Agendas & Meetings

NPC Minutes of the Board of Trustees Meeting

December 4, 2019

The National Park College Board of Trustees met in regular session on December 4, 2019, in the Student Commons Conference Center. Trustees present were Larry Bailey, Mike Bush, Joyce Craft, Gail Ezelle, Jim Hale, Don Harris, Bev Joe, Forrest Spicher, and Raymond Wright.

Staff and faculty members present were Anne Benoit, Eric Boardway, Janet Brewer, Juanita Brewer, Blake Butler, Kelli Embry, Laurie Everton, Robert Feighl, Roger Fox, Susan Gaither, Bruce Hankins, Terri Helms, Nicole Herndon, John Hogan, Brad Hopper, Jill Houlihan, Gerald Huddleston, Janice Ivers, Rodney Ivers, Toni Knupps, Brian Kroening, Julie LaRue, Jennifer Lyons, Alyssa Owens-Bangs, Melony Ritter, Darla Thurber, Steve Trusty, John Tucker, Mike Wiles, and Mark Kay Wurm.

Forrest Spicher presented the invocation. The media was notified of the meeting.

Chair Spicher welcomed Dr. Rhonda Harrington, co-owner of Express Employment Professionals. Dr. Harrington has filed as a candidate for Position 7 on the NPC Board. She is running unopposed in the November 2020 election. Dr. Harrington received her Doctorate in Instruction, Curriculum, and Leadership from the University of Memphis and has held teaching positions at Arkansas State University and Henderson State University. She will be a great addition to our Board.

Janice Ivers, Dean of Nursing and Health Sciences, introduced the November Student of the Month, Christina Grigg. Christina earned a Certificate of Proficiency in Medical Coding in 2017 and recently returned to complete her Associate degree in Registered Nursing. She decided that she would pursue her goal to be a nurse after realizing her true passion was helping people. Her long-term goal is to become a nurse practitioner specializing in neonatology.

Robert Feighl, Business Faculty, introduced the December Student of the Month, Nicolas Reiter. As a Networking and Cybersecurity student, his mission is to ensure that the networking infrastructures are setup and safeguarded, guaranteeing that business processes stay up and running. Mr. Feighl stated that Nicolas is by far the best student he’s had in the past 10 years.

He finishes early and stays behind to help others. Nicolas is expected to complete his associate degree in Computer Networking in May 2020.

Kelli Embry and Jaycie Housley, NPC Cheerleader Coaches, introduced the 2019-2020 Nighthawk Cheerleaders. The team is comprised of both new and experienced members. Both coaches expressed their excitement to work with such an amazing group.

Items for Action 

1. Mike Bush made a motion to approve the October 23, 2019 Joyce Craft seconded, and the motion passed unanimously.
2. Steve Trusty, Vice President for Finance and Administration, presented the August and September 2019 financial reports for approval. Raymond Wright moved to accept the financial reports as presented. Bev Joe seconded the motion, and it passed.
3. Steve Trusty, Vice President for Finance and Administration, presented a resolution (2019-K) to further revise the not to exceed amount to $20,750,000 for items related to Phase 1 of the College’s expansion and master planning This includes updates to the Fisher Campus Center and the Lab Science building. The College will use its available funding resources, including local and state grant funds to pay towards the Phase 1 project. Don Harris moved to accept the resolution as presented. Raymond Wright seconded the motion, and it passed unanimously.
4. Blake Butler, Chief Information Officer, presented a resolution (2019-L) to pursue a request for proposal (RFP) for Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) updates and hosting. Upgrading PeopleSoft is the best solution based on implementation time, cost, and efficiency, and will require minimal additional training. The College must identify a contractor through the State mandated procurement policies. Mike Bush moved to accept the resolution as presented. Gail Ezelle seconded, and the motion passed
5. Janet Brewer, Associate Vice President for Human Resources, presented NPC Policy 5.110 Faculty Classification. This new faculty classification policy is a rank system designed to promote career progression and retention. The three fundamental elements of the policy are quality instruction, community service, and professional development. It is a tool to recognize faculty excellence. This policy was reviewed and endorsed by the faculty senate. Raymond Wright made a motion to accept the revisions to Policy 5.110 Faculty Classification as presented. Larry Bailey seconded, and the motion passed unanimously.
6. Nicole Herndon, Executive Director of the NPC Foundation, presented a resolution (2019-M) to name the gymnasium the Oaklawn Foundation Gymnasium. The Oaklawn Foundation awarded a grant in the amount of $275,000 for the specific purpose of renovating the NPC Gym Complex, known as “The Kettle.” The renovations included a new wooden floor, bleachers, ADA compliant seating and entrance ramps, training room updates, and a new scorer’s table. The College wanted to express its appreciation for this generous Raymond Wright moved to accept the resolution as presented. Mike Bush seconded the motion, and it passed unanimously.
7. Janet Brewer, Associate Vice President for Human Resources, presented the ratifications of personnel actions and a request for provisional positions. Joyce Craft made a motion to approve the ratifications as Don Harris seconded, and the motion passed unanimously.

