Athens Technical College
Board of Directors Meeting Minutes
Athens, GA
February 16, 2010
10:30 A.M.
MEMBERS PRESENT
Mr. Kenny Beck
Ms. Patricia Barron
Mr. Fred Boatwright
Mr. Bill Cabaniss
Mr. Frank Christa, Chair
Mr. Stephen Felker, Jr.
Mr. Don Fortson, Vice Chair
Mr. Ed Geddings
Mr. Scott Hardigree
Ms. Carol Williams
Ms. Pet Williams
MEMBERS ABSENT
Mr. Vince Dooley
GUESTS
Mr. Ralph Morrison, Program Chair for Health Information Technology.
CALL TO ORDER/WELCOME
Chair Frank Christa called the meeting to order at 10:30 a.m. welcoming everyone
to the February Board Meeting.
SPECIAL PRESENTATION
Mr. Christa asked Dr. Joyce Sansing to introduce the guest for the February
meeting. Topic: “Health Information Technology Program (HIT) Overview, Mr.
Ralph Morrison, Program Chair for Health Information Technology”. Dr. Sansing
introduced Mr. Ralph Morrison who has been the Program Chair for Health
Information Technology since the September 2009. The program offers an
Associate of Applied Science Degree.
The goal of Health Information Technology (HIT) is to enhance patient care
including managing and analyzing health care for patients. This affects patients
both directly and indirectly. HIT involves the record keeping aspect of the health
science field. Traditionally health records were kept on a paper based filing
system. Now it is moving toward an electronic filing system. The challenge in
coming years will not be the technology, but managing digital health information.
Over 50% of people employed in the HIT field are employed at hospitals. The
second highest employment area is clinics and physicians’ offices. Other areas
include long term care facilities, behavioral health facilities, law offices, and
insurance companies.
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February 16, 2010
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There were eight students when the program first began offering classes in
January and now there are twenty-three.
The HIT program applied for accreditation in January with the Commission on
Accreditation for Health Informatics and Health Information Management and
Education (CAHIIM) which is an independent organization that will accredit the
program. The accreditation is required for graduates. Students will be able to
take the Registered Health Information Technology (RHIT) certification exam.
They will need to obtain 80% to pass the exam.
APPROVAL OF MINUTES
Mr. Christa called for approval of the January minutes for the Local Board. After
reviewing, there was one addition to be made. Carol Williams made a motion to
approve the minutes with the addition and Ed Geddings seconded the motion with
the remainder of the board in agreement. The minutes were approved with one
addition.
COMMITTEE REPORTS
FINANCE AND ADMINISTRATION
Ms. Kathryn Thomas presented the Budget Amendments.
The Budget
Amendments include two additional bond funds from the Technical College
System of Georgia (TCSG) in the form of equipment funds and renovation and
repair funds. These funds expire in June, 2011. Ms. Thomas asked for approval
of the Budget Amendments. Patricia Barron made a motion to approve the Budget
Amendments and Stephen Felker seconded the motion with the remainder of the
board in agreement. The Budget Amendments were approved.
Ms. Thomas presented the Financial Report as of January 31, 2010. We have two
projects that will use the renovation and repair funds which expire in June. These
projects include replacing the external signage on campus and installing new
flooring in the Business and Industry Services 1 Building. Local revenue
generated to date is $6,533,400 which is 94% of our anticipated revenue.
OFF-CAMPUS OPERATIONS
Dr. Larry Siefferman presented on Institutional Advancement (IA). Dr. Siefferman
provided the board members with handouts. The first handout includes Goals and
Objectives of the IA office for FY10. Their first goal is to conduct the Legacy 2010
Annual Campaign. This includes the donor brick campaign for the Life Science
Building and Coggins Center. There are a total of 2,225 bricks to be sold. To date
55 bricks have been sold. The Legacy 2010 Annual Campaign also includes the
auditorium seat campaign for the Coggins Center. There are 200 auditorium seats
to be sold. To date 37 seats have been sold.
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February 16, 2010
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The second goal is to promote the Foundation and the college within the
community through special events. The Puttin’ on the Ritz event was held last
week at the Classic Center and was very successful.
The third goal is to enhance the stature and the involvement of the Alumni
Association. In November a letter was mailed to 6,155 alumni inviting them to
attend an organizational meeting of the Alumni Association in December.
Seventeen alumni attended the meeting and fifteen of them said they would be
willing to serve on the Board of Directors for the Alumni Association. A follow-up
meeting will take place in March.
The fourth goal is to recognize donors appropriately. There will be a donor wall in
the new Life Science Building and the new Coggins Center to recognize all donors
who donated $500 or more. The IA office is in the process of creating a donor
database.
