2024 Board of Governors Minutes

January 18, 2024

CENTRAL COMMUNITY COLLEGE
Board of Governors’ Meeting Minutes
January 18, 2024

Public notice of the time and place of the Central Community College Board of Governors' meeting was given in advance to the board members, college administrators and the five daily newspapers within the 25-county area. The agenda was available to the public in the college president’s office and on the CCC website, uhq7riso.vg06.net. The college adheres to the Open Meetings Act, a copy of which is available in the college president’s office.

The meeting was held in the Administration Office Board Room at Central Community College, 3134 W. Highway 34, Grand Island, Nebraska.

All supplemental documents from this meeting are available at: http://meeting.sparqdata.com/Public/Organization/CCC.

Chair Rita Skiles called the Jan. 18, 2024, meeting to order at 1 p.m., with eight board members present.

ROLL CALL

Aerni – absent
Borden – present
Buss – present
Cowan – present
Davis – present
Heiden – present
Keller – absent
Novotny – present
Pirnie – absent
Quick – present
Skiles – present

POLICY ITEMS

Skiles announced the slate of officers for 2024. They are as follows:

Tom Pirnie, Chair
Linda Heiden, Vice Chair
Linda Aerni, Secretary
Roger Davis, Treasurer

MOVED BY BORDEN, SECONDED BY DAVIS to accept the slate of officers.

Aerni – absent
Borden – aye
Buss – aye
Cowan – aye
Davis – aye
Heiden – aye
Keller – absent
Novotny – aye
Pirnie – absent
Quick – aye
Skiles – aye

UNANIMOUS “AYE” VOTE – MOTION CARRIED

Because two of the officers were unable to attend the meeting, all new officers will be installed at the February meeting.

Dan Quick, Rita Skiles and Diane Keller (alternate for policy committee) were appointed as Nebraska Community College Association representatives and Jason Buss, Roger Davis and John Novotny were appointed as Enrollment and Financial Audit Committee members for 2024.

INTRODUCTION OF GUESTS

Skiles asked college representatives to introduce guests and staff members.

REVIEWING CLAIMS FOR NEXT MEETING

Sandra Borden will review the claims prior to the Feb. 15, 2024, board meeting in Hastings.

REQUEST FOR DISCUSSION OF CONSENT ITEMS

Skiles asked board members for items in the consent agenda they would like to move to discussion of consent/action items.

CONSENT ITEMS

Consent items included:

Agenda for Jan. 18, 2024.
Minutes of the Nov. 16, 2023, Board of Governors meeting.
Claims for the periods from 1 through Nov. 30, 2023, and from Dec. 1 through Dec. 31, 2023.
Financial reports as of Nov. 30, 2023, and Dec. 30, 2023.
Purchases:
Columbus Parking Lot: The College President recommends acceptance of the low acceptable bid from Heartland Concrete for $1,635,415.27 to provide all labor and material to remodel the Columbus campus parking lots.
Furnas Architectural Bids: The College President recommends acceptance of the low percentage bid from Wilkins ADP for architectural services for the Automotive and Autobody building on the Hastings Campus.
Personnel: None
Information Security Policy: The purpose of the policy is to safeguard the privacy of visitors to CCC’s computing systems, website and applications. This covers the collection, protection and disclosure of information collected automatically and voluntarily.
CCC Education Association: The following letter was received:
Dear Negotiations Committee: The Central Community College Education Association requests that the Board of Governors of Central Community College take action to recognize the Central Community College Education Association as exclusive bargaining agent for the district's Full-time Faculty to begin bargaining next fall for the 2025-26 contract year. Please direct your response to the undersigned. Sincerely, Amy Stuart, CCCEA President, Central Community College Education Association

MOVED BY NOVOTNY, SECONDED BY DAVIS to approve the claims, with the exception of payments to themselves, and also to approve the other consent items.

Aerni – absent
Borden – aye
Buss – aye
Cowan – aye
Davis – aye
Heiden – aye
Keller – absent
Novotny – aye
Pirnie – absent
Quick – aye
Skiles – aye

UNANIMOUS “AYE” VOTE – MOTION CARRIED

PARNERSHIP/OWNERSHIP

Campus President Dr. Marcie Kemnitz opened the Grand Island Campus annual report by highlighting the newly opened Grand Central Café, a remodel that nearly doubled the size of the former snack bar. A Business Before Hours is planned in the morning of Feb. 29 to introduce the Grand Island community to the new café.

She also talked about the Grand Island J.E.T.T. grant project, which involves CCC, the City of Grand Island and Grand Island Public Schools. Its goal to is connect Grand Island to jobs, education and technical training by expanding the community’s limited transportation options to improve economic mobility.

She then introduced welding instructors Brandon Piersol and Mike Snell who shared the following information regarding early college students enrolled in the welding program:

Forty-one early college students are enrolled in the welding program this year. They come from area schools that include Giltner, Grand Island Senior High, Northwest, Palmer, Centura and Heartland Lutheran.
The students can take hands-on college welding courses while earning their high school diploma. They also can earn an associate of applied science degree along with two welding certificates and a production and manual certificate.
Students are offered multiple ways to continue their education at CCC, such as the Transition scholarship. Fifteen former early college students are enrolled at CCC in the welding program.
Students can participate in an apprenticeship program through local welding and fabrication shops. Currently, four students are working as apprentices at CNH and five former students have transitioned from their apprenticeships into full-time employment with CNH, Chief, AGI and Standard Iron.

