NCMC Board Approves Nursing Salary Schedule

A new salary schedule for nursing instructors at North Central Missouri College was approved during a meeting Tuesday night, this following a September announcement that the college had received a grant to help pay for those increases.
Trustees approved the new salary schedule for nursing instructors, showing increases that had earlier been approved. Nine salaries were shown with the increases totaling $44,450. Dean of Nursing and Health Sciences Brooke McAtee said the Nursing Education Incentive Grant in the amount of $71,784 will be applied to cover the increases in salary and retirement expenses for the 2016-2017 school year for those faculty completing at least one year of service. Faculty members with less than one year of service will be moved to the new salary schedule during the next contracted year.
The board had earlier approved a $400 additional fee that will be charged to all first semester nursing students to aid in paying for the increase, although the grant can be sought again next year. When the fee was approved, it was noted that the grant requires a plan for maintaining the investment in case the grant expires and is not renewed. The fee is expected to generate $80,000 annually. Mrs. McAtee said it is her intention to continue applying for the grant funds as long as they are available.
In other personnel matters, board members accepted the resignation of Sandra Wake as a nursing instructor in the Level I Maryville program, effective Oct. 24. Rocel Wright of Trenton was hired to serve as cashier at a pay rate of $10.44 per hour, effective Nov. 1 and Sarah Reeter of Chillicothe was hired as TRiO Administrative assistant at a pay rate of $11.31 per hour, effective today. Both are full-time positions.
Trustees also approved tenure, effective with her next contract, for Dr. Johanna Baugher, who is currently in her fifth year as the associate in arts in teaching instructor at the college, and approved a revised job description for the director of advising and retention.
NCMC President Dr. Lenny Klaver told trustees that 22 focus groups were conducted by members of the Strategic Planning Council, with each group offering general questions in the areas of enrollment and campus and community. In addition, his report stated, as each focus group and group leader centered around a particular aspect of NCMC, there were questions and topics germane to a group’s composition by area. Currently, goals are being determined and from there, objectives, strategies and tactics will be determined by appointed work groups. Dr. Klaver hopes to have a draft for board members to review at the January board meeting.
Dr. Klaver also told trustees that he and Director of Corporate and Business Relations Jason Helton have visited several companies and technical schools for the purposes of partnership, expanding offerings and striking new membership. He noted that they are working on a “soft skills” component, which is something manufacturing employers have said is lacking in their applicants. 
In other business, trustees:
• heard reports from Director of Admissions Kristi Cross and Director of Advising and Retention Megan Pester. Mrs. Cross discussed efforts to reach various student groups such as dual credit, non-traditional and international students, while Mrs. Pester discussed changes in orientation and advising of students as well as efforts to increase student retention on the campus. Both will be working with the strategic planning process to address these areas.
 • reviewed employee tuition waivers for the 2015-2016 school year, which totaled $27,251, which was 87.91 percent of the amount budgeted, a total that was up from $25,297 (81.6 percent of the amount budgeted) in the 2014-2015 school year. This year’s total, so far, is $14,728.50, which is 47.51 percent of the $31,000 budgeted.
• approved, on the recommendation of Green Hills Head Start Director Dr. Bev Hooker, the FY2017 Green Hills Head Start budget and continuation grant application. The grant application reflects federal funds totaling $1,948,911 and non-federal resources totaling $487,228. Of the 1.9 million, NCMC, as the fiscal agent for the program, will receive $110,000. The budget period begins Feb. 1, 2017 and ends Jan. 31, 2018. The application deadline is Nov. 1.
• reviewed and approved the Dental Hygiene Department curriculum, faculty selection and student selection as it is currently being implemented at Hillyard Technical Center, with the adoption of a new affiliation agreement. NCMC is named as the sponsoring institution of the program.
• had the first reading of board policy manual changes in regard to classifying employees as exempt or non-exempt in regard to wage and salary administration, vacation, sick leave and overtime. The change is being made to reflect new Department of Labor regulations.
• changed the December meeting date from Tuesday, Dec. 27 to Tuesday, Dec. 20.
• approved the renewal of Veem backup software from CDWG of Vernon Hills, IL at a cost of $11,585.50.
• approved the purchase of a certified refurbished robot training system from Rixan Associates, Inc. of Dayton, OH at a cost of $11,000. The system will be used in the industrial technology department.
The next regular meeting of the board is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 22.