Items for Report

1. Board Chair Report – Chair Spicher gave the floor Jim Hale for the Campus/Building
2. Building and Campus Development Update – Jim Hale, Chairman of the Building and Campus Development Committee, asked Brad Hopper to give a construction update. The Student Commons and Marine Tech buildings are Thanks was expressed to Hill & Cox for their outstanding work. Dogwood Hall is currently on schedule and framing will start next week.
   Jim Hale announced that the opening bid date for the Fisher Campus Center and Lab Science updates is Tuesday, December 17th. The results will be presented at the January 2020 Board meeting.
   Don Harris thanked Jim Hale for the outstanding job he has done serving as the Chairman of the Building and Campus Development Committee. His oversight and the growth of the campus has been exemplary.
3. Child Care Aware – Terri Helms, Child Care Aware Program Director, shared information about this grant-funded program. Child Care Aware of West Central Arkansas at National Park College is a community child care resource and referral program providing services in thirteen counties. All services are free to the communities served. The local office has grown from three to six staff and has requested approval for three more positions. A vehicle and enclosed trailer were recently purchased to assist with travel to schools, child care facilities, churches, and community events. Additional information can be found on the NPC website or at http://ar.childcareaware.org/.
4. President’s Report – Dr. Hogan congratulated Christina Grigg and Nicolas Reiter for being selected the November and December students of the month, respectively. He also thanked the cheerleaders for their enthusiasm and support of our athletes, and to Kelli and Jaycie for their leadership as the cheerleader coaches.
   He shared his appreciation to the Board and to the Oaklawn Foundation for their continued investment in campus growth. He stated that “the projects you approved today will have a lasting impact on our students. I am especially excited about the science labs because it further expands our partnership with SAU and allows us to offer upper-level courses for our students to complete their bachelor’s degree here in Hot Springs.”
   Dr. Hogan took a few minutes to highlight significant events from 2019. He stated that “we have so much to look forward to in the new year. While phase one of our campus master plan will be wrapping up with the completion of these projects over the next few months, we are already beginning to study what our next steps might look like for phase two.” The momentum from the year continues with more investments in student success.
   He reminded Board members that their Statement of Financial Interest forms must be submitted to the Garland County Clerk’s office no later than January 31, 2020. There will be notary at the January meeting. The President’s Office will be glad to mail completed forms to the county clerk.
   NPC Season Athletic passes were included in the Board packets. ID cards can also be used for entrance into athletic events.
   Dr. Hogan thanked Dr. Harrington for her leadership and interest in serving on the NPC Board of Trustees. Don Harris will be sorely missed and the College is grateful for his dedication and commitment to our students.

There being no further business, the meeting adjourned at 4:40 p.m.

Forrest Spicher, Chair
Joyce Craft, Secretary/Treasurer