NPC Minutes of the Board of Trustees Meeting
June 23, 2021
The National Park College Board of Trustees met in a regular session on June 23, 2021. The regular meeting began at 3:46 PM in the Ray and Pat Smith Conference Room of the Gerald Fisher building on the National Park College campus. Trustees present in-person were Larry Bailey, Gail Ezelle, Jim Hale, Joyce Craft, Forrest Spicher, Rhonda Harrington, Raymond Wright, and Mike Bush.
Staff and faculty members present in-person and virtually were John Hogan, Ashley Clayborn, Kelli Embry, Blake Butler, Wade Derden, Bill Allison, Darla Thurber, Steve Trusty, Jerry Thomas
Bruce Hankins, Julie LaRue, John Tucker, Javon Southwell, Juanita Brewer, Nicole Herndon, Melony Martinez. Brad Hopper, Lisa Hopper, Tylor Clark, Jill Houlihan, Eric Boardway, Tabatha Tuskey, Darlene Gentles, Latisa Beason, Amy Fincham, Melissa Krafft, Jaymes Doss, Brian Kroening, Terry Helms, Anne Benoit, Katherine McCorkle, Bill Ritter, Te'Airra Blanchard, Donna Kay, Janice Ivers, Susan Millerd, Sharon Sinclair, Tennille Johnson, Scott Post, Sam Christian, Robin Pelton, and Lynn Valetutti.
The media was notified of the meeting. John Anderson from the Sentinel Record was present.
Chair Forrest Spicher welcomed everyone to the June National Park College Board of Trustees meeting.
Chair Spicher presented the invocation.
Items for Action
- Chair Spicher presented the items from the Executive Session, held before the Regular Meeting, for approval. These items included a renegotiation of President John Hogan's contract to a salary of $204,000 with an $18,000 housing Trustee Mike Bush made a motion to approve the motion. Trustee Joyce Craft seconded, and the motion passed unanimously.
- Trustee Jim Hale made a motion to approve the May 26, 2021 Meeting Trustee Mike Bush seconded, and the motion passed unanimously.
- Trustee Larry Bailey moved to accept the financial reports presented by Bruce Hankins, Chief Financial Officer. Trustee Jim Hale seconded, and the motion passed unanimously.
- Nicole Herndon, Executive Director of the NPC Foundation, presented Resolution 2021-E for approval of naming the Veterans Service suite to the Bob Luciew Veterans Services Center according to Policy 8.600. Herndon noted that the Luciew family had made substantial contributions to the College, including establishing a Veterans scholarship. Trustee Jim Hale made a motion to approve the naming Trustee Raymond Wright seconded, and the motion passed unanimously.
- Kelli Embry, Vice President of Administration, presented Resolution 2021-D to enter
a pre- development agreement and discuss residence hall expansions. Embry cited the
growing waitlist for student housing, results from the 2018 survey, and the current
statewide housing crisis as concerns regarding the immediacy of housing Trustee Larry
Bailey made a motion to approve the pre-development resolution. Trustee Jim Hale seconded,
and the motion passed unanimously.
Upon further discussion, Javon Southwell, Community Manager, was asked to present some of the data collected regarding housing. He reported that approximately 57% of our student occupancy were athletes required to live on campus per their contract. However, the housing is limited, and not all athletes were able to get housing. Southwell also noted that despite the shutdown from the 2020 pandemic, the residence hall generated $792,347 in Total Revenue, Lowered Expenses by 15.8% more than the forecast, and had a Cash Flow to NPC of approximately $318,000.
Chair Spicher asked the Board to consider moving forward with the next step in the housing expansion process, which would be to enter a Development Agreement. Chair Spicher noted that there is no need for another feasibility process to determine the need, as the results from the previous study and the current waitlist are viable. Additionally, NPC plans to move forward with the same company and architects used in the previous housing construction. Therefore, the pre-development discussions are essentially complete already.
Trustee Joyce Craft made a motion to approve a resolution to proceed to a development agreement. Trustee Jim Hale stated his opposition to the second resolution, citing a need for further data and information. President John Hogan expressed a desire for full board approval rather than a majority consensus. After much discussion, Trustee Joyce Craft asked to remove the motion for approval.
- Julie LaRue, Director of Human Resources, presented the ratifications of personnel actions in the packet and the printed addendum, which clarified a title change for Melissa Krafft from "web developer" to "content developer." Trustee Rhonda Harrington made a motion to approve the ratifications as presented. Trustee Raymond Wright seconded, and the motion passed unanimously.
Items for Report
- Chair Forrest Spicher discussed a few awards and recognitions from the past month, including the college being named one of the 16 Most Promising Places to Work in Community Colleges. He noted the high number of students on the Dean's and President's lists. Spicher concluded with gratitude to the Board for approving the resolutions, which signify growth for the College.
- John Tucker, Dean of Students, reported on the Veterans Services in the Bob Luciew Veterans Services Center. He detailed how the Veteran Services Office helps with VA education benefits, priority academic advising, military credit evaluation, VA work-study opportunities, VA non-educational benefit support and assistance, recognition of service, graduation honor cords, 25% tuition discount for National Guard and Reserve veterans, and assistance with all VA-related resources and Demographically, NPC has 44 students through the Post 9/11 GI Bill, one student through the Montgomery GI Bill, 8 through the Reserve GI Bill, 4 Vocational Rehab students, and 24 students on Dependent Assistance. 67% of the VA students earned a 2.5 GPA or above in the past year, and 45% earned a 3.0 or above.
- President John Hogan discussed how the College remains focused on our overall goal
of student success by listening to our students and meeting their needs. He referred
to the Board meeting in May, during which the Board of Trustees approved a budget
that invests in the student experience without an increase in tuition and fees.
He reiterated the need for affordable on-campus housing in our community and gratitude to the Luciew family for naming the Veterans Services Center. He concluded by noting that the tuition, housing, and Veterans Services projects are all made possible through the Board of trustees' governance, for which he is grateful.
There being no further business, the meeting adjourned at 4:43
Forrest Spicher, Chair
Joyce Craft, Secretary/Treasurer