Also addressing the board was Andrei Contreras Ramos, senior at Grand Island Senior High School, who thanked the board for giving him and other early college students the opportunity to use the welding lab to improve their skills. He said he currently works as an apprentice at Case New Holland and will be returning to CCC to complete his welding degree.

In addition to early college students, the instructors teach dozens of adult and traditional age students.

DISCUSSION OF CONSENT/ACTION ITEMS

Naming Rights Proposal for Automotive Careers Training Center

Traci Skalberg, executive director of the CCC Foundation, said the foundation will be conducting a major gifts campaign in support of a new Automotive Careers Training Center at CCC-Hastings and a scholarship/programmatic endowment for the automotive and auto body programs. In preparation for this campaign, she asked the board to approve the naming rights schedule.

MOVED BY DAVIS, SECONDED BY NOVOTNY to approve the naming rights proposal for the Automotive Careers Training Center.

Aerni – absent
Borden – aye
Buss – aye
Cowan – aye
Davis – aye
Heiden – aye
Keller – absent
Novotny – aye
Pirnie – absent
Quick – aye
Skiles – aye

UNANIMOUS “AYE” VOTE – MOTION CARRIED

REPORTS

Student Success Report

Dr. Candace Walton reported on CCC’s performance as compared to its Nebraska peers. She highlighted:

While the state-wide trend shows a decrease in enrollment, CCC's drop was smaller than the average of its peers.
The age distribution of students in Nebraska's community colleges has changed significantly. More younger students are enrolling, while fewer older students are attending.
Full-time enrollments have dropped in Nebraska's postsecondary education sectors, but part-time enrollments have risen to compensate.
As the enrollment of older students has decreased, so has the number of awards they have received. On the other hand, students under 25 years of age have seen an increase in the number of awards they have earned.
CCC stands out among community colleges for its high number of academic awards every year. It surpasses other colleges in this measure, showing that we are on the right track to offer what students want from their community college.

Dr. Gotschall’s Report

Dr. Gotschall reported the following:

Spring 2024 has gotten off to a cold a snowy start, with classes starting this week and free drop/add continuing for another full week. Fall semester entered up in enrollment so planning on that continuing for this coming semester as well.
Met with State Chamber President and Nebraska Economic Development director regarding a new state initiative that involves creating regional workforce groups following the community college boundaries.
Signed agreement with SOL Systems LLC for 2021 and 2022 RECs for a total of $21,251.
The Northeast Community College President, NCCA director and I met with the governor and his staff a couple weeks ago to share our commitment to work toward workforce development and expanded educational offerings. Answered questions regarding scheduling of programs and positive impact of dual credit programming, seeking his support for additional funding once ARPA funds expire in 2026.
Several NCCA president’s meetings regarding legislative changes we seek and response to other bills introduced this session.
Attended webinar from the White House regarding multiple federal grant and funding programs for community colleges centering on advanced manufacturing. Have shared with grants office as we continue to be successful in such opportunities.
Continue active participation in Heartland United Way in executive, finance, nomination and full board meetings. My six-year term ends in March 2024.
Attended the Columbus Fieldhouse ribbon cutting. This over $40 million investment is a great addition to the region and should provide opportunities for CCC in availability to athletic and wellness offerings.
CCC teams are beginning to plan for the completion of our 10-year Higher Learning Commission portfolio that will be finalized in 2024 prior to our site visit in March 2025.
Two faculty members and I will be attending the AACC Workforce Development Institute in New Orleans in support of two of our current grants – All Within My Hands/Metallica Scholars grant and the Microsoft Cyberskills for All grant.
Participated in the Nebraska Virtual Manufacturing Roundtable and a webinar from AACC regarding federal legislative priorities.
Nursing Dean, Dr. Pam Bales reported the 2023 NCLEX pass rates for our nursing students. The 40 LPN students had a 100% pass rate versus 87% national and 94% Nebraska pass rates. The 41 ADN students had a 91% pass rate versus 89% national and 95% Nebraska pass rates.
Criminal Justice Program Director Michael David reports that in 2023, several law enforcement agencies used the Crime House for training in crime scene mapping, forensics and K-9. The agencies gave great feedback and stated how much they appreciated having this resource available to them.

President’s Report, December 2023

Mid-term commencement was attended by 100 students from across the service area, making it the largest attendance since the ceremony was started three years ago. Over 411 degrees and diplomas were earned by 372 graduates this semester.
We have received tentative state aid allocation amounts using the new funding stream taking effect for 2024-2025. As expected, the planned increase should allow us to address some pending and future needs while lessening our reliance on annual cash reserves.
Last week, a small group from CCC was invited to Holdrege to look at a downtown facility that has become available. We will follow-up with additional discussions with potential Holdrege partners in January prior to bringing any formal requests to the board.
CCC’s iMec program has been selected as one of 10 finalists for a national Bellwether Award. Representatives will present our program at a national meeting in February 2024.
CCC was recognized as a Top 150 community college in the nation by the Aspen Institute which allows us to apply for a $1 million prize to be announced in 2024.
The CCC Foundation has been successful in getting several automotive and autobody business leaders to agree to be on a fundraising committee for our new facility in Hastings. Important work will continue throughout 2024.
Greatly enjoyed the first CCC Madrigal Feast held in Columbus with sold out crowds both Friday and Saturday nights and a large attendance on Sunday.
Attended the GI Chamber Legislative Kickoff session where the governor made several positive comments regarding CCC and the work community colleges do for students and area workforce needs.
A couple weeks ago, he was notified that he was nominated for a seat on the American Association of Community College (AACC) Board. Six presidents will be elected in February from the 11 nominations.

