September 10, 2021 - BOD Minutes

ECTC Board of Directors (BOD) Meeting

• Elizabethtown Community and Technical College
• Occupational Technical Building 303 and Microsoft Teams Meeting
• Friday, September 10, 2021, 9:30 a.m. EST

Attendees

CALL TO ORDER

For the record, the Board of Directors meeting held September 10, 2021 was held in-person and via Microsoft Teams.

Chair Stan Routt called the regular board meeting to order at 9:30 a.m. EST.

DISCUSSION

Welcome, Introductions, and Announcements

• Chair Routt welcomed everyone to the board meeting. Dr. Pate noted two events on the agenda, the Advisory Board dinners, have been rescheduled to accommodate smaller gatherings due to COVID-19 guidelines and restrictions. As of now, Dr. Czarapata's Fall Tour on October 28, 2021 is scheduled to take place.

Approval of Minutes

• MOTION: Mr. Paul Witten made the motion to approve the May 14, 2021 minutes as presented and Mr. Mike Phillips seconded the motion.
• VOTE: The minutes were approved by unanimous consent.

Old Business

COVID-19 Update:

• Ms. Whitney Taylor shared with the board that ECTC continues to follow the quarantine
  guidelines set forth by the Center for Disease Control.
• Ms. Taylor, our Healthy at Work Officer, has noticed individuals exposed to COVID-19 show symptoms sooner than those exposed this time last year.
• Our number of positive cases remains low and we have done a good job mitigating the spread of the virus on campus.
• Question: Were any people hospitalized due to COVID-19? Are those contracting the virus faculty or staff?
• Answer: No hospitalizations have been reported. Those contracting the virus have been both members of the faculty and staff.
• Question: Does ECTC collect this data because it is required?
• Answer: We are not required to collect this data, however, KCTCS has asked us to continue tracking this data so our numbers can be reported to KCTCS.
• Question: How do ECTC's numbers of positive cases compare to other KCTCS colleges?
• Answer: We are about in the middle compared to the size of our college.
• Question: Will ECTC mandate vaccines?
• Answer: We are not mandating vaccines at this time.

New Business

Legislative Update:

• Dr. Pate encouraged board members to reach out to our local legislators to advocate for investment in our capital projects and investment in our operating funds, the state's allocation to our college. At this time, our number one priority is investment in capital projects, currently the Occupational Technical Building, and this can only be done by being appropriated through the state budget.
• A list of our local legislators, their email addresses, and talking points will be shared with all board members.
• Question: Are legislators in our area all on board with the need for the renovation of the Occupational Technical Building?
• Answer: We have met with most of our legislators and they recognize the need for this renovation. We have emphasized this project is a need, not a want and it is the responsibility of each legislator to support the needs of the Commonwealth's buildings.
• Chair Routt will take the lead on crafting a message on behalf of the Board of Directors to send to all local legislators.
• At this time ECTC receives 40% of tuition for dual credit students, we are asking to receive at least 50%.

REPORTS

Provost/CAO Report:

Interim Provost/CAO, Mr. Darrin Powell, shared his report with the board:

• We are starting our first semester with the majority of our classes being offered in the 8-week format.
• Mr. Powell shared with the board our student success rate of an 8-week schedule vs. all other terms (12-week, 16-week). During the 2019-2020 academic year our 8-week success rate was 77.3% and all other terms had a success rate of 72.8%. During the 2020-2021 academic year our 8-week success rate was 79% and all other terms had a success rate of 72.5%.
• Not all classes are offered in an 8-week format. An example are our nursing classes, clinicals must be completed in a 16-week format.
• Question: How does the faculty and staff feel about moving to an 8-week schedule?
• Answer: The majority of our faculty and staff have embraced the shift to an 8-week schedule. Everyone has given the switch thoughtful consideration and there have been no major objections. We have received positive feedback from students.
• Question: Are the classes longer each day?
• Answer: Yes, the individual classes each day are longer, but students are taking fewer classes each term.
• Question: How is ECTC producing online content?
• Answer: We use some on line content from third party vendors and publishers and many of our faculty are creating their own content online and have become much more comfortable teaching in an online format.

Chief Finance and Facilities Officer Report:

Mr. Brent Holsclaw, Chief Finance and Facilities Officer, shared his report with the board:

Finance:

• At this time, we do not have data to compare the financial impact of the 8-week schedule on past semesters.
• We are currently in a solid financial position. Our revenue is down slightly from our projection and we expect to see a financial boost in October with the second bi-term starting.
• Our discretionary expenses are up slightly compared to last year due to the majority of employees working on campus and not remotely.

Facilities:

• We are deep cleaning commonly used areas every day. In the event of a positive COVID case in an area our custodians complete a thorough deep cleaning with proper PPE.
• Ionization air purifications systems have been installed in high traffic areas.
• Touchless faucets are being installed in all bathrooms.
• Touchless door pulls are being installed on select doors.
• One entrance door on each building will receive keyless entry, each employee will be able to enter by scanning their employee ID card.
• Copiers have been replaced with new machines and this has resulted in a much more efficient system and has saved the college approximately $40,000.
• New high definition security cameras have been installed in 181 locations.
• Currently, we have four construction projects in various stages:
  • The student center will be up for bid in October, we hope to receive bids by mid-December, and construction could start as early as spring 2022.
  • Our science building renovation is underway, particularly the lab spaces. We are working with a group of architects who specialize in renovating science laboratories.
  • The Occupational Technical building needs renovation and has been discussed earlier in this meeting.
  • The Transportation and Logistics Center is likely to be located in a different area.
• Question: Is the science building footprint expanding?
• Answer: No, the footprint will not change.
• Question: With the 8-week enrollment boost expected, does ECTC anticipate new students?
• Answer: We anticipate new students, but we also anticipate many current students to add an additional class each term once they become comfortable with the 8-week schedule.

