NCMC Trustees Hire Dean, Hear Student Debt Report

North Central Missouri College trustees hired a new dean during a meeting held Tuesday evening on the campus.
Trustees approved the employment of Dr. Sharon Weiser of Marshall, who will serve as dean of instruction. Dr. Weiser, who currently serves as vice president of academic affairs at Missouri Valley College in Marshall, will be paid $74,636 and fills a position left vacant when Dr. Jamie Hooyman was named vice president of institutional effectiveness. She will be on an 11-month contract this year, beginning her duties on Aug. 4, but future contracts would be for 12 months.
Dr. Weiser earned her bachelor’s degree in psychology from Missouri Western State University in St. Joseph and holds a master’s degree in psychology and a doctorate of education in educational leadership and policy analysis from the University of Missouri-Columbia. She has community college experience, having served in a variety of positions at Highland Community College in Highland, KS, eventually rising to the position of associate vice president for academic affairs before leaving that college to become chief academic officer at Missouri Valley in 2010.
Trustees also took action on other personnel items, hiring Janet Nelson of Stewartsville and Deanna Scroggie of Parnell as full-time tenure track Level I nursing instructors at the Maryville campus, beginning Aug. 1. Ms. Nelson will be on an 11-month contract, with Ms. Scroggie being on a 9-month contract. Both have agreed to obtain their master’s degrees within three years. The resignation of Level I nursing instructor Debbie Herring was accepted. Other hires included Tricia Key of Trenton as the full-time development assistant at a pay rate of $13.30 per hour, effective July 14; Jayne Meservey of Chula as library assistant I at a pay rate of $10.62 per hour, effective Aug. 5; and Ellen Haley of Chillicothe, as an adjunct instructor for Spanish I.
The board also approved personnel changes for the Green Hills Head Start Program, which is administered through NCMC. Trustees accepted the retirement of Ellen Hodge, health/nutrition coordinator, effective June 30, and approved the employment of Stacie Foster, teacher/FSA at the Bethany Center, and Tiffany White as teacher/FSA at the Brookfield A Center.
The board heard a report from NCMC President Dr. Neil Nuttall on a variety of issues, including how veto overrides (or the lack thereof) would affect NCMC financially due to appropriations and withholdings. He also discussed a recent announcement that A-Plus funds will be available to qualifying high school students beginning next year. He noted that those students have met all of the A-Plus guidelines, which do not specify that students be U.S. citizens as do the Access Missouri and Bright Flight scholarships. He also discussed the need to determine the number of hours worked by adjunct instructors in regard to retirement and the Affordable Care Act. Dr. Nuttall also told trustees that President Obama has reauthorized the Workforce Investment Act, which has not been done for 10 years. He noted there are no major changes.
Chief Financial Officer/Director of Operations Tyson Otto presented the board with a student debt report, which shows a current balance of $455,086.04 as of June 30. He explained that six agencies have been used to attempt to collect the debt, which has risen from $199,806.10 since June 30, 2011, but which saw only a $25,930.61 increase this year from 2013. The increase from 2011 to 2012 was $132,300.76 and the increase from 2012 to 2013 was $97,048.57. Otto discussed the steps that are being taken to address the issue, including working with the free agency Missouri Debt Offset, which is administered through the Missouri Department of Revenue and intercepts state tax refunds for students who owe money to certain entities.
Development Director Teresa Cross updated the board on NCMC Foundation activities, including a trip to the Kansas City Royals game on Saturday, Aug. 9 and the annual golf tournament, which will be held Friday, Aug. 29 at the Green Hills Golf Course in Chillicothe. She also discussed the projects that were recently announced in regard to the Barton Farm Campus and said this year’s gala, set for Oct. 11, will have an international theme.
In other business, the board:
• approved the purchase of Amatrol industrial technology equipment from Aidex Corporation at a cost of $55,994.83. The new equipment will match existing equipment and curriculum already in place and will be paid for through the MoManufacturingWINs grant program.
• reviewed, on its first reading, a change in the board policy manual that would allow full-time employees to use one of their earned sick leave days as a flex leave day.
• viewed a 2013-2014 Year in Review as compiled by board secretary Vicki Weaver.
• held an executive session to discuss real estate, personnel and legal matters, with no announcement made.
• set the annual tax levy hearing for 5:15 p.m., Tuesday, Aug. 26, with the regular board meeting to follow at 5:30 p.m.