The Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College Board of Trustees convened a meeting on Monday, June 1, 2015, at 3:40 p.m. in the Magnolia Building. Joe Brumit, Chair, presided.
The following members of the Board were present: Chair Joe Brumit, Wayne Brigman, Mike Fryar, William Hart, Richard Hurley, Don Locke, Kaye Myers, Frances Ramsey, Nathan Ramsey, Mary Ann Rice, Mandy Stone, David Wyatt, and Brandon Priester, Ex-Officio.
Others present for the meeting included: Dennis King, President; Terry Brasier, Vice President Student Services; Melissa Quinley, Vice President Instructional Services; Shelley White, Vice President Economic and Workforce Development/Continuing Education; 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.
Presentation To Retiring Board Member
The Board presented Mr. Bill Hart with a plaque of appreciation for his twenty-two years of service as a Trustee to A-B Tech Community College. Guest speaker, Mr. Walter Currie, described Mr. Hart as a renaissance man who doubles as a model of ethical behavior. Chair Brumit personally thanked Mr. Hart for his service, calling him a pillar of strength. Mr. Hart, along with his wife Alice, received a standing ovation from the Board with gratitude and best wishes for the future.
Consent Agenda
Dr. Locke moved to approve the Consent Agenda: 1. A. Minutes of May 4, 2015; 1. B. Closed Session Minutes of May 4, 2015; 1. C. Personnel Actions; 1. D. Annual Appointments and Reappointments 2015-2016; 1. E. Blanket Travel Authorization and Excess Approval; 1. F. Approval of New and Revised Policies; and 1. G. Policies for Deletion.
The motion was seconded by Mr. Hart and was approved unanimously by the Board.
Resolution/Action Items
2. A. Dr. King discussed declaring a state of financial exigency for the College due to a decrease in enrollment which has resulted in an anticipated state budget shortfall of $1.7 million. The College has already taken the following measures to help balance the budget:
- Elimination of individual positions for full-time employees whose roles were judged not to be part of the College’s core mission;
- Non-renewal of employees whose work was evaluated as marginal;
- Reduction of all operating budgets by two percent below FY 2014-2015 levels;
- Replacement of resigned or retired full-time faculty with adjuncts when possible; and
- Closing of the Early Childhood Education Center.
Dr. King reluctantly declared that a state of financial exigency is imminent and an additional separation of six employees under the Separation from Employment Policy (503.10) is recommended:
- Instructor, Teacher Education for Secondary Schools, whose academic discipline will not be taught.
- Administrative Assistant in plant operations, whose duties will be assumed by a transferred employee from the business office.
- Director of Human Resources, whose duties will be assumed by the remaining staff, including the Vice President for Human Resources and Organizational Development.
- Associate Vice President for Information Technology, whose duties will be assumed by the remaining staff, including the Vice President for Information Technology.
- Coordinator of Campus Volunteers and Alumni Affairs, whose duties will be assumed by the remaining staff.
- Small Business Center Program Developer, whose duties will be assumed by the remaining staff.
Dr. King added that an additional reduction in force may be needed as well, and if so, will be addressed at the August Board meeting.
The Trustees questioned the financial value of the measures already implemented and the positions recommended for deletion. Ms. Devan stated that $700,000 will be saved with these measures.
Dr. Locke requested that in the future when data are presented to the Board, a bottom line dollar value be included as well as figures used to reach the final sum.
On a motion by Dr. Locke, seconded by Mr. Ramsey, the Board unanimously approved to declare a state of Financial Exigency.
2. B. Mr. Donnahoo discussed the following potential changes to the Board Constitution regarding the frequency of Board meetings:
- Keep the Constitution as is and continue with monthly Board meetings.
- Change Board meetings to bi-monthly.
- Change Board meetings to quarterly.
Ms. Stone moved to change the Board meetings to bi-monthly.
Mr. Ramsey stated that from a policy standpoint and not the daily operations of the College, fewer meetings are better. He asked what the meeting standard was for community colleges. Mr. Ramsey also requests to receive a weekly and/or bi-weekly update from the College. Mr. Fryar would like to receive a monthly update on College financials as well.
Mr. Hurley stated the trend of other local community colleges was bi-monthly and agreed that meeting every other month would be more productive as long as the Trustees received a financial dashboard every month. Mr. Hurley added that the Board has the option to call a meeting if and when needed.
Dr. Locke stated that based on experience with the previous Board and the fact that the Executive Committee didn’t keep the full Board informed, monthly meetings would be better. Dr. Locke continued by saying that the Board has several major issues to address in the near future including financial exigency, reduction in force, the substation, A-B Tech Enka, and moving to a location south of Asheville. All topics need to have major policy discussions. Ms. Ramsey agreed with Dr. Locke and stated the Board has the responsibility to help guide the College through future personnel, finance, and pending issues.
