Call to Order
The meeting was called to
order at 6:05 p.m.
Roll Call
Present:
Canady, Creamer, Holden, Jeffries, Patterson, Pelleran,
Rasmusson
Absent:
Additions/Deletions to
the Agenda
There were no additions
or deletions to the agenda.
Welcome and Building
Information
Mike Adams, GM-Powertrain,
Machine Tool Operations Plant Superintendent welcomed the Board
to the North Lansing Technology Center, owned by Demmer
Properties. Mr.
Adams gave an overview on how General Motors Powertrain became
involved in the renovation project and came to lease the
building from Demmer Properties.
Bill Demmer, President,
and John Dobrowlski, CFO of Demmer Corporation gave the Board an
overview on how they acquired and updated the building.
Limited Public Comment
Re: Agenda Items
MAHE Budget
Presentation - Sally Pierce asked for this to be tabled
until December.
Sally Pierce - You will
notice MAHE is on the agenda to do a budget presentation, which
will not happen. We
will ask for that to be tabled until the December meeting, but
since I am here, and since we have started negotiations, and
since I just heard a presentation talking about creative problem
solving and things that were doomed to happen, I am going to
take a minute. We
have started negotiating with management; MAHE has, last Friday,
and are scheduled again to meet with management tomorrow.
So we are looking forward to that, and I don't have a
budget presentation but I have a couple of numbers I want you to
think of. When we
looked at the data for higher ed., they say the average salary
for faculty in Michigan at two-year colleges is $55,000. That is
more than our number, and I am sure that soon we will be having
a conversation with Barbara about what our average number is.
We have done a mean on the number we have gotten from the
banner system, and I know that my mean is not the same as what
she thinks is the average, so we will be talking about that.
But we are significantly below the $55,000 figure, and I
just want to remind you that this is really, really important to
your faculty. I got
an E‑mail today that came at 2:30 this afternoon from a
faculty member. Somebody sent me an Einstein quote, so I am
going to share it with you.
It says, ?Now to the salaries of teachers; in a healthy
society every useful activity is compensated in a way to permit
a decent living. The
exercise of any socially valuable activity gives inner
satisfaction, but it cannot be considered as part of the salary
and the teacher cannot use his inner satisfaction to fill the
stomachs of his children.? Faculty is watching very carefully what this Board is about
to do. I have said
before and I have a theme that I have talked about before.
I don't think it is a simple thing where you build
buildings or take care of your people, I think you can do both.
I just wanted to remind you about that and wanted to tell
you my faculty are watching and are concerned.
Chairperson and Board
Member Reports
Chairperson Report
Facilities Master Plan
- Chairperson Jeffries stated that at the October meeting the
Board was presented with the Facilities Master Plan.
In the Board materials for the November meeting the Board
received a copy of the Capital Outlay Request.
He stated that the Board needed to take action on
accepting the Master Plan and then to approve the submittal of
the Capital Outlay Request as presented.
IT WAS MOVED by Trustee
Canady and supported by Trustee Rasmusson to accept phase I and
II of the Master Plan.
Ayes:
Canady, Creamer, Holden, Jeffries, Patterson, Pelleran,
Rasmusson
Nays:
Absent:
Motion carried.
IT WAS MOVED by Trustee Holden and supported by Trustee Canady
to support the submission of the Capital Outlay Request.
Ayes: Canady, Creamer,
Holden, Jeffries, Patterson, Pelleran, Rasmusson
Nays:
Absent:
Motion carried.
Board Member Reports
Trustee Patterson
reported that he attended the ACCT Convention in Nashville and
that he has already distributed information he received to the
Board. He stressed
that he thinks ACCT is really plowing some new ground for boards
and colleges. He
hopes that LCC takes advantage of the organization and actively
participates.
Chair Jeffries stated
that at the October meeting there was discussion about
increasing the membership with ACCT. He wanted to know if we have heard anything as of yet.
Board Secretary,
Christine Lopez, stated she has not heard anything yet.
President's Report
Informational Items
Restructuring ?
President Cunningham stated that the Board should have received
notice about the restructuring of BCI and the Careers Divisions.
The restructuring of BCI was a strategic initiative that
the Board asked her to take a look at.
She is moving forward with the restructuring; hopefully
the streamlining will take place without any interruption in
services. The
Careers Division and Information, Technology & Research are
also being reviewed in terms of structure.
Tuition and Fees ?
President Cunningham stated that Tuition and Fees would be on
the agenda in December for action.
She presented her recommendations to the Board: proposing
a $1.00 increase in tuition beginning Summer 2001; eliminating
the application fee of $10 fee; increasing the transcription fee
from $2 to $5; and adding a $10 Virtual College fee for all
Virtual College students.
Lab/Lecture Ratio ?
Dave Davidson gave the Board an update on lab/lecture ratio.
He said after considerable efforts by both parties they
were unable to come to an option that was agreeable to both
sides. They agreed
to refer to the existing language for the remaining part of the
contract.
Negotiations Update ?
This was taken off of the President's Report to address in
closed session later in the meeting.