Dr. Siefferman updated the board on donations made to the Foundation:
 Benson’s Inc. made final $10,000 payment on $50,000 pledge.
 Jack Harbor Foundation donated $10,000 to the General Fund.
 The Newland Family Foundation made second $8,500 payment on $25,000
pledge.
 Georgia Power Foundation donated $5,000 on scholarship fund.
 Hart EMC made second $3,000 payment on $15,000 pledge.
 Coggins Granite Welfare Foundation donated $3,000 for Elbert County
GED Scholarships.
 Nancy Stangle donated $1,000 for four auditorium seats.
 Walmart Foundation donated $1,000 in GED funds.
 Laura Thigpen donated $1,000 to the Educational Excellence Fund.
 Felker Family Foundation donated $1,000 to the Walton County Campus.
 Frank Coggins donated $600 for six bricks for Coggins Center.
 Richard Boone made $500 payment on his pledge
 Douglas Mathews donated $500 towards the automotive technology
program.
 Carlisle Coating and Weather Proofing donated $500 for two auditorium
seats.
 Walter and Shirley McNeely donated $500 for five bricks.
 Richard Brady Construction Company donated $500 for two auditorium
seats.
 Star Granite donated $500 for two auditorium seats.
 Depalma’s donated $500 for table at Puttin’ on the Ritz.
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February 16, 2010
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STUDENT AFFAIRS
Ms. Andrea Daniel reported on Student Affairs. Spring Quarter registration begins
March 13th.
Darrell Brewer is working on the GOAL competition. There are four finalists which
will be narrowed down to one by a committee on February 23. The winner will go
on to compete regionally in Gainesville.
There were over 5,200 students who competed in ninety-one occupational
leadership areas in the Skills USA competition last year. This competition includes
a student as well as a faculty commitment. There are five finalists that will
compete on March 12th at the Skills USA Championship. Ms. Daniel thanked
Susan Larson for her encouragement in this competition.
We will be learning the outcome of the Georgia All Academic Team competition.
We narrowed it down to two students who would represent us and compete in this
event.
We also have the Manufacturer’s Award competition in which we worked with local
area high schools to compete in that event.
We are awaiting word from the Phi Theta Kappa (PTK) competitions.
Ms. Daniel invited the board members to attend a Black History program being
presented on Thursday at 6:00 p.m. in the auditorium.
PRESIDENT'S REPORT
Dr. Tydings presented the President’s Report. She recognized Ms. Andrea Daniel
who was nominated by PTK for the Administrator of Distinction Award and she
won.
Dr. Tydings announced that she is back at Athens Technical College full time. The
new president began at Central Georgia Technical College on Monday. She
thanked the Vice President’s and board members for their support while she was
away.
The supplemental budget is still being decided in Atlanta. It is day twenty of the
Legislative Session.
We received word that our system will only have to take one furlough day before
the fiscal year ends on June 30th. She allowed the faculty and staff to give
feedback on how they would like to take the furlough day, either one full day, two
half days or four months of two hours. Overwhelmingly faculty and staff voted on
one full day which has been decided on March 26th. This date is between Winter
and Spring Quarter so no students will be impacted by it.
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February 16, 2010
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She, Dan Smith, and Jackie Wilson attended the public forum that Paul Cramer
presented to the SPLOST Committee that will be deciding which projects will make
it to the vote. We have been working with the Classic Center about the possibility
of moving our entire Culinary and Hospitality Program to the Classic Center in a
brand new building. It is probably not going to make it to the vote because the
project will take 2/3 of the money they have for eight years. If it passes the
committee and we make it to the vote, then all of us will need to get out and
publicly support this because it will be Athens-Clarke County voting on it at that
point.
Dr. Tydings invited the board members to attend the Grand Opening of the Life
Science Building on April 22nd at 10:30 a.m.
Dr. Tydings thanked Carol Williams and Frank Christa for judging the Rick Perkins
Award finalists.
Dr. Tydings informed the board members that Frank Christa’s term on the board
ends in June. A new Chair and Vice Chair will have to be appointed to the board.
Mr. Christa represents Oconee County. Dr. Tydings asked the board members to
consider someone in Oconee County to replace Mr. Christa. Bill Cabaniss and
Scott Hardigree are also up for reappointment this year.
ADJOURNMENT
Chair Christa and board members congratulated Dr. Tydings on winning the
Athena Award. Being no further business, Chair Christa adjourned the meeting
with appropriate motion and second at 12:00 p.m. Lunch was served immediately
following the meeting.
_______________________________________
Flora W. Tydings, President
Rebecca Allen
Administrative Assistant
1/20/10
Next scheduled Board Meeting: March 16, 2010.
* Denotes action items that require a vote for approval by the local board.