June 23, 2005

Construction projects in full swing

Five construction projects involving four campuses are in various stages, members of Cowley’s Board of Trustees learned Wednesday night during their regular monthly meeting. Board members LaDonna Lanning and Ron Godsey were absent.

The Webb-Brown Academic Center on the Arkansas City campus is “about two weeks away” from being completed, according to Tony Crouch, vice president of business services.

“We should be in it in two to three weeks,” he said.

The building, which will become the new home to the Business and Service Technology Department, also will hold larger classrooms for some of the college’s general education courses. Classes will be held in the building for the first time beginning in August.

Another project with an expected June 30 completion date is the Bloomenshine building in Mulvane. The building, located at 430 E. Main St., will be the new home to Cowley’s Mulvane Center. Mulvane voters passed a bond issue that allowed for the building, a former elementary school, to be renovated and leased back to the college. It replaces the downtown storefronts Cowley has occupied since 1987.

Also in Mulvane is the construction of a new industrial technology building in the Mulvane Business Park. The building will house the college’s expansion of Automotive Technology and Machine Tool Technology. Welding Technology will continue to be taught in an existing building in the business park.

Renovation work also is taking place at the college’s Winfield Center in Baden Square. The remodeling is being done to accommodate Pratt Community College’s LPN and RN satellite nursing programs. Cowley’s Mobile Intensive Care Technician program will still occupy the top floor of Stevenson Hall.

Finally, the main entrance to Galle-Johnson Hall on the Arkansas City campus is getting a facelift. Conco Construction has shifted some of its manpower from the Webb-Brown Academic Center to the Galle-Johnson Hall project. Crouch said some of the pre-cast concrete was due to arrive Thursday, and that a canopy would be installed soon.

In other matters, the Board:

1. Heard Vice-Chairman Mark Paton appoint Donna Avery and Albert Bacastow Jr. as the nominating committee to make recommendations for the Board’s annual reorganization. The recommendations will be effective for the 2005-2006 academic year.

2. Set 8 a.m. to noon July 23 as the time and date for the Board Retreat. It will be held in the private dining room inside the Patrick J. McAtee Dining Center. No action will be taken on any items during the retreat.

3. Viewed enrollment reports for summer and fall terms. As of June 15, full-time enrollment for the summer session was 707, compared to 718 on the same date a year ago. Fall enrollment was 1,922 as of June 15, compared to 1,704 on the same date in 2004.

4. Approved the following personnel transactions:

a. Administrative contracts for Dr. Pat McAtee, president; Sheree Utash, vice president of academic and student affairs; Crouch; Pam Doyle, dean of student learning; Sue Saia, dean of student life; Charles McKown, dean of research and technology; Tom Saia, director of athletics; Terri Morrow, dean of development and college relations; and Sarah Wesbrooks, dean of northern campuses, all of whom have performed their responsibilities in a very satisfactory manner.

b. Advisement pay for 35 college personnel for spring semester advisement pay. There were 867 advisees, and the contracted amount was $32,194.70.

c. The employment of Nancy Ayers as full-time math instructor, effective Aug. 1; the employment of Joyce Holloway as coordinator of allied health support services, effective July 1 (Holloway had been secretary for the Business and Service Technology Department); the employment of Jeff Fluty as athletic trainer, effective June 13; the employment of Connie Schaefer as nursing coordinator, effective July 25; the employment of Mike Fell as art instructor, effective Aug. 1; the employment of Shawn Lamberson as accounting instructor, effective Aug. 1; the employment of Brett Cales as dorm manager/intramural coordinator, effective July 1; the employment of Marvis Gaddie as secretary for the Business and Service Technology Department, effective Aug. 2; the employment of Marta Fernandez as enrollment specialist in Mulvane, effective July 5; the employment of Tracy Stober as enrollment specialist for northern campuses, effective July 5; the employment of Ryan Paruch as microbiology instructor, effective Aug. 1; and approved the compensation for full-time instructors teaching summer school. The Board also accepted a letter of resignation from Paul Busby, maintenance supervisor at the Southside Education Center in Wichita, effective June 10.

5. Held an executive session for 30 minutes to discuss non-elected personnel. No action was taken.

6. Heard Avery praise Computer Graphic Arts Instructor Denise Irwin for her work on the wall mural in downtown Arkansas City. “Denise was largely responsible for it,” Avery said. “The mural is wonderful.”