The North Central Missouri College Board of Trustees on June 22nd heard about upcoming events involving academic affairs.
Vice President of Academic Affairs Doctor Tristan Londre said a dual credit and adjunct workshop on June 23rd will provide professional development for returning faculty and orientation for new instructors. He noted the college hopes to gather further assessment information to support the Higher Learning Commission’s argument and visit this fall.
A new event to be held in Trenton on August 5th is the North Central Missouri Teacher Energizer. Londre said the event will give teachers a chance to meet in person for free professional development. The event will be co-sponsored by NCMC and Central Methodist University.
The City of Savannah was awarded a $500,000 Community Development Block Grant on behalf of NCMC to be used for the renovation of the college’s building there. NCMC is working with Mo-Kan on a Phase 1 environmental assessment and other preliminary work to prepare to go to bid. Londre explained Phase 2 will involve new construction and a different funding source.
The college met with Ellison-Auxier Architects regarding the Savannah site, and they predict a summer 2022 opening for the renovated building. NCMC hopes to move the classes from the North Belt Center of Country Club to Savannah in fall 2022.
Londre reported visitors last month representing Tongan students are planning a fundraiser for scholarships in Salt Lake City, Utah next week, and NCMC personnel plan to attend. Videos will be showed that were produced by NCMC’s digital media coordinator. The group is also looking to purchase several houses near the campus in Trenton.
NCMC is monitoring enrollments for fall and pandemic guidance. Londre noted that, at this point, the college plans to stay physically distanced for in-person classes. It may choose to raise class capacities back toward normal as the situation evolves.
Vice President of Student Affairs Doctor Kristen Alley reported there have been 40 residence life contracts for men and 48 for women. She expects to receive more applications for men.
She noted the college spent $90,000 in Higher Education Emergency Relief 2 funds. It offered new students three credit hours of paid tuition.
The college has one point eight million dollars ($1.8 million) it can spend in HEERF 3 funds. Alley said NCMC looked at the expected family contribution and tiered it. The college can give $600 to $1,000 to fall students and dual credit students can receive $200.
President Doctor Lenny Klaver presented information provided by Chief Information Officer Jennifer Triplett. He said work on the Infrastructure Refresh this month has included continued tuning of data center and network technologies, advancing video surveillance camera installations, and continued planning of logical network redesign. Information Technology Services also dealt with the ongoing implementation of enhanced Proofpoint email security services. IT Services also migrated NCMC’s legacy SharePoint sites to the most current version. The month-long effort was realized with the new faculty and student portal go-lives on June 16.
Klaver recently attended the Coordinating Board for Higher Education retreat and meeting. He said that by 2028, 65% of Missouri’s employment is projected to require some level of education and training beyond high school. About 671,100 Missourians have some college credit but no degree.
Klaver talked about the state budget. He said the federal reimbursement allowances had passed 16 years in a row without much controversy, but it did not happen this year. Governor Mike Parson announced on June 22nd that a special session will begin June 23rd at noon to focus on extending the FRA and related allowances, taxes, and assessments necessary for funding Missouri HealthNet before cost-savings measures are needed by July 1st.
The governor’s office explains the FRA as a program that was born from a public-private partnership between Missouri hospitals and state government to support the MO HealthNet program. The program provides funding to health care providers in the state, including hospitals, pharmacies, mental health facilities, nursing facilities, and emergency medical services providers.
If the programs are not extended, it is anticipated to cost the state an estimated $591 million in the fiscal year 2022 and $788 million in the fiscal year 2023. Payments from the MO HealthNet program would also be reduced by $1.52 billion in the fiscal year 2022 and $2 billion in the fiscal year 2023. If the program expired, the state would have to take cost-saving measures, including rate decreases, elimination of non-mandatory programs, changes to fee schedules, and budget restrictions and vetoes.
Klaver noted if the FRA is not passed, NCMC could face withholds, and the college would have to make adjustments.
The college is meeting with major manufacturing entities in Buchanan County to discuss the college’s plan to offer industrial-related degrees in the area. Klaver noted NCMC will likely use Hillyard Technical Center first. The NCMC Board of Trustees approved a memorandum of understanding last month with Metropolitan Community College reassigning Buchanan County to the NCMC service region beginning with the 2022-2023 academic year.
NCMC’s fall enrollment is trending up by 7.55% in headcount and 9.77% in credit hours. That excludes high school students. Enrollment dropped in fall 2020, but Klaver hopes it makes a comeback this fall.
Green Hills Head Start Director Janet Gott reported Head Start is wrapping up enrollment, and there are 16 prekindergarten slots left. Unionville is the only center that is not full, and children are still being recruited.
Gott said Head Start is getting ready for health screenings. Health departments will provide those screenings.
Starting in August, there will be no more drop-offs for home visitors. She explained home visitors have been dropping off packets, but appointments will have to be done inside a home, outside, or in another place.
