The new Barton Farm Campus at North Central Missouri is the recipient of more than $400,000 from an alumnus and his family.
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During a meeting held Tuesday evening, the board learned of a gift from the Joanna Whitley Trust on behalf of a gift from she and her husband Dr. James R. Whitley, a 1941 graduate of Trenton Junior College. NCMC Director of Develop-ment Steve Maxey told the board that proceeds from the estate are not complete, but he estimated its worth to be in excess of $400,000. The gift includes a residential property in the city of Columbia, a 102-acre piece of ground located north of Columbia and the residual of the estate at closing. Funds from the estate will support development of the Barton Farm Campus.
Trustees took action after a closed session to honor a request by the Whitley family concerning a conservation easement on the farm ground, meaning no residential or commercial building can take place on the property and it will remain in its natural habitat. Dr. Whitley was a long-time employee of the Missouri Department of Conservation. The property will then be sold according to normal college guidelines.
Trustees approved the naming of the new conservation area at the Barton Campus after two Trenton men. On the recommendation of Maxey, the board voted to name the conservation area the Hoffman-Robbins Conservation Area after Trenton residents Charles Hoffman and the late William R. Robbins. The two, both alumni of Trenton Junior College, served as co-chairmen of the Barton Campus Fund Raising Campaign and have been long-time supporters of the college. Maxey said long-range plans for the campus call for a designated area on the northeast corner of the farm to be a conservation area that will include the existing two-acre pond, a proposed arboretum, a shelter house, a floating fish dock on the pond, restrooms, an outdoor classroom and entrance road and parking area. The Missouri Department of Conservation, which supports the recognition for the two men, will support some of the project construction, while the balance will be raised by contributions from the community.
The board accepted, with regret, Maxey’s resignation, effective June 30. Maxey is retiring after serving the college since Aug. 2001. In his letter to the board, he noted that he will continue to serve as a volunteer for such events as the inaugural NCMC Foundation golf tournament and Holiday Hoops.
Also retiring effective June 30 is Barbara Garvey, a teacher/FSA in the Green Hills Head Start Brookfield B Center. At the time of her retirement, she will have served NCMC/GHHS for 24 years.
Other personnel items approved by the board included the resignation of Shaun Stull as network administrator, effective March 16. He has been with NCMC for the past four years. Trustees approved the employment of Alan Wilson of Kidder as database administrator, with a salary of $2,917 per month through June 30. Wilson was hired as a full-time temporary employee. NyEla Harney of Maryville was hired as a part-time clinical instructor for the Level I Nursing Program at Maryville. She will be paid $250 per clinical day and will begin her duties this spring.
On the recommendation of the Faculty Standards Committee of the Faculty Senate, the board approved emeritus status for Allied Health Coordinator Joyce Cutsinger and education faculty member Marian Goodin. Both are retiring this year.
Board members approved the purchase of SAN storage equipment from CDWG of Vernon Hills, IL for the Barton Data Center. This site will act as a disaster recovery center in the case of a fire, tornado or other disaster. The cost was $60,820.12, with only one bid received. Chief Information Officer Alan Barnett said the reason only one bid was received was that CDWG receives a discount from HP, making it difficult for other vendors to compete. The purchase will be funded by the IT services and RTech equipment budget. In addition, trustees approved the purchase of GPS equipment for the Barton Campus from Seiler of Belton at a cost of $16,977, which will come from the Training for Tomorrow Grant. The purchase of a livestock working station for the Barton Campus was approved, with Hoffman and Reed submitting the low bid of $11,981.88. The work station will be paid for through a 50/50 match from the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. Chris Hoffman abstained from voting on the livestock equipment.
In other business, board members reviewed a sexual harassment policy that is expected to be approved at next month’s meeting. The comprehensive policy outlines the procedures to be followed in the event of harassment complaints involving student-on-student, student-on-staff, staff-on-student and staff-on-staff incidents. NCMC President Dr. Neil Nuttall commended the work of Dean of Student Services Kristen Alley and Director of Human Resources Donna Callihan, as well as Administrative Assistant Vicki Weaver on that project.
Dr. Nuttall discussed the Missouri state budget and its implications for higher education. He noted that some of the funds that had previously been slated to be cut may be added back to higher education. However, he said that the money to do that might come from some troublesome areas involving Medicaid coverage. He said officials from higher education are encouraging the legislature to instead take the money from areas where the state is not in compliance with federal Medicaid regulations. He told trustees that he will address a possible tuition increase in March based on the best information that he has at that time.
Dr. Nuttall also mentioned that Dean of Instruction Dr. Jamie Hooyman has been working with a group of adjunct instructors to begin a “Support A College Kid” program. SACK would involve members of the community “adopting” students and offering them a home-cooked meal, a place to observe holidays, etc. He also reported that Ron Auxier and Jeremy Proctor of Ellison-Auxier Architects are evaluating a wall at the bookstore to determine its stability. He told trustees that it is time to begin working on a new observation report as part of the strategic plan. He noted that Trenton’s Downtown Improvement Plan will also be looked at to see how the campus and downtown area fit together.
In his report, Maxey announced that farms owned by Phyllis Jackson Dible and the late Lelan Ryan and his sister, Alma Ryan Thomas, have been added to the Legacy Farms in support of the Barton Campus. Maxey said a check for $283,216.05 has been received from Training for Tomorrow to be used at the Barton Campus, with $123,000 still remaining to be received. He also noted that the Foundation board and board of trustees will hold a joint meeting on May 17.
Prior to the regular meeting, the board met with an accreditation team from the Higher Learning Commission as part of the team’s two-day visit. Following the regular meeting, the board held an executive session to discuss personnel, legal matters and real estate. Other than the agreement concerning the conservation easement for the Whitley land, no announcement was made.
The next regular meeting is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 27.