Bitterroot College Program of The University of Montana
Minutes of the Advisory Council
DRAFT
Meeting Location: Classroom 1, Bitterroot College Program, 274 Old Corvallis Road, Hamilton
Meeting Time and Date: 3:15 – 5:15 PM, Wednesday, May 23, 2012
Chair: Lynn Stocking
1)
Call to Order and Roll Call
a) Advisory Council members present: Jennifer Burdette, Pat Connell, Heather Green, Patricia Meakin, Al Mitchell,
Dixie Stark, and Lynn Stocking
b) Advisory Council members absent: Perry Brown, Deb Morris, and Roger Maclean
c) BCP staff present: Victoria Clark (Director), Kathleen O’Leary (Advising and Enrollment Services), and Patricia
Skinner (Operations; taking notes)
2) Introductions
a) New Advisory Council Member introduced: Heather Green (new student representative)
b) Members of the public were asked to introduce themselves: Kezia Coon (BCP student), Catalina Gerner (BCP
adjunct faculty), and Ralph Johnson (Ravalli County Extension Agent, MSU)
3) Announcements and Documents Received
Discussion Summary: Victoria Clark announced that the Regents would be discussing and voting on the
rebranding/renaming of the System’s 2-year units later in the week at their meeting in Havre. Clark said that the name
being put forward for the Bitterroot College Program was the Bitterroot College.
4) Approval of Steering Committee Meeting Minutes from December 7, 2011
Discussion Summary: Chair Stocking presented the minutes from the December 7, 2011 Steering Committee meeting.
She asked that the Council review the minutes for approval at the next Council meeting. Dixie Stark noted that Patricia
Meakin’s last name had been misspelled.
5) Approval of Advisory Council Meeting Minutes from May 9, 2012
Discussion Summary: The minutes from May 9, 2012 were unanimously approved without changes.
6) Student Representative (Heather Green)
Discussion Summary: Heather Green brought several issues of student concern before the Council: 1) the need for
improved disability access to the college program, 2) the need for improvement in distance education technology,
particularly with respect to uploading documents for online classes, 3) the need for the BCP Bookstore to carry more
student supplies (paper, pencils, etc.) and to be open more, 4) the need for more in-depth major advising, 5) the need for
better street signage for the BCP, and 6) the need for instructors to be available for more office hours. Chair Stocking said
that she and Victoria Clark would follow through on Green’s concerns. Several Council members suggested asking local
merchants with reader boards to promote the college program. Others noted that the sign at the Entrepreneurship
Center was hard to read and was not oriented in a manner easy for motorists read. Clark said that she would re-look into
securing a “brown” highway sign for the BCP along Hwy 93. With respect to the bookstore issues, it was suggested that a
bookstore suggestion box could be put out. Clark suggested a meeting between Green, Clark, and Danny Dimezza (BCP
Bookstore subcontractor) to discuss ways to improve the bookstore for students.
7)
Advisory Council Old Business
a) Advisory Council Vacancies (Lynn Stocking)
b) Nominating Committee for Advisory Council Leadership
c) Fall 2011 Statistics Course and Student Issues (Lynn Stocking)
d) Continuing Discussion of Idea on Forming Workgroups (Victoria Clark) – see supplemental material
i) Existing By-Laws on Council Purpose
Discussion Summary: Chair Stocking stated that Terry Berkhouse was the UM’s choice for its open slot on the Council.
There was general assent to Berkhouse’s selection from the Council. Clark noted that she had added an information
document to the meeting packet which provided the dates for all Council members’ terms. Stark commented that she
believed the term Ex Oficio (used for Provost Brown) implied that the position was non-voting. Clark said she didn’t think
this was necessarily the case, but would research the matter to be sure. Concerning the local vacancy on the Council,
Stark said that the Nominating Committee was looking into identifying someone connected with Glaxo-Smith-Kline (GSK),
as GSK was prominent in the community and the committee believed the college program would benefit from GSK
participation. Regarding selecting leadership for the Council, it was clarified that the Nominating Committee was
comprised of Patricia Meakin, Deb Morris, and Dixie Stark and that the Committee would have a slate of leadership
DRAFT
BCP Advisory Council Meeting Minutes, 5-09-2012, Page 2 of 3
candidates ready for the Council’s June meeting. In reference to the Fall 2011 Statistics course issue, Chair Stocking
related that she was still waiting to hear back from several of the affected students, but that associated faculty from the
fall 2011 class as well as the Mathematics Department Chair were all involved in resolving the issue.
