Board of Directors Meeting

Technology Drive Campus - February 12, 2020 - Minutes

MEMBERS PRESENT:  

Rick Clark, Ben Collier, Amanda Collins, Brooke Elswick-Robinson, Tiffany Kiwabonga, Bob Maher, Ramona Salyer, Chrisha Spears

 

MEMBERS ABSENT:  

Alan Alley, Kathryn Lamp

 

ALSO PRESENT:  

Kellie Allen, Karen Blevins, Eric Chaney, Larry Ferguson, Steve Flouhouse, Allison Goble, Kevin Harrison, Pam Miller, Seth Morrison, Brooke Seasor, Steve Woodburn

CALL TO ORDER

Board Chair, Rick Clark, called the meeting to order at 8:38 a.m. in the Rocky Adkins Pavilion on the Technology Drive Campus of Ashland Community and Technical College. 

 

BOARD MEMBER SWEARING-IN CEREMONY

Boyd County Judge-Executive, Eric Chaney, conducted the swearing-in ceremony for new Board member Amanda Collins.  

APPROVAL OF PREVIOUS MINUTES

Members reviewed the minutes of the November 6, 2019 meeting.  Ben Collier made a motion to accept the minutes as written. Brooke Elswick-Robinson seconded the motion. All voted to approve the minutes.

PRESIDENT’S UPDATE

Dr. Larry Ferguson, President & CEO, gave the following updates:

LEADERSHIP/MANAGEMENT

• CULTURE, continued focus on:
  • Leadership & Communication; 
  • Values and Rituals;
  • Human Capital;
  • Work Teams & Structures; and
  • Performance
    • In 2019, special work group helped identify 25 action items for the current year
      • 15 action items completed
      • 8 are in process
      • 2 have not started

Dr. Ferguson asked Kellie Allen, Director of Human Resources, to report on recent employee events and recognitions.  Kellie reported the following:

• ACM – On August 9th we hosted our annual All College Meeting at Greenbo State Park.  This is an opportunity for college leaders to provide essential information for the upcoming academic year.  During this meeting we also recognized 24 service award winners, 15 faculty excellence nominees, 6 staff excellence and two educational milestones.  Employees spent the afternoon participating in various team building exercises. 
• Professional Development – Each year the college has two Professional Development Days.  On November 1st we held the fall professional development event.  We hosted a guest speaker who discussed Shifting Conversations of Gender to Foster (a more) Inclusive Campus.  The afternoon consisted of multiple break-out session where employees could learn about a variety of topics. 
• Employee Success – Since November 1st through January 31st, there have been 84 employees nominated by their peers to be recognized through the Employee Success Program.  Of these 84 nominees, 34 of the employees have been recognized more than once.  Each  nominee receives a copy of what they were nominated for, as well as a small treat.  Each month one of the nominees is chosen from each campus to use the designated employee of the month parking space.  We also partner with our foundation and one nominee is chosen for a $20 gas card each month.
• Holiday Celebration –To kick off the holiday season the committee hosted a pop-up coffee/hot chocolate bar on December 2nd.   Following this on December 16th,  the college hosted the annual holiday celebration.  This day consisted of a catered meal, potluck dessert, board games, karaoke, ugly sweater contest, ornament exchange, crafts and live music.  The committee partnered with the foundation for prizes for this event.  

President Ferguson continued his report:

