NPC Minutes of the Board of Trustees Meeting - Virtual
The National Park College Board of Trustees met in a regular session on February 23, 2022, beginning at 3:30 PM. Due to inclement weather, the meeting was held virtually via Zoom. Trustees present were Mike Bush, Joyce Craft, Larry Bailey, Beverly Joe, Forrest Spicher, Lance Porter, and Raymond Wright.
Staff and faculty members, and students present virtually were Michelle Godwin, Bruce Hankins, Lance Porter, Jerry Thomas, Blake Butler, John Hogan, Wade Derden, Melony Martinez, Darla Thurber, Cari Elliott, Jill Houlihan, Chris Coble, Lynn Valetutti, Bill Ritter, Lisa Walker, Lisa Hopper, Bill Allison, Brian Kroening, Sheryl Strother, Nicole Herndon, Terri Helms, Tim Ward, Anne Benoit, Eric Boardway, Yolanda Cox, Mike Wiles, Roger Fox, Janice Ivers, Susan Millerd, Kristin Quintanilla, Scott Post, John Tucker, Gayla Mattoon, Melissa Krafft, Kristin Thompson, Joy Tucker, Amy Fincham, Darlene Gentles, David Braden, and Brad Hopper.
The media was notified of the meeting. Brandon Smith with Sentinel Record was in attendance.
Chair Forrest Spicher provided a welcome and provided the invocation.
Chair Forrest Spicher welcomed Dr. Lance Porter to his first Board of Trustee meeting and thanked Dr. Porter for his service and commitment to National Park College.
Items for Action
- Trustee Bush made a motion to approve the January 26, 2022, minutes as presented. Trustee Craft seconded, and the motion passed unanimously.
- Trustee Bailey made a motion to approve the November and December 2021 Financial Statements as presented by Bruce Hankins, Chief Financial Officer. Chairman Spicher commented that a second is not necessary because the motion came from a committee. The motion passed unanimously.
- Wade Derden, Vice President for Academic Affairs, presented Academic Program changes. Dr. Derden presented the addition of the Certificate of Proficiency Certified Teaching Assistant as noted in the Board of Trustee packet. Dr. Derden then presented a request for program deletion of the Certificate of Proficiency Automotive Service Technology as noted in the Board of Trustee packet. Trustee Joe made a motion to approve the Academic Program Changes as presented in the Board of Trustee packet Trustee Bailey seconded and the motion passed unanimously.
- Kelli Embry presented for Julie LaRue, Director of Human Resources, the ratifications of personnel actions. Trustee Bush made a motion to approve the ratifications as presented. Trustee Craft seconded, and the motion passed unanimously.
Items for Report
- Jerry Thomas, Vice President for Student Affairs & Enrollment Management, presented an enrollment report. Early numbers indicate that applications for new students are up 33% and pre-leasing for Dogwood Hall is up 15% over last year. Dr. Derden added that Adult Education is up 75%.
- Blake Butler, Chief Information Officer, presented a technology report. Butler explained, “This is an ongoing, long-term investment in technology infrastructure. Our goal is to create the most seamless experience we can for students throughout their NPC journey.” He noted completed projects include an online data dashboard and upgrades to the student information system. A new admissions application and implementation of new software packages for financial aid and scholarships are nearing completion. Ongoing projects include software packages for human resources, customer relationship management for marketing and recruiting, password security, as well as some hardware upgrades. The campus has prioritized automation of services to create efficiencies where possible and to improve the student experience.
- Board Chair Report presented by Chair Spicher. Chair Spicher congratulated and welcomed new board member Dr. Lance Porter and was eager to meet the career coaches and athletes. Chair Spicher thanked Dr. Thomas and Blake Butler for their reports and was quoted saying "On the automation front, I can certainly say from my own experiences that automation improves business processes and helps teams make better decisions quicker. In NPC's case, that translates into an improved student experience."
- Presidents Report presented by Dr. John Hogan. President Hogan said the campus has bold ambitions for enrollment growth. He described the plans as “aggressive” and praised faculty and staff for their talents and willingness to do things outside the norm. He applauded the automation progress saying, "We want students to enjoy a seamless path from their point of interest to enrollment to completion. They should not have barriers as they navigate. We also consider this as a long-term investment to grow our enrollment through smart decision-making."
There being no further business, Chair Spicher made a motion to adjourn, Trustee Bailey seconded. The meeting adjourned at 4:21 PM.
Forrest Spicher, Chair
Beverly Joe, Secretary/Treasurer
