OFFICIAL Minutes
NORTHERN’S PRESIDENT’S COUNCIL MEETING – October 18, 2011
DATE: October 18, 2011
ATTENDEES
PLACE: B&O Board Room
CONVENED: 1:45 p.m.
Dr. M. Olshinsky, N. Albert, J. Baller, B. DeFrancis, T. Eltringham, E. Fisher,
A. Frey, D. Hanes, L. Kefauver, M. Koon, S. Lippiello, Dick McCray, S.
Payton, Dr. V. Riley, D. Ryan, P. Stroud, C. Sullivan, L. Tackett, P. Woods
and D. Wycherley
Participated by Phone
MINUTES RECORDED BY
Linda K. Dudash
NEXT MEETING
November 15, 2011 – 1:45 p.m. – B&O Board Room
ITEM
CONCLUDED: 3:05 p.m.
EXCUSED: P.
Carmichael, J. Fike and
S. Pelley
DISCUSSION
1. Higher Learning
Commission Visit
The Higher Learning Commission has scheduled Northern’s accreditation visit for March 4-6, 2013. An
institutional report will be submitted to the Commission in January 2013.
2. Smoking Policy
Information relative to a tobacco-free campus was distributed to Council. The Board of Governors was
presented with the information at their meeting in September. The Board recommended the College proceed
with developing a Tobacco-free Rule. Smokers will be offered programs by the College to assist with the
transition to a tobacco-free campus environment.
Dr. Olshinsky and Mr. Lippiello will attend the WV Council on Community and Technical College Education
meeting on October 20 to present the architectural design on the proposed Applied Technology Center.
3. Building Progress
4. Retention and
Graduation Rates
The Board of Governors toured the ECS (Electrical Contractors Supply) building. A proposal will be prepared
by Victor Greco on the cost to renovate the building. Options on what will be housed in the building were
discussed with the Board of Governors; possibilities are a day care center and student activities center. An
appraisal has been done on the ECS building. The College plans to engage Joe Craycraft as the attorney to
negotiate on the purchase price of the building. Dr. Olshinsky and Mr. Lippiello will move on finalizing the plans
on the Straub Honda center. Mr. Lippiello contacted Victor Greco to look at the Hyundai building for Barnes &
Noble and to calculate a cost for adding a second floor to the building. State vehicles will be housed in the
Straub Body Shop.
WVNCC received a Title III grant totaling more than $1.5 million from the U.S. Department of Education’s
Strengthening Institutions Program. Funds from the grant will assist the College with retention and graduation
rates. Focus will be on underprepared students (e.g. transitional education, retention activities, preparing
students for College entrance tests, tutoring, math labs and math boot camp). Additional full-time faculty will be
hired for math, counseling, and tutoring. A test preparation course with emphasis on retention and graduation
will be held in the summer or late fall to assist in getting students ready for math, reading, and writing.
Financial aid will now pay for only 30 hours of developmental education.
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NORTHERN’S PRESIDENT’S COUNCIL MEETING – October 18, 2011
The grant challenges the WVNCC Foundation to assist in establishing an endowment to continue funding over
the five years of the grant by raising $40,000 in order to receive a $250,000 match.
5. Fall Enrollment
Numbers
Dr. Olshinsky reported in the absence of Ms. Fike -- Enrollment is down five percent. This is attributed to the
financial aid reform and early entrance.
6. Other
Dr. Olshinsky: Council members were urged to submit agenda items for meetings to Linda Dudash.
Mr. Koon: Council viewed to a news cast from CBS news regarding Mechatronics programs in colleges.
Northern has been working with Arcelor Mittal Steel to develop a Mechatronics program. The College plans to
offer a Mechatronics course to students once the new Applied Technology Center is up and running in the
Straub building.
Weirton campus will participate with the Weirton Chamber of Commerce in “Taste of the Valley.”
Ms. Albert: College registration sessions will be held in November. Students will experience a new email
process which will assist in informing them of class openings they need. The policy on requirements of student
transcripts is going to be re-written.
Ms. Woods: IR is starting on the fall Student Satisfaction Survey which will be sent out the week prior to
Thanksgiving. The IPEDS report has been completed. CCSSE is not being done this year.
Dr. Riley: Academic Affairs is working with faculty on Series 11 which was passed by the state this summer.
Series 11 provides guidelines for community colleges to help students attain their degrees sooner. The goal is
for certificate programs to be no more than 30 credit hours and associate degrees to be no more than 60 credit
hours. Academic Affairs is working with faculty on updating the Gen Ed core. Class schedules will need to be
re-done once the update is complete.
Regarding academic searches, interviews will begin for a Human Services position in New Martinsville and
there is a faculty vacancy for a full-time biology position in Weirton.
