and is a graduate of NCCC.

Ms. Ayers was an instructor at USD 257 Iola High School from August 2002-May 2007. She taught for the New Beginnings Academy (USD 413) from 2001-2003.

Ms. Ayers will be placed on the faculty salary schedule at MS, step 5 ($32,909) starting August 14, 2007.

Sandy Robb was hired as the part-time lifetime learning coordinator at the maximum amount she could earn due to social security limitations.  The half-time position provides no benefits.  This salary increase from $13,033 to $14,500 was recommended to bring her up to a salary comparable with other coordinators on campus.  Sandy has done an outstanding job revitalizing the lifetime learning program and establishing goodwill between the senior citizens in Chanute and NCCC.

It was the President’s recommendation that Edie Godinez be given an additional $.24 per hour for completing her Associates degree. Her revised salary will be $9.88 per hour effective July 1, 2007.

It was the President’s recommendation that the Board re-employ Asya Herron as the assistant coach for volleyball. Ms. Herron is a graduate of Neosho County Community College and William Penn University, Oskaloosa, Iowa. Ms. Herron has been a club volleyball coach in Chanute and Knoxville, Iowa, volleyball camp director and Welcome Center personnel at Mahaska County YMCA in Iowa.

As a returning assistant coach Ms. Herron will be paid $750 per month ($6,750) plus room and board beginning in August 2007.

It was the President’s recommendation that the Board re-employ Tony Jones as an assistant to the athletic trainer. Mr. Jones graduated from Cowley County Community College and from Kansas State University where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Athletic Training. He is also certified in First Aid and CPR/AED. Mr. Jones was a student athletic trainer at Cowley Community College, Manhattan High School, and Kansas State University. Most recently he completed an internship as a student athletic trainer for the New York Giants Football team.

As a returning assistant coach Mr. Jones will be paid $750 per month ($6,750) plus room and board beginning in August 2007.

It was the President’s recommendation that the Board re-employ John Hill as the assistant coach for baseball. Mr. Hill is a graduate of Highland Community College. He earned his Bachelor of Arts degree from Baker University and Master of Science degree from Pittsburg State University. He has been an assistant coach at Pittsburg State University for three years and coached one year at Baker University.

As a returning assistant coach Mr. Hill will be paid $750 per month ($6,750) plus room and board beginning in August 2007.

It was the President’s that the Board re-employ Bogdan Ciufulescu as assistant wrestling coach. Bogdan competed in the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta and was a coach and athlete for the Romanian Olympic Training from 1986-1996.

As a returning assistant coach Mr. Ciufulescu will be paid $750 per month ($6,750) plus room and board beginning in August 2007.

It was the President’s recommendation that the Board re-employ Tom Havron as the assistant track/cross country coach. Mr. Havron holds a Bachelor of Science in Exercise Science from the University of Mary, Bismarck, North Dakota.

As a returning assistant coach he will be paid $750 per month ($6,750) plus room and board beginning August 2007.

It was the President’s recommendation that the Board employ Aaron Sweazy as the second assistant coach for wrestling. Mr. Sweazy earned of Bachelor of Education in General Studies from the University of Central Oklahoma and an Associate of Arts from Butler County Community College.

Mr. Sweazy will be paid $650 per month ($5,850) plus room and board beginning August 2007.

It was the President’s recommendation that the Board employ Kyle Robinson as the assistant coach for men’s basketball. Mr. Robinson earned a Masters of Education in Higher Administration degree from Auburn University. Mr. Robinson has served as a graduate assistant, assistant coach and men’s basketball head manager.

Mr. Robinson will be paid $650 per month ($5,850) plus room and board beginning August 2007.

Vice President of Student Learning Report: Dr. Brian Inbody, Vice President of Student Learning, distributed a written report and highlighted a few items in his department. The summer months for the Vice President were filled with many items including completing the budget for 48 budget centers, the performance agreements for 2008, the negotiated agreement, insurance committee meetings and Carl Perkins reports.

During the summer months Dr. Inbody also reported that he hears appeals from students who have been suspended academically or from receiving financial aid. There are 44 students suspended for low academic achievement (scoring under 2.0 GPA for 2 or more semesters) and over 150 students on financial aid suspension for the fall semester. Once suspended, the student must "lay out" one semester before reapplying and being admitted again.

Dr. Inbody reported that he had hired 14 new faculty members over the summer and numerous staff members.

The coming academic year has many challenges and opportunities. The Student Learning division will be completing a master educational plan, completing a monitoring report due on outcomes assessment for the Higher Learning Commission, switching to the "windows based" EX system and expanding partnerships in Ottawa and Chanute.

Dr. Inbody reported he will attend the Executive Leadership Institute through the League of Innovation in the Community College to further his skills as a leader and to prepare for future challenges. He was also named to the consultant evaluator corp. for the Higher Learning Commission and will be attending a training seminar later in the year.

Dr. Inbody presented a PowerPoint show on the Graduation Exam and CAAP Test Results. The test was given to every student from every section of English Composition II and College Algebra in the spring semester including on-line, traditional classes and concurrent classes. NCCC students taking the CAAP test scored higher than the national norm on the three tests given.