The following reports were also submitted for board review:

Enrollment Report
Grants Report
Purchasing Report

EXECUTIVE SESSION

Skiles said there was no need for an executive session and requested a motion to adjourn.

ADJOURNMENT

MOVED BY DAVIS, SECONDED BY NOVOTNY to adjourn.

Aerni – absent
Borden – aye
Buss – aye
Cowan – aye
Davis – aye
Heiden – aye
Keller – absent
Novotny – aye
Pirnie – absent
Quick – aye
Skiles – aye

UNANIMOUS “AYE” VOTE – MOTION CARRIED

Skiles declared the meeting adjourned at 1:59 p.m.

February 15, 2024

CENTRAL COMMUNITY COLLEGE
Board of Governors’ Meeting Minutes
February 15, 2024

The meeting was held in the Hall Student Union, Cottonwood Room, at Central Community College-Hastings, 550 S. Technical Blvd., Hastings, Nebraska.

All supplemental documents from this meeting are available at: http://meeting.sparqdata.com/Public/Organization/CCC.

Chair Rita Skiles called the Feb. 15, 2024, meeting to order at 1 p.m., with 11 board members present.

ROLL CALL

Aerni – present
Borden – present
Buss – present
Cowan – present
Davis – present
Heiden – present
Keller – present
Novotny – present
Pirnie – present
Quick – present
Skiles – present

POLICY ITEMS

Attorney Katie Sharp installed the 2024 board officers:

Tom Pirnie, Chair
Linda Heiden, Vice Chair
Linda Aerni, Secretary
Roger Davis, Treasurer

INTRODUCTION OF GUESTS

Pirnie asked college representatives to introduce guests and staff members.

REVIEWING CLAIMS FOR NEXT MEETING

Jason Buss will review the claims prior to the March 21, 2024, board meeting in Grand Island.

REQUEST FOR DISCUSSION OF CONSENT ITEMS

Pirnie asked board members for items in the consent agenda they would like to move to discussion of consent/action items.

CONSENT ITEMS

Consent items included:

Agenda for Feb. 15, 2024.
Minutes of the Jan. 18, 2024, Board of Governors meeting.
Claims for the period from 1 through Jan. 31, 2024.
Financial report as of Jan. 31, 2024.
Purchases: None.
Personnel: None.

MOVED BY BORDEN, SECONDED BY NOVOTNY to approve the claims, with the exception of payments to themselves, and also to approve the other consent items.

Aerni – aye
Borden – aye
Buss – aye
Cowan – aye
Davis – aye
Heiden – aye
Keller – aye
Novotny – aye
Pirnie – aye
Quick – aye
Skiles – aye

UNANIMOUS “AYE” VOTE – MOTION CARRIED

PARNERSHIP/OWNERSHIP

CCC Foundation Report

Executive Director Traci Skalberg highlighted the following:

The consolidated assets of the CCC Foundation and Warren and Velda Wilson Foundation was $45.1 million as of June 30, 2023.
The foundation awarded $1,069,847 in scholarships and $1,060,434 in other support in 2022-23.
Future support includes the following: pledges receivable, $2,617,775; restricted gifts, $2,041,062; and Generations of Impact campaign, $12,500,000.
Updates were given on the Hastings, Columbus and Kearney major gifts campaigns; Pirnie Inclusive Playground; employee and yearend appeals; and community giving days.
Upcoming events include a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Pirnie Inclusive Playground in Grand Island on May 1 and Pro-Am Golf Tournament on Sept. 16 at Lochland Country Club in Hastings.

Hastings Campus Report

Scott Pathway Director Brett Wells reported that the Summer Bridge was a success and that the 16 graduating Scott Scholars will be going to the Scott Foundation in Omaha for two days. The Scott Scholars from all participating institutions have been invited. He introduced the following students:

Jackson Neal of Lincoln is a first-year Scott Scholar who is studying heating, air conditioning and refrigeration. He said he didn’t know what he wanted to do after high school. During a tour of the Hastings Campus, he was introduced to the Scott Pathway by Wells and instructor Dale Long. He said the program has given him the opportunity to participate in activities, learn different skills, meet people he wouldn’t have otherwise met and form good relationships. The scholarship allows him to focus on the work at hand without having to worry about how to pay for the class. He will use the skills he has learned in his summer internship and then in his work.
Enoch Dixon of Hastings is a second-year Scott Scholar who is studying construction. He said that during his first semester at CCC-Hastings that he did the bare minimum to get a grade. That changed after he became a part of the first Scott Scholar group. He said the program changed his outlook on life, that he’s now motivated and cares about his education. He believes in showing up, not making excuses, holding himself to a higher standard and competing to be the best version of himself. After he graduates from CCC, he plans to study construction management and business at a four-year school and then open his own business.

