Story by: Michael Dawes
e-mail: dawesm@bartonccc.edu

Barton Community College
Board of Trustees Meeting Report
Jan. 21, 2010

A 13 percent drop in state funding for higher education last year triggered Barton Community College’s Board of Trustees to raise tuition and fees for the next fiscal year. By approving the consent agenda during its regular meeting Jan. 21, the Board approved the tuition-and-fees increase, a combined increase of $8 per credit hour for in-state students. Trustees approved the item with the anticipation that the state economy will continue to struggle during the next few years.

“Given the financial projections, I think we have no choice but to support your recommendation,” said Trustee Robert Feldt to Barton President Dr. Carl Heilman, during the Board’s study session on Jan. 7 when it examined the possibility of a tuition-and-fees increase.

Effective during the next fall semester, in-state tuition will be $54 per credit hour and fees will increase to $30 per credit hour for a total of $84 per credit hour. That’s $10 more per credit hour, compared to this year’s combined amount, resulting in a 13.5 percent increase. Out-of-state costs will rise 21 percent to $115 per credit hour and international tuition-and-fees rates will jump nearly 10 percent to $167 per credit hour. BARTONline tuition and fees will remain $130 per credit hour, after the Board authorized the College to use $410,000 of American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds for online tuition mitigation. The Board gave Heilman authorization to increase online tuition and fees up to $10 per credit hour if state and local funding drops below this year’s levels.

Compounding Barton’s funding issues, next year is the final year ARRA stimulus funds are allocated for community colleges, Barton will pick up some funding costs each year for its newly filled Title III positions, and budget operations are expected to increase.

Heilman reported that Barton realized a 9 percent increase in enrollment last fall and enrollments for spring semester are ahead of last year’s enrollments. While those increases are positive indicators for the College, Heilman cautioned that each added enrollment only covers one-third of the cost of providing education and services.

“Having more students is good, but that places more stress and strain on the budget,” he said. “Doing more with more students and less money was the mantra here last year and doing more with less will continue to be the mantra this year.”

Heilman pointed out that Barton’s quality education continues to be a “great buy” when compared to much higher costs at four-year colleges in the state. During this month’s study session, Dean of Administration Mark Dean said he anticipated all in-state community colleges would incur “substantial increases” in tuition-and-fees rates, keeping Barton near mid-pack when comparing enrollment costs among the 19 colleges.

To view the breakdown of Barton’s tuition and fees for this year and next year, click on http://bartonccc.edu/prospective/paying/tuitionfees.html#1011.

College Earns Clean, Unqualified Audit

Certified Public Accountant Doug Volkland, Great Bend, presented to the Board his firm’s findings from an independent audit. The College received a clean, unqualified audit for 2008-09, meaning there were no issues or deficiencies to address.

“All in all, it was a good year,” said Volkland. “Overall it’s a good audit.”

Volkland explained that the audit contained three reports: An Independent Auditor’s Report; Yellowbook Report – report on the internal control based on governmental auditing standards; and a Single Audit, required if expenditures are in excess of $500,000, which is basically a compliance audit to ensure federal money is spent according to guidelines of the Federal Government.

“The three reports say exactly the kinds of things you want them to say,” Volkland told the Board. “There were no issues; we didn’t find any compliance problems.”

The report also contained three financial statements: Statement of Net Assets, essentially a balance sheet; Statement of Revenues and Expense Changes in Net Assets, similar to an income statement; and a Statement of Cash Flows.

Volkland explained that Barton was able to maintain adequate cash reserves, which are needed in a down economy. He also pointed out to the Board that the audit was done in compliance with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles in accordance with the Government Accounting Standards Board.

Board Adds Six Vehicles to Fleet After Holding Off on Purchases Last Year

In another consent-agenda item, the Board approved the purchase of six vehicles for its aged fleet, after holding off last year on replacing any vehicles from the fleet. The Board accepted the local low bids from Marmie Ford for three Fusion cars and three eight-passenger vans. These vehicles replace high mileage vehicles in the College fleet.

The College will purchase three Ford Fusions at a cost of $17,189 per vehicle. It will purchase three vans at a cost of $19,272 a piece.

Dean told the Board at its January Study session that bids were sent to all Barton County automobile dealers. He said it’s difficult for other local dealerships to compete with the dealership that holds the state contract for the year, which this year is Shawnee Mission Ford. Marmie Ford is able to work with the Shawnee Mission dealership in order to provide the vehicle to the College.

Dean said it will take about two months for the new vehicles to arrive. When they do, the College will take sealed bids for the vehicles being replaced. He said the College typically gets book value for the vehicles, all of which he said have close to 200,000 miles or more.

Barton Enters Interlocal Agreement with City of Hoisington

Barton continues its tradition of entering into Interlocal Agreements with cities in the county. The Board authorized Heilman to sign a new neighborhood revitalization agreement with the City of Hoisington.

