The Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College Board of Trustees convened a meeting on Monday, August 1, 2016, at 3:30 p.m. in the Magnolia Building. Joe Brumit, Chair, presided.
The following members of the Board were present: Gene Bell, Wayne Brigman, Mike Fryar, Roger Metcalf, William Murdock, John Parham, Frances Ramsey, Robin Ramsey, Mary Ann Rice, Mandy Stone, and Andrea Howell, Ex-Officio.
Others present for the meeting included: Dennis King, President; Dirk Wilmoth, Vice President Business and Finance/CFO; Terry Brasier, Vice President Student Services; Gene Loflin, Associated Vice President Instructional Services; Shelley White, Vice President Economic and Workforce Development/Continuing Education; David White, Executive Director of Research and Planning; Brian Willis, Vice President, Information Systems Technology; Kaye Schmidt, Vice President, Human Resources and Organizational Development; Marketing; Chad Donnahoo, College attorney; and Carolyn Rice, Secretary to the Board.
Call To Order
Chair Brumit read the ethics statement; no conflicts of interest were reported. Ms. C. Rice called roll. A quorum was present.
Swearing In
Judge Alan Z. Thornburg swore in new Trustees Gene Bell, William Murdock, and SGA President Andrea Howell, as well as reappointed Trustees Joe Brumit and Frances Ramsey en masse.
Consent Agenda
Ms. Stone moved to approve the Consent Agenda: 1. A. Minutes of June 6, 2016; 1. B. Closed Session Minutes of June 6, 2016; 1. C. Personnel Actions; 1. D. Approval of the 2017-2018 College Calendar; and 1. E. Approval of New and Revised Policies.
The motion to approve the Consent Agenda was seconded by Dr. Parham and approved unanimously by the Board.
Resolution/Action Items
2. A. Dr. King discussed the Educational Leave without Pay policy and introduced History and Sociology Instructor David Dry to the Board. Mr. Dry has been selected as a Fulbright Scholar for the 2016-2017 academic year and will be teaching at an American University located in Kyrgyzstan. Fulbright Scholarships are extremely prestigious; this shows the excellent work that is being done at the College as well as highlights our excellent faculty. Mr. Dry informed the Board that this is an excellent opportunity to form partnerships with students internationally.
On a motion by Ms. M. Rice, seconded by Mr. Brigman, the Board unanimously approved the request for Educational Leave without Pay and congratulated Mr. Dry and his Chair, Ms. Randee Goodstadt on their excellent work.
2. B. Dr. King recommended to the Board that Article V, Section Three of the Constitution be changed to allow the Chair’s term to be extended beyond two consecutive terms. The change will allow the Board flexibility when situations arise that are out of the Board’s control.
Ms. Stone moved to change the Constitution due to the impact of the Vice Chair’s unexpected passing. The motion was seconded by Mr. Fryar and approved unanimously by the Board.
2. C. Dr. King discussed the Tennoca Construction Company Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Board. The Board was first informed about Tennoca at the February meeting. Tennoca desires to place fill dirt from the Mission Hospital construction site on a designated area of A-B Tech property. Tennoca will compact the soil so that the College may use that area for building in the future. Insurance liability is addressed in the MOU, and thanks go to Dirk Wilmoth for getting Tennoca to agree to repave and restripe the road being used on campus upon completion of the project.
On a motion by Mr. Metcalf, seconded by Mr. Brigman, the Board unanimously approved the Tennoca Construction Company Memorandum of Understanding.
2. D. The College has received an easement request from SABA Holdings to cross over approximately 50 feet of College property to tap into the MSD main sewer line. Pending final approval from the North Carolina Community College System office, the College recommends allowing the easement.
On a motion by Ms. F. Ramsey, seconded by Ms. Stone, the Board unanimously approved the SABA Holdings Easement.
2. E. Dr. King discussed the 2017 Global Education Summer Trips with the Board. Four trips are being offered with a consortium of two other community colleges. The College seeks Board approval for the trips early so that there is time to market the trips to the students.