• We are constantly gauging and assessing…
  • This is our CCSSE year.  CCSSE is the Community College Survey of Student Engagement that the students will complete this spring in selected classes on our campuses that are offered face-to-face.
  • We also do the Community College Survey of Faculty Engagement.  Faculty for this survey are selected based on the class selections selected for the student survey.
  • Additionally, we are going to participate in the Best Places to Work in KY survey.
    --Work Teams & Structures & Performance--
• 4 Disciplines of Execution
  • Operating System for getting things done
  • FOCUS on a wildly important college goals: graduation (42.7%, ’22) and transfer (30.8%, ’22)
  • Went live on January 6th
  • 28 Teams with individual WIG and Lead Measures
  • Each team meets weekly
  • On March 27th we will be having our spring in-service day.
    • Each leader will provide a 1-3 minute update on your WIG and Lead Measures.
  • OUTCOMES:
    • The Business Office team has already shown an impact on student cancellations with the work they are doing.
    • The Resource Development Team is already at half their goal.
    • The Title III Team has already blown their goal away and is setting new targets.
• BUDGET As of 2/11/2020, we have met our revenue projections for Spring 2019
  • Net SCHs 100.48% of budget needed
• ENROLLMENT
  • As of 2/7, 2,272. Last year was 2,280. We are flat.
  • <18 is up 11% when compared to last year (Dual Credit)
  • 18-24 is down 2%
  • 25+ is down less than 1% (-.0.8%)
• LOAN DEFAULT RATE
  • Our current loan default rate for the FY2018 cohort is 18.39%.
  • Compared to this time a year ago, our FY18 risk/default rate is trending lower by 2.12% from the FY17 rate;
  • The risk/default rate for FY19 is trending a lower by 5.95% compared to FY18;
  • And the FY20 risk/default rate is trending lower by 1.69% compared to the FY19–which is GREAT news!
• GRADUATION RESULTS for Fall 2019
  • Degrees: 130 (AA-21, AS-10, AAS-99)
  • Diplomas: 78
  • Certificates: 631
• Total credentials for Fall 2019: 839
• Total number of students: 298
• Comparison to Fall 2018: 627 credentials/286 students. So we have 212 more credentials!

EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP/INTERNAL RELATIONS

ACADEMICS

• Additive Manufacturing / 3D Printer
• We are working closely with Marathon on analyzing needs for our APT Program
• Advanced Integrated Technology
  • Program vetted through 25 Fortune 500 companies
  • 65 Graduates in May 2020
  • Toyota-Buffalo, Barry Pearson
  • Enerfab, Terry Sexton
  • Vesuvius, Josh Blanton
  • Danieli, Tim (?)
  • Manpower Agreement
• Marine Technology
  • Sherry Sowards
  • First deckhand class starts late February
• Redesigned and implemented our LPN to RN bridge program; 17 students this spring

Dr. Ferguson asked Chrisha Spears, Student Affairs Specialist, to report on GEDPlus. Chrisha reported the following:

• December 2019 / January 2020 35 students interested in the program and in the pathway to enroll
• 6 earned GEDs before classes started in January allowing them to enroll as fulltime, Pell eligible students
• 2 earned GEDs in the past week allowing them to enroll as fulltime, Pell eligible students for 2nd bi-term
• Met with 2 Smithfield students to get their success stories and pictures to share with Systems Office and Smithfield

INFRASTRUCTURE/FACILITIES

Dr. Ferguson asked Karen Blevins, Dean of Business Affairs to report infrastructure/facilities updates.  Dean Blevins gave the following report:

• Installed 3D printer at Technology Drive Campus –
  • A 3D printer allows the creation of a physical object from a three-dimensional digital model, typically by laying down many thin layers of a material in succession.  You will be seeing this equipment after the Board meeting. 
• Installed two new pieces of equipment in machine tool shop at Technology Drive Campus—
  • This equipment is computerized metal cutting tools.
• Installed new LED lighting at the daycare parking lot; stairwells in the College Drive Campus, main building; Roberts Drive Campus CDL parking lot and stairwells in the Technology Drive Campus building. 
  • Two objectives were accomplished with this project – safety and efficiency.  Total cost of this project is approximately $7,500, a one-time cost; projected to recoup this cost in less than two years; then, projected to save approximately $5,000 annually from new lighting. 
• Installed new air compressor in the auto tech shop at Roberts Drive Campus. 
  • The new air compressor replaced one that was around 30 years old.  New equipment is much more efficient, reducing wasted energy. 
• Renovated employee lounge, mailroom and sitting area at College Drive Campus.
  • The renovated employee lounge addressed a need identified in a culture initiatives report earlier this year.
• Currently working with an HVAC project in the Goodpaster Building. 
  • This project will replace the original HVAC equipment, which is approximately 30 years old.  The new equipment meets the new CEMCS – Commonwealth of KY Energy Management Control System standards.  Substantial completion for this project will be mid April when a punch list will be developed; final completion set at mid May. 
• Currently renovating the sitting area in the LRC Building; this area is getting a fresh coat of paint along with new seating.
• Renovated a classroom and built a training resource for the Marine Technology class at Roberts Drive Campus. 
• Renovated five classrooms at College Drive, main building, third floor.  Work consisted of painting, carpeting, replacing classroom tables and chairs. 
• Installed in-floor electrical wiring, IT cabling, carpeting and electrical additions for new trainers in the AIT program lab.  You will be seeing this lab after the Board meeting. 
• Demo’d house located at 1509 Ester Street in Ashland (behind the daycare center).  This property was donated to the college (by Irene Hall).  Currently there are no plans for the property; but, will be maintained.
• ACTC was recognized as a “Tree Campus USA” campus for the 5th year in a row.  To be eligible for this designation, the college had to:
  • Develop a tree care plan, which we follow;
  • Observe Arbor Day;
  • Conduct a tree give away which we do in conjunction with AEP and the City of Ashland;
  • and, commit funds to landscaping
  • This program is managed by the National Arbor Day Foundation in conjunction with the KY Division of Forestry.
• The College Drive Campus is designated as a Monarch Waystation.
  • To have this designation, the College had to:
  • Dedicate a portion of the landscape to plants for butterflies;
  • Harvest nectar plants; these plants provide nutrient sources for the butterflies;
  • Over-winterize plants