Ms. Myers prefers a set schedule and would rather meet every month. Mr. Brigman agreed that a monthly meeting is better for his schedule.
Mr. Hurley seconded the motion to change the Board meetings to bi-monthly.
Dr. Locke moved with a substitute motion to keep the monthly meeting schedule with the option to cancel a meeting residing with the Board Chair and the President.
Ms. Myers seconded the substitute motion to keep the Constitution as is and to continue with monthly Board meetings. The substitute motion passed with a vote of eight to two.
Trustee Business
3. A. Mr. Donnahoo informed the Board that the Constitution states that nominations of the 2015-2016 Board officers should be made at the August meeting and that changes to the Constitution could not be made instantly. Chair Brumit offered that the nominating committee had recommendations to bring forth and that Mr. Hart and Mr. Spells, two of the three Nominating Committee members, were rolling off the board. Ms. Stone suggested adding language to the Constitution that would allow for exceptions when situations like this arise in the future.
Mr. Hart moved to give and then table the Nominating Committee’s report.
The Nominating Committee, Mr. Hart, Ms. Myers, and Mr. Spells, met on March 30, 2015, to consider Dr. King’s request that Chair Brumit be nominated for a third term as Chair to facilitate Dr. King’s presidency. The Board has past precedent for a third term, which is allowable if circumstances warrant a two-thirds majority vote of the Board. The Committee recommends Mr. Brumit as Chair, Dr. Locke as Vice Chair, and Carolyn Rice as Secretary of the Board.
On a motion by Mr. Hart, seconded by Dr. Locke, the Board unanimously approved to table the Nominating Committee’s recommendations until the August Board meeting.
3. B. Mr. Donnahoo gave the Board an in-depth presentation on Title IX, the Clery Act, the Violence Against Women Act, and the Campus Sexual Violence Elimination Act, which detailed updated legal issues for campus sexual violence. Mr. Donnahoo stated that A-B Tech was doing an excellent job of implementing the requirements for the four mentioned Acts. The College is addressing requirements by hanging posters on campus to inform every student where College policies are and how to access them, informing students of the same during orientation, as well as offering informational programs to students throughout the school year.
Clery Act information is available on the A-B Tech website, with information on who to call and what to do if a crime is committed. Dr. Locke requested adding specific language to the policy stating exactly where to go, what to expect, and who to speak with if one is a victim of a crime.
President's Report
Dr. King shared the following news with the Board:
- The College’s financial aid loan default rate is 22.2 percent, which is well below the 30 percent ceiling. The College continues to work with Inceptia to analyze and lower the rate.
- There were no material findings in the FTE annual audit for both Curriculum and Continuing Education.
- The Boule event on campus was excellent. Dr. Locke and Dr. Parham participated and two students received full scholarships to A-B Tech and will start at the College in the fall.
- The May 2015 Commencement was an excellent event: over 1,000 degrees, diplomas, and certifications were earned in 2014-2015.
- The Asheville City Council held a reception for Dr. King, who was honored with a presentation by the Mayor.
- The budget will be presented to the Board at the August 3 Board meeting. Unfortunately, more budget cuts may occur.
- Thank you to the County Commissioners for all their hard work with our county budget. A-B Tech has been treated fairly and the College will continue to work with the County in every way possible.
Staff Report
Dr. Gene Loflin gave a presentation (which is one of the requirements of receiving federal funds) to the Board on Carl D. Perkins funding. Perkins funding is federal funding targeted to help students succeed in applied science programs. Funding is based on the percentage of students in applied science programs and changes every year.
The College is evaluated each year on six areas and outcomes:
- Technical Skill Attainment
- Credential, Certificate, or Degree
- Student Retention and Transfer
- Student Placement
- Nontraditional Participation
- Nontraditional Completion
A-B Tech’s Perkins performance is better than the state average, and the focus for 2015-2016 will be on having more employer involvement with students in applied science programs.
SGA Report
SGA President Brandon Priester informed the Board that all SGA clubs have fulfilled their obligations.
Mr. Priester shared that he appreciated the opportunity to serve on the Board, and encouraged Trustees to attend SGA meetings as their schedules permit.
Chair Brumit thanked Mr. Priester on behalf of the Board for his service and for all he has done for the College.
Adjourn
On a motion by Mr. Hurley, seconded by Ms. Rice, the Board voted unanimously to adjourn at 5:30 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Carolyn H. Rice
Board Secretary