Treasurer’s Report: Dean Solander distributed the monthly financial reports. She stated that the cash balance was up 1.4 million from a year ago.

President’s Report: President Smith reported that as of August 9^th credit hours generated overall are up by 7.3%. Students who have not made payment have not been dropped which will affect the percentage. She distributed information comparing enrollment hours and headcount in 2006 to 2007. Dale Ernst and Sara Harris are working on concurrent enrollment at the Ottawa campus.

Dr. Smith reported she had received notification from the Legislative Division of Post Audit that they will begin gathering information to determine if community colleges have used a portion of increased State aid to reduce mill levies. NCCC lowered its mill levy the first two years. In 2002 the College increased the mill levy to 32.3 and it has remained at that rate.

Dr. Smith and the SYSTEM presidents met with Wally Kerns, state director of the Kansas Small Business Development Center, to indicate their interest in participating in the Rural Initiative program to expand KSBDC services in rural areas of Kansas. The cost of hosting an outreach center was estimated at $25,000 in cash and $25,000 of in-kind. Mr. Kerns explained how the SYSTEM could proportionally pay ¼ of the costs to provide two counselors who would circulate among the six community colleges. NCCC’s share will be a little over $5,000. Dr. Smith will keep the Board informed on further developments and the College’s participation.

On July 25^th, Dr. Smith, Sandi Solander and Bob Christiansen attended two sessions in Topeka on Tax Credits and "Loans" to handle deferred maintenance. Drafts of the new regulations that would be used to implement the tax credit sections of HB 2237 were provided. Dr. Smith included in her written report some of the highlights of the tax credit section and possible processes.

The KDFA counsel shared that the KDFA would be issuing bonds, based on the proposals submitted by institutions. Then the KDFA would "loan" money to the institution for their projects. The State will pay the interest and the college would pay the principal. Three options were presented on how to bundle the bonds. For the five years the bill covers, only $20 million a year will be "loaned". If all of the $20 million is not used in a particular year, it will not roll over into the next year. Dr. Smith shared the tax credit information with the NCCC Foundation Board and indicated the College would be investigating how to maximize the potential contributions for deferred maintenance.

President Smith also told the Board that Mercy Hospital in Independence has been very generous to NCCC including free space to house the NCCC/ICC Nursing program, faculty office space and connection to the Internet and phones.

It was the President’s recommendation that the Board approve the proposed budget for 2007-08.

RESOLVED, That the Board of Trustees of Neosho County Community College approves the FY2007-08 budget as published. Further, on or before August 25, a copy of the adopted budget along with proof of publication shall be filed with the Neosho County Clerk and the Kansas Board of Regents.

The Board of Trustees held a retreat on June 21^st to review the College’s vision, mission and purposes, and strategic direction. The result of their discussions was to suggest revisions to the Vision Statement and to establish strategic direction goals for the College. Those documents were presented to the Board at the regular July meeting for review. The revised Vision Statement and Strategic Direction are on the following page for Board approval.

RESOLVED, That the Board of Trustees of Neosho County Community College approves the revised vision statement and strategic direction as presented.

Based upon the recommendation of the individual grant directors and Dean Brenda Krumm who oversees the TRIO programs, the President recommended that the Board approve a 3.5% salary increase for the following employees.

                                                                  2006-07    2007-08  

Student Support Services (STARS)
         Bart Cheney, Project Director                   $38,000   $39,330
         Tonya Bell, English Specialist (10 month)    $26,130   $27,045
         Steve Kramer, Counselor                         $30,311    $34,872*

Talent Search

         Marie Moore, Project Director                    $42,971   $44,475
         Wade Collins, Academic Advisor                 $33,835   $35,019
         Michael Rose, Academic Advisor                 $35,000   $36,255
         Nicci Wiltse, Administrative Assistant          $ 9.30 hr  $9.63 hr

Upward Bound

         Maranda Collins, Project Director               $41,291    $42,736
         Laurie Kerns, Interim Academic Coordinator                $30,200

GEAR UP

Karen Bertels, Project Director                            $33,000   $34,155
Jacqueline Doty (11 month)                                $22,000   $22,770

*The 2007-08 contract for Steve Kramer has been adjusted to reflect a $3,500 increase after the 3.5% increase. This adjustment will bring his salary in-line with other employees with similar job descriptions and educational requirements. The increase will be absorbed in the STARS grant, no institutional monies.

RESOLVED, That the Board of Trustees of Neosho County Community college approves the salary increases for 2007-08 for TRIO employees listed above.

The College retained the services of IMA of Wichita to solicit quotes for the College’s health insurance. The insurance committee met with IMA representatives and compared quotes submitted from Preferred Health Systems and Blue Cross-Blue Shield.

The insurance committee recommended the College continue health insurance coverage with Preferred Health Services and to pay the single premium of $336.58 for each employee, to pay an additional $80 per month for employees taking more than single coverage. This is an increase of $11.67 (3.7% increase) per month per employee. The only change in the benefit coverage provided is the emergency room visit co-pay, increasing from $50 to $150 per visit. The additional $80 per month benefit for employees taking more than single coverage is an increase of $5 per month and will keep the cost of the employee/child plan premium under $100 per month as was intended by the College when this benefit was implemented two years ago.