Next, the discussion of Advisory Council Workgroups was continued from the previous Council meeting. Clark
began by commenting that after the dialogue from the last meeting, she had rethought her workgroup idea and had
pulled back to consider the Council purpose as outlined in the Council bylaws (see meeting supplemental material). She
remarked that the Council purpose from the bylaws took a broad view of the college program and that consequently she
no longer supported the workgroup idea as she had previously presented. Rather she saw the Council as staying “above
the weeds” and having an overall guiding and supportive role with respect to the college program. She said she
supported the formation of a programming committee (essentially one and the same as the bylaw’s BIG Committee) and
possibly an Advocacy Committee. Clark remarked that in thinking more about the Council purpose she had researched
several community college board policies on roles and responsibilities and had found that such policies were often tied to
board member code of ethics statements. Clark then transitioned into the New Business Code of Ethics item.
8)
Advisory Council New Business
i) Discussion on Council Code of Ethics – see supplemental material
(1) Learning from the STATS 216 Issue
(2) Being Proactive in Terms of Future Issues
Discussion Summary: Clark stated that community college board codes of ethics frequently dovetailed with board roles
and responsibilities policies. She noted that she had provided the Council with a list of possible code of ethic items for
their review which she had gathered from several community college board policy manuals (see meeting supplemental
material). She said that she was not suggesting that any action be taken on the code of ethics list at the current meeting
or that all items presented were recommended for eventual adoption. Rather the list was being presented as food for
thought and as possible Council retreat discussion material. Clark highlighted the code of ethics item which focused on
Council member study of and involvement in contemporary educational issues. Stark commented that she believed a
good place for the Council to start would be defining the college program’s vision and mission, with such a statement
then being able to guide the Council’s purpose. Stark also noted that she thought the code of ethics as brought forward
was heavy handed for an advisory council and asked Clark to research advisory council policies rather than community
college board policies as such would be more apropos to the BCP Council. Clark agreed with Stark and said she would
change her research track to explore advisory council codes of ethics. Stark wondered if there was UM policy on the
advocacy role of advisory council members (i.e., could Council members approach legislators or testify in legislative
committee hearings on behalf of the college program). Patricia Meakin asserted that it was important for any proposed
code of ethics not to conflict with the Advisory Council bylaws. Pat Connell commented that he believed advocacy from
local leaders and even more especially from local students would be powerful to legislators.
9)
Director’s Report
a) Programming
i) College
(1) Summer 2012 and Fall 2012 – courses and enrollment – see supplemental material
b) Administration/Operations
(1) Advising and Enrollment Services Coordinator – new position update
Website link to position opening: https://university-montanahr.silkroad.com/epostings/index.cfm?fuseaction=app.jobinfo&jobid=429&company_id=16254&version=
1&source=ONLINE&jobOwner=992274&aid=1
Discussion Summary: Clark stated that enrollment for summer and fall college courses was on track. Kathleen O’Leary
reported that the BCP had registered 30 new students for summer college classes and another 30 new students to date
for the fall semester. O’Leary was anticipating new student matriculation for fall would pick up dramatically in July and
August. O’Leary also mentioned that she was seeing a number of students transferring from other institutions to the BCP
as well as BCP students looking to other MUS schools for classes not available via the BCP or UMOnline. O’Leary stressed
the importance of the BCP having classes available in the sequence needed by students and, importantly, having classes
beyond just the first in a sequence available at the BCP. Heather Green commented that more and more students were
needing to take classes in Missoula. Green offered to explore securing an iRide van for a daily BCP to Missoula route. A
ride board was also suggested.