“Thank you for re-investing in the Hoisington community and continuing your partnership in the neighborhood revitalization plan,” said Hoisington City Administrator Jonathan Mitchell, who was on hand to answer questions about the agreement.

Through the years, the College has entered similar agreements with Hoisington, Great Bend, Ellinwood and Claflin.

To view the most recent interlocal agreement with Hoisington, click on http://bartonccc.net/boardoftrustees/boardbooks/09_10/012110/Interlocal%20Agreement%20w%20Hoisington.pdf.

Board Recognizes Cougar Booster Club Members for Their Roles in Athletics Support

In keeping with its 40th Anniversary observance of the College this year, the Board recognized several Cougar Booster Club guests for their involvement in supporting the College’s athletic programs and its student-athletes. Attending the meeting were Booster Club members Alan Crowther, David and Dana Foss, Gene and Dee Potts, Lori Slater, and Loren and Gayle Unruh. The members spoke of their involvement and support to the Club over the years. Read more about the Club’s grassroots efforts by clicking on the feature story link, http://www.bartonccc.edu/community/pr/hilltopics/0910/college_news/grassrootsboosterclub10

Monitoring Report: Individuals are Personally Enriched

Barton Dean of Information Services Charles Perkins provided a monitoring report to the Board outlining Board END 4, Personal Enrichment.

The report focused on the Shafer Art Gallery, the Silver Cougar Club, student activities, and a graduation exit survey question as support that “recipients pursuing individual interests will be personally enriched,” thus meeting the END or goal set forward by the Board in Policy Governance model.

Perkins pointed to a graph that shows the Gallery has leveled off to about 5,000 visitors a year during the past five years, after a high of 7,500 in 2000-01. See chart information at http://www.bartonccc.edu/administration/research/boardends/gallerycharts.pdf .

Barton’s Executive Director of Institutional Advancement reported that many of the Foundation’s strongest donors have come to the College initially because of their interest in the Shafer Gallery.

Perkins reported that Silver Cougar Club membership has leveled off to a high of nearly 580 members the past two years. Coordinator of the group Coleen Cape relayed to Perkins that the numbers are manageable and not expected to change much in the future. Holopirek reported that people 55 and older join for different reasons: SCC classes, basketball tickets, or even bus rides to attend plays and musicals, to name several reasons. She reported SCC offered 10 classes and took nine day trips last year. See more information about Silver Cougar Club membership participation at http://www.bartonccc.edu/administration/research/boardends/silvercougarclub.pdf .

There were no data provided for student activities, but Dean of Student Services Angie Maddy provided information about student activities related to on-campus activities, in which students participate in, including movie night, bowling, bingo, casino night, and late-night breakfast at the end of the fall and spring semesters.

“When students are involved with campus activities, they are engaged more in their campus experience and are meeting other people,” explained Maddy. “They are also spending their time engaged in activities that are constructive.”

Maddy credited Coordinator of Student Life Diane Engle for being a “one woman show” in offering and conducting the diverse campus student activities throughout the year.

As a way to measure personal enrichment, Perkins referred to a question answered by students who take part in a graduation exit survey each year. The question asks students to rate the student activities. Of those who use the services, 49 percent said that services were rewarding or good, he reported. View the last two exit surveys at http://www.bartonccc.edu/administration/research/boardends/gradsurveychartsfa09.pdf and http://www.bartonccc.edu/administration/research/boardends/gradsurveychartssp09

Perkins said the College will bring back the Community College Survey of Student Engagement survey this spring, which was eliminated last year because of budget constraints. CCSSE information is gathered independently and is used to compare Barton statistics with statistics in the state and nation. Results from the spring survey will be available to the College in the fall, Perkins reported.

CAD Program Gets Final KBOR Approval

During his Kansas Board of Regents report to the Board, Heilman stated that KBOR approved a new Computer Aided Drafting program at the certificate level (21 hours). The certificate program was developed with funds provided by the U.S. Department of Labor Community Based Job Training Grant awarded to Barton last February. The purpose of the grant is to provide vocational training to inmates prior to their release from confinement.

With news indirectly related to the CBJT Grant, Dean of Workforce Training and Community Education Elaine Simmons reported that Barton would be awarded $1 million of nearly $6 million that was awarded to the state, which was announced at the state’s annual Workforce Summit. Barton learned that it had received the $2 million CBJT Grant at the summit a year earlier, Simmons reported.

Heilman and Johnson to Attend National Legislative Summit

During his KACCT report, KACCT representative and Board Vice-Chair Mike Johnson reported that he and Dr. Heilman will attend the Community College National Legislative Summit Feb. 8-10, in Washington, D.C. Johnson reported that Kansas community college representatives will host a dinner for Legislators from Kansas and also meet with legislators individually.

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