REGULAR MEETING
OF THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES
HOUSTON COMMUNITY COLLEGE SYSTEM
October 23, 2008
Minutes
The Board of Trustees of the Houston Community College System held a Regular
Meeting on Thursday, October 23, 2008 at the System Administration Building, Second
Floor Auditorium, 3100 Main, Houston, Texas.
BOARD MEMBERS PRESENT
Yolanda Navarro Flores, Chairwoman
Bruce A. Austin, Vice Chair
Diane Olmos Guzman, Secretary
Mills Worsham, Deputy Secretary
Abel Davila
Christopher Oliver
Neeta Sane
Richard Schechter
Dr. Michael P. Williams
ADMINISTRATION
Mary Spangler, Chancellor
Art Tyler, Deputy Chancellor/COO
Renee Byas, General Counsel
Doretha Eason, Executive Assistant to the Chancellor
William Carter, Vice Chancellor, Information Technology
Daniel Seymour, Interim Vice Chancellor, Planning and Institutional Effectiveness
Margaret Ford Fisher, President, Northeast College
Fena Garza, President, Southwest College
William Harmon, President, Central College/Interim President, Coleman College
Zachary Hodges, President, Northwest College
Irene Porcarello, Interim President, Southeast College
Willie Williams, Associate Vice Chancellor, Human Resources
Remmele Young, Executive Director, Government Relations Office
OTHERS PRESENT
Maureen Singleton, System Counsel, Bracewell & Giuliani
Dessilin Anujulu, United Student Council
Dwight Boykins, Consultant, Boykins & Schneider
Mary Page, President, Faculty Senate Association
Other administrators, citizens and representatives from the news media
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Regular Meeting – October 23, 2008 – Page 2
CALL TO ORDER
Mrs. Flores, Chairwomen, called the meeting to order at 4:09 p.m. and declared the
Board convened to consider matters pertaining to the Houston Community College
System as listed on the duly posted Meeting Notice.
PRAYER AND PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
Mr. Mills Worsham led the prayer and pledge of allegiance to the flag.
APPROVAL OF MINUTES
Approval of Minutes from the Athletic Committee Meeting of August 18, 2008,
Annexation Committee Meeting of August 18, 2008, Legislative Committee Meeting of
August 18, 2008, Technology Committee Meeting of August 18, 2008,
Communications/Community Outreach Committee Meeting of August 21, 2008,
Committee of the Whole Meeting of August 21, 2008, Special Meeting of August 21,
2008, and Regular Board Meeting of August 28, 2008
Motion – Dr. Williams moved and Mr. Davila seconded. The motion carried 7-0.
HEARING OF CITIZENS
There were no individuals present to speak before the Board.
AWARDS AND PRESENTATION
Baylor College of Medicine presented a check for $5,000 to HCC Foundation on behalf
of the Chancellor’s Symposium on Life Sciences.
CHAIRMAN’S REPORT
• The Women in the Driver’s Seat Luncheon and Fashion Show sponsored by the
InTown Chamber of Commerce was held on October 17, 2008. Trustee Yolanda
Navarro Flores attended the event and participated in the Fashion Show; Trustee
Richard Schechter and Dr. William Harmon were also in attendance. The event
has raised $27,000 for the Frankie Jefferson Real Estate scholarship over the
past three years to benefit HCC women students who are studying real estate at
HCC.
•
Dr. Williams announced that the Houston Citizens of Chamber of Commerce
hosted the African American Business Pinnacle Awards on October 17, 2008.
The event spotlights and honors African American businesses that have
achieved success by combining vision, determination, commitment,
perseverance and dedication in building strong communities. HCC was the
recipient of the Advocate Award, which recognizes entities who have been
champions for African American small businesses in the greater Houston
Metropolitan area.
•
Mr. Austin extended an invitation to “Dreams and Decision” on November 6, 2008
at 7:00 p.m. at Phillis Wheatley High School Auditorium. He noted that the
musical drama is a play written by Thomas Meloncon. The play is a community
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Regular Meeting – October 23, 2008 – Page 3
outreach effort to encourage youth to attend school and not allow any barrier to
stop them from success.
