Agendas & Meetings

interior impact

NPC Minutes of the Board of Trustees Meeting

September 25, 2019

The National Park College Board of Trustees met in regular session on September 25, 2019, in the Student Commons Conference Center. Trustees present were Larry Bailey, Mike Bush, Joyce Craft, Gail Ezelle, Jim Hale, Don Harris, Forrest Spicher, and Raymond Wright.

Staff and faculty members present were Leslie Braniger, Juanita Brewer, Terry Bright, Samantha Christian, Chris Coble, Glenda Davis, Wade Derden, Kelli Embry, Laurie Everton, Roger Fox, Susan Gaither, Bruce Hankins, LaTaschya Harris, Terri Helms, Nicole Herndon, John Hogan, Brad Hopper, Lisa Hopper, Jill Houlihan, Jason Hudnell, Janice Ivers, Melissa Krafft, Brian Kroening, Julie LaRue, Marvin Moody, Scott Post, Bill Ritter, Melony Ritter, Sheryl Strother, Jerry Thomas, Darla Thurber, Erica Torrence, Steve Trusty, and Mike Wiles.

Raymond Wright presented the invocation. The media was notified of the meeting.

Forrest Spicher introduced Mr. Brian Hill, President of Hill & Cox Corporation, and welcomed him to the meeting.

Jason Hudnell, Dean of Enrollment and Athletics Director, introduced the men’s basketball and cross country teams. Coach Moody introduced the women’s basketball team. The men’s basketball team will open its season on November 1st followed by the women on November 8th. Coach Hudnell stated that Hot Springs will be proud of the teams we put on the floor this fall.

Darla Thurber, Vice President of External Affairs, turned the program over to Caysie Martin, Admissions Representative, who introduced the NPC Student Ambassadors. These students help with various campus activities, lead campus tours, and assist with administrative duties. The Nighthawk Leadership Scholarship is awarded to Student Ambassadors.

Dr. Hogan introduced Harris Felton, SGA President, and welcomed him to the meeting.

Items for Action 

  1. Mike Bush made a motion to approve the August 28, 2019 Jim Hale seconded, and the motion passed unanimously.
  2. Wade Derden, Vice President for Academic Affairs, presented updates to NPC Policy 6.6000 Class Attendance. The updated policy was initiated by faculty, reviewed by Faculty Senate and Cabinet, and opened for the required public comment period. Updates were made to financial aid language and included instructions to students regarding Joyce Craft made a motion to accept the revisions to NPC Policy 6.6000 Class Attendance as presented. Gail Ezelle seconded, and the motion passed unanimously.
  3. Julie LaRue, Assistant Human Resources Director, presented updates to NPC Policy 4.500 Catastrophic Leave. The updated policy included information regarding maternity leave modeled after the state’s policy. Gail Ezelle made a motion to accept the revisions to NPC Policy 4.500 Catastrophic Leave as presented. Don Harris seconded, and the motion passed unanimously.
  4. Steve Trusty, Vice President for Finance and Administration, presented the June 2019 financial Don Harris moved to accept the report as presented. Raymond Wright seconded the motion, and it passed unanimously. 
    Mr. Trusty thanked Bruce Hankins, Brian Kroening, Toni Knupps, and others on the team for their work on closing the FY19 books.
  5. Julie LaRue, Assistant Human Resources Director, presented the ratifications of personnel Mike Bush made a motion to approve the ratifications as presented. Raymond Wright seconded, and the motion passed unanimously.

