NCMC President Sets Retirement Date, Geyer Hall Discussed

The official resignation of the college president was accepted during a meeting Tuesday evening of North Central Missouri College trustees.
Dr. Neil Nuttall, who had earlier indicated his impending retirement, told trustees that he will officially retire effective May 13, 2016. That timeline, he said, would allow the college to employ a new president within a time frame that can facilitate the development of a budget that would go into effect July 1, 2016. In his letter Dr. Nuttall thanked patrons, supporters, staff and trustees for their support, trust and guidance over the years and outlined his plans for the coming year.
“Please know that during the next year, it is my intention to facilitate a new strategic plan for 2015-2018, to conduct another capital campaign to raise funds to renovate our historical Geyer Hall, make necessary plans both architectural and logistical to begin the renovation of Geyer Hall, to launch a Student Enrollment Management Plan and to provide a new long-range facilities plan,” Dr. Nuttall wrote in his letter. “I believe the future is bright for our college and feel blessed to have been part of a positive past.”
The Geyer Hall renovation project was a topic of discussion, with trustees able to see preliminary floor plans of the proposed changes to the building, which would house 22 offices and 15 classrooms. The current third floor is not being well-utilized and will add a lot of space. Dr Nuttall said it is not yet known if the project will be a “rolling renovation” or will be done all at once since it’s not known how the funding will be appropriated. The project, which recently received an injection of $1.4 million in state funding that will be combined with $1.3 million from the Bosley Estate, would likely be completed over the spring-summer 2016 or summer-fall 2016 semesters. Director of Devel-opment Teresa Cross said the internal campaign for the project is off to a good start and she and members of the NCMC Foundation have been touting the project locally and in the surrounding area.
Dr. Nuttall gave a legislative update and discussed the process being used to develop the 2016 NCMC budget. He told trustees that the restrooms in Ellsworth Hall need renovated and indicated that funds from a portion of the Young Estate can be combined with funds that are already appropriated to get the work done. He told trustees of a meeting to be held this week in Lawrence, KS, with a group that develops apartments that could be located in the downtown area.
Mrs. Cross told trustees that the Gifts in Action Campaign has brought in $16,465.07 so far this year for a total of $469,903. She updated trustees on numerous upcoming events, including the Second Annual Scholarship Reception, which is scheduled for 4 p.m., Thursday, May 7 at Cross Hall.
The board accepted the resignation of Stephanie Blaine, site coordinator for the Maryville nursing program, effective June 30, and Suzanne Carlson, nursing faculty, effective May 9. The resignation of Stacy Osterthun, administrative assistant to the vice president of institutional effectiveness and the dean of instruction, was also accepted, effective no later than June 30.
Lori Holder, who has served as the testing coordinator/advisor was named the recruiter and retention specialist for the MoSTEMWINS grant. She will begin her new duties approximately May 4 at a salary of $32,500.
Trustees approved a bid from Charles Luebbert Hardwood Flooring of Jefferson City to repair the Ketcham Community Center gym floor at a total cost not to exceed $28,625. The bid includes all labor and materials to sand the floor to bare wood, apply sealant and gym finish, apply game lines, letterings and logos per NCMC specifications, replace metal trim, replace broken boards, repair up to 30 dead spots and cut the sides of the floor for proper expansion. The project is being funded primarily with $20,000 from the NCMC Foundation through a fund established for building repairs, with the remainder coming from proceeds from Holiday Hoops.
Also approved was a bid from Insight of Tempe, AZ for the purchase of the annual Microsoft Campus Agree-ment. The annual cost will be $37,076.25, which is the lowest of three bids received. The bid is for a three-year contract for all of the college’s Microsoft software licenses used on servers and work stations. The purchase will be funded by the IT Services budget and allows enrolled students to download and use Microsoft Office free of charge. Students can also purchase the right to use other Microsoft software at a significantly reduced rate. Take-home privileges are also granted for employees as a part of the agreement.
A bid from CWDG of Vernon Hills, IL, was approved for the purchase of computer hardware at a cost of $34,256.25, which was the lowest of seven bids received. The bid is for replacement personal computers to be used in a student computer lab in Hoffman Hall, as well as to replace older faculty and staff equipment. The purchase includes 41 HP computers, 11 laptops, cases and Computrace anti-theft software and will be funded by the IT Services budget.
In other business, trustees:
• named CFO/Director of Operations Tyson Otto as the temporary custodian of records for the period of May 1-31. Current board secretary Vicki Weaver will not be employed by the college during that period, as she is retiring from her full-time position at NCMC and will return on a part-time basis as board secretary.
• approved a public complaint policy and internal dispute resolution procedure for the Green Hills Head Start Program, which is administered by NCMC. The policy remains unchanged, but requires annual approval by the board.
• heard a report from Head Start Director Dr. Bev Hooker that the program has met its enrollment goal and is now accepting applications for the coming year.
• held an executive session to discuss personnel, legal matters and real estate, with no announcement made.
The next regular meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, May 26.