CHANCELLOR’S REPORT
• HCC State of the College Address – held on Tuesday, October 21, 2008 at the
Briar Club that provided insight on the economic impact of HCC on the region.
The economic impact report will be posted on HCC website for public review.
• Dr. Jochen Fried with Salzburg Seminar will be visiting HCC November 5-7, 2008
to review HCC programs and curriculum as well as intercultural exchange and
global issues. A dinner will be hosted for Dr. Fried on Friday, November 7, 2008.
• State of the Student Affairs Address - Dessilin Anujulu, President of the HCC
United Student Council (USC) provided the State of the Student Affairs Address,
which presented important ideas from the student perspective. The following
were presented:
o Student Representation on the Board
o Textbooks (standardization)
o Athletics
o Additional Parking
o Childcare
(Mrs. Guzman arrived at 4:30 p.m.)
Ms. Anujulu requested that the Board consider the items presented by the
student body.
Mr. Davila expressed appreciation for the students voicing their needs. He noted that a
student should serve on the Chancellor’s Council. He also suggested a possible pilot
program that would allow students to be mentored for becoming future trustees and
allow them to participate on committees of the Board so that they can engage and get
the feel for actually participating as a trustee.
Mr. Schechter congratulated the students on a well prepared presentation and
expressed concerns regarding the cost of textbooks. He informed that the Board
passed a resolution for administration to investigate utilizing open source and on-line
textbook methods. He suggested reviewing possibilities of getting funding on the state
level and urged administration to take a leadership role on the issue.
Dr. Williams also expressed appreciation and acknowledged that the students are not
learning to be leaders but are leaders. He noted that the issues presented have been
discussed on the Board level and he would like to make certain that no one on the
faculty has a financial relationship with any of the textbook companies. He noted that
the students named three items that are on the top of the Board’s agenda as well.
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Regular Meeting – October 23, 2008 – Page 4
Mrs. Sane expressed appreciation to the students and mentioned that it is a pleasure to
meet with the students.
Mrs. Guzman associated with her colleagues and noted that the student leadership is
vital. She apprised that there has been some mention of possible having a student
trustee. She noted that this will allow the student to be involved and interact with the
Board.
Mr. Worsham congratulated the USC president on the State of the Student Address. He
apprised that he supports the idea of student leadership at the Board level. He noted
that all the items are part of discussions by the Board.
Mrs. Flores thanked the students and recognized the presidents Student Government
Associations from the colleges. She noted that the Board discussed the student trustee
issue several times and mentioned that it is time to move forward on the issue. She
noted that even though the students would not be able to participate in the voting
portion, there still needs to be an investigation effort to see how the students could be
inclusive.
(Mr. Davila stepped out at 4:45 p.m.)
Dr. Williams mentioned that it is the authority of the Board Chair to establish regular
meeting opportunities between the student leadership and the Board to discuss various
concerns in a dialogue format. Mrs. Flores encouraged each Trustee to regularly meet
with their student government association representative.
(Mr. Oliver arrived at 4:37 p.m.)
(Mr. Davila returned at 4:47 p.m.)
Mrs. Guzman announced that HCC Southeast received the Good Neighborhood Award
at the Houston East End Chamber of Commerce Luncheon held on Wednesday,
October 15, 2008. She noted that the award was presented to Southeast for their
efforts in assisting a local charter school in identifying a home and partnering with dual
credit programs.
(Dr. Spangler continued the Chancellor’s Report)
•
Recognition of IT Staff - Bill Carter, Vice Chancellor for Information
Technology announced that the PeopleSoft Time and Tracking system was
recently implemented, which allows for registration online and tracking within
the system. He recognized the staff responsible for getting the system
implemented. He noted that the integration of the colleges into the vignette
web content management has been completed, which was a year-long
process. He noted that at a recent conference HCC was recognized for its
website design and presence.
