The Northeast Texas Community College Board of Trustees met for its regular February meeting on Tuesday, Feb. 22.
Chairman Chuck Johns opened the meeting by announcing upcoming changes to the board. Place One and Place Five were up for reelection in May. Place One is currently held by Frankie King, who decided to retire from the board and did not apply for re-election. Chad Elledge filed to run for Place One without opposition. Place Five is held by Stephanie Thurman, who filed for re-election unopposed. Both Elledge and Thurman will be sworn in at the Board’s regular May meeting for their six-year terms.
In the president’s report, Dr. Ron Clinton mentioned that the college’s 10-year report to the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commissions on Colleges (SACSCOC) will be sent out this week. The reaccreditation process involves a comprehensive analysis of all aspects of the college’s operations. The report will be evaluated and then a group of on-site reviewers will visit campus in September to complete the process.
“The 10 year SACSCOC report is a huge undertaking that requires a tremendous effort by many contributors. I would like to extend our thanks to everyone who has worked diligently to complete this important process,” Clinton said.
Dr. Clinton also mentioned that the college recently launched two new micro credential programs thanks to the Texas Reskilling and Upskilling for Education (TRUE) grant program. A Cyber Security program launched in January and a new Logistics program will begin after spring break. These programs are designed to provide specialized, short-term training in areas of demand in our region. In addition to funding the programs, the grant also provides scholarships for many students. The college plans to add more micro credential programs in the future.
Dr. Josh Stewart, Vice President of Student and Outreach Services, gave a spring enrollment report. Enrollment for the spring semester was up 7% in head count and 6.5% in contact hours over last spring. The increase puts NTCC just slightly below pre-COVID enrollment levels. Many colleges across the state continued to see enrollment declines in spring, so Stewart is optimistic about the direction NTCC is headed.
Dr. Kevin Rose, Vice President for Instruction, gave an update on the college’s Agriculture visioning process, Ag Vision 2021. This was a comprehensive strategic planning process that included a SWOT analysis, a focus group with ag industry leaders, a student survey, and a visit by an independent reviewer.
Rose reported that enrollment in the Ag program has almost doubled in head count since 2017. The increase in students has also resulted in an increase in revenue, but the program continues to operate slightly in the negative. The NTCC Ag program is one of very few who still offers a full working farm experience, and according to feedback obtained in the visioning process, this is a key to the program’s success in both student and community draw. With the fully operational farm that serves as the laboratory for the Ag classes, students can obtain the hands-on experience that prepares them to transfer to a 4-year university-level Agriculture program, enter the workforce as an agriculture practitioner, or own and operate their own agriculture operation.
“There are many key takeaways from the data compiled for this report, but to highlight a couple, the first is that with the fixed cost of operations, we must continue adding students to the program in order to close the revenue/expense gap. Another takeaway is that the cattle operation is currently the primary source of auxiliary revenue for the ag program.” Rose said.
Some recommendations that came out of the report included capitalizing on the hands-on learning components unique to NTCC, to fully fund a farm manager position that is critical to instruction as well as day-to-day operations, seeking grants to provide funding for unique learning opportunities, continue to increase dual credit enrollment, and marketing the program more actively.
Frankie King, who retires from the board after this month, expressed his own passion for agriculture and asked the board to continue to support the program in the future.
“I hope we can come together to maximize the opportunities available to students and fully utilize the great facility we have here,” King said.
In action items, the board approved the consent agenda and a bid from TASB to be the college’s insurance provider. The cost went up roughly 15% over last year and there was an increase in deductibles. Jeff Chambers, NTCC Vice President for Administrative Services, reported that this was largely due to recent weather related losses incurred throughout the State and at the college.
The board also approved releasing the Assistant Controller and Head Men’s and Women’s Soccer Coach from their contracts.