Also addressing the board were Mary Lanning Healthcare employees Susan Meeske, chief development officer, and Carol Hamik, director of nurse recruitment. They talked about a partnership between Mary Lanning, CCC and Hastings Public Schools that has brought certified nursing assistant (CNA) classes to Hastings High School. CNA is a high-paying entry point to most healthcare fields.

Meeske said Phase 1 of the development plan was to raise money for an onsite lab at Hastings High School and for scholarships because it’s important that price not be a barrier to students taking the CNA class. Phase 2 will be expanding the scholarship fund and offering additional onsite college classes such as medication aide, phlebotomy technology, introduction to health sciences, medical terminology, and anatomy and physiology.

Hamik said that 10 of the 12 students who started the first CNA class in spring 2023 completed it. All 12 students who started the second class in fall 2023 completed it. This spring, HPS is offering a hybrid class in addition to the in-person class. There are 12 students in the in-person class and 10 students in the hybrid class. Four of the students in the hybrid class are interested in radiology. She pointed out that Mary Lanning currently has 11 open radiology positions.

DISCUSSION OF CONSENT/ACTION ITEMS

Capital Improvement Budget

Craig Boroff gave an overview of the projects included in the capital improvement budget. The College President asked for tentative approval of the 2024-25 capital improvement budget so these projects can be started. Official approval of the budget is set for September.

MOVED BY NOVOTNY, SECONDED BY DAVIS to give tentative approval to the capital improvement budget.

Aerni – aye
Borden – aye
Buss – aye
Cowan – aye
Davis – aye
Heiden – aye
Keller – aye
Novotny – aye
Pirnie – aye
Quick – aye
Skiles – aye

UNANIMOUS “AYE” VOTE – MOTION CARRIED

Red Cloud Education Hub

Dr. Chris Waddle said 45 people showed up for a community meeting about CCC having more of a presence in Red Cloud. After touring a couple of different sites, the college settled on a renovated building on the northeast corner of the intersection of highways 136 and 281. The plan is to make this an educational hub that would serve Franklin and Superior in addition to Red Cloud. The 1,500 square-feet would provide space for a good-size classroom in the back and an open area in the front.

MOVED BY SKILES, SECONDED BY DAVIS to allow the College President to enter into a lease agreement, not to exceed three years, to establish an educational hub in Red Cloud and engage in purchasing equipment and furniture and hiring necessary personnel to implement community‐driven programming.

Aerni – aye
Borden – aye
Buss – aye
Cowan – aye
Davis – aye
Heiden – aye
Keller – aye
Novotny – aye
Pirnie – aye
Quick – aye
Skiles – aye

UNANIMOUS “AYE” VOTE – MOTION CARRIED

REPORTS

Student Success Report

Dr. Candace Walton presented information from the Voluntary Framework of Accountability, which gets its data from a six-year cohort (students who started in fall 2016) and a two-year cohort (students who started in fall 2020).

Central’s students continue to outperform IPEDs national average.
Central’s students who arrive with a planned program/career direction complete their program in shorter time and higher rate.
Evidence of the pandemic and economic changes may be appearing in the data.
Central’s students who are exploring higher education and transfer out achieve high success rates.
Student enrollment behavior has changed over the years and Central remains a flexible, reliable, and local option for our community.

Dr. Gotschall’s Report

Dr. Gotschall reported the following:

Following free drop/add, CCC’s spring enrollment continues to be up from Spring 2023 in both headcount and FTE.
NCCA Legislative Day is Wednesday, Feb. 28, at the Capitol in Lincoln. Meetings may begin as early as 7 a.m., with conclusion by noon.
Doug Pauley, Jerry Muller, two high school instructors and I will give a presentation on the iMec grant project as a top 10 finalist for the national Bellwether Award for innovation in workforce development. The program involves 13 high schools in our service area. Since Fall 2021, 275 students have enrolled in 433 courses with 30% attending CCC following high school graduation. Presentations, instructor training and/or equipment have been shared with high schools or colleges in 13 states and the District of Columbia.
I attended the Nebraska State Chamber meeting and Hall of Fame banquet honoring the Hornady family and Sid Dinsdale. Great showing from the Grand Island area and presentations included two related to workforce initiatives in Nebraska.
Faculty members Michael David and Dan Gompet and I attended the AACC Workforce Development Institute where national foundation, federal representatives and corporate partners shared ideas and efforts to collaborate resources. We were there because of the Metallica Scholars and Microsoft/Cyberskills for All grants. Many sessions regarding advanced training and education in AI, cybersecurity, early college, instructor recruitment and networking with industry reps. Hopefully the National Education Director from Snap On will visit CCC this summer based on this conference interaction.
I continue to meet with community representatives from Holdrege and Red Cloud regarding expanded or new space for CCC in their communities.
CCC-Columbus hosted Congressman Mike Flood’s Workforce Housing Summit with strong attendance and positive comments from the congressman and others regarding our hospitality.
Several CCC and CCC Foundation representatives attended the Kearney Chamber annual meeting. I interacted with Senator Ricketts who also attended the event.
I met with the CCC Foundation and representatives from multiple Omaha-based foundations this past month regarding future opportunities for funding and community development.
I participated in the first automotive capital campaign meeting and attended the Grand Island welding facility meeting with industry seeking feedback and input on our new facility.
I participated in a successful follow-up visit with ACEN, our national accreditor, and received preliminary notification of the recommendation for full reaccreditation. Final approval will not come for six months from the ACEN board, but congratulations to Dr. Pam Bales and the faculty, students, clinical partners and nursing staff who presented a detailed report, interviews and site visits to earn the preliminary recommendation.
I participated in the quarterly All-College Faculty Senate meeting and led the quarterly President’s Quality Action Council meeting with areawide representatives from faculty, staff, administration and students.
I attended Gov. Pillen’s State of the State recap in Grand Island and had interactions at the State Chamber meeting and Hall of Fame banquet.
I attended the Nebraska Manufacturing Advisory Council meeting held at Kiewit Hall (College of Engineering) at UNL. There are applied research and grant opportunities in engineering which CCC may be able to participate in along with local and state industry partners. I serve as secretary for that group.
I participated in the quarterly meeting of our Postsecondary International Network (PIN) of which the CCC Foundation and I serve as treasurer and fiscal agent. Current representatives include colleges from the United States, Canada and South Korea.
I participated in webinars sponsored by the National Science Foundation, Nebraska Math Readiness Project and am seeking to coordinate state support for another national apprenticeship grant with US DOL.