Items for Report

  1. Board Chair Report – Chair Spicher welcomed the student-athletes and student ambassadors. He shared his appreciation to Brian Hill, his team, and their associates for the beautiful Student Commons building. With $50M worth of capital projects being completed by Hill & Cox over the years, their contribution to the campus has been significant. Mr. Hill replied that it has been an honor and a privilege to work on this campus. NPC is important to the community and it is exciting to be part of the vision of the College.
    Chair Spicher reminded members about the upcoming Student Commons Grand Opening festivities which will be held on Thursday, October 3rd. The ribbon-cutting will take place at 11:00 a.m., followed by a cookout at 11:30 p.m. There will be a VIP Reception with Rex Nelson that evening at 6:30 p.m. The cost is $35 per person or $50 per couple. The VIP Reception is a fundraiser for the NPC Foundation. He encouraged the Board to attend these events. Dr. Hogan thanked Hill & Cox for their sponsorship of the upcoming Student Commons VIP event.
    Chair Spicher was excited to become the proud owner of a new NPC ID card. This card can be loaded with cash for food purchases in the Commons Market. He encouraged members to obtain an ID card and bring family and friends to dine on campus.
  2. Campus/Building Update – Jim Hale, Chairman of the Building and Campus Development Committee, asked Brad Hopper to give a construction update. Landscaping around the Student Commons is in progress. Touch-ups to the concrete and asphalt are being completed. The signage should be up by October 30th. Engraving on the fountain may be complete by the next board meeting. The Marine Technology building is ahead of schedule and should be ready soon. Most of the utility work and sewer lines have been installed for Dogwood The new parking lot behind Dierks will be ready next week and should alleviate parking congestion.
  3. Enrollment Update - Jerry Thomas, Vice President for Student Affairs and Enrollment Management, reported a three percent increase in fall enrollment of college students, and an increase in new students for the second consecutive year. As of the 11th day census, the College reported 2,081 degree-seeking students, compared to 2,022 last year. Concurrent credit enrollment is down from 662 last year to 495 this year. Dr. Thomas noted the College awarded 32 percent more President’s and Academic Achievement scholarships this year. This year’s class includes students from 32 counties across the state and 14 new students from out of state. He attributed the growth to investments in academic programs, increased visibility in the region due to athletics, increased scholarships, and strategic marketing and recruiting efforts.
    Dr. Thomas noted that the majority of colleges and universities across the state saw decreased enrollments. He emphasized the increase in new students was an important achievement. “It indicates to us that the students and their families continue to see the quality of our academic programs and the value of NPC.”
    Kelli Embry, Vice President for Workforce and Strategic Initiatives, reported Community and Corporate Training programs have served 487 students and logged 26,871 contact hours since July 1, an increase of 41 percent over last year at this time. Both the apprentice programs and Child Care Aware has seen significant growth. Child Care Aware recently opened an office in Bryant and will have an open house in the near future. Customized training has been provided to our aerospace partners as well as leadership and advanced training for over 20 companies, both in and out of this region. Makerspace is very involved in the community and recently participated in Spa-Con, as well as making the awards for the Horror Film Festival.
    Bill Ritter, Adult Education Director, reported they had served 477 students last year at this time and served 493 since July 1 of this year, an increase of more than three percent.
    Mike Wiles, National Park Technology Center (NPTC) Director, reported that enrollment is flat with 674 students this year compared to 677 last year.
  4. President’s Report – Hogan
    Dr. Hogan thanked everyone who provided enrollment updates. He stated that enrollment growth and the completion of the Student Commons are not coincidental. It is important to reflect on all of the reasons that enrollment has increased, including campus facilities upgrades, investments in student life and athletics, increases in scholarships, investments in faculty, and four-year degree options through our partnership with Southern Arkansas University. He thanked the Board for their support and faculty and staff for making this happen.
    The Downtown Rotary Club met in the Student Commons today. This was the first public event in the new facility. There were many positive comments about the building, new entrance, and the overall appearance of the campus. Hosting public events provides an opportunity for the College to reach further into the community.
    Dr. Hogan reminded members about important upcoming dates, including the ADHE Annual Trustees Conference on Friday, November 1st at UA Pulaski Tech.

Chair Spicher concluded by encouraging everyone to focus on reimagining the process of education, which takes place with offerings such as the honors programs, the new

Student Commons Building, and athletics. The transformations happening on campus reach deep into our community. We need to continue to emphasize the relevance of a good education to our students. All of these things aid in our sustainability and the promise of a bright future. The challenge going forward is to trust the process. We’ve trusted the process over the last five years and we are seeing the growth.

There being no further business, the meeting adjourned at 4:31 p.m.

Forrest Spicher, Chair
Joyce Craft, Secretary/Treasurer

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