THE OFFICIAL MINUTES (6-08-23)
The Big Bend Community College Board of Trustees held a Regular Board meeting Thursday,
June 8, 2023, at 1:30 p.m. in person.
Present: Anna Franz, Gary Chandler, Bethany Martinez, Amy Parris, Juanita Richards
2. Mission Moments
Board Chair Anna Franz and President Tweedy welcomed 2023 graduate Gina Todaro and
presented her the All Washington Academic Team certificate, medallion and check.
3. Public comment
There was no public comment.
4. Consent Agenda
Motion 23-25 Trustee Gary Chandler moved to approve the consent agenda. Trustee Bethany
Martinez seconded and the motion passed.
5. Faculty Updates
Faculty Association President Dawnne Ernette shared faculty news. English faculty
members Zach Olson, Octaviano Gutiérrez, and Dawnne Ernette are wrapping up their
participation in the statewide two-year long Anti-racist Curriculum Initiative experiment
to implement labor-based grading in composition courses and evaluate its impact on
student success and learning. In accelerated English &101, Zach and Dawnne saw an
increase in students earning their ENGL &101 credit. All three instructors experienced
higher levels of engagement in students with their daily work; students reported that
they felt more respected for their hard work under the labor based grading system;
and students seemed to engage more in meta-learning when they participated in self-assessment
and self-reflective activities of their work. Students also were much more willing
to revise work to learn even when they had already received full credit for those
assignments.
Faculty librarian Rhonda Kitchens has started the Shirley Kitchens Memorial scholarship to support women who worked on farms with their family. Rhonda’s mother was unable to attend college herself and Rhonda is honoring her mother’s hard work on her family farm. Rhonda often told her mother stories about BBCC and she identified with the students here.
Tom Willingham reported that Singapore MS Datacenter Academy delegates visited Big Bend Community College Wednesday to learn best practices as they build their new academy there.
English faculty Dr. Allison Palumbo has been chosen to interview for another Washington Speaker’s series grant for a presentation titled, "Me Too: The Race and Gender Politics behind Hollywood's Victim Narratives.”
English faculty Dr. Steve Close has been approved for advancement to Distinguished Senior Faculty.
Communications faculty Dr. Barbara Bush took her public speaking class to the theater to practice giving speeches in a larger forum and they loved it. Usually, they can pick any topic they want, but for this short 1-minute speech, they could pick from a small list which included things such as What did you learn this year that you'd like to share with your classmates? What would you love to tell your classmates about what you appreciate about them?
Dr. Barbara Bush and Science faculty Mariah Whitney are co-advising a new student club on campus called Earthlings. It is an environmental club focusing on building awareness around pollution, clean-up, and water scarcity on campus and in and around Moses Lake.
Art faculty Dustin Regul brought artist JJ Harty to visit the 3D Foundations course. Students had been making small sculptures out of wax to be used in a sand-casting sculpture method. Once the wax versions were complete, JJ assisted in packing them in sand molds and pouring molten aluminum into the flasked forms. Art faculty Nathan Ulman shared photos of the Cyanotype project.
Agriculture faculty Dr. Aaron Mahoney shared slides from his course.
IST faculty Justin Henley shares that students involved with the new manufacturing classes and the 3D Print lab have built a Mostly Printed CNC Machine to present at the STEM Symposium and are hoping to start a Mechatronics club. This required skills in Additive Manufacturing, Computer Aided Manufacturing, Electronics, Computer Science, Assembly and CNC Technology. This project was completed by students from AMT, MPT, BEdA, and DTA for Education.
6. ASB Updates
ASB President Paige Tolley shared that ASB has hosted many recent activities with
over 200 students attending. ASB-sponsored food events provide a good community setting
for students and employees. There were over 250 people in attendance at the ASB-hosted
Surf n Slide event, which . intentionally included young siblings of students to expose
them to Big Bend fun. Two new clubs have been started Chess Club and Earthling Club.
Trustees expressed appreciation for ASB President Tolley.
7. President’s Update
Dr. Tweedy introduced new employees including Interim Dean Sarah Bauer. it was offered.
Dr. Tweedy announced an increase in FTEs, which she said is attributable to students
in English Language Acquisition. Tuition collection is doing well this year compared
to last year.
President Tweedy announced that she awarded Security Guard Jim Meyers the Presidential Award for Meritorious Service.
Aviation Maintenance Instructor Erik Borg and Dean Kathleen Duvall are retiring and the board may take action on their Emeritus status later in the agenda.
The Foundation’s Cellarbration! for Education! Event was well attended and grossed $167,000. The Foundation also awarded $300,000 in scholarships.
Dr. Tweedy reminded all about upcoming commencement activities.
Motion 23-26 Trustee Bethany Martinez moved to approve Administrator Emeritus status for Dean Kathleen Duvall. Trustee Juanita Richards seconded and the motion passed.
Motion 23-27 Trustee Gary Chandler moved to approve Faculty Emeritus status for Aviation Maintenance Technology Instructor Erik Borg. Trustee Amy Parris seconded and the motion passed.
At 2:05 p.m. Board Chair Anna Franz announced that the Board would adjourn to executive session for approximately 15 minutes to discuss items provided for in RCW 42.30.110 (1): (g) to evaluate the qualifications of an applicant for public employment or to review the performance of a public employee. The executive session ended at 2:20 p.m. No actions were taken during the executive session, the meeting reconvened at 2:20 p.m.