Updates from area vice presidents include:

The arts, sciences and business faculty met with peers from other Nebraska community colleges to update courses as part of the Nebraska Transfer Initiative. These meetings were hosted in Grand Island.
A new paraeducator certificate has been approved by Ed Services. Course design will begin this month, and promotion to local districts and ESUs will begin in March. Students who earn the certificate will be qualified for special education, Title I or early childhood programs. They will be MANDT, CPR, and Safe-with-You trained.
We are now offering ESL in Ord because a local employer requested it for its employees and spouses. We worked with IT to get a WebEx cart set up for students to attend a remote class from the Ord Learning Center.
The total number of student athletes at CCC this year is 129. Of these, 86 are Nebraska residents with an overall team academic GPA of 3.22 and 1,599 completed credits in the fall semester. We’re proud of our student athletes, coaches, staff and administration for these strong outcomes. To date, the teams have assisted in raising over $29,600 toward expenses.
CCC has requested to move from our current Region 9 (three colleges) to a larger Region 11. Reasons include increased competitiveness and exposure to teams we see during the year and at districts. Region 11 includes Northeast Community College (Norfolk) and several Iowa colleges with whom we compete during the regular season. If accepted, this change could happen for the 2024-25 school year.
We’re seeking to fill entrepreneurship director positions in both Kearney and Hastings. Strong activity continues in both Grand Island and Columbus.
CCC will participate for the first time in the Nebraska Assessment of College Health Behaviors (NACHB) Survey in Spring 2024 as part of our participation in the Nebraska Collegiate Prevention Alliance. NACHB collects data regarding substance use, student wellness and mental health concerns. Its results are provided through site-specific reports and comparison briefs highlighting differences between our students and those at other participating institutions.
After add/drop, 130 military-connected students are registered for the term. Veterans Resource Center Director Barry Horner recently attended the NASPA (Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education) Military Symposium. Other Nebraska colleges attending the symposium have reached out to Barry, and reps from UNL, UNO, Central, Metro, Southeast and Northeast will be meeting to discuss what they can do for each other and how they can build a framework for smooth transitions for veterans who are transferring.
We received notice that the release of FAFSA data to schools won’t happen until the first part of March. This is because of the Department of Education updating tables that will result in more students being eligible for Pell Grants. This also gives the Department of Ed an extension for getting information to software providers to have systems updated. We have crafted a timeline around the release of the student record data. The goal will be to have initial financial aid offers to students by mid-April.
The Columbus Campus Student Engagement Office has implemented a new monthly activity series called “Adulting 101” that provides simple “fast facts” about a topic that students can take with them. February was Grocery Shopping on a Budget, March is Taxes, April is Cooking Simple Meals, and May is Making Friends When You Aren’t in College.
Joan McCarthy and the other Career and Employment staff have posted 125 jobs to the job board since the start of the semester.
Allie Remm, Grand Island Admissions, has been working on additional collaborations with the Adult Education office to ensure that Adult Education students have a plan and can see that continuing their studies is possible. We will be having a monthly visit to offer resources and support.
Spring semester Welcome Week activities attracted a significant turnout, with 80-100 individuals interacting daily. The week-long event provided new and returning students with opportunities to connect, explore campus resources, and participate in various activities. Additionally, Student Success hosted a Community Resource Fair with 100-120 students engaging with various community organizations and resources. This event facilitated connections between students and valuable community services, fostering a sense of belonging and support.

The following reports were also submitted for board review:

Enrollment Report
Grants Report
Purchasing Report

EXECUTIVE SESSION

Pirnie requested an executive session to discuss personnel and legal issues at 3:18 p.m.

MOVED BY DAVIS, SECONDED BY NOVOTNY that the Board of Governors recess the regular meeting in order to go into executive session to discuss personnel and legal issues.

Aerni – aye
Borden – aye
Buss – aye
Cowan – aye
Davis – aye
Heiden – aye
Keller – aye
Novotny – aye
Pirnie – aye
Quick – aye
Skiles – aye

UNANIMOUS “AYE” VOTE – MOTION CARRIED

Pirnie reconvened the regular session of the Board of Governors meeting at 3:44 p.m.