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Regular Meeting – October 23, 2008 – Page 5
•
Faculty Senate Report – Mary Page, President of Faculty Senate introduced
the Faculty Senate executive team of the Faculty Senate for 2008-2009.
She expressed appreciation to those who assisted with the Texas
Blackboard Users Group and Junior Community College Student Personnel
Association of Texas conferences.
•
Central College Overview – Dr. Harmon introduced the students admitted to
HCC Central campus second class honors college. He provided an overview
of the honors college first year class travel to Barcelona.
(Mr. Austin left at 5:07 p.m.)
Mr. Schechter welcomed the students participating in the second honors college and
commended Dr. Harmon on his efforts to get the program developed and implemented.
Dr. Harmon expressed appreciation to the HCC Foundation for the financial resources
provided to the honors college.
Mrs. Flores announced that a town hall meeting hosted by the Vietnamese Culture of
Science Association was held on Tuesday, October 21, 2008 in Alief.
Dr. Williams commended administration on the State of the College breakfast and
apprised that it was one of the most impacting events since his inception on the Board.
He stated that individuals were overwhelmed by what HCC is doing and suggested that
the PowerPoint presentation needs to be repeated so that the entire public is able to
view it.
CONSENT AGENDA
Motion – Dr. Williams moved and Mr. Schechter seconded to approve the consent
agenda with the exception of items A.1, A.2, A.3, B.6 and B.7. The motion passed with
a vote of 6-0. The following items were approved:

Approve Fee for Correspondence Testing

Approve PeopleSoft Time and Labor Implementation
APPROVE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT RELATIONS PROFESSIONAL SERVICE
CONTRACT WITH BOYKINS AND SCHNEIDER, J.V.
Motion – Dr. Williams moved and Mr. Davila seconded to approve.
Mr. Schechter expressed concerns, in lieu of the state of economy and the federal
budget, whether federal government professional services are necessary. He asked if
the college will be able to opt out the contract after a review at the end of the one-year
contract. He requested an analysis at the end of the year in order to provide the option
of opting out of the contract if needed.
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Regular Meeting – October 23, 2008 – Page 6
Dr. Williams noted that measure with comprehensive matrices should be established by
administration that could be used for evaluation purposes.
Mrs. Sane stated that the Legislative Committee has shown interest in the process in
the past and asked why the discussion is coming forth at this point. She noted that
considering the political landscape, the focus is on community colleges and workforce
development programs; therefore, she does not see the need to pull back at this time.
Dr. Williams noted that the intentions are not to pull back, but noted that the economy is
in a moment of extraordinary volatility in almost every area. He noted that he has often
argued that when dealing with these areas, there must be clear and understandable
goals.
Mr. Oliver concurred with Dr. Williams and Mr. Schechter in that there need to be some
form of measurement for evaluation. He agrees that there should be an analysis not
only of the government relations contract but it should be done with all the consulting
contracts.
Mr. Davila commended the Legislative Committee for moving the agenda item
forwarded. He noted that the Chancellor is allowed to negotiate the contracts and
recommended that the renewal clause of all contracts be reviewed and analyzed
regarding the end products in order to forward in a different direction if necessary.
Mrs. Sane asked if the services are unsatisfactory after the year, would consideration be
given to seek a new contract. Mr. Schechter mentioned that his concerns regarding the
federal contract was given the state of the federal budget, there may not be money;
however, if administration reviews at the end of the year and advise that there are not
funds available then the college will be able to opt out.
(Mr. Davila stepped out at 5:30 p.m.)
Mrs. Guzman asked if the request is for administration to set goals and milestones that
are monitored with feedback. Mr. Schechter noted that his request is a clear set of
matrices to evaluate the economy situation in one year. He is suggesting a two year
contract for the congressional session; however, there should be a review to analyze if
there are any realistic benefits to be obtained.
(Mr. Davila returned at 5:31 p.m.)
Dr. Williams noted the state should not be bifurcated from the federal even though the
state may be easier to evaluate. He noted that it is essential that the same kind of
evaluative parameters built in the contract at both the federal and state level. Mr.
