The Neosho County Community College (NCCC) Board of Trustees held its October 2024 Board of Trustees Meeting on Wednesday, Oct. 8, 2024, in the Student Union boardroom on the Chanute Campus. The meeting was called to order at 9 a.m. and adjourned at 9:50 a.m.
The Mih Family Fine Arts Center
The Administration and the NCCC Foundation are excited to receive a $2.1 million donation from the family of former NCCC Instructor and Trustee Mariam Mih for the purposes of renovation and expansion of the college’s auditorium.
The Mih Family’s donation is the lead gift toward a proposed $5.5 million project to renovate and modernize the existing 4,500-square-foot space and add an additional 4,000 square feet to the building. The additions should include an art gallery, dedicated areas for a green room and scene shop, an outdoor stage, a memorial garden courtyard, and an event reception center.
To honor the legacy of Mariam Mih’s dedication to the Humanities and the largest single gift the college has received, the Administration asked Trustees to rename the proposed facility as The Mih Family Fine Arts Center. Trustees unanimously approved the proposal.
A capital campaign to raise funds for the project is underway, and parties interested in supporting the project may contact the NCCC Foundation at foundation@neosho.edu, (620) 432-0408, or by visiting the NCCC Foundation office located in Rowland Hall.
New Trustee
Before the meeting began, Mike De La Torre was sworn in as a Trustee to complete the unexpired term of Charles Boaz. After signing an affirmation of service, De La Torre officially took on his role as a Trustee through 2026.
“I’m excited to serve as a member of the board,” De La Torre said. “I did a lot of reading and asked a lot of questions ahead of time to make sure I understood how meetings were run. The other trustees helped answer a lot of my questions and gave me a lot of information, so I’m thankful for that.”
President’s Report
NCCC President Dr. Brian Inbody reported a 2.5% total increase in enrollment for the 2024-25 academic year. Based on preliminary census day figures released by the Kansas Board of Regents (KBOR), NCCC saw an increase in enrollment headcount of 1.7%, and a 0.4% increase in full-time equivalency enrollment for the Fall 2024 semester and remained the largest community college in Southeast Kansas in terms of credit hour enrollment.
Every few years, NCCC conducts a survey of its service area for opinions on what the college does well and what needs improvement. In the month of October, NCCC will be gathering responses from the general public through a nine-question, open-ended survey. A data content analysis will be completed based on responses and a report released during the spring semester.
Dr. Inbody also provided updates on the following facilities projects: the alignment rack has been installed in the Automotive Technology laboratory; the ADA ramp has been completed on the new CTE laboratory at the Mitchell Career and Technology Center and the building is awaiting fire marshal approval; the drainage phase of the Student Union Plaza project is receiving final touches, with grading to prepare for final construction nearly underway; controls on the new Rowland boilers are ready to be installed next week; the Amazon Locker will be installed on the north side of the Chapman Learning Center on October 16; new sod has been installed in the Softball Field along the turf infield.
Sesthleng Garcia was announced as the Senior Staff’s selected winner for the October 2024 Ben Smith Service Award. Garcia serves as Instructional Technology Assistant at the Ottawa Campus. Here is what the anonymous nomination said about Garcia:
“I would like to nominate Sesthleng because she is a hard worker and is always more than willing to help anyone on the Ottawa Campus. She is always happy to try new things and problem-solve if she can't figure out how to complete a task. I do not think she knows how to say no! She's always wearing a smile and is always so very polite. We are so lucky to have her here!”
In other business, trustees:
—Approved the minutes from the September 16 meeting.
—Heard a Treasurer’s report from Chief Financial Officer Sandi Solander and approved claims for disbursement for the month of September.
—Heard a report from Dean for Assessment and Institutional Effectiveness Stephen Dowell on student outcomes assessment.
—Approved the resignation of Laura Mallett as Assistant Director of Nursing.
—Approved the following hires: Laura Mallett as Director of Nursing; Kendra Sullivan as the Financial Aid Specialist.
—Held a first reading of an update to the Tips under the Expense Allowances Policy. Changes include a procedure for tipping on a total bill of less than five dollars.
—Held a first reading of an update to the Title IX Board Policy.
—Heard no public comment.