The Northeast Texas Community College Board of Trustees met for its regular February meeting on Tuesday, Feb. 25th. Vice Chairman Russell East led the meeting in the absence of Chairman Robin Sharp. All other members were present.
President’s Report
Legislative Update
The meeting began with Dr. Ron Clinton’s President’s Report. He gave an update on the current Texas legislative session and budget priorities for community colleges. He also informed the board that Representative Gary VanDeaver recently authored an important bill, HB2110, which seeks to allow Texas colleges to include students who transfer to private universities in their reporting numbers for funding purposes. These students currently do not count as a successful transfer outcome.
“We are very appreciative of Dr. VanDeaver’s efforts with HB2110. It clarifies some important points regarding dual credit enrollment and university transfer outcomes. A similar bill has been introduced in the Texas Senate and we are hopeful that they will both pass,” Clinton said.
Click here to learn more about TACC legislative priorities for the 2025 session.
Clinton then went over a fact sheet that showcases the impact of community colleges on Texas students. According to TACC, community colleges provide 96% of all career and technical education certificates and degrees awarded by public two-year colleges and 70% of all freshmen and sophomores in Texas Higher education are enrolled in a community college.
Other Announcements
Clinton also gave a brief update on some spring student activities and congratulated the Physical Therapist Assistant Program for achieving a 100% pass rate on their board exams in 2024. He also announced that construction of the new Unity Center is underway and projected to be completed on time this April.
Giving Report
In the giving report, Clinton said the Foundation raised $168,525 in January. Dr. Jon McCullough, Executive Director for Advancement, highlighted one gift in particular.
“I just wanted to point out that the Mount Pleasant Community Fund has now given more than $2 million over the 40 year life of the college to help students achieve their college goals,” McCullough said. “This is a huge milestone and we are grateful for their dedication to NTCC and this community.”
Spring Enrollment Report
Next on the agenda was a Spring 2025 enrollment report by Dr. Kevin Rose, Senior Vice President of Student Success. He stated that enrollment this semester grew 7.1% over spring 2024 with 2,880 students taking classes.
“We have had strong enrollment growth over a five year period and we are very close to reaching pre-COVID numbers. Dual credit enrollment has factored heavily into this growth, with numbers increasing 43 percent since 2016,” Rose said.
Action Items/Items for Discussion
Under discussion/action items, the board approved the consent agenda before considering the approval of insurance. Brandi Cave, Vice President for Administrative Services, recommended that the board accept a proposal from its current insurance provider, TASB. She said that the premium hike of 2.5% is significantly less than previous years. No other companies submitted proposals. The board unanimously approved continuing insurance coverage with TASB.
Clinton led a brief discussion on the annual board evaluations. Members agreed that the current process, which involves an annual survey, is sufficient and thorough. Clinton asked members to submit any suggested changes so the survey can be administered before the next regular meeting.
Amy Adkins, Executive Director of Human Resources, gave an update on the presidential search. She said that the window for applications closed on Friday, Feb. 21st with 64 individuals submitting complete packets. A subcommittee of the board will review the applications during March to select and interview semifinal candidates, with finalists being selected and interviewed sometime in April.
The board them adjourned to executive session. There was no further action taken or discussion before the meeting was adjourned.