COVID-19 flexibilities will no longer be allowed starting in December.
The North Central Missouri College Board of Trustees approved budgets, bids and purchases, and personnel items on June 22nd.
The NCMC Unrestricted Accounts 2021-2022 budget projects total revenues of $11,129,547 and expenses of $10,969,021, resulting in an anticipated surplus of $160,526. The NCMC Auxiliary Service Accounts budget projects total revenue of $2,165,050 and total expenses of $2,164,714, with an anticipated surplus of $336. NCMC projects combined expenses of $13,133,735 and revenues of $13,294,597, resulting in a total projected surplus of $160,862.
Vice President of Business and Finance Tyson Otto noted the budgets are based on assumptions. Tuition and fees revenue is based on slightly higher enrollment than the fiscal year 2021 and increases in tuition rates and fees. Tuition and fee revenue comprises about 67% of NCMC’s operational income. Assumptions for revenue also include state appropriations of $2,942,169 and local tax revenue remaining stable. State funding comprises about 26% of NCMC’s operational income, and local tax funding is appropriately three percent of the operational income.
Assumptions for expenses include budgeted employee salary increases as presented at the May board meeting and budgeted increases in employee health insurance premiums approved at the April meeting. Costs within instruction, academic support, and student services are about 65% of NCMC’s operational expenses. Infrastructure costs are around 19% of the operational expenses, and administrative costs comprise appropriately 12% of the operational expenses.
Otto said the only debt obligation for the fiscal year 2022 is the annual lease payment on the new student apartments, which is an estimated $88,000.
The Program Year 2021 Administrative Budget was approved for the Northwest Workforce Development Board. It included projected revenues of $240,399 and anticipated expenses of $240,685.44. There is a projected deficit of $286.68. There will not be an increase in salaries this year. Workforce Development Board Executive Director Brent Stevens said the office is operating on about half of what it operated on five years ago.
Trustee Doctor John Holcomb said he thinks Stevens and the Workforce Development Board have done well with continuing despite funding cuts.
The board of trustees approved paying off the remainder of the lease for equipment and services purchases as part of the 2020-2021 Information Technology Infrastructure Refresh. The buyout invoice from De Lage Landen Public Finance LLC said the total due was $756,748.57. COVID-19 funding will be the source to pay off the lease.
An IT hardware purchase was approved through CDW-G for $43,145.52. The purchase included equipment and licenses. Four bids were received, and CDW-G submitted the lowest bid. The purchase will be made with COVID-19 funding. The new hardware will be installed in NCMC residence halls.
The board accepted a resignation from Student Support Services Academic Advisor Stacey Russell, effective June 30th. Trustee Chris Hoffman said Russell has done a great job and been compassionate. Board President Diane Lowrey and other board members agreed.
An internal transfer was approved for Lesli Collins of Trenton to go from Ketcham Facilities Coordinator to Campus Activities Coordinator, beginning July 1st.
She will retain her assistant women’s basketball coaching duties. Another internal transfer was approved for Sara Van Dyke of Trenton to go from Residence Life Coordinator/Assistant Softball Coach to Ketcham Community Center Facilities Coordinator/Head Softball Coach, beginning July 1st.
The board approved hiring Mallary Hann of Saint Joseph as Diagnostic Imaging Instructor and Coordinator at a salary of $67,766, beginning July 1st. Rick Sharp of Saint Joseph was approved as an industrial technology instructor at an annual base salary of $43,596, beginning August 18th. Rick Cole of Kingston was hired as the Digital Media Specialist at an annual salary of $42,500, starting July 1st. Matthew Johnson of Palos Heights, Illinois was hired as a mathematics instructor with a salary of $40,493, beginning August 18th. Nate Swann of Trenton was hired as the Head Men and Women’s Golf Coach/Athletics Assistant at a $30,000 annual salary, starting July 6th.
The board approved Juneteenth as an official holiday before approving the 2021-2022 college catalog with a map to be updated. Trustee Don Dalrymple said the map did not include the new residence halls. The catalog reflects NCMC’s policies and programs. Some changes were made.
The 2021-2022 NCMC Organizational Chart was approved. It is presented in a linear format and includes changes and additions.
The board approved the Green Hills Head Start’s Self-Assessment Plan. Head Start Director Janet Gott noted two of the goals are new. These include developing policies and procedures necessary to successfully operate an Early Head Start center-based program and preparing the Chillicothe Center for an Early Head Start conversion. Those goals replaced two Gott said were completed. One of the completed goals was determining which home-based counties have the greatest need for Early Head Start services and converting 12 slots to Early Head Start from prekindergarten. The other completed goal was actively recruiting and enrolling pregnant women with the highest criteria going to pregnant teens.
The board went into an executive session to discuss employees, legal action, and real estate.