Athens Technical College
Board of Directors Meeting Minutes
Athens, GA
May 17, 2011
10:30 A.M.
MEMBERS PRESENT
Ms. Patricia Barron
Mr. Bill Cabaniss
Mr. Ed Geddings
Ms. Carol Williams
MEMBERS ABSENT
Mr. Fred Boatwright
Mr. Terry Chandler
Mr. Vince Dooley
Mr. Stephen Felker
Mr. Don Fortson, Chair
Mr. Scott Hardigree
Dr. Mixon Robinson
Ms. Pet Williams
GUESTS
Ms. Jane Brown, Director of Student Affairs
Mr. Anzio Gartrell, Student and Tutor at Athens Technical College
CALL TO ORDER/WELCOME
Vice Chair Patricia Barron called the meeting to order at 10:30 a.m. welcoming
everyone to the May Board Meeting.
SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS
Ms. Andrea Daniel presented a special presentation entitled “Student Success
Initiatives”. The college has a new Academic Support Center with tutors available
to assist students with different subjects. The new center serves approximately
290 students per day which is a 45% increase from the old center which served
approximately 200 students per day. Of the students who need tutoring, 78% of
need help with math.
Ms. Daniel introduced Jane Brown, Director of Student Affairs. Ms. Brown spoke
about the new center and how it is helping so many students. She introduced
Anzio Gartrell, who is a student and tutor at Athens Technical College. Mr.
Gartrell spoke about himself and how he enjoys helping students.
There are three full time advisors and one half time advisor available to assist
students with advising needs.
Recently the college completed several successful projects including the
Withdrawal Project which included over 1,800 students who withdrew from the
college. Advisors contacted the students to see why they withdrew and how the
college could help them.
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May 17, 2011
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Another project was the Leavers Project which included 2,164 students who left
the college for unknown reasons. Advisors contacted these students to see why
they left and how the college could help them complete their degrees. Of the
2,164 students contacted, 129 are planning to return either Spring or Summer
Quarter.
The college now has a GED Transition and Career Services Department which
helps GED students enroll at the college. We had 899 GED students enroll during
FY 2010.
In the future the college wants to obtain certification to become an external testing
site. The new center is already set up to allow fifty pencil and paper tests and fifty
computer tests.
A tour of the new Academic Support Center followed the special presentation.
APPROVAL OF MINUTES
Vice Chair Barron called for approval of the April minutes for the Local Board.
Vice Chair Barron noted that this is the first time in eight years that a quorum has
not been present at a meeting. Items that need approval will be obtained by
phone or email from the absent board members. After reviewing, there were no
changes to the minutes. Ed Geddings made a motion to approve the minutes and
Carol Williams seconded the motion with the remainder of the board in agreement.
The minutes were approved.
COMMITTEE REPORTS
ACADEMIC AFFIARS
Dr. Joyce Sansing presented board members with handouts of requests for
program approvals. The first two Technical Certificates of Credit (TCCs), Basic
Grinding Operations and Basic Machining Operator, have been developed based
on recent discussions with Hitachi in Monroe. These TCCs will help meet Hitachi’s
needs and will be offered at the Athens and Walton Campuses. The TCCs are
embedded certificates for programs that already exist on both campuses.
The
third TCC, Microsoft Excel Application Specialist, is for the Athens Campus and
will allow students to obtain certification in Microsoft Excel. The forth is an
Associate Degree Program, Industrial Systems Technology, for the Elbert
Campus. A diploma program already exists and students have showed interest in
an associate degree program. An associate degree is specifically required for the
Core of Engineers Hydro Electric Apprenticeship Program. The fifth is a TCC,
Environmental Chemistry Laboratory Technician, for the Walton Campus. The
board has already approved this TCC at the Athens Campus and we now want to
offer it at the Walton Campus.
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May 17, 2011
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Dr. Sansing asked the board for approval of the new TCCs and Associate Degree
Program. Bill Cabaniss made a motion to approve and Ed Geddings seconded
the motion with the remainder of the board in agreement. The new TCCs and
Associate Degree Program were approved.
