The Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College Board of Trustees convened a meeting on Monday, March 1, 2021, at 3:00 p.m., via Zoom and teleconference. Dr. John Parham, Chair, presided.
The following members of the Board participated via Zoom: Joe Brumit, Matt Kern, Libby Kyles, Judy Lewis, Roger Metcalf, John Parham, and Max Queen. Trustee Frances Ramsey participated via teleconference. Trustee Nian Avery joined by Zoom at 4:08 p.m. Trustees Theresa Banks, Wayne Brigman, and Himanshu Karvir were absent.
Others present for the Zoom meeting included: Dr. John Gossett, President; Terry Brasier, Vice President Student Services; Shanna Chambers, Executive Director of Human Resources; Amanda Edwards, Executive Director College Advancement; Kerri Glover; Executive Director of Community Relations and Marketing; Anne Oxenreider, Executive Director of Strategic Planning and Institutional Research; Beth Stewart, Vice President Instructional Services; Brian Willis, Vice President Information Technology/CIO; Dirk Wilmoth, Vice President Finance/CFO; Deborah Wright, Vice President Work Force Development and Continuing Education; Darryl Rhymes, Associate Director, Human Resources and Special Assistant to the President for Equity and Compliance; Ashley Leonard, College Attorney; and Carolyn Rice, Secretary to the Board.
Call To Order
Chair Parham read the ethics statement. No conflicts of interest were reported. Ms. Rice called the roll, a quorum was present.
Consent Agenda
Chair Parham asked for a motion to approve the Consent Agenda.
Mr. Brumit moved to approve Consent Agenda items: 1. A. February 4, 2021 Board Meeting Minutes, and 1. B. Personnel Actions.
The motion to approve the Consent Agenda was seconded by Mr. Kern. Trustees Brumit, Kern, Kyles, Lewis, Metcalf, Parham, Queen, and Ramsey each verbally approved the Consent Agenda. The motion passed unanimously.
Resolution/Action Items
2. A. Dr. Beth Stewart informed the Board that A-B Tech was selected as the only college in North Carolina to participate in the Department of Education Second Chance Pell Experimental Sites Project. The program allows the College to disburse Pell funds to eligible incarcerated individuals. The Administration wishes to offer Electrical Systems Technology, Hospitality Management, and Human Services Technology to students incarcerated at the Craggy and Swannanoa Correctional Centers.
Mr. Queen moved to approve offering the above programs at Craggy and Swannanoa Correctional Centers. Ms. Lewis seconded the motion. Trustees Brumit, Kern, Kyles, Lewis, Metcalf, Parham, Queen, and Ramsey each verbally approved offering the Electrical Systems Technology, Hospitality Management, and Human Services Technology programs at the Craggy and Swannanoa Correctional Centers. The motion passed unanimously.
2. B. Dr. Dirk Wilmoth discussed Removing Overdue Student Accounts with the Board. The College is required to actively pursue collection of outstanding student debt for a minimum of 365 days following the Debt Collection Guidelines of the State. The debt is then required to be placed with the Department of Revenue for a minimum of 365 days to be collected according to the Setoff Debt Collection Act. Once the debt is three years old, the College requests permission from the Trustees to remove (“write-off”) the debt from its books as an asset. However, the debt continues to be noted on the student account, and collection efforts by the College will continue.
Mr. Brumit moved to remove student account receivables in arrears by more than three years from the College’s books. Mr. Kern seconded the motion. Trustees Brumit, Kern, Kyles, Lewis, Metcalf, Parham, Queen, and Ramsey each verbally approved removing the overdue student accounts. The motion passed unanimously.
2. C. Dr. Wilmoth stated that in June 2020, the Board agreed to revise the 2020-2021 College Calendar to include six furlough days in an effort to balance the budget and in lieu of a reduction in force. The Administration is asking to reinstate two of the remaining furlough days as paid working days. The College has sufficient operating funds that may be used to restore these two days to our employees.
Ms. Kyles moved to revise the 2020-2021 College Calendar to reinstate two furlough days as paid working days. Dr. Metcalf seconded the motion. Trustees Brumit, Kern, Kyles, Lewis, Metcalf, Parham, Queen, and Ramsey each verbally approved reinstating two furlough days as paid working days. The motion passed unanimously.
