Press Release

2011-2012

October 19, 2011

Media Club members share details of their conference in New Orleans

Ten members of Cowley College’s Media Club, along with club sponsor Meg Smith, shared details of the Excellence in Journalism Conference they attended Sept. 25-27 in New Orleans, LA, with Cowley College’s Board of Trustees. The students showed a power point presentation and spoke of the benefits of attending the conference during the Board’s annual monthly meeting held Monday in the McAtee Dining Center.

Members of the Media Club took part in breakout sessions and workshops relating to the media today, and heard from speakers such as from CNN, Lara Logan and Soledad O'Brien, and from Nick News, Linda Ellerbee.

Jeff Fager, CBS News Chairman and 60 Minutes Executive Producer, delivered the keynote presentation. While, John Cochran, retired ABC News Senior Washington Correspondent, and Andy Carvin, NPR Social Media Strategist, visited with the students during the sessions.

Board members Ron Godsey and Jim Ramirez thanked the students for taking part in the conference.
“If you take the information you learned back to the college and share with other students that journalism is not a dying field then it will benefit other students,” Ramirez said.

Members of the Media Club that spoke at Monday’s meeting were, Brittany Thiesing, Samantha Francis, Luke Austin, Rhiannon Rosas, Autumn Mumford, Jacob Korte, Wil Austin, Lauren Llanes, Shelby Welch, and Aleisha Bryan.

In other matters, the Board:

1. Saw Cowley President Dr. Pat McAtee present a gift to Hannah Dillard of Crawfordsville, IN, for being named October Student of the Month. Dillard thanked the Board for the honor. “You have such a wonderful campus, this is one of the best places I could have gone to school,” Dillard said. “I am glad I came here.”
   
2. Tony Crouch provided the following construction update. Work on the Travis Hafner Training Center has made great strides over the past month. Mechanical and electrical are wrapping up their respective responsibilities including commissioning of equipment. The painters are sealing block and doing final coats where applicable, and the epoxy showers are complete. Ceilings are complete and the netting is installed. Also, the air conditioning system inside W.S. Scott Auditorium is nearing completion, while the elevator inside Galle-Johnson is set to arrive on Oct. 28.
   
3. Approved changes to the following policies: Wheelchair Accessible seating; Training Staff/Development Policy; Reimbursement for Travel; Substantiation of Receipts for Cash Advance or Reimbursement; Maintenance and Services; Keys to College Facilities and Equipment; Student Appeal of Grades; and Student Code of Conduct.
   
4. Heard from John Haas of Ranson Financial Consultants regarding an opportunity to refinance the Certificates of Participation on Webb-Brown, W.S. Scott Auditorium, and the Brown Center. The Board approved refinancing of the 2004 certificates on the Brown Center, Webb-Brown Academic Center, and W.S. Scott Auditorium.
   
5. Heard from Sam Welge of M360, who gave a presentation concerning performance contracting (using energy savings to complete capital projects), including a proposal to move ahead of issuing a Request for Proposals and Qualifications. The Board approved the request for qualifications of an oversight group for performance contracting.
   
6. The Board reviewed an academic update provided by Slade Griffiths, vice president of academic affairs. 
   
7. Approved the modification of the following policies: Student Appeal of Course Grades and Student Code of Conduct.
   
8. The Board reviewed an update on the Endowment/Alumni organization provided by Ben Schears, vice president for institutional advancement.
   
9. Viewed a fall enrollment report that indicates 20th day full-time equivalency was 3,023, compared to 3,038 at this time last year. A total of 1,045 Cowley County residents registered for classes and there were 11 foreign countries represented.
   
10. Approved overload contracts for the 2011 fall semester.
    
11. Accepted a letter of retirement from Tom V. Saia as athletic director, effective Dec. 31, 2011.
    
12. Held a pair of executive sessions totaling 20 minutes for preliminary discussions relating to property acquisition, non-elected personnel, and to consult with legal counsel.
    
13. Board member Dennis K. Shurtz and Board clerk Libby Palmer were absent.