After reviewing the dental insurance quotes, the insurance committee is recommending the College contracts with Blue Cross-Blue Shield and to pay the single premium of $24.48 for each employee per month. The college currently contracts with Delta Dental and the College pays the single premium of $19.05 per month per employee. The additional $5.43 per month in premium (28% increase) provides these additional benefits:

RESOLVED, That the Board of Trustees of Neosho County Community College approves Preferred Health Systems Incorporated as the health insurance provider for College employees taking single coverage or contribute that same amount if employees choose the higher deductible plan. For 2007-08 the Board also approves paying $24.48 for employee coverage in the Blue Cross-Blue Shield Dental Plan and contributing $80.00 per month to employees taking more than single health insurance coverage.

The attached job description applies to two Health Occupation Coordinators, one for the Ottawa area and one for the Chanute area.  These grant-funded positions are part of the Rural Kansas R3 Project.  Funding for these 12-month, full-time, administrative employees comes from the United States Department of Labor.  The salary is $40,000 per Health Occupation Coordinator. 

RESOLVED, That the Board of Trustees of Neosho County Community College approves adding two Health Occupation Coordinators as part of the Rural Kansas R3 Project.

It was the President’s recommendation that the Board employ Amber Vail as the Health Occupation Coordinator for Chanute and Karla Jamison as the Health Occupation Coordinator for Ottawa.

Ms. Vail graduated with an Associates Degree in Nursing from NCCC. She has taught Certified Nurse Aide and Certified Medication Aide courses to various age groups. She has worked in Prison Health Services and Chanute Healthcare Corporation as a RN.

Ms. Jamison holds a B.S.N. degree from Mid-American Nazarene College, A.D.N. from Barton County Community College and L.P.N. from North Central Vo-Tech. Ms. Jamison has been an adjunct instructor for Health Occupations at NCCC, Kansas City Community College, Northeast Kansas Technical College, and Kansas City AVTS.

Both positions are grant-funded, 12-month administrative positions at an annual salary of $40,000 for each position.

RESOLVED, That the Board of Trustees of Neosho County Community College approves the employment of Amber Vail as the Health Occupation Coordinator for Chanute and Karla Jamison as the Health Occupation Coordinator for Ottawa under the

Rural Kansas R3 grant. Salary for each position is $40,000 annually with administrative benefits.

Attached are the 2007-08 Student Handbook and Resident Life Handbook. Because major revisions were made to the handbooks two years ago, only a few changes were needed this year. Unfortunately, most of the changes to the handbooks were made by former personnel, so a detailed list of all changes is not available. No substantive policy changes were made, however. Some of the known changes are listed below by handbook:

Student Handbook

Residence Life Handbook

RESOLVED, That the Board of Trustees of Neosho County Community Colleges approves the revised 2007-08 Student Handbook and Resident’s Handbook as presented.

As the Board is aware NCCC has been awarded a three-year US Department of Labor grant to augment allied health instruction in our service area. The grant calls for hiring two coordinators which were part of the agenda. It also calls for a grant director. That role will be provided by Tracy Rhine, for which she will receive a supplemental contract of $500 a month as these new duties will be in addition to her own regular duties. All of the expenses for this grant are paid by the US Department of Labor.

Also in the grant is funding for an administrative assistant who will be in charge of all paperwork associated with the grant and will help the coordinators and director with clerical tasks. Instead of hiring a new administrative assistant, the administration requested that the current administrative assistant to Allied Health position be elevated temporarily through the end of the grant (2010) from level II to level III on the hourly wage and responsibilities chart. Sarah Hart is in that position now. The administration requested that her salary be raised $1.30 per hour for a total of $9.95 per hour, which is in the range for a level III position. There would be no impact to the college’s operating budget as the additional expenses will be paid by the grant. We will shuffle some duties that Ms. Hart currently is responsible for to other administrative assistants so that she can assume the more involved grant duties.

RESOLVED, That the Board of Trustees of Neosho County Community College approves the request to temporarily upgrade the Administrative Assistant for Allied Health from level II to level III and increase the hourly rate for Sarah Hart by 1.30 per hour effective August 10, 2007 through the end of the US Department of Labor grant (2010).

It was the President’s recommendation that the Board approve the employment of Rena Snyder for the financial aid/library clerk position. Ms. Snyder was employed by Jim Allen Packaging from 1993-2007 as customer service receptionist/bookkeeper. She has a Certificate in Bookkeeping from the Center for Training in Business & Industry in Lawrence.

Ms. Snyder will be paid $8.75 per hour (level II) starting August 27, 2007, benefits beginning September 1, 2007.

RESOLVED, That the Board of Trustees of Neosho County Community College approves the employment of Rena Snyder for the financial aid/library clerk position at an hourly rate of $8.75 per hour (level II) starting August 27, 2007, benefits beginning September 1, 2007.

The meeting adjourned at 7:00 p.m.