The Seward County Community College/Area Technical School Board of Trustees
held their regular board meeting Monday, Oct. 4, 2010, to discuss the
strategic plan and the facilities and land-usage plan.
Dr. Duane Dunn, SCCC/ATS president presented an update of three of the
Strategic Plan activities, including facilities and land-usage, Technology
and the Career and Technical Education programs and student activities.
Representatives of the firms Bartlett & West and Architect One met with the
SCCC/ATS Board of Trustees prior to the board meeting. The group is on
campus for three days meeting with students, staff, board members, and
community representatives, as they begin developing a long-range facilities
and land-use plan for the college. The representatives want to involve
everyone in the process as they receive feedback and ideas for the college??s
facility and land-use planning process.
Cynthia Rapp, dean of instruction, reported on the strategic plan that
encompasses Technology and Career and Technical Education Programs. Five
programs have completed their curriculum alignment through the Technical
Education Authority, including Auto Body Collisions Repair, Automotive
Mechanics Technology, Construction Trades Technology, Respiratory Therapy
and Surgical Technology. Curriculum alignment is in progress for Computer
Information Systems; Criminal Justice: Corrections; Drafting and Design
Technology; Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditional & Refrigeration; Machine
Tool Technology; Medical Assistant; Criminal Justice: Law Enforcement; and
Welding Technology.
The college has been awarded a United States Department of Education Title V
grant to begin programs in Process Technology Specialist, Radiologic
Technology Specialist and Corrosion Technology Specialist. This is a
five-year grant program and the college will receive $649,991 the first year
to begin the program for a total of $3,249,913 over five years.
All of those programs will be at the Area Technical School.
The college will also be putting together a U.S. Department of Education
grant application by November to increase innovative programs in the areas
of Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM).
In the area of Student Activities, the college is still considering the
addition of soccer, golf and debate. The board reviewed a plan for the
addition of soccer, including a timeline, number of athletes, numbers,
revenue, expenses, travel and additional personnel.
USD 480 and the city are more than willing to work with the college on the
use of their soccer fields, said Galen McSpadden, SCCC/ATS athletic
director, ??but if the college is going to be competitive on the same level
as our other athletic teams, we need to have our own field. We would need
either two fields, including one for practice, or one artificial turf field
for both practice and games.??
Presently in the Jayhawk Conference, there are seven women??s teams in the
west and six in the east and five men??s teams in the west and seven in the
east.
McSpadden said that it is important to find a coach who would be place a
high importance on academics as well as created a competitive team. The
college would need to hire the coaches at least a year in advance of the
program and to get on the schedules of other colleges.
Cynthia Rapp represented the annual update on the Cosmetology program. One
goal of the program was to successfully recruit more males to the program,
which it has done.
The college had to cancel the nail technology program for the fall 2010
semester until a new part-time instructor is on board. According to new
state regulations, the college can have a maximum of 25 students per
instructor and if an instructor is gone, not all the students can meet.
Students in the program are using the new Pivot Point teaching material to
help build their clientele by learning to pre-book, up-sell, acquire return
clients and meet monthly goals for retail.
The board approved the annual update of the Cosmetology program.
Jo Ann Sharp, board member, presented the other board members with the name
for the circle drive for the 2010-11 school year. This was an auction item
during the 2010 Foundation Party Auction that raised money for scholarships.
The board approved the name of Jo Ann Sharp Drive for one year. At the end
of the year, Sharp will receive the sign.
The board adopted a resolution to restructure the revenue bond debt and
change to a certificate of participation, which would save the college over
3 percent or over $340,000. Tommy Williams, dean of administrative services,
said the cash savings essentially would eliminate one year of debt service
on the current revenue bonds.
The board approved a list of equipment that will be purchased through the
Kansas Board of Regents Post Secondary Technical Aid Fund for programs at
the Area Technical School. The items include equipment and improvements to
the facilities.
Dale Reed, associate dean of educational services, told the board the
attendance at the Measurement and Pipeline Institute was up. Prior to this
increase, the Petroleum Industry Education Committee was looking at dropping
the institute.
Rapp told the board the Susan Copas was named Outstanding Kansas Higher
Education Art Educator of the Year Award for 2010-11.
The Professional Employee Association officers for 2010-11 are Cindy
Handley, president; George McNitt, vice president; Janice Williams,
secretary; and Katy Redd, treasurer.
Each board member was presented with a plaque by the officers of SkillsUSA
that was designed by the Drafting Technology students and created with the
new water jet machine in Machine Tool Technology.
The SkillsUSA officers for the 2010-11 school year, who were introduced to
the board, were Jonathan Yowell, local and district president; David
Winkler, local and district vice president; Brandon Bruner, local secretary
and district historian; Dustin Rakestraw, local parliamentarian and district
secretary; Caleb Crawford, local and district reporter; and Jeremy
Mendenhall, local historian and district treasurer. Not present were Garth
Swan, local treasurer, and Dallas Smith, district parliamentarian.
In other action, the board
1. Accepted the resignation of Ray Petty, Safety and Security
supervisor;
2. Adopted revisions to Policy on Student Records in Accordance
with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA);
3. Accepted the proposal in the amount of $94,710 from Southwest
Glass and Door of Liberal to replace the Library skylight window re-glazing
project.
The next board meeting is at 7:30 p.m., Monday, Nov. 1 in the board room.
Upcoming events include Basketball Preview Night, Tuesday, Oct. 26 in the
Greenhouse; a Haunted House, that will be put on by Students in Free
Enterprise, from 7-9 p.m., Oct. 28-31 in the Ag Building; and Trick or Treat
Street, Oct. 28 in the Student Union and Student Housing.