ADJOURNMENT

MOVED BY BORDEN, SECONDED BY HEIDEN to adjourn.

Aerni – aye
Borden – aye
Buss – aye
Cowan – aye
Davis – aye
Heiden – aye
Keller – aye
Novotny – aye
Pirnie – aye
Quick – aye
Skiles – aye

UNANIMOUS “AYE” VOTE – MOTION CARRIED

Pirnie declared the meeting adjourned at 3:45 p.m.

March 21, 2024

CENTRAL COMMUNITY COLLEGE
Board of Governors’ Meeting Minutes
March 21, 2024

The meeting was held in the Administration Office Board Room at Central Community College, 3134 W. Highway 34, Grand Island, Nebraska.

All supplemental documents from this meeting are available at: http://meeting.sparqdata.com/Public/Organization/CCC.

Vice Chair Linda Heiden called the March 21, 2024, meeting to order at 1 p.m., with nine board members present.

ROLL CALL

Aerni – present
Borden – present
Buss – present
Cowan – absent
Davis – present
Heiden – present
Keller – present
Novotny – present
Pirnie – absent
Quick – present
Skiles – present

INTRODUCTION OF GUESTS

Heiden asked college representatives to introduce guests and staff members.

REVIEWING CLAIMS FOR NEXT MEETING

Sam Cowan will review the claims prior to the April 18, 2024, board meeting in Grand Island.

REQUEST FOR DISCUSSION OF CONSENT ITEMS

Heiden asked board members for items in the consent agenda they would like to move to discussion of consent/action items.

CONSENT ITEMS

Consent items included:

Agenda for March 21, 2024.
Minutes of the Feb. 15, 2024, Board of Governors meeting.
Claims for the period from 1 through Feb. 29, 2024.
Financial report as of Feb. 29, 2024.
Purchases:
Phelps Building abatement: The College President recommends acceptance of the low acceptable bid from Environmental services for $21,960.00 to provide all labor and material to abate the Phelps building on the Hastings Campus.
Construction Town House Realtor: This project consists of requesting bids from qualified vendors to provide the college realtor services to sell the construction program townhome located at 3113 and 3115 W Kux Drive, Hastings, NE. The College President recommends North Shore Real Estate for realtor service.
Hastings Campus Flowerbed Maintenance: The College President recommends acceptance of the sole bid of $64,936 from Lawnscape for tree and flowerbed maintenance and chemical application at the Hastings Campus.
Personnel:
Policy Updates: Changes to the benefits and holidays policies and to the military leave procedure and policy.
Red Cloud Lease: The commercial three-year lease agreement between CCC and 402 Loft LLC will allow CCC to rent 2,170 square-feet of space in a building at 402 N. Webster in Red Cloud to provide educational programming. This will be referred to as an education hub versus an official learning center.

MOVED BY BUSS, SECONDED BY DAVIS to approve the claims, with the exception of payments to themselves, and also to approve the other consent items.

Aerni – aye
Borden – aye
Buss – aye
Cowan – absent
Davis – aye
Heiden – aye
Keller – aye
Novotny – aye
Pirnie – absent
Quick – aye
Skiles – aye

UNANIMOUS “AYE” VOTE – MOTION CARRIED

PARNERSHIP/OWNERSHIP

Health Sciences Report

Pam Bales and second-year student Teri Gerhardus shared about the Blessed Sacrament Preschool tour. Tour has been happening for nearly 10 years and Gerhardus had her own children attend the fair when they were in preschool. The tour allows children to learn handwashing and other skills, use a stethoscope and check a pulse. It is a highlight of the year for the nursing students.
Bales also shared about the Nursing and Health Sciences Career Fair held last month at College Park. A very rewarding experience for both attendees and employers who were present. In addition to employers, six RN to BSN programs CCC has articulation agreements with were present.
2024-25 cohort. Letters going out now with hopes of full cohorts on all campuses/centers where nursing offered.
ACEN site visit in February went well. Conditions were removed to allow for continuation of the program.

DISCUSSION OF CONSENT/ACTION ITEMS

Tuition, Fees, Food and Housing Rates for 2024-25

Joel King said the cost of tuition, fees, food or housing will remain the same as the previous year. Those rates are tuition, $96 per credit hour; fees, $16 per credit hour; housing, $3,354 per semester for single occupancy and $1,677 for double or triple occupancy; and food, $7,476 for the 14-meal plan for two semesters and $8,192 for the 19-meal plan for two semesters.

Early College students will also pay the same rates for 2024-25. They’ll pay from $0 to $96, depending on the high school’s ability to cover instructional costs. All students will be charged a fee of $16 per credit hour.

MOVED BY NOVOTNY, SECONDED BY BUSS to approve the tuition, fees, food and housing rates for 2024-25.

