The Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College Board of Trustees convened a meeting on Monday, April 6, 2015, at 3:50 p.m. in room 239 of the Buncombe County Public Safety Training Facility at the College’s new Woodfin location. Joe Brumit, Chair, presided.
The following members of the Board were present: Wayne Brigman, Chair Joe Brumit, Mike Fryar, William Hart, Richard Hurley, Kaye Myers, Frances Ramsey, Nathan Ramsey, Mary Ann Rice, Ray Spells, Mandy Stone, and David Wyatt.
Others present for the meeting included: Dennis King, President; Terry Brasier, Vice President for Student Services; Melissa Quinley, Vice President Instructional Services; David White, Executive Director of Research and Planning; Rhonda Devan, Vice President Business and Finance, CFO; Brian Willis, Vice President, Information Systems Technology; Kaye Waugh, Vice President, Human Resources and Organizational Development; Kerri Glover, Executive Director, Community Relations and Marketing; Chad Donnahoo, College attorney; and Carolyn Rice, Secretary to the Board.
Call To Order
Mr. Brumit read the ethics statement; no conflicts of interest were reported. Ms. Rice called roll. A quorum was present.
Dr. Beth Stewart, Dean, Arts and Sciences, introduced two outstanding A-B Tech students to the Board:
- Stella Galyean has been named the statewide winner of the Dallas Herring Achievement Award from the North Carolina Community College System for her accomplishments at A-B Tech Community College. This prestigious award is given to one student out of 58 North Carolina community colleges and includes a $1,000 scholarship.
- Stella is the president of the college’s chapter of Phi Theta Kappa, the international honor society of two-year colleges. In 2013, she was vice president of the Phi Theta Kappa Carolinas Region, and in 2014, she was an international officer candidate. A-B Tech’s Phi Theta Kappa chapter is the third most acclaimed chapter internationally.
- President Emeritus Ray Bailey will present Stella with the Dallas Herring Achievement Award at the May Commencement ceremony.
* Paulette Gardner has been named one of 50 community college students from the United States and American Samoa and selected as a 2015 New Century Scholar.
- Paulette is the highest scoring student in North Carolina and is the one student from among one of the seven sovereign nations where Phi Theta Kappa is recognized internationally.
- Paulette is an active member of A-B Tech’s Alpha Upsilon Eta chapter of Phi Theta Kappa and was elected President of the Carolinas Region for the organization. She has received Hall of Honors Awards from the society and maintains a presence on the President’s list at A-B Tech.
- Paulette will receive a $2,000 scholarship and be presented at the American Association of College President's convention in San Antonio, Texas, this month.
Dr. Stewart also introduced Lisa York to the Board. Ms. York is a member of the College’s English faculty and the main advisor for Phi Theta Kappa. Ms. York has been named as a leadership development facilitator who will work with Phi Theta Kappa chapters internationally.
Consent Agenda
Mr. Spells moved to approve the Consent Agenda: 1. A. Minutes of March 2, 2015; 1. B. Personnel Actions; 1. C. Resolution Concerning Legislative Properties; 1. D. Resolution for Acting President; and 1. E. Approval of New and Revised Policies and Procedures.
The motion was seconded by Mr. Hart and was approved unanimously by the Board.
Resolution/Action Items
2. A. Ms. Quinley discussed the Associate in Engineering (AE) Transfer Degree. The degree is designed to guarantee that a student will be accepted into a school of engineering. The course will be modeled after the transfer programs that the College already has in place, and with a few exceptions, the College already offers all courses necessary for the degree. Additional funding isn’t needed for the program.
Mr. Ramsey inquired if the program was more generalized than the one provided by Golden Leaf? Ms. Quinley stated that the program is more generalized and is focused on college transfer rather than an articulation from the AAS degree, and will allow a seamless transfer to in-state universities.
Mr. Wyatt moved to approve the Associate in Engineering Transfer Degree; the motion was seconded by Mr. Hurley. The Board unanimously approved the Resolution for the Associate in Engineering Transfer Degree.
2. B. Ms. Quinley discussed the Occupational Therapy Assistant AAS Program. This program will start in the fall of 2016. The program must be accredited and have a chair in place prior to accepting students. Occupational Therapy is a very popular degree with an excellent employment outlook. This program is funded at the highest level by the state as well.
On a motion by Mr. Hart, seconded by Ms. Stone, the Board unanimously approved the Occupational Therapy Assistant AAS Program.
2.C. Dr. King discussed the Honorary Degree Resolution with the Board. The Honorary Associate in Governmental Management Degree is for Trustee Michael V. Fryar, to recognize Mr. Fryar’s contributions to the citizens of Buncombe County.
On a motion by Mr. Spells, seconded by Ms. Myers, the Board unanimously approved the Honorary Degree Resolution for Michael V. Fryar.
President’s Report
Dr. King shared the following news:
- Ms. Kerri Glover, Executive Director, Community Relations and Marketing continues to do an excellent job with the College’s publications and relationships with the media, taking them to a higher level than ever before. Ms. Glover and her team continue to reach out to the community to keep them informed about the wonderful programs happening at A-B Tech.
Trustee Business
5. A. Chair Brumit introduced Mr. Tom Tveidt, Research Economist with SYNEVA Economics, LLC, who presented a report on the economies of Buncombe and Madison counties. Mr. Tveidt shared the following with the Board:
- The highest wage earners hold a Bachelor of Science Degree.
- Population growth is strong due mainly to migration.
- Employment has reached pre-recession totals, and growth continues.
- Commuting plays a greater role in local employment.
- 80 percent of jobs are in the retail, healthcare, hospitality, and food service sectors.
- New college programs are supportive of job growth.
- The 55-60 age group is currently leading job growth.
- Black employment has risen sharply.
- Employment gains are shared by all education groups.
- Wages continue to lag behind both the state and country and have done so for the past couple of decades.
Adjourn
In a motion by Mr. Hurley, seconded by Mr. Brigman, the Board voted unanimously to adjourn at 5:00 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Carolyn H. Rice
Board Secretary