July 18, 2006

Board approves raises during regular monthly meeting

Salary increases for classified staff and administrators at Cowley College were approved Monday night by the college’s Board of Trustees at its regular monthly meeting.

Classified staff and administrators will receive a 5 percent increase in salary or hourly wage effective Aug. 1. Faculty negotiated a 5.6 percent increase for the 2006-07 academic year.

The Board also elected the following officers for the upcoming year: Chairman, Lee Gregg Jr.; vice chairman, LaDonna Lanning; Kansas Association of Community College Trustees voting delegate, Donna Avery; Association of Community College Trustees voting delegate, Ron Godsey; Board representative for professional negotiations, Albert Bacastow Jr.; trustee designated as the Board representative to the College Endowment Association, LaDonna Lanning; and each member of the Board was named trustee designated to open bids.

Gregg Jr., who will begin his eighth year on the college’s Board of Trustees, felt privileged to be asked to serve as chairman of the board for the upcoming year. He previously served as chairman of the Board four years ago.

“I will be spending more time at the college and be more involved in special activities,” Gregg Jr. said. “Not a lot of individuals within the general population realize what a fantastic institution Cowley has evolved into over the years of the current administration. We have a lot of possibilities in the future.”

The Board also appointed Libby Palmer as clerk of the Board, Tony Crouch as treasurer of the Board, and David Andreas as Board attorney.

The Board designated Home National Bank and Union State Bank as official depositories for college funds, designated the Arkansas City Traveler and Winfield Daily Courier for publication of official notices, and kept the Board meeting time at 6:15 p.m. on the third Monday of every month.

In other matters, the Board:

1. Held an executive session to discus property acquisition.

2. Changed the regular August meeting date to Aug. 14.

3. Discussed the ACCT Community College Leadership Congress, which will take place Oct. 11-14 at the Orlando World Center Marriott Resort and Convention Center in Orlando, Fla.

4. Heard a construction report from Vice President of Business Services Tony Crouch. The installation of the new carpet in the Storbeck Dormitory is complete. Shower repairs are nearing completion in the Kirke Dale Dormitory. Heating, air-conditioning, electrical and minor plumbing work are in process at the Mulvane Welding/Industrial Technology Facility. In order to complete the wall construction to define the classrooms at the Mulvane Welding/Industrial Technology Facility, the board approved a proposal from Schneider Construction for the work in the amount of $22,390. The final two classrooms are complete from a remodel standpoint at the Winfield Center, while paint is in process, with carpet to follow. Touch-up painting is underway in several campus buildings.

5. Viewed a proposed operating budget for the 2006-07 academic year. The slight increase is based upon several factors, including a modest enrollment increase, a project increase of about $8 million in county valuation, and $637,071 more from the state. The final budget will be presented at the Aug. 14 meeting of the Board.

6. Viewed a summer enrollment report, which indicates that as of July 12, full-time equivalency was 815, which is up from 680 on July 12, 2005. Fall enrollment was 2,397 as of July 12, compared to 2,341 on the same date in 2005.

7. Dr. Pat. McAtee tabled his recommendation to the Board of Trustees regarding the definition of sabbatical leave.

8. Presented for first reading the policy Grant-In-Aid Tuition Reimbursement for full-time Classified Staff.

9. Presented the final readings on four policies, including Guidelines on Demonstrations and Leafletting, Family and Medical Leave Act, Reimbursement for Travel, and Absence and Sick Leave – Administrative and Classified Personnel.

10. Accepted the resignation of Amy White as advising and retention specialist, effective July 6; accepted the resignation of Brock Buckingham as dorm manager/assistant baseball coach, effective July 31; accepted the resignation of Brett Cales as dorm manager/intramural director, effective Aug. 31.

11. Approved the employment of Devin Graves as director of GED/ABE, effective July 19; approved the employment of Regina Young as microbiology instructor at SSEC/Mulvane, effective Aug. 1; approved the employment of Tisha Catlin as director of health services, effective July 18; approved the employment of Dawna Headrick as department secretary, Career and Tech Ed., effective July 31; approved the employment of Rita Thurber as advising specialist in Arkansas City, effective July 24; approved the employment of Steven O’Hair as coordinator of student success center, effective Aug. 1; approved the employment of Charlie Wilson as library assistant, effective July 19; approved the employment of Lindsey Davis as dorm manager/intramural director, effective Aug. 14; approved the employment of a director of web services; approved the employment of a social science secretary.