Chief of Student Affairs Officer Report:

Dr. Dale Buckles shared his report with the board:

• ECTC is currently ranked 3rd in KCTCS for headcount enrollment.
• We are working to increase our yield, the number of students who complete the application and enrollment process. Currently, 55% of those who apply complete the enrollment process.
• The majority of our students come from Hardin County followed by Nelson County and Grayson County.
• On September 20 ECTC will disperse a third round of HERP (Higher Education Emergency Relief Funds) funds to students who qualify.
• The Educational Opportunity Center grant ($1,363,765) was recently renewed for the next five years.
• A 9/11 ceremony was held on campus September 9.
• Question: How is veteran enrollment and are these students taking more academic or technical classes?
• Answer: Our veteran enrollment numbers are slightly down at this time and these students take about a 50/50 mix of academic vs. technical classes.
• Question: Does ECTC survey students who apply but not enroll?
• Answer: Yes, applicants have the option to complete a survey with categorical answers. Usually, personal/life reasons are factors that prevent applicants from enrolling.

Institutional Advancement Report:

Ms. Megan Stith shared her report with the board:

• ECTC is working to increase awareness for our Mobile Training Unit.
• We recently participated in a KCTCS College Colors Day which resulted in over 80,000 Facebook newsfeed views.
• ECTC will be continuing our partnership with Metallica and the Metallica Scholars Initiative. This scholarship has allowed us to promote our CDL and Advanced Manufacturing degrees.
• Marketing and Public Relations has created a new adult recruitment video, is working with paid, earned and social media plans, and continues with personal outreach efforts.
• Upcoming advancement and recruitment events include high school college fair season, career exploration partnerships, Advanced Manufacturing Month showcases, and 8-week Advantage video testimonials.
• Several grants have been renewed or are in the application process:
  • Smarter Summer - $97,391
  • Metallica - $50,000
  • Educational Opportunity Center - $1,363,765
  • USDA application submitted request for $781,367
• Philanthropically, ECTC saw an increase in the number of gifts this past fiscal year, scholarship recipient luncheons have been organized in an effort to connect donors and scholarship recipients, and we have new communications with the Elizabethtown Lifestyle Magazine as well as new videos about the Lunch Box and vehicle donations.
• Encouragement kits have been created to support new students and the kit provides hotline resources.
• During Dr. Czarapata's Fall Tour on October 28 we will have a University Center campaign celebration from 11:00 - 12:00 p.m. in the Student Center.

Workforce Solutions Report:

Mr. Mike Hazzard shared his report with the board:

• Mr. Hazzard shared a handout with board members outlining outreach engagements and customized training coordinated by Workforce Solutions.
• KCTCS-TRAINS is a fund designated by the Kentucky General Assembly to help companies willing to invest in workforce development for their employees. These funds are administered by KCTCS and are available through KCTCS colleges. At ECTC, our Workforce Solutions staff assists companies in developing training plans and applying for KCTCS-TRAINS funding.
• ECTC ranked third in KCTCS for TRAINS investment for the 2021 fiscal year and ranked fourth in KCTCS for total company investment.
• From July 1, 2021 to present Workforce Solutions total enrollments include:
  • 15 projects, 29 classes
  • 232 students
  • 313 contact hours
  • Total gross revenue generated (includes both TRAINS and non-TRAINS) is $351,939
• From July 1, 2021 to present Workforce Solutions open enrollment programs include:
  • CDL - 2 classes, 5 students
  • State Registered Nurse Aide (SRNA)
    • 3 summer classes, 33 students enrolled, 29 students tested, 19 students passed
    • 8 fall classes, 58 students currently enrolled
    • A SRNA course will be offered in Leitchfield next summer.
  • Coding Academy - next class begins October 2021, this will be the third cohort. The Coding Academy will now consist of three modules instead of one 17-week program. This allows for entry and re-entry into the program.
• Workforce Solutions impacts manufacturing, healthcare, and business and IT more than any other sector.

President/CEO Report:

Dr. Juston Pate shared his report with the board:

• The Family Scholar House is a new partnership at ECTC. The Family Scholar House provides multi-faceted support to any student in need. This non-profit organization is based in Louisville and began as a housing project and has now expanded into various areas including food insecurity, clothing, childcare, short-term loans, etc. They will call students and connect them with local resources that can assist them, if there is no local resource available The Family Scholar House will assist them.
• Senate Bill 5 - This bill would allow Kentucky to offer large economic incentives to large
  companies looking to locate within the Commonwealth. This legislation would only be enacted for an investment of a minimum of $2,000,000,000. This bill would provide a forgivable loan up to $350,000,000, training dollars that would run through KCTCS, and it would provide money for an onsite facility for training. Hardin County is specifically mentioned in the bill to allow for the transfer of property at the Glendale mega site.

MEETING ADJOURNMENT

A motion was made by Mr. Howard Williams and seconded by Mr. Mike Phillips to adjourn the meeting, motion carried.

The meeting adjourned at 11:59 a.m. EST.

NEXT BOARD MEETING

The November 12, 2021, board meeting will likely be held in-person, the located has yet to be determined.

Minutes respectfully submitted by,