FINANCE AND ADMINISTRATION
Ms. Kathryn Thomas presented the Budget Amendments. There are funds added
to the budget every May for additional revenue we have for the year. These are
included on the Budget Amendments this month. Ms. Thomas asked the board for
approval of the Budget Amendments. Carol Williams made a motion to approve
the Budget Amendments and Bill Cabaniss seconded the motion with the
remainder of the board in agreement. The Budget Amendments were approved.
Ms. Thomas presented the Financial Report as of April 30, 2011. The figures in
the Budget Amendments have been added to the report to show the impact. The
balance left over from the 300 building renovation and repair will be spent on the
automotive project which opened today.
INSTITUTIONAL EFFECTIVENESS
Dr. Dan Smith gave board members a survey to be completed evaluating Dr.
Tydings’ performance over the past year. He will email a link to the absent board
members so they may complete the survey online.
OFF-CAMPUS OPERATIONS
Dr. Larry Siefferman introduced Liz Dalton, the new Director of Institutional
Advancement. Ms. Dalton is the producer and host of a local radio talk show “Liz
Talk with Liz Dalton”. Ms. Dalton spoke about herself.
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT SERVICES
Mr. Jerry Barrow thanked Sonya McDaniel and David Holbrook for their assistance
lately. Mr. Barrow introduced Cynthia Ayash who is a Biotechnology student that
scored platinum on her Work Ready Assessment. Only 1% of all people who take
the Work Ready Assessment score platinum. He is helping Ms. Ayash find
employment in the area.
The college hosted a Chik-fil-A Leader Program last week in which leaders
throughout the nation met and conducted a webinar to discuss leadership skills
and services. Approximately 175 people met in the auditorium and the college
received lots of good feedback from them. Next year’s event is already being
planned.
STUDENT AFFAIRS
Dr. Tydings asked Andrea Daniel to speak about Student Affairs. The quarter to
semester conversion is almost here. August will be the first semester at the
college.
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We are the first college to have the Degree Works Program up and running. Ms.
Daniel thanked Caroline Angelo, Dennis Ashworth, George Schramm, J.R. White,
and Yancey Gulley for their work in developing the program. She thanked Dr.
Joyce Sansing who met with every program chair to allow them to look at their
curriculum and provide feedback.
The Banner quarter to semester conversion has been completed and is working
well.
PRESIDENT'S REPORT
Dr. Tydings presented the President’s Report. The two land swaps are still in
progress and she hopes they will be completed by the end of the calendar year.
On June 6th she is meeting in the Governor’s Office with the state land group who
will vote on the two land swaps.
Athens Regional Medical Center is ready to begin work on the land across the
street which we are swapping for the land where the COMPASS Church sits. We
will be doing an MOU with the hospital so they may begin work.
Capital outlay projects will not be presented at the state board meeting on June
2nd. Due to budget issues the process is going to be delayed. She will be
submitting the new Economic Development building as her first project and the
renovation work to the Walton Campus as her second project.
Enrollment is looking alright for Summer and Fall. We are getting ready to go into
the five week session for the quarter to semester conversion. This may affect the
amount of tuition we bring in which will impact our budget. If cuts become
necessary, she will have to lay off adjunct faculty who are paid with tuition dollars.
Dr. Sansing has been working with UGA on a Landscape Draftsman TCC. Last
week Dr. Scott Weinberg at UGA personally wrote a letter to all students who were
not accepted into his program outlining what they should do at Athens Technical
College in order to fully transfer to UGA.
Dr. Tydings announced that graduation tickets are available to any of the board
members who want to attend.
She invited board members to attend Honor’s Day and the Campus Wide Advisory
Committee meeting on May 19th.
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May 17, 2011
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ADJOURNMENT
Being no further business, Vice Chair Barron adjourned the meeting with
appropriate motion and second at 11:50 a.m.
_______________________________________
Flora W. Tydings, President
Rebecca Allen
Administrative Assistant
5/17/11
Next scheduled Board Meeting: September 20, 2011.
* Denotes action items that require a vote for approval by the local board.