Creston—The Southwestern Community College (SWCC) board of directors met electronically for their regular meeting on Tuesday, April 14, 2020, at 5:30 p.m. The meeting was held electronically due to social distancing requirements related to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The board approved a resolution directing the publication of notice on the proposition of the issuance of $1.3 million for Industrial New Jobs Training Certificates. Tom Lesan, SWCC vice president of economic development, explained the new jobs associated with this issuance have already been created by participating companies in the college’s region. The board also passed a resolution approving a preliminary official statement and electronic bidding procedures.
During the meeting’s discussion of monitoring process, Fred Shearer, board member from Corning, asked college administration about reverse transfer of courses, that was mentioned in the monitoring report. Dr. Barb Crittenden, SWCC president, explained reverse transfer is utilized when SWCC students complete college courses elsewhere and then transfer courses back to Southwestern to meet degree requirements toward the degree they are earning at Southwestern.
Lesan reported on construction progress at the Ag Site, located north of the Creston campus. Lesan said the Agricultural Sciences Center renovation is nearing completion. Once the concrete is poured and the landscaping is finished, the project will be complete. An open house for the facility is planned to take place during the fall 2020 semester.
Crittenden then spoke to the board about the college’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Crittenden said SWCC facilities and centers have been closed to the public since March 18 and the majority of employees have been working remotely since that time. She explained the employees still onsite are working staggered shifts in an effort to decrease the number of people in any area at one time. The college is enforcing social distancing practices, encouraging handwashing, and providing hand sanitizer. The housekeeping department is disinfecting and cleaning frequently touched surfaces regularly.
Lindsay Stoaks, SWCC vice president of instruction, offered board members an update on the transition to online delivery of coursework, which began on March 23. Stoaks said due to Southwestern being a member of the Iowa Community College Online Consortium (ICCOC), the college had a technological platform in place and was positioned well to transition face-to-face courses to an online delivery format.
According to Stoaks, “the most challenging aspect of this situation is ensuring students in career and technical education programs are developing the skills they need.”
Stoaks has been working closely with the faculty in these programs to develop contingency plans to make sure course learner outcomes are achieved during the spring semester.
Kim Bishop, SWCC dean of student services, updated the board regarding how student services have been altered and additional services implemented due to the restrictions of the COVID-19 pandemic. Bishop said registration for summer term and fall semester is open. Staff members have been reaching out to get students registered for classes.
Bishop said the college will continue to acknowledge Pay it Forward Week, an annual tradition at SWCC, the week of April 20-24. Because students and employees cannot be together at this time, a list was provided to students and employees to explain how individuals can pay it forward from wherever they are during this time.
According to Bishop, students continue to move out of student housing. The college has implemented a move-out process where social distancing and cleaning procedures are in place and students may schedule a time to get their belongings in a manageable manner.
Bishop said the college will host a virtual graduation ceremony for the college’s graduates since the live ceremony will not be possible this year. The ceremony, which will feature each of SWCC’s 2020 graduates, will be posted on the college’s website at the exact time the original ceremony was scheduled to take place—Friday, May 8, at 7:30 p.m. Graduates and their families are encouraged to watch the ceremony together at that time.
Crittenden spoke to the board about some of the ways the college has been reaching out to assist healthcare providers and emergency management agencies in the college’s region at this unprecedented time. At this point, Crittenden said the college has donated the following:
- Greater Regional Medical Center – The donation of hospital gowns, N95 masks, fog-free masks, and surgical masks; as well as the temporary loan of hospital beds and IV pumps from the SWCC nursing lab.
- Montgomery County Emergency Management Agency – The donation of isolation gowns, N95 masks, gloves, and surgical masks.
- Union County Emergency Management Agency – The donation of N95 masks.
MJ Dolan, Iowa Association of Community College Trustees (IACCT) executive director, briefed the board on legislative concerns and distributed informational materials concerning community colleges. Following Dolan’s report, IACCT Board Chair Denise Hollonbeck reviewed the IACCT strategic plan.
Jerry Smith, board member from Osceola and designated Iowa Association of Community College Trustees (IACCT) representative, mentioned to the board the IACCT conference is scheduled to take place July 24-26 in Sioux City.
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