President Ferguson continued his report:

EXTERNAL RELATIONS

• Working closely with our legislators.  Adkins, Webb, Bentley, Branham-Clark, Hinkle
  • Eat & Greet Event on January 15, 2020
  • Performance-Based-Funding
    • Increase to the PBF pool
    • Continuation of the 2% stop loss for PBF
      • 2021, loss of approximately $750,000
  • Dual Credit from 1/3 to 1/2 tuition, Education Chair, Rep. Tipton has introduced a bill.
  • KERS Pension Concerns
• Kentucky Access to Justice Commission; legal support for students for non-criminal issues
• EMSI economic impact study
  • ACTC Total Annual Impact = $201.7 million added income; 2,571 jobs supported
  • Investment Analysis
    • Average associate degree holder will see an increase in earnings of $9,500 each year when compared to someone with a high school diploma in our service area
    • For every $1 invested
      • Student gain $6.90 in lifetime earnings
      • Taxpayers gain $4.10 in added tax revenue and public sector savings
      • Society gains $10.20 in added state revenue and social savings
• FUNDRAISING
  • FY18 = $323, 032.41
  • FY19= $556,599.48     42% increase over FY18!!!
  • FY20= $998,007.02 (July through January) 122% increase over all of FY19!!!
  • Sponsorships and Events
    • $15,695 since July 1, 2019
    • $2,125 per month

COLLEGE BOARD RELATIONS

• On February 20th we will be holding a business after hours event, on the TDC Campus
• On April 20th we will have a reception at 9:30 AM in honor of Dr. Box’s retirement
• Next meeting will be on Wednesday April 29th
  • President’s Evaluation
  • Budget Approval
• Graduation will be May 8th

AROUND THE TABLE

Steve Woodburn, Dean of Student Success and Enrollment Services, reported regarding areas he has seen improvement since Dr. Ferguson’s arrival:  

• Implementation of two extremely important services for students--The Pathfinder Food Pantry and Counseling Services from Mountain Care Comprehensive.  Both services are being used significantly. 
• A full reboot in how we deliver orientations.  We are very pleased with the outcomes.  We believe this has greatly impacted the number of students being cancelled for nonpayment.

Dean Woodburn also informed Board members that URM (under represented minorities) retention rates and graduation rates increased significantly from last year--retention rate increased from 36.8% to 71.4% and graduation rate increased from 23.19% to 46.2%.  We are very proud of these numbers.  In addition he announced that the Diversity Assessment report will be submitted by March 2, 2020.

Steve Flouhouse, Dean of Institutional Planning, Research & Effectiveness, reported:

• Fall 2019 Enrollment – 2608
  • Males 40% Females 60%
  • Full-time 50% Part-time 50%
  • High School 426
• Partnerships with GATC and RATC so that we can offer programs at these sites, and we are working on Boyd County, Carter County, Lawrence County, and Paul Blazer.
• Retention and Graduation Rates – explained that these are cohort based. Cohorts are based on a given fall semester.  Graduation rates are three years and explained the charts below:
• Retention: combined FT and PT.  For separate rates see spreadsheet.
  • Fall 2013-Fall 2014 - 48.2%
  • Fall 2014-fall 2015 - 48.1%
  • Fall 2015-Fall 2016 - 51.4%
  • Fall 2016-Falll 2017 - 60.4%
  • Fall 2017-Fall 2018 - 56.2%
  • Fall 2018-Fall 2019 - 60.6%
• Graduation Rates. Should match my spreadsheet.  My spreadsheet rounds as does the DFR.
  • 13-14 (cohort 2011) - 19.7%
  • 14-15 cohort 2012 - 21.6%
  • 15-16 cohort 2013 - 29.2%
  • 16-17 cohort 2014 - 26.2%
  • 17-18 cohort 2015 - 38.7%
  • 18-19 cohort 2016 - 43.3%