On a motion by Mr. Roger Metcalf, seconded by Ms. M. Rice, the Board unanimously approved the 2017 Global Education Trips.
Trustee Business
3. A. Chair Brumit asked the Nominating Committee for their selection of officers for the 2016-2017 term. Ms. M. Rice stated that the Committee had selected Mr. Brumit as Chair, Dr. Parham as Vice Chair, and Carolyn Rice as Board Secretary.
Ms. F. Ramsey moved to approve the slate of candidates as presented by the Nominating Committee. The motion was seconded by Mr. Brigman and approved unanimously by the Board.
3. B. Chair Brumit informed the Board that seven Trustees would be attending the NCACCT Leadership Conference, September 7-9, in Charlotte, NC.
President’s Report
Dr. King shared the following news with the Board:
- Ms. Martha Shanks, the Executive Administrative Assistant to the President, is retiring on August 5, 2016. Dr. King asked that the record reflect that Ms. Shanks has done an excellent job for the College over the past six years, during two administrations. Ms. Shanks’ departure will be a major loss to the Office of the President. The Board unanimously voted to commend Ms. Shanks for her service and wished her well in retirement.
- Ms. Carolyn Rice will replace her on August 8.
- The construction project on the fourth floor of the Ferguson Allied Health Building is coming to completion. Ms. Shelley White and her team will be moving into that area no later than October of this year. This construction project was financed by the Ferguson Endowment.
- The College has eight ConnectNC Bond referendum projects approved by the State. The repairs on the exterior stairwell on the Balsam Building and the greenhouse wall on the Sycamore Building are the first two projects currently in progress. When additional bond funds are available, other projects will be started. An RFP for the Ivy Building has been issued. The county put a new roof on Ivy last fall, and the College looks forward to a complete renovation of that old, beautiful building.
- Thanks to Dirk Wilmoth, the Sunnicrest building has been approved for renovation. Mr. Wilmoth provided the State with additional information resulting in Sunnicrest being added to the list of approved Connect NC Bond projects.
- The College currently has 5,913 students registered for fall classes. The target of 7,285 students is narrowing as enrollment continues. Classes begin on August 15.
- Congratulations to Ms. Kaye Waugh on her marriage to Mr. Glenn Schmidt. Ms. Waugh will now go by Ms. Schmidt.
- Unfortunately, Mr. Briggs was in an accident last week and broke one of his legs. The College wishes him a speedy recovery and hopes to see Mr. Briggs back on his feet soon.
- The next three Board meeting dates have been changed due to conflicting schedules. The next meeting will be held on September 19, followed by October 31. The final meeting of the year will be on December 12. All meetings will remain in the Magnolia Building with a 3:30 pm start.
Staff Report
Dr. David White presented the Ruffalo Noel Levitz Survey to the Board. The College completed an institutional priority survey which shows how satisfied the students are with various aspects of the College. Overall, the survey showed that students expressed high levels of satisfaction with nearly all aspects of the College.
SGA Report
President Andrea Howell informed the Board that the Student Government Association continues to promote campus safety, attempts to get additional students involved in College activities, and strives to make students aware of the vast amount of resources the College has to offer.
Closed Session
At 4:20 p.m., Mr. Metcalf moved to enter into a closed session. Ms. M. Rice seconded the motion, which was approved unanimously.
On a motion properly made, the Board returned to open session at 4:50 p.m.
Open Session
On a motion by Dr. Parham, seconded by Ms. R. Ramsey, the Board unanimously agreed to move forward with the lawsuit regarding the property issue.
On a motion by Ms. M. Rice, seconded by Mr. Brigman, the Board unanimously agreed to give Dr. King the authority to make the decision on a potential settlement.
Adjourn
On a motion by Mr. Brigman, seconded by Ms. Stone, the meeting was adjourned at 4:55 p.m. by unanimous consent.
Respectfully submitted,
Carolyn H. Rice
Board Secretary