Bitterroot College University of Montana
Minutes of the Advisory Council
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Meeting Location: Bedford Building, 223 South 2nd Street, Hamilton
Meeting Time and Date: 5:30 PM, Wednesday, April 23, 2014
Chair: Lynn Stocking
Vice Chair: Dixie Stark
1) Call to Order and Roll Call
a) Advisory Council members present: Terry Berkhouse, Pat Connell, Kahweh Etminan-Rad, Nancy Hinman
(UM Associate Provost; proxy for Perry Brown), Roger Maclean, Al Mitchell, Deb Morris, Lynn Stocking,
and Nancy Valk
b) Advisory Council members absent: Perry Brown, Tom Korst, and Dixie Stark
c) BC staff present: Victoria Clark (Director), Patricia Skinner (Operations and taking notes), Scott Ralston
(Commercial Driver License Program Director), and Roch Turner (Workforce & Outreach)
d) Members of the public present: George Furniss (Bitterroot College adjunct faculty) and Patti Furniss
(Bitterroot Job Service Manager)
Discussion Summary: None
2) Introductions
Discussion Summary: None
3) Announcements and Documents Received Announcements and Documents Received
a) Acceptance of Resignation of Council Member Connie Ward
Discussion Summary: Chair Lynn Stocking accepted the resignation of Council Member Connie Ward. The Council
offered condolences to Ward and her family based on the death of her husband.
4) Approval of Meeting Minutes from February 19 and March 19, 2014
Discussion Summary: The minutes from February were unanimously approved without changes. The minutes
from March were unanimously approved with the following changes: correction to the spelling of Bob Nichols last
name (only one “l”) and change from “a” to “at” in last paragraph on first page in phrase “at the Discovery Care
Centre.”
5) Action Item
a) Vote on Bylaw Changes
Discussion Summary: The Bylaw vote was delayed as several new changes were requested by Deb Morris. The
first was that the sentence referencing the Bitterroot College Program Steering Committee be struck from Article II
Section 2. The second was that the disclaimer “but is not limited to” be added to the second sentence of Article II
Section 5 in reference to causes for removal of a council member. All present agreed with Morris’ suggested
changes. Additionally, Pat Connell suggested that University of Montana (UM) legal counsel should review the
Bylaws, paying particular attention to Article V Section 1 (Conflict of Interest Policy), to ensure that the document
met UM procedural standards. Notably, Connell commented that the State Legislature’s
committee/subcommittee policy for Conflict of Interest only required disclosure but did not prohibit participation
in discussion or voting. Chair Stocking said she would ask UM legal counsel for an opinion. The discussion ended
with Chair Stocking saying she would send updated Bylaws out to the Council for an electronic vote prior to the
next Council meeting.
6) Information Item
a) Presentation of Director’s First Annual Report to the Community – see supplemental materials
Discussion Summary: Victoria Clark provided a page by page review of the First Annual Report to the Community
(see report document). Report discussion (during and after) included a comment from Clark that next year she
would include information on Bitterroot College faculty, request from Connell to include information on whether
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BC Advisory Council Meeting Minutes, 04-23-2014, Page 2 of 2
students are graduates of Ravalli County high schools (is Bitterroot College serving its “local” mission), and
question from Nancy Hinman about “sharing” of students between Bitterroot College and Missoula campuses
(provide headcount numbers on students attending classes both in Hamilton and Missoula).
7) Public Comment
Discussion Summary: None
8) For the Good of the Order
Discussion Summary: Patty Skinner said she was proud of Clark for all her hard work on the Annual Report. Nancy
Hinman said that her message from the Provost was to tell the Bitterroot College that “they were doing a good
job.” Nancy Valk said that she was fortunate to have attended the Bitterroot College and that she would like to
stay on the Advisory Council as the student representative for the next academic year. Al Mitchell, with seconds
from Kahweh Etminan-Rad and Chair Stocking, thanked Clark for her passion for and dedication to the Bitterroot
College.
9) Adjournment
Meeting adjourned at 7:30 PM.
Meeting notes subscribed by Patricia Skinner and summarized by Victoria Clark