Title III

• Pilot these courses:  Applied Math, Writing II, College Algebra, American Government
• Develop hybrid courses:  Blueprint Reading, Introduction to Computer Aided Design, Circuits I, Circuits II, and Fundamentals of Machine Tools
• For Project Year 3 we have four objectives. We met three out of four.  There an objective for success rates in pilot courses that we struggle to meet and fall less than a percentage point from meeting.

Credit Counts

In the final year.  Grant through AEP Foundation and is to help Lawrence County with STEM education.  Mia Brown is in charge of the grant. She is also serving on the board of directors of the KY Science Center this year and the next two years.  

Steve Flouhouse, reporting for Todd Brand, Dean of Academic Affairs, announced:

• Air Conditioning Technology – Seth Morrison
• Computerized Manufacturing and Machining – Danny Pancake
• Surgical Technology – Heather Cantrell
• Workforce Solutions Apprenticeship – Kevin Harrison
• Workforce Solutions – Lineman Certificate 17 credit hours complements the CDL certificate that we offer as credentials through workforce.  This along with our short term health programs and now deckhand training and apprenticeships there is much going on in Workforce Solutions.

Tiffany Kiwabonga, Student Representative to the Board, announced that students will be celebrating Friendship Day today with games and prizes.

Brooke Seasor, Director of Resource Development, reported that ACTC’s second annual Women, Wine, Jewels & More event raised over $20,000 for female scholarships. In addition, she announced that Resource Development is starting work on scholarship applications and visiting local high schools with our recruiter to get applications filled out. 

Chrisha Spears, Staff Representative to the Board, reported the following:

Pathfinder Pantry Update

• Young Men’s Conference-4th annual event for high school junior boys. Held on Friday, March 13th at TDC from 9am – 2pm
• Staff are volunteering to serve food at Community Kitchen on February 25th
• Staff are volunteering for Build a Bed on March 7th
• Proposed date for Staff Conference, June 5th

Allison Goble, Director of Marketing and Public Relations, reported:

• Placed ACTC commercials on Hulu, Roku, Sling, and other TV streaming platforms
• Placed ACTC commercials on gas pumps that have the TV screens
• Printed full ACTC class schedules as an insert in The Independent for both the fall and spring semesters
• GED Plus and Work Ready Kentucky Scholarship insert in the coupon edition of Tri-State Weekly that went to around 40,000 homes in Kentucky
• Pathfinder 4B Racecar was sponsored and races in Portsmouth to extend our marketing reach to another area and audience
• Q4-2019 media hits were 194, which is about the same (2 more) as Q3

She also informed Board members of upcoming thing to be aware of:

• Alumni photoshoot in March
• Brand new “Real World” ACTC commercial and creative coming soon! KCTCS will be placing a local media buy for us in addition to what we will place from our marketing budget. Will send out new commercial when it is finalized.
• ACTC and the Ashland Alliance will host Business After Hours at the Technology Drive Campus on Thursday, February 20th from 5-7pm.
• An insert promoting ACTC programs and university cost comparisons will be in about 75,000 of the March editions of Tri-State Weekly for papers in selected zip codes in our Kentucky, Ohio and West Virginia service areas.
• Young Men’s Conference will be held on Friday, March 13.

BOARD CHAIR COMMENTS

Bob Maher asked if ACTC has the capacity to meet the local needs if unemployment increases in our area (noting recent Our Lady of Bellefonte Hospital closing).  Dr. Ferguson replied that ACTC is planning for possibilities to provide if need be.  

Ben Collier announced an apprenticeship contest in May to be held at ACTC’s Technology Drive Campus.  Dr. Ferguson and Kevin Harrison will be speaking at the luncheon that day.  He also reported about attending the recent SOAR (Shaping Our Appalachian Region) conference and the discussion of linking with FFA (Future Farmers of America) programs for future ACTC students. 

ADJOURNMENT

Bob Maher made a motion to adjourn.  It was seconded by Ramona Salyer.  All were in favor.  The meeting adjourned at 9:55 a.m.

Respectfully submitted,

Pam Miller, Recorder