President’s Report
Dr. Gossett stated that a facilities assessment had been completed on the occupied buildings of the Enka Campus and asked Dr. Wilmoth to share the main points of the Plan with the Board.
The Enka campus is a former BASF facility donated to the College in 2001 and is approximately 43 acres in size. The large building in the center of campus is the Technology Commercialization Center (TCC) and it is about 50-60 percent occupied. The other buildings on the Enka campus were vacated at the request of Buncombe County when there was not full support for the College to keep a presence in Enka.
The TCC houses our Small Business Center, the Small Business Incubator, A-B Tech’s Craft Beverage Institute of the Southeast, Blue Ridge Foods, along with several other companies that lease space from the College. All of the buildings on the Enka campus except for the TCC have been unoccupied since September 2015. There are over twenty roofs on the Enka campus that leak and have been leaking for many years.
Our consultants have been working since last spring and presented the College with the following four options to improve the TCC:
- Renovate the existing TCC (169,000 square feet) at an approximate cost of $28.3 Million.
- Build a new TCC for an approximate cost of $43.7 Million.
- Replace the existing space for approximately $31.7 Million.
- Build a new 89,000 square foot building for approximately $28.3 Million.
The Administration recommends the first option. The College is in a good position to remain in Enka, to expand and use the TCC with the idea of going into a phased project over time with money available. The first step is to replace the roofs.
The Board discussed the Enka campus at length. A meeting to discuss the property has been set with the Buncombe County Manager, and tours will be offered to Trustees who are interested in seeing the property.
Dr. Gossett then shared the following information with the Board:
- He updated the Board regarding the live burn incident at the Woodfin campus. Our injured instructor is back to work and doing well. The Office of the State Fire Marshal will investigate and we look forward to seeing the results. All of the burning, training, the house used, etc., were pre-approved for the training exercise.
- The College has reached out to Amazon to provide training for employees who may work at the facility being built in Enka. We also have several other companies interested in our pipeline training.
- The Buncombe County Commissioners are approving the contract with the architect chosen for the Pratt & Whitney building.
- Kevin Kimrey is looking into several scenarios of virtual training for our students that will allow us to expand our offerings at the College.
- Our faculty is looking forward to expanding and improving as we move forward out of the pandemic.
- Discussions have been held with our Legislators, and the North Carolina Community College System is moving forward with a “hold harmless” budget agenda.
- Equitable employee salaries continue to be an agenda item that the System office will pursue with the General Assembly.
- One of our community colleges suffered a recent cyber-attack, therefore funding for Cyber Security is also an important part of the community college system’s budget request.
- The College is sponsoring “first down” during Asheville High school football games and is advertising on WLOS’s cable channel, My40.
- He has participated in EDC Board meetings in both Buncombe and Madison counties.
- Nine Western Carolina Community College Presidents met with Dogwood Trust’s senior team to discuss how Dogwood can support our community colleges, and how our colleges can work with Dogwood Trust.
- Finally, our May 15 Commencement Ceremony will be virtual, and more information will be shared with the Board as soon as it is available.
Trustee Business
4. A. Chair Parham asked the Board to consider attending the April 23 Virtual NCACCT Law/Legislative Seminar. The Seminar is a great way to meet other Trustees, get new Trustee training, and complete the mandatory Ethics Training.
Staff Report
Ms. Leronica Casey, Coordinator, Scholarships and Donor Relations, gave a presentation on Scholarship Data to the Board. Ms. Casey detailed the College’s Scholarship process and the impact that scholarships have on our students. A new scholarship called “HERO” has been created for students whose parents are front-line workers. Over a half-million dollars in scholarships have been awarded each year for the past four years, and the persistence rate of students who receive a scholarship and return the next year is over 80 percent.
Demographics and race and ethnicity comparisons were discussed, as well as the age groups of our scholarship recipients. Over 42 percent of scholarship recipients have graduated within the last five years, and we find that scholarship recipients return to college more regularly than traditionally paying students.
Handouts
Chair Parham mentioned that the State and County Budget Report as of January 31, 2021, and the February 2020-2021 Student Success Scorecard were in the Handouts.
The next Board meeting will be on April 5, 2021, at 3:00 p.m. in the Brumit Center for Culinary Arts.
Adjourn
On a motion properly made, the meeting adjourned at 4:20 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Carolyn H. Rice
Board Secretary