Action Items
Approval of Minutes
- The minutes from October 16, 2000 and October 30, 2000 were
presented. President
Cunningham made one correction on the October 30th
minutes. Page 2,
last paragraph: $9 million should read $900,000.
Trustee Creamer wanted to
know why the minutes are done verbatim.
Chair Jeffries said that
the minutes are the only official record the Board has about
what they have done.
Audit Report ?
Bruce Dunn gave the Board an overview of the Audit Report. (A
copy of the Audit Report is on file with the official Board
materials.)
Course Fees ?
President Cunningham presented the 201 courses, out of the 854
total courses, for which course fee changes are proposed.
Thirty of the courses have not previously had fees.
The total net dollar increase as a result of the proposed
changes is $117,000.
Trustee Patterson wanted
to know what basis was used in determining which courses
required changes and which didn?t.
President Cunningham said
that there was a justification sheet that asks for details on
whether the course required software increases or technology
increases as well as other types of increased costs.
Faculty complete the justification sheets and turn them
in to a team that then reviews the requests and makes a
determination.
Trustee Patterson said
that in looking at the examples of the proposed courses, the
fees seem very arbitrary. It looks like the process has been done piece meal, without a
method.
President Cunningham said
when you look at the course fee approval request for the EMT
102, Emergency Medical Technician, for example, it gives you the
rationale and justification for the course fee increase.
Trustee Patterson said
that it doesn?t seem to him that the increase is enough to
cover the increased cost. He further stated he doesn?t see how it is possible that
two-thirds of the courses have no increase in cost.
Provost Jennifer Wimbish
stated that the increases are mainly in those courses that have
an increase in technology.
Trustee Patterson asked
if she was saying that the technology increases are covered by
fee and not tuition, and if so, where do you break the two
apart?
Provost Wimbish said
there are certain things that the College looks at on the
justification sheet that goes into the development of that
course fee. There
are some courses where technology increases are tremendous;
rather than that cost being distributed to all students it is
placed in the course fees of those courses affected.
Trustee Patterson stated
since 653 courses have no increase, he doesn?t understand the
basis by which some courses have increases.
He wanted to know which courses have no increases.
Dean Jim Predko stated
that some of the courses that have no increase in fees already
have technology funds allocated to them.
Everything is looked at on a course-by-course basis.
There are some that have increased photocopying costs.
Some changes are from no technology in the classroom to
an incredible amount of technology in the classroom.
In the Art area, there has been a switch to high-end
computer labs.
Trustee Patterson then
asked for verification that with all of the new technology, and
so forth, it is being handled in the fee side and not the
tuition side.
Dean Predko said, yes,
tuition is separate from course fees.
These fees are over and above what tuition is for the
course.
Trustee Patterson wanted
to know Dean Predko?s opinion on Architecture 283.
Dean Predko said the
course required increased photocopying including large scale
reproductions instead of standard 81/2? x 11?.
This is an increase in instructional supplies.
Trustee Patterson again
expressed that he cannot believe that there are three-quarters
of the courses that don't have any kind of increased cost
associated with them.
President Cunningham
asked Trustee Patterson what information does he need in order
to increase his comfort level regarding course fees.
Trustee Patterson stated
from the Board's position, he thought the College should be
looking at recovering expenses.
He said as things move forward, it was his hope that the
College would operate that way.
Trustee Holden said every
year since she has been on the Board, the Board has looked at
course fee increases. She asked how many course fee increases the Board reviewed
last year?
President Cunningham
stated she did not know the exact number, but percentage wise,
this is the greatest increase the College has had in course fees
in years. She
further added that there may need to be some discussion about
whether every course needs to be cost recovery.
There are things that are considered besides cost.
If the charge, from the Board, is that every course
should be cost recovery, that is not a model we are attaching to
every course. As far as recouping all of the costs, that is not what she
understands as the charge.
Some of the courses might have community impact element,
and yet, we are offering it at a loss because it fits with our
mission and vision. She said she heard Trustee Patterson mention every course
being cost recovery and that is not her understanding. She would need clarification if that is the charge from the
Board.
Educational Support
Personnel (ESP) Ratification - Dave Davidson reported on
the ESP contract ratification. The ESP ratified their contract within the Board's
parameters. Upon
approval of the President's Report, the Board will approve the
contract.
Michigan Federation of
Teachers (MFT) Tentative Agreement ? Dave Davidson
reported on the MFT contract ratification.
The MFT ratified their contract, and it also came in
within the Board's parameters.
Upon approval of the President's Report, the Board will
approve the contract.
Compensation
Adjustments for Non-Bargaining Administrators and Support Staff ?
Dave Davidson stated that historically the same kinds of
considerations and contract provisions for non-bargaining
support staff and administrators have been given.
Upon approval of the President's Report, he is asking
for this to be considered as well.
IT WAS MOVED by Trustee
Holden and supported by Trustee Canady to accept the
President's Report as presented.
Ayes:
Canady, Creamer, Holden, Jeffries, Patterson, Pelleran,
Rasmusson
Nays:
Absent:
Motion carried.
Public Comment
Cassandra Browne, (