Minutes 1-28-2016
Meeting Minutes
January 28, 2016 Richfield, Utah
Trustees Attending: Theressa Alder, Chair Doug Barton Caden Birch Scott Bushnell, Vice Chair David Christensen Emilee Kuchenmeister
Trustees Absent: Leslie Keisel Erma Kaye May Michael McLean
Others Attending: Matt Creamer
College Personnel Attending: Gary Carlston, President Patsy Daniels, Assistant to the President Jacob Dettinger, Finance VP Steve Hood, Academic Affairs VP Marci Larsen, Board Secretary Craig Mathie, Student Success VP Michael Medley, BAT Dean Justin Morgan, BAT Faculty Member Meagan White, Controller
Welcome
Chair Alder called the meeting to order at 11:37 a.m. and welcomed everyone. She extended a special welcome to those who do not regularly attend the board meetings and thanked Patsy Daniels for helping with the arrangements for today’s meeting in Richfield.
College Highlight
Vice President Hood introduced Justin Morgan to the group and highlighted his success with the Diesel Mechanics program. Dr. Hood said Mr. Morgan was recognized by the North American Council of Automotive Teachers for his innovative and effective use of technology in the classroom, and he said he has great rapport with his students. Dean Mike Medley added his commendation, and Chair Alder thanked Mr. Morgan for his vision and work to make the vision become a reality. President Carlston said he recognizes that if students are going to be successful, it lies on the administration to attract and retain quality faculty. He said Justin is a faculty member who focuses on student success, and he thanked him for his contributions to Snow College. Mr. Morgan reflected on his involvement with the college and thanked the trustees for the recognition.
Minutes
Chair Alder asked if there were corrections to the December 11, 2015 meeting minutes. Hearing none, she entertained a motion to approve the minutes. Trustee Barton so moved. Trustee Christensen seconded the motion, and it carried unanimously. Chair Alder then asked if there was any discussion or corrections to the December 30, 2015 minutes. Hearing none, Trustee Christensen moved approval. Trustee Barton seconded the motion, and it carried unanimously
Investment Reports
Vice President Dettinger reviewed the November and December 2015 investment reports with the trustees. He pointed out the month-to-month increase, and reminded the group this is good because the college uses the return to fund scholarships. Hearing no questions, Chair Alder entertained a motion to accept and approve the reports as given. Trustee Barton so moved; Trustee Bushnell seconded the motion, and it carried unanimously.
Personnel Policy: Retirement Systems
Vice President Dettinger referred the trustees to personnel policy 13.5.4, “Retirement Systems” and informed the trustees that the policy, which details what retirement systems will be used for college employees and directs most new hires to TIAA-CREF over URS, had been recently modified and approved by the College Council. He added that all employees also had the opportunity to comment on the policy. Vice President Dettinger said most schools have implemented similar policies, and President Carlston said this is a prudent move for the college. Trustee Christensen moved approval of the proposed policy. Trustee Bushnell seconded the motion, and it carried unanimously. 2 | Board of Trustees, 2016 January 28
Personnel Policy: Wellness Activity
Vice President Dettinger said this policy, like the Retirement Systems policy, originated in Human Resource Office and noted it too had been through College Council and the appropriate approval process. President Carlston said formalizing the policy, which had been an approved practice by a previous administration, was one of the results of a staff member wellness initiative. Dr. Hood explained that MarKay Gold, who works in his office, developed a SnowFit program after attending a college leadership retreat. He said the program, which includes gym access, a FitBit, and a support community, has been hugely successful across both campuses and added that the program will be presented at an innovative conference in a few months. Trustee Barton asked how many employees use the exercise benefit outlined in the policy, and Vice President Dettinger said probably less than 20 percent. Trustee Bushnell commended the college for providing an opportunity for employees to work on wellness and moved approval of the policy. Trustee Kuchenmeister seconded the motion, and it passed unanimously. Trustee Kuchenmeister also recommended the “Live Well” program from Intermountain, and Trustees were invited to contact Marci if they were interested in participating in SnowFit.
2014-15 State Audit and Financial Report
Vice President Dettinger said his office received the 2014-15 state audit report on Friday and proudly reported that – for the second year in a row – there were no findings. He congratulated Meagan White and expressed appreciation to her and the Business Office staff members for their work. President Carlston added his appreciation to Vice President Dettinger and recognized him for his good work and willingness to step in and lead the audit when the Business Office experienced significant personnel changes last year. President Carlston said he wants the college to be good stewards of received funds, and he again thanked Vice President Dettinger and his team for their commitment to best financial practices. Hearing no questions, Trustee Christensen moved approval of the audit report and financial statements as presented. Trustee Kuchenmeister seconded the motion, and it carried unanimously.
Trustee Barton added his commendation to the Business Office staff as well. He said he and Chair Alder attended the annual meeting with the regents’ Audit Committee, and he reported that the regents and Commissioner’s Office staff are very pleased with what is happening at Snow.
