
Press Release
January 20, 2010
Spring semester enrollment sees dramatic increase
Spring semester enrollment continues to climb. Cowley College’s
Board of Trustees learned at its regular monthly meeting Tuesday night
in the McAtee Dining Center that as of Jan. 14, FTE for the spring semester
was 2,683, which is up from 2,286 at this time last year.
Cowley College president Dr. Patrick J. McAtee stated that enrollment
is up at each of the college’s centers as well as online. An outreach
update was also provided, which showed not only significant increases
in enrollment, but also student visits.
The Board also heard an update from Tony Crouch, executive vice president
of business services, on the construction projects at Cowley College.
The new physics lab is in use, while work on the roofs of the Brown Center
and Wellness Center has been completed.
Crouch also spoke about the electrical upgrade work being done in Galle-Johnson
Hall. Ziegler Electric has completed the first phase of the update. A
temporary power supply caused some issues with computer servers; however,
those issues have been resolved. The permanent generator should be received
by the end of the month and installed/connected soon thereafter.
"We will spend as much time as needed testing the new equipment before
we connect to it," Crouch said.
In other matters, the Board:
- Saw Cowley President Dr. Pat McAtee present a gift to Jamie Blackim
of Broken Arrow, OK for being named January Student of the Month.
- Discussed the annual PTK Honors Luncheon, which will be held at
the Ramada Downtown/Topeka on Feb. 18. The COP’s/Trustees will
have meetings in the morning, prior to the honor luncheon.
- Slade Griffiths, vice president of academic affairs, provided the
Board of Trustees with an overview of courses that were created/modified
and approved by the academic affairs council. The Introduction to Teaching
Profession course was added, while the Foundations of Education course
has been modified. The Kansas Board of Regents/Technical Education
Authority approved changes to the Graphic Design program. Based upon
the computer advisory committee recommendations from business and industry,
it is recommended to suspend the Network Support and Management certificate
and the Computer Forensics AAS degree. The suspension was approved
by the Academic Affairs Council on Dec. 10, 2009. Individual courses
may still be taught though the certificate and degree will no longer
be offered at the college. The degree and/or certificate could be brought
back if needed by stakeholders.
- Approved four new action projects presented by the AQIP Steering
Committee. The action projects are: Maintaining consistency and quality
of an online learning environment; Ensuring an academic environment
during times of college crisis; The Cowley retention action project;
Improving and reviewing enrollment services from new students to graduates.
- Provided the Board with an overview of the Fall 2009 Stakeholder
Survey results.
- Accepted the audit contract from Parman, Tanner, Soule & Jackson
for the annual audit of accounts and records of Cowley County Community
College for the year ending June 30, 2010. The firm’s fee will
be $19,240 to audit Board Funds and Student Activity Funds, and $10,225
for the Compliance Audit. The cost of the audit will be included in
the 2010-2011 college budget.
- Accepted a letter of resignation from Mendy Pfannenstiel as CTE
secretary, effective Jan. 22.
- Approved the employment of Krys O’Brien as student loan
specialist, effective Jan. 1; approved the employment of Malachi Winters
as MICT instructor, effective, Feb. 1; approved the employment of Blayne
Schafer as student service specialist at the Westside Center. Schafer
replaces Lauren Davis.
- Approved the decision to convert Chris Parrott’s employment
from staff instructor to Automotive instructor with Classification B
of the professional salary schedule; approved the decision to convert
Rick Squires’ employment from staff instructor to machine tool
instructor with Classification A of the professional salary schedule.
- Held a 30-minute executive session for preliminary discussions
relating to acquisition of real property, professional negotiations,
and consult with legal counsel.
- Approved the motion from Board member Lee Gregg, Jr. to purchase
property at 1601 South A Street. Board member Dennis Shurtz asked that
the minutes reflect that the property was purchased at a cost of $8,000.
Shurtz also asked the minutes reflect that the property at 1621 South
A Street, which was purchased in November, was purchased at a price
of $57,421.48.
- Board member Donna Avery commented about the work Sue Saia, vice
president of student affairs, does with the Martin Luther King Jr.
Celebration of Unity, which was held Sunday in the Robert Brown Theatre. "Sue
does an excellent job with the Martin Luther King Celebration, this was
the best one we have ever had," Avery said. “The reason
it keeps going is because of her hard work.”
- With Cowley College having been named by G.I. Jobs magazine as a Military Friendly School for 2010, Shurtz asked about military enrollment at the college. Slade Griffiths, vice president of academic affairs, said he would look into military enrollment and report back to the Board.