Ms. Ryan: Faculty have been working on switching to the new College web page and looking at restructuring
faculty committees. Regarding committees, faculty talked about having a rotating schedule.
Ms. Wycherley: Student Disabilities has started work on a student/faculty handbook. A video is being
produced to be used as a disabilities resource.
Ms. Frey: The verification process for 2012-13 has changed requiring students to provide tax transcripts.
Effective date of the process is July 1, 2012. Financial Aid listened to a webinar last week regarding call-in
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requests by students, mail order requests and on-line requests. The federal government is looking at
eliminating interest benefits on federal student loan subsidies. The ATB (Ability-to-Benefit) process was
changed for financial aid purposes. Changes were made for financial aid students only.
Ms. Stroud: A trial test regarding changes in AV services is going out to health science faculty. Faculty can
go directly to the Alexander Street web site and connect to health science videos produced by MEDCOM. The
LRC could purchase this collection of AV videos rather than buying DVD’s. The program tracks how many
times services are used and then the value of the service could be evaluated.
Ms. Payton: Student Halloween parties will be held on each campus as follows: New Martinsville – October
27; Weirton – October 29; Wheeling – October 31. Judging of the best decorated Halloween door on Wheeling
campus will be held on October 28. On November 4, the Wheeling campus is holding a Campus Clean Up.
Middle College students and Junior ACF is helping with various projects. Five Northern students participated in
300 hours of community service. Students will receive $1,175 for their service and may use the money within
five years toward educational expenses. Student Activities has rented a float for Weirton campus students to
participate in the Weirton Christmas Parade on November 26.
Mr. Baller: The state has been contacted regarding cleaning up graffiti on the concrete walls in the alley near
the Education Center. Once the paperwork goes through, the College will sand the walls.
Ms. Sullivan: Grades First, a pilot program, is being used by faculty to track student attendance. An
automatic email is generated to students who are at risk or having problems with attendance. Even if a student
doesn’t sign up for Grades First, email messages will be sent to them regarding attendance problems. Tutoring
centers are also utilizing the Grades First program. The New Martinsville tutoring center is the recipient of new
computers. The tutoring center in Wheeling will soon be getting new computers. Ms. Sullivan and Ms. Frey
are teaching a one semester, one credit hour course on basic financial literacy that includes student success
tips. Cost of the class will be covered by a grant for students this semester.
Mr. Hanes: ISP changeovers have been completed on all campuses except in New Martinsville. Telephone
systems and light speed servers have been changed over. IT is working with Mr. Lippiello to rewire the second
floor of the B&O building and rewire the New Martinsville campus in the summer. IT is working with
CompuCom in getting things set up for Disabilities. Computers were sent to New Martinsville to replace those
in the tutoring center. Students will be switching over to Outlook email. Student passwords will be switched
over to the new system. Students will be sent three separate email messages informing them of the
changeover. Dates can be added to student calendars automatically by IT. IT has the ability to track usage of
student email. A student sign-on demonstration will be presented at the next Council meeting.
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Ms. Kefauver: Academic Affairs is trying to decide what will be cut from the certificate programs and associate
degree programs to comply with Series 11. Academic Affairs is preparing its first report on the Textbook Rule.
Mr. DeFrancis: The spring schedule will be delivered on campus on October 20 and will be forwarded to the
other campuses at that time. As part of Disabilities Awareness Month, and using money received from an
equity grant, Matt Glowacki, motivational speaker will present a free program, “Diversity According to Family
Guy and South Park,” at 6:30 p.m., October 24 in the B&O building auditorium.
Mr. Lippiello: Mr. Lippiello, Ms. Albert and Ms. Fike met to discuss the complexities with the student refund
process. Over the next few months, they will work to simplify the process. Communication has improved
between the College and students relative to the students’ responsibility to update their addresses with the
College so they get all the information they need relative to fees.
The final auditors’ statement was received.
Mr. Tackett: Northern students will be entering the annual Wetzel County Chili-Fest to be held on October
29. Students will be among those competing for a cash prize of up to $500.
Ms. Fisher: Chef Gene is working on the Green Wheeling Initiative. The College recently received a Claude
Benedum Grant to put the program in place. A scholarship breakfast was held on October 11 relative to the
support the College has received from Chesapeake Energy. Wheeling Friends of the College dinner is
scheduled for October 29. A breakfast has been scheduled for November 8 at Williams Country Club to
announce the campaign to raise money for the Weirton expansion. Governor Tomblin and Senator McKenzie
have been invited. A retreat has been scheduled for the WVNCC Foundation in November at which time their
strategic plan will be reviewed. The Foundation is working on an emergency assistance fund—a Title III grant
to assist students in obtaining money to get them through tough times. Documentation signed by a College
administrator is required stating the student is in need of financial assistance.
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