Early Retirement Requests
Vice President Dettinger reviewed the eligibility requirements for the early retirement benefit and presented six names for retirement: Sue Dalley, Luis Gordillo, Susan Larsen, Terry Lund, Lynette Olson Graham, and Rick Wheeler. He noted that Susan Larsen and Luis Gordillo’s requests were not associated with the early retirement benefit, and President Carlston explained that Rick Wheeler will not turn 62 until December and insurance costs would need to be covered for six months. Vice President Dettinger said it is the college’s intention to recoup most of the associated retirement costs by hiring replacements at a lower cost. President Carlston shared his philosophy of the early retirement benefit, saying it is important to him to help employees leave happy and feel appreciated and noting it is necessary that the decisions be financially stable and responsible. He recommended that the early retirement requests, including one employee whose insurance would be covered for six months, be approved. Trustee Christensen so moved, and Trustee Barton second the motion. All voted in favor.
Vice President Dettinger said there are a few things to consider with the policy, such as the age requirement and those who are double covered. He informed the group that the policy would be modified and presented to College Council and then the trustees.
R401: Associate of Fine Arts – Visual Arts
Vice President Hood reminded the group that during the last meeting, this proposal was reviewed just two days after the curriculum committee approved it. He said there wasn’t much time for them to read it then, and he asked if there were questions now that they had had time to review the document. He noted the unusual length of time for completion and said there was no need for new faculty. Trustee Kuchenmeister moved approval of the program as presented. Trustee Bushnell seconded the motion, and it carried unanimously.
R401: Automotive Certificate
Vice President Hood said last spring the trustees approved some changes to the automotive program. He said his office then made a few modifications and sent it to the Commissioner’s Office for review. They then forwarded it to the Board of Regents, who approved the modified version, without the final version coming back to the trustees. Dr. Hood apologized, and several trustees assured him they understood the situation. Trustee Bushnell made a motion to approve the automotive certificate program as presented. Trustee Christensen seconded the motion, and it passed unanimously. Dr. Hood thanked them for their support and understanding and reported that within the last few years, 40+ new programs in Richfield have been added, and he commended Dean Mike Medley for his vision and leadership.
Aspen Institute
Vice President Hood informed the trustees that the Aspen Institute College Excellence Program named Snow College as one of the nation’s top 150 community colleges eligible to compete for the 2017 Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence. He reiterated the importance of this recognition, which focuses on colleges who help students succeed and reach their goals. He expressed appreciation to Beckie Hermansen in the Institutional Research Office for her work in preparing the application. Trustee Bushnell thanked Dr. Hood and the entire administration for their attempts to make the state’s “60% by 2020” goal a reality. He said he is impressed with all areas of the college– academics, staffing, budget, and all peripheral services for doing a great job to meet the needs of students. Chair Alder added her appreciation as well and said she believes Snow College is the answer to the reaching the state’s goal.
In other Academic Affairs news, Dr. Hood shared an update on the nursing accreditation: the college received the final word of approval this week. He said the official vote won’t happen for a few months, but Professor Epling has been assured that the visiting team’s recommendation will be positive.
Theater Clarification
President Carlston said in a previous meeting, he asked trustees to approve the naming of the stage in the Eccles Center after Kim Christison. He noted that he should have asked permission to name the theater. Most trustees said they assumed it was the whole theater, not just the stage, and President Carlston said this needed to be an action item. Chair Alder asked that it be placed on the next agenda as such so that the naming confusion could be corrected.
Report from the Student Association
Trustee Birch briefly mentioned a few changes in the student body advocate team and said he believes attendance at activities is increasing. Trustee Bushnell asked about student leaders in Richfield. President Birch said they have a team of leaders, and he said the two groups interact periodically throughout the year. He complimented their work, and Vice President Mathie added his positive comments about both groups of student leaders.
Report from the Chair
Chair Alder informed the group that Trustee Barton would be speaking at the LDS Institute on the Ephraim Campus during the weekly Friday Forum, and she invited him to share some of his talk with the group. Trustee Barton obliged, and several trustees wished him well with his, “What I’ve Learned” speech. Chair Alder thanked Trustee Barton for his words and for his quiet, committed service to the college students and entire community.
Report from the President
President Carlston gave a brief report, focusing on legislative happenings and commencement preparations. He said the legislature is in full session and noted he is spending time in Salt Lake. He said costs of the new science building continue to escalate, and he shared his interactions with DFCM and the plan to request additional funding from the legislature. Once the legislature is over, President Carlston said it is time for commencement. The trustees discussed possible speakers for both ceremonies. President Carlston agreed to contact some individuals discussed and bring formal recommendations to the trustees in the March meeting. President Carlston thanked the trustees for their support and invited them to contact Marci if they had interest in attending any college function.
Master Plan Information and Input
Vice President Dettinger gave a progress report on the master plan process, telling the group that for several weeks the steering committee has been meeting with VCBO Architects. He said they hope to have a final plan ready for the April trustee meeting and the May regents’ meeting. Vice President Dettinger then welcomed Whitney Ward from VCBO who led an information-collecting discussion with the board and took suggestions and recommendations from the trustees. Trustees were invited to share additional thoughts with Ms. Ward through Vice President Dettinger. Vice President Dettinger and President Carlston thanked Ms. Ward for her attendance, and Chair Alder expressed appreciation for giving the trustees an opportunity to participate early in this master plan process.
Meeting Adjournment
The meeting adjourned at 2:15 p.m.