Aerni – aye
Borden – aye
Buss – aye
Cowan – absent
Davis – aye
Heiden – aye
Keller – aye
Novotny – aye
Pirnie – absent
Quick – aye
Skiles – aye

UNANIMOUS “AYE” VOTE – MOTION CARRIED

Employee Wages and Benefits

Joel King made the following wage and benefits for 2024-25:

Full-time classified and contracted employees retained for the 2024-25 year will be eligible to receive a wage increase. An amount up to the equivalent of 4.0% of total wages will be set aside for compensation.
Employees hired after May 31, 2024, or salaried employees who exceed the current maximum rate for their grade will not be eligible for an increase. Salaried employees who will exceed the maximum rate as a result of the increase will be adjusted to the maximum rate. Hourly employees who have exceed their maximum rate for their grade will still be eligible for an increase of 2.0% of their current rate.
Employees eligible to receive additional vacation days due to longevity may have the opportunity to get those additional days paid out in 2025.
Health and dental insurance premiums are estimated to increase 1.99% over the next year. This equates to an increase of approximately $180,859.
Dependents of eligible employees can apply to have $1,152 per semester applied to available on-campus housing costs in lieu of taking their tuition reimbursement.
All other benefits will remain in place without change.

MOVED BY SKILES, SECONDED BY DAVIS to accept the wages and benefits for full-time salaried and classified staff for 2024-25.

Aerni – aye
Borden – aye
Buss – aye
Cowan – absent
Davis – aye
Heiden – aye
Keller – aye
Novotny – aye
Pirnie – absent
Quick – aye
Skiles – aye

UNANIMOUS “AYE” VOTE – MOTION CARRIED

Bookstore Bids

This project consists of requesting bids from qualified vendors to provide the college with a management solution for campus bookstore and retail services delivered to the college. These services include textbook pricing and affordability, online ordering capabilities, customer service, experience and adoptions, course material, marketing, financial aid compliance, financial reporting, textbook returns, implementation, and locations of operations.

MOVED BY DAVIS, SECONDED BY QUICK to accept Barnes & Noble as the college bookstore for the college.

Aerni – aye
Borden – aye
Buss – aye
Cowan – absent
Davis – aye
Heiden – aye
Keller – aye
Novotny – aye
Pirnie – absent
Quick – aye
Skiles – aye

UNANIMOUS “AYE” VOTE – MOTION CARRIED

Crime House Naming Rights

CCC Foundation Executive Director Traci Skalberg requested the board grant Hornady Manufacturing Company the naming rights for the crime house at the Grand Island Campus. In honor of its 75th anniversary this year, the company also plans to establish a Criminal Justice Program Scholarship Fund that will be managed by the CCC Foundation.

MOVED BY AERNI, SECONDED BY SKILES to grant the crime house naming rights to Hornady Manufacturing Company in Grand Island.

Aerni – aye
Borden – aye
Buss – aye
Cowan – absent
Davis – aye
Heiden – aye
Keller – aye
Novotny – aye
Pirnie – absent
Quick – aye
Skiles – aye

UNANIMOUS “AYE” VOTE – MOTION CARRIED

Shooting Sports Proposal

Athletics Director Mary Young presented a proposal to start a clay target-shooting program at the Hastings Campus. This is an emerging sport within the NJCAA that is open to all age groups and skill levels. The Raider Athletic Department at the Columbus Campus will manage the clay target shooting sports compliance, eligibility, and code of conduct. The initial goal is to have a 10-member squad with two five-member teams.

MOVED BY DAVIS, SECONDED BY AERNI to expand CCC athletics to include clay target shooting sports at the Hastings Campus.

Aerni – aye
Borden – aye
Buss – aye
Cowan – absent
Davis – aye
Heiden – aye
Keller – aye
Novotny – aye
Pirnie – absent
Quick – aye
Skiles – aye

UNANIMOUS “AYE” VOTE – MOTION CARRIED

REPORTS

Student Success Report

Dr. Walton introduced Dr. Amy Mancini and Tiffany Hunt to report on the Nebraska Math Readiness Project.

The project is in its sixth year, increasing from 21 students in 2018 to 360 this year.
Ten new schools in the 25-county service area were added this year.
192 students from the completers list have enrolled in at least one for-credit course at CCC. 42 individual students earned 115 awards at CCC, most notably welding and diesel technology.
Participation in the project is free due to private donor support, saving families $191,000+ in tuition to date by getting students math ready in high school versus having to take remedial math courses in college.

Dr. Gotschall’s Report

Dr. Gotschall reported the following:

Three CCC employees and I participated in a two-day celebration of graduates hosted by the Suzanne and Walter Scott Jr. Foundation in Omaha. Sixteen Scott Scholars from CCC were recognized from our first class of graduates. They attended the event with other Scott Scholars from Metro Community College, Notre Dame, Creighton, UNO, Hastings College and Colorado State University. Over 70 applications have been received for selection of the new 2024-26 cohort.
Held several meetings regarding the cumulative positive results and continuation planning for the Nebraska Math Readiness program that is reaching several hundred students struggling with high school math in the CCC service area.
Met Senator Ricketts for an open forum he conducted on the CCC-Columbus campus.
Three other CCC representatives and I attended and presented our pitch for the Futures Assembly Community College Bellwether Award in Workforce Development. While we did not win, we still placed in the top 10 nationally and learned about many other best practices from across the country to share or replicate at CCC.
Appreciated Dan Quick and Chris Waddle representing CCC at the NCCA state legislative day to meet with senators and educate them on the positive work of our institutions and answer questions regarding upcoming legislation.
Signed a letter of intent and am now planning a community meeting in Holdrege regarding a potential new downtown site that would allow for expansion of programming as well as community partnerships.
Heard and viewed updates on the Rural Health Building with CCC/UNK/UNMC. Good progress being made with professional facilities being built in that community to help us expand our nursing numbers in the Kearney area.
Completing my six years of service with the Heartland United Way board this month but am still busy with board, agency and committee meetings this past month.
Participated as the training providers representative in the committee and board meeting of the Greater Nebraska Workforce Development Board, which was hosted over two days at CCC-Hastings.
Attended the Grand Island Chamber of Commerce dinner along with others from CCC and the CCC Foundation.
Although not successful on the ballot for a position on the board of AACC, will be attending the annual conference in April. AACC invited me (as one of 20 presidents) to attend a 7000+ attendee Artificial Intelligence conference (ASU+GSV Summit). This summit will explore technology solutions and access from “Pre-K to Gray.”

