Creston— The Southwestern Community College (SWCC) board of directors met on Tuesday, June 13, 2017, at 5:30 p.m. in the college’s Administration Center for their regular board meeting.
The consent agenda was approved as presented, including payment for the college’s annual dues to the Iowa Association of Community College Trustees and the Association of Community College Trustees.
The board recessed early in the meeting to hold a Collective Bargaining Strategy Session.
When the board reconvened, Tom Lesan, SWCC vice president for economic development, reported a collective bargaining agreement was reached between the Southwestern Community College Education Association and Southwestern Community College. The board ratified the agreement, which included a wage increase of 2 percent, as well as an increase of $750 in the minimum hiring base for each level.
Contracts were approved and extended, with a 2 percent salary increase, through June 30, 2018, for Dr. Barb Crittenden, SWCC president; Bill Taylor, vice president of instruction; and Lindsay Stoaks, assistant vice president of instruction.
In personnel, the board voted to approve the employment of the following individuals starting August 2017:
• Tim Phillips, history instructor - Phillips has been teaching history courses as an adjunct instructor for Muscatine Community College for the past five years and has been an online instructor for the Iowa Community College Online Consortium.
• Wendy Pringle, nursing instructor - Pringle, who taught for SWCC’s nursing program from 2012-2015, has most recently been employed as facility administrator at DaVita Dialysis in Creston.
• Nicole Dullard, nursing instructor - Dullard has been employed as a pediatric registered nurse for Mary Greeley Medical Center in Ames, Unity Point at Home in Urbandale, and Unity Point Clinic in Waukee. She has also taught courses for Kaplan University’s nursing program in Des Moines.
• Heather McLain, nursing instructor - McLain, a graduate of SWCC’s nursing program, has most recently been employed by Ringgold County Hospital in Mt. Ayr, where she has also served as a clinical nursing instructor for SWCC.
• Kindra Booth, biology instructor - Booth has been employed as a 7-12 science teacher for the past two years at Lenox Community School District and prior to that taught for the Cainsville R-1 School District in Cainsville, MO.
• Dr. Grant Knotts, chemistry instructor - Knotts was most recently employed as a part-time chemistry and physical science instructor for Grand View University in Des Moines.
In addition, the board approved the resignation of Rumy Kabir, information technology systems networking (ITSN) instructor. Kabir started at SWCC in 2011 as administrative software programmer and moved to the ITSN instructor position in August 2014.
Uncollectible account write-offs were approved as presented. According to Tia Samo, SWCC chief financial officer, most of the accounts recommended for write-off were incurred during fiscal years 2013 and 2014 and had been at collections with little or no activity for 18 months or more. Samo explained in a memo to the board, although the account balances are written-off, students’ transcripts are held and students cannot register for additional classes until the balances are paid. The college utilizes two collection agencies, as well as the state of Iowa Offset Program, to attempt to collect the accounts after write-off.
During the president’s report, Crittenden reminded the board summer commencement will be held Fri., June 30, at 7:30 p.m. in the Student Center gymnasium.
Beth Kulow, SWCC dean of student services, gave the summer enrollment report. Kulow stated for first summer session, enrollment at the college is at 526 students and 2,763 credit hours. This is up 4.4 percent in enrollment and 5.6 percent in credit hours from summer 2016.
The board was informed about the Iowa Association for Community College Trustees (IACCT) conference, scheduled for July 19-21, in Davenport.
Following adjournment of the meeting, the board was taken on a tour of the student-constructed carpentry house, a condominium located at 408 S. Maple Street in Creston.
###