8. 2023-24 Operating Budget
VP Linda Schoonmaker presented the 2023-24 Operating Budget. The amount of $2,944,853
consists of fee income fund swap of $30,000, Indirect Cost Recovery of $70,000 and
Carryover funding $2,844,853 consisting of Board of Trustees 2023-24 contingency funds
requirement $480,329 (2%) and $120,082 (0.5%), Guided Pathways (GP) funding $550,009
(continuing to offset current salaries and benefits for those doing GP work), leaving
unfunded balance of $1,694,433 to be covered by Reserves. While the contingency funds
are a one-time budget fix and not sustainable, and the use of reserves for operating
needs is not financially sound, we have increased federal grant funding and our expenditures
have been less than expected. Our enrollments are trending upwards and our
outreach efforts have grown exponentially due to federal funding assistance. Reserve
total is $14,000,000. All of the COVID money has been spent. We do have a small amount
of funding from Grant County for healthcare related expenses, building remodeling,
and program growth with behavioral health.
Motion 23-28 Trustee Amy Parris moved to approve the 2023-24 Operating Budget. Trustee Bethany Martinez seconded and the motion passed.
9. Mission Fulfillment Report
President Tweedy discussed the Mission Fulfillment Report. This is an annual review
required by accreditation and provides evaluation and direction for the next year.
It is organized around the strategic priorities (student success, employer of choice,
forward looking infrastructure, and enrollment growth and diversity) and major activities
that support the priorities.
Student Success
This scorecard measures include 3-year completion rate, persistence, retention, persistence
and post graduate success. Accomplishments and next steps of each strategic priority
are in the report namely securing grants that fund important work. Next steps in student
success include continuing to grow Starfish functionality, advisor training, improving
course success rates, common canvas course design, support for students who have only
attended classes remotely, and inclusion and belonging around the student experience
including diversity is ASB leadership.
Employer of Choice
This scorecard measures turnover rate, supervisors’ timely and appropriate feedback
on work, clarified work outcomes, and employees recommending Big Bend as a great place
to work. The PACE survey was conducted in the past and set a baseline. It will be
administered again in 2024.
Accomplishments have been in the area of people and leader development and building online resources. For example, nine staff positions are now eligible for premium pay for Spanish skills.
Next steps include implementing best practices for retention and recruitment, implementation of the Search Advocate program and developing premium pay guidelines and testing processes for positions with Russian and or Ukrainian language abilities.
Forward Looking Infrastructure
This strategic priority measures financial status, budgeting, and timely completion
of capital projects and facilities. Accomplishments include clean audits, renovations
of Wallenstien Theater, and upgrading most employees to laptops.
Next steps include enlarging some classroom capacities, upgrades to physical facilities, increased internet capacity, and continued monitoring of revenues and expenditures.
Enrollment Growth and Diversification
Diversification is about having a healthy blend of FTEs from different groups. The
measurements of this priority include total, state funded, and Running Start FTEs.
The FTE allocation model is designed to absorb impacts up and down around students.
In many community and technical colleges’ FTEs are increasing and some are not. The
WA state system works together to support higher education. Nationally, fewer students
are attending college. Employers are looking for specific competencies and many employees
are receiving training on the job. Degree attainment may be through workforce and
we partner with our businesses and industries to learn what they need in employees.
Businesses teach their employees skills however the employees do not earn credentials
to help them move to other employers. Being responsive to industry needs makes Big
Bend a dependable resource.
Accomplishments in this area include use of technology in enrollment process, identification of career clusters in Mattawa and Othello, expanding dual enrollment, receiving the HEP Grant and developing a high school outreach model.
Next steps include expansion of new student enrollments and dual enrollment. Also, offering college-level courses in Mattawa, Quincy, and Othello while maintaining BEdA offerings.
Trustee Juanita Richards stated this report format has been the easiest format to read.
10. Board Chair Matrix
The board chair position will rotate during the October meeting according to board
policy. Trustee Gary Chandler is slated to be the next chair. Trustee Chandler stated
he appreciates support from senior Trustees Anna Franz and Juanita Richards.
Motion 23-29 Trustee Juanita Richards moved to approve the board rotation with Trustee Gary Chandler moving into the Board Chair role and Trustee Amy Parris moving into the Board Vice Chair role. Trustee Bethany Martinez seconded and the motion passed.
11. Commencement Activities
President Tweedy described the graduation activities with the flow chart. Trustees
will hand the diploma covers to Drs. Tweedy and Humpherys for presenting to the students.
12. Assessment of Board Activity
Trustee Amy Parris attended various meeting regarding AA and DTAs (E-1, E-2), meetings
with Dean Kathleen Duvall (E-1), and worked with Dr. Humpherys on the Tech Hub grant
(E-2, E-3).
Trustee Bethany Martinez attended the ACT Spring Conference in Walla Walla (E-3, E-4).
Trustee Anna Franz attended the ACT Conference (E-3, E-4), agenda review meeting (E-3), retreat planning meetings (E-3, E-4) and Cellarbration! for Education (E-2).
Trustee Juanita Richards attended a meeting with Dr. Tweedy (E-1, E-2), the ACT Conference (E-4), and Cellarbration! for Education (E-2).
13. Next Regularly Scheduled Board Meeting
The next meeting is the Board Retreat scheduled on Thursday, August 31, then October
12, and December 7, 2023.
14. Miscellaneous
During the Board Retreat the trustees will review the tenure process and other topics,
attendance is critical.
Adjournment 3:15 p.m.