Updates from area vice presidents include:

Nursing assistant, medication aide and emergency medical services programming has continued to see demand and inquiries for more offerings in local high schools. Continued growth in EMS seems to drive the need for the paramedicine growth we been seeing.
May 1 will be the ribbon cutting for the Pirnie Inclusive Playground at Ryder Park in Grand Island. Gotschall grandchildren have been testing it out with unanimous support and excitement.
The Nursing/Heath Sciences Career Fair was held at College Park on Feb. 28. There was outstanding participation with 48 employers, four college/universities, and 220 students in attendance. In addition to nursing students, students from occupational therapy assistant, paramedicine, medical technology, medical assistant and pharmacy tech programs attended.
Business administration has been busy recruiting. In the last two months, the faculty have shared information about the programs with almost 1,000 prospective students from six different schools.
Early Childhood Education will incorporate behavior management (MANDT) training into the education practicum, saving districts money and making the paraeducator certificate highly marketable.
Amy Mancini, dean of arts, science and business, conducted two “Using AI in the office” webinars as part of the employee training series that CCC hosts on one Friday per month. Two faculty members are partnering to design a personal development course with a focus on ethical use of artificial intelligence (AI) in school and at work.
The new XR/Virtually Reality lab on the Columbus Campus has continued to see strong and varied uses, including animal cell and bacteria cell activity, Black History Month event, theater’s virtual tour of the Anne Frank house, and physics and nursing labs.
Financial aid cycle I scholarship application closed on March 1. We ended up with 988 submitted applications and 318 who had started the application but did not finish/submit the application. Those non-completers were reached out to and will be a group targeted for cycle II.
The Columbus Campus admissions department will host 375 eighth graders on March 27 for a college visit. The Kearney Center Student Success and Enrollment Management staff recently hosted a group tour from KHS, with over 400 9th graders touring the center.
In February, the Hastings career and employment services department witnessed a notable surge in our Job Board activity with the addition of 22 new employers and a total of 146 job postings. Additionally, our efforts in student engagement resulted in 76 new student registrations with the Job Board and 28 students adding their resumes to it.
Nebraska Land Improvement Contractors Association (NLICA) conference held its annual conference in Kearney on Jan. 18 and awarded scholarships to our heavy equipment operator (HEOT) students. We appreciate their continued support of our HEOT students each year!
Multiple industry advisory board meetings were or will be held this spring. Examples include agriculture, March 1; information technology and services, March 5; hospitality management and culinary arts, March 25; and media arts, March 27.
Nebraska Blacksmiths, Welders and Machinists Association met for the 2024 Short Course Program on the Columbus Campus on Jan. 9. Led by WELD faculty Bryce Standley and Landon Hunt, participants learned about laser welding, silicone bronze welding, and Hypertherm cutting applications. The group also took a tour of Valmont Industries.
Over 1500 area high school agriculture students competed in district FFA contests on the Columbus, Hastings and Grand Island campuses with contests coordinated by high school and CCC faculty and staff.
CCC welding students Aiden Bock (1st), Levi Gillming (5th) and Matthew Gleeson (6th) placed well in a Gas Metal Arc Welding (GMAW) invitational welding competition at North Central Technical College in Beloit, Kansas.
The Columbus welding program has completed two stoves for the international Salma Stove project with an additional three in progress. The faculty are hoping the current three will be completed by the end of the month. Plans are for a shipment overseas sometime in April.
CCC will be partnering with UNL to offer summer professional development workshops. They include 12 unique sessions and 13 offerings. Online registration will open on April 2. The schedule is placed in spring packets for area counselors and sent electronically through the state listserv to instructors and contacts we work with throughout our service area.
Sam Matticks, the new CCC-Kearney automotive program instructor, continues to do well with classes and with enrollment resulting in 58 students recently completing a course. Sam is also working on the potential donation of an automotive hoist from NAPA Auto Parts.
A Nursing Camp will be held June 2-5. The camp is for students entering seventh and eighth grades and limited to 15 students. The community and workforce education and nursing department are involved.

The following reports were also submitted for board review:

Enrollment Report
Grants Report
Purchasing Report

EXECUTIVE SESSION

No executive session needed

ADJOURNMENT

MOVED BY BORDEN, SECONDED BY NOVOTNY to adjourn.

Aerni – aye
Borden – aye
Buss – aye
Cowan – absent
Davis – aye
Heiden – aye
Keller – aye
Novotny – aye
Pirnie – absent
Quick – aye
Skiles – aye

UNANIMOUS “AYE” VOTE – MOTION CARRIED

Heiden declared the meeting adjourned at 2:21 p.m.