Bitterroot College of The University of Montana
Minutes of the Advisory Council
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rd
Meeting Location: Conference Room, Human Resource Council Building, 316 N 3 Street, Hamilton
Meeting Time and Date: 3:00– 5:00 PM, Wednesday, February 27, 2013
Chair: Lynn Stocking
Vice Chair: Dixie Stark
1) Call to Order and Roll Call
a) Advisory Council members present: Terry Berkhouse, Perry Brown, Roger Maclean, Patricia Meakin, Deb
Morris, Dixie Stark, and Lynn Stocking
b) Advisory Council members absent: Jennifer Burdette, Pat Connell, Heather Green, Al Mitchell, and Connie
Ward
c) BC staff present: Victoria Clark (Director) and Patricia Skinner (Operations; taking notes)
d) Members of the public present: Allen Bjergo (RC&D Board Chair), Colleen Murphy-Southwick (past BC
adjunct instructor), and John Robinson (past BCP SC Chair)
2) Announcements and Documents Received
None
3) Approval of Advisory Council Meeting Minutes from December 5, 2012 and January 27, 2013
Discussion Summary: The minutes from December 5, 2012 were unanimously approved as amended at the
January 27, 2013 meeting. The minutes from January 27, 2013 were unanimously approved without any changes.
4) Public Comment
None
5) Director’s Report – see supplemental materials (Victoria Clark)
a) Questions on Director’s Report (10 minutes)
Discussion Summary: Victoria Clark reported that spring 2013 headcount and FTE were just about equal with fall
2012. She noted that this was the first spring since the college started that the school had not shown significant
enrollment increases between fall and spring. Clark said that the BC had 65 new students (headcount) for spring
2013, but that the BC had lost equal to what it had gained in terms of student headcount. She commented that
she was waiting for the spring 2013 student dataset so that she could run numbers and analyze the attrition. Clark
noted that between fall 2011 and spring 2012 the BC had sent 35 students to Missoula (either MC or the UM); she
wondered if for the current year, the transfer rate to the Missoula campuses would be even higher. Vice Chair
Dixie Stark commented that she had heard anecdotally from a GED student that the student hadn’t been prepared
for the BC academically and that this student had not returned for spring 2013. Patricia Meakin added that the BC
offered no applied programming so consequently certain students were not being attracted to the BC. Chair Lynn
Stocking mentioned that she and Clark had recently met about bringing occupational programming to the BC for
fall 2013. Provost Perry Brown asked Clark if she thought the uptick in the economy was reducing the student
pool. Clark agreed with Provost Brown’s analysis, responding that local improvement in employment availability
was likely lessening the BC student pool. Clark’s full evaluation of the situation, however, was that the BC may
have captured the market on local non-traditional students wanting a transfer degree but that the market on nontraditional students wanting an applied degree and the market on traditional students still remained wide open.
Clark agreed with Meakin that the BC was missing a significant segment of the 2-year student pool due to its lack
of occupational programming. Vice Chair Stark mentioned that in prior years some BC students had been attracted
to school by the opportunity to obtain student loan money, as these individuals simply needed the loan money as
a source of survival income; with the improvement in the economy, Vice Chair Stark wondered if these students
now were fewer in number. Terry Berkhouse commented that he knew of recent high school graduates opting for
oil field employment rather than college. Others echoed Berkhouse’s comment; Clark agreed that well-paying job
opportunities in the Bakken were likely affecting BC admissions. Clark reported that the BC had recently hired
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BC Advisory Council Meeting Minutes, 02-27-2013, Page 2 of 3
George Furniss to develop a one-day Bakken seminar for individuals interested in Bakken employment, with the
first seminar set to run in June.
6) Old Business
a) Communications Protocol discussion and vote – see supplemental material
b) Bitterroot College Vision and Mission discussion and vote – see supplemental material
Discussion Summary: Regarding the Communications Protocol, Meakin suggested that under External Council
Communication when Council Members are approached by faculty, staff, or students with issues that Council
members bring these issues to the BC Advisory Council Chair or Vice Chair rather than to the BC Director. Others
agreed that having Council members direct all their external communications to the Chair or Vice Chair was the
most straightforward arrangement. A motion was unanimously carried to amend the Protocol as Meakin
suggested.
Regarding the BC Vision and Mission, after comments from the Council and members of the public Colleen
Murphy-Southwick and John Robinson, the following changes to the draft were approved by the Council: 1) vision
tagline - Learning Enriches Lives and 2) second sentence of mission – We ensure student success, lifelong learning,
and community engagement through responsive and accessible academics, work force preparation, and
enrichment programming. The Council also approved the Latin motto of Nil Volentibus Arduum (nothing is
impossible for the willing); however it was suggested that Clark have the Latin text checked for accuracy by a UM
Modern and Classical Languages and Literatures faculty member. Council Members noted that they very much
appreciated the hard work of the BC Branding Task Force in drafting the BC vision and mission statements. Chair
Stocking said that she would send the Task Force a thank you note in appreciation of the group’s efforts.
7) 2013 Strategic Goals Work Groups – review Retreat Summary Information from January meeting (Deb Morris
and Dixie Vice Chair Stark)
i) Members choose Strategic Goal Work Group to join
ii) Members break into Strategic Goals Work Groups
(1) Work Groups develop tactics for meeting Strategic Goal
Discussion Summary: Vice Chair Stark and Deb Morris presented on the two Advisory Council Strategic Goals
determined at the fall Council retreat. Morris summarized Strategic Goal 1 as to “Review Bitterroot College
programming and services and make recommendations to respond to community needs.” She noted that tactics
to achieve this goal included 1) to research and recommend an annual assessment tool to be used for
programming needs (academic, continuing education, and cultural enrichment) and 2) to research and recommend
an annual student evaluation tool to be used to determine the effectiveness of academic and student services.
Vice Chair Stark summarized Strategic Goal 2 at to “Advocate for Bitterroot College resource development for
present needs and future growth.” Vice Chair Stark reported that tactics to achieve this goal included 1)
developing strategic partnerships, 2) providing targeted training to the Council that supports strategic goals, and 3)
influencing/advocating for additional funding dollars. Vice Chair Stark noted that some steps to complete the
tactics for Goal 2 had already been taken. Regarding developing strategic partnerships Vice Chair Stark noted that
Director Clark was now attending the monthly meetings of the county’s school district superintendents, that the
BC now had its own membership at the Bitterroot Valley Chamber of Commerce, and that Council training on
legislative advocacy and the UM budgeting process had been presented, respectively, at the last two council
meetings by UM Lobbyist Bill Johnston and UM Provost Perry Brown. At this juncture Provost Brown asked about
the BC’s Chamber of Commerce membership, noting that his office had also just paid for a Bitterroot Valley
Chamber of Commerce membership on behalf of the BC. Clark along with Terry Berkhouse commented on
overlapping issues with Chamber of Commerce membership and various UM departments. Clark and Patricia
Skinner said they would look into the situation.
After Vice Chair Stark’s and Morris’ strategic goal presentations, Council members were asked to pick a
strategic goal work group to be part of. Clark stated that she would not choose either goal, but rather would be
available as requested to assist either strategic goal work group. Council members Morris, Roger Maclean, and
Chair Stocking chose to work on Strategic Goal 1. Council members Terry Berkhouse, Provost Brown, Patricia
Meakin, and Vice Chair Stark chose to work on Strategic Goal 2.
While it had initially been planned that the two goal teams would break into separate working groups at this
point in the meeting, discussion instead turned some overall issues. First it was generally decided that Council
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meetings would alternate between having a targeted training presenter and having breakout work group sessions,
with the pattern beginning at the March meeting of securing a presenter. The Council decided that for the March
meeting training relating to understanding higher education assessment would be helpful for Strategic Goal 1.
Chair Stocking suggested that as Associate Provost Arlene Walker-Andrews led assessment at the UM, she might
be a good initial presenter on the topic of assessment. The Council then directed Chair Stocking to speak with
Associate Provost Walker-Andrews about presenting at the March Council meeting. Berkhouse next asked
Director Clark about providing talking points to Council members who were out in the community. Clark suggested
that the Strategic Goal 2 work group put together a list of the questions they felt the community was asking and
the sort of data they wanted when speaking to the community. Vice Chair Stark indicated that numbers on classes,
enrollment, retention, and funding were needed. Berkhouse asked for information on existing degrees offered
and degrees which were pending.
8) Discuss Professional Development Topic for March Meeting
Discussion Summary: This item was discussed above during Item 7 – 2013 Strategic Goals Work Groups.
9) For the Good of the Order
Discussion Summary: Vice Chair Stark reminded the Council that a Nominating Committee for new membership
would soon be needed. Clark said she would put this issue on the March meeting agenda. Provost Brown
announced that UM President Engstrom would be attending the March Advisory Council meeting. Clark stated
that when she had more specific information about the President’s visit she would alert members via email. John
Robinson provided a closing joke.
10) Adjournment
Meeting adjourned at 4:50 PM
Meeting notes subscribed by Patricia Skinner and summarized by Victoria Clark