Clark then asked to add a few words on Continuing Education. She announced several newly added BCP Summer
Continuing Education classes, namely a Botany class and a Beginning Acrylics class. Clark also passed out a document
summarizing the BCP’s winter continuing education term showing that 179 students had been served and that net
revenue was $1000. Clark said that the revenue had been used to purchase eight Photoshop licenses so that the BCP
DRAFT
BCP Advisory Council Meeting Minutes, 5-09-2012, Page 3 of 3
could now offer Photoshop courses. Lastly Clark turned to the BCP Advising and Enrollment Services Coordinator
position, announcing that applications were being accepted through June 1 and that the plan was to have the coordinator
identified by the next Advisory Council meeting.
c)
Community Outreach and Regional Issues
i) TAACCCT Grant update – see supplemental material
ii) Western Alliance of Community College Academic Leaders meeting
Discussion Summary: Clark reported that the BCP had requested $800,000 in funding as part of the state’s consortium
TAACCCT grant proposal. Clark noted that the money would be used to greatly expand the BCP’s health care offerings
and to initiate energy sector-focused industrial arts programming. Clark said a decision on whether the state was
awarded the grant would likely be made over the summer and that if the grant application was successful that funding
would start October 1, 2012. Clark reported that the UM-COT had also asked for funding under the grant and that the
BCP and the UM-COT would be working together to coordinate program delivery if funding were awarded. Stark asked
about the BCP’s proposal to offer CDL training with grant funds, noting that earlier in the BCP’s strategic plan a decision
had been made not to compete with a local private sector CDL trainer. Clark responded that CDL training was something
that all the units had put in for under the grant, but that each unit would handle the delivery of such programming in a
way best for its community. Clark said she planned to contact Route 93 Trucking shortly to discuss options. Patricia
Meakin asked about welding certification, noting that this was something that Trapper Creek Job Corps currently offered
in the community. Jennifer Burdette wondered about this as well. Clark replied that Trapper Creek Job Corps had
enrollment restrictions (income eligibility as well as an age limit of 25) and was generally a residential campus while the
college program had an open admissions policy with no residential policy. Clark stated that while there was some student
overlap between the two units, generally the BCP and Trapper Creek Job Corps reached out to different populations.
Stocking and Connell remarked that welding certification had many different levels. Clark responded that the BCP’s
welding certification, at least under this grant, would be a very basic, entry level type of certification – not commensurate
with Trapper Creek’s more extensive certification.
Next discussed was Clark and Stocking’s conference attendance in April at the Western Alliance of Community
College Academic Leaders meeting. Clark related that the meeting provided her with a broader perspective of the issues
facing two-year education and a sense that the BCP was not alone in facing the issues before it. Clark spoke of Rio Salado
Community College in Phoenix which is an online-only public community college. Stocking mentioned the trend in
awarding college credit for work experience. Stark suggested that perhaps cross training relationships with other 2-year
units could be established as a way of learning and improving from the experiences of other units. Stark also suggested
having conference attendees write summary reports after attending meetings so that information could be shared and
discussed at Advisory Council meetings. Stocking agreed that communicating information gleaned at conferences was
important.
d) Fiscal Issues
i) Monthly Financial Statement – State Fund (College) – see supplemental material
Discussion Summary: Clark reported that the BCP budget was set to balance by the end of the fiscal year (June 30) once
all monies had been transferred into the BCP general fund index. Stark said that she had been asked how many local jobs
had been created by the establishment of the BCP. Stark wondered if Clark she could enumerate all the paid positions at
the BCP and then note how many of the positions were filled by Ravalli County residents. Clark said she could and would
gather this data.
10) Public Comment
Discussion Summary: Catalina Gerner expressed interest in the BCP offering child care for students as child care issues
led to increased absenteeism in her classes. It was noted that the UM had an excellent child care facility. Clark said that
O’Leary had just been to a meeting on developing a community child care center and that more would be forthcoming on
this issue in future meetings.
11) For the Good of the Order
Discussion Summary: Clark apologized for not properly introducing the BCP’s new Operations Manager Patty Skinner at
the beginning of the meeting. Clark and the rest of the Council welcomed Skinner to the BCP.
12) Adjournment
Meeting adjourned at 5:20 PM.