Board of Trustees meeting recap – February 24, 2014

Mar 1, 2014 | Intercom

Here is an informal account of the Northwestern Michigan College Board of Trustees meeting, Monday, February 24, 2014.

Details on the actions items and reports are contained in the Board Packet available online at https://www.nmc.edu/about/board-of-trustees/agendas/2014/022414-board-regular.pdf.

On Monday, February 27, 2014, the NMC Board of Trustees:

DECIDED:

  • To recommend approval to change the date of the regular April Board of Trustees meeting from April 28 to April 21, 2014.
  • To recommend approval of amendments to Policy A-105.00 Consent Agenda Items a presented, on a second-reading basis.
  • To recommend approval of new Board Policy A-104.00 Board of Trustees Video Recording of Meetings as presented, on a first-reading basis.
  • Pursuant to terms of grant application, recommended that the Board of Trustees of Northwestern Michigan College authorize the NMC Foundation through its executive director to submit a grant application to Rotary Charities of Traverse City for one year of program funding as developed by NMC’s International Affairs Forum: Building Community Support for Global Outreach in the Grand Traverse Region – Case Study and First Step: China.

PRESENTATIONS/REPORTS:

  • Chris Weber, Vice President for Enrollment and Student Services presented an enrollment report and said official enrollment for spring semester is 4,396, which is a 4.9 percent decrease from spring semester 2013.  Comparisons with posted enrollments of the other 27 Michigan community colleges show that 19 of those schools had higher  percentage enrollment losses than NMC.
  • Vicki Cook, Vice President for Finance and Administration presented a financial report.  She also indicated that work has begun on the FY15 budget.
  • Trustee Susan Sheldon, a member of the Board Policy Committee said the committee met to draft a policy to video record all regular Board of Trustees meetings and make them available online.  Kyle Morrison, Coordinator of Media and Instruction Technology presented three options of equipment to use to record the meetings.
  • Trustee Kennard Weaver presented a report of the Revenue/Funding Study Group.  That group met February 5 and discussed the main sources of revenue for NMC.  After discussion, the group is focused on funding for capital expenditures and local taxes for general operations.  Weaver said NMC needs to communicate to the public the need for both capital funding and increased revenue for operations.  The study group will meet again when initial costs for capital projects are available.
  • In a legislative issues report, NMC President Timothy J. Nelson said that Trustee Ross Childs would attend the Michigan Community College Association Legislative Summit with him.  Scott Herzberg, Assistant Director of Outreach Services will testify before a committee in Lansing on what services NMC offers to veterans.
  • Rebecca Teahen, Executive Director of Resource Development and NMC Foundation gave a Foundation report.  She talked about the new donor recognition levels that have been established.  Anthony Rupard, NMC Foundation Director of Development presented on the year to date progress of the Foundation’s fundraising, how they establish their goals, and how closer inspection of past giving patterns informs their decisions.
  • In his Legislative Issues report, NMC President Timothy J. Nelson said that he testified in Lansing on behalf of the Michigan Community College Association to the House Subcommittee on Community Colleges on the proposed Executive Recommendation of the FY 2014-2015 State budget.  President Nelson’s analysis of the Governor’s proposed budget and his testimony are available on the NMC Communique.
  • Acting Chair Kennard Weaver gave the Board Chair Update, and said that on behalf of Board Chair Doug Bishop he wanted to thank the Trustees for their assistance in providing materials for a Freedom of Information Act request from the Traverse City Record-Eagle on any written or recorded correspondence among trustees regarding the issue of meeting recording between January 16 and 27, 2014.
  • In his President’s Report, President Nelson reminded the Board that the March meeting would begin with the annual dinner with the officers of the NMC Student Government Association.  Nelson said he always enjoys meeting and talking with the SGA officers and that this year’s group is particularly engaging.

The next regular meeting of the NMC Board of Trustees is March 24, 2014 in the Oleson Center at 5 p.m.