Schechter noted that this is his reason for pulling all three items.
Mr. Worsham noted that there must be a level playing field at both federal and state
levels because ultimately both should be identifying funding for the college.
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Regular Meeting – October 23, 2008 – Page 7
Mr. Oliver expressed that as a Trustee he would appreciate the Committee Chairs
discussing the consultant contracts with the Chancellor.
Mr. Davila apprised that the Board is suggesting a standardized format for reviewing all
contracts.
Vote – The motion passed with vote of 8-0.
APPROVE STATE GOVERNMENT RELATIONS PROFESSIONAL SERVICE
CONTRACT WITH LOCKE LORD BISSELL & LIDDELL LLP AND APPROVE STATE
GOVERNMENT RELATIONS PROFESSIONAL SERVICE CONTRACT WITH PAUL
COLBERT
Motion - Dr. Williams moved and Mrs. Sane seconded. The motion passed with a vote
of 8-0.
(Mr. Davila left at 5:41 p.m.)
(Mrs. Guzman stepped out at 5:41 p.m.)
(Mrs. Sane stepped out at 5:42 p.m.)
APPROVE INVESTMENT POLICY FOR FISCAL YEAR 2008-2009
Motion – Mr. Oliver motioned and Mr. Schechter seconded to approve.
Mr. Schechter commended Ron Defalco and his team. He noted that the investment
policy was reviewed by the Government Treasury Organization of Texas, which
received A.
Mr. Oliver asked if the investment strategy has been reviewed as previously discussed.
Dr. Tyler apprised that Lehman Brothers was an advisor and not holding any of the
college funds. He noted that Lehman Brothers has been removed from the listing as an
investment advisor.
Vote – The motion passed with vote of 5-0.
APPROVE INVESTMENT REPORT FOR THE MONTH OF AUGUST 2008
Motion – Mr. Oliver and Dr. Williams seconded to approve.
Mr. Schechter noted that the investment report showed $11 million in certificates of
Deposits with Bank of America and asked Dr. Tyler to clarify why this is a safe
investment since the government only insures up to $250,000. Dr. Tyler noted that the
certificates of deposits are backed by treasury.
(Mrs. Guzman returned at 5:44 p.m.)
(Dr. Williams stepped out at 5:44 p.m.)
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Regular Meeting – October 23, 2008 – Page 8
Vote – The motion passed with vote of 5-0.
(Dr. Williams returned at 5:45 p.m.)
TOPIC FOR DISCUSSION AND/OR ACTION
Motion – Mr. Oliver moved and Mrs. Guzman seconded to approve the personnel
agenda.
(Mr. Schechter stepped out at 5:45 p.m.)
(Mrs. Sane returned at 5:46 p.m.)
ADJOURNED TO CLOSED SESSION
Mrs. Flores adjourned the meeting to Executive Session at 5:47 p.m., notice having
previously been given and reiterated in accordance with Sections 551.071, 551.072,
and/or 551.074 of the Open Meetings Law. Mrs. Flores stated that any final action, vote
or decision on any item discussed in Executive Session would be taken up in Open
Session or in a subsequent Public Meeting.
Mrs. Flores reconvened the meeting in Open Session at 6:22 p.m. and entertained
motions on pending matters.
(Present: Trustees Flores, Guzman, Oliver, Sane, Schechter, Williams, and Worsham)
Motion – Mrs. Sane moved to approve the settlement C. A. No.-08-00010; Jaye Ramsey
Sutter v. Houston Community College System et al; In the United States District Court
for the Southern District of Texas, Houston Division. Mrs. Guzman seconded the
motion. The motion passed with a vote of 7-0.
Motion - Dr. Williams moved and Mr. Oliver seconded to approve the personnel agenda
for September and October 2008. The motion passed with vote of 7-0.
ADJOURNMENT
With no further business coming before the Board, the meeting adjourned at 6:23 p.m.
Minutes recorded, transcribed & submitted by:
Sharon Wright, Executive Administrative Assistant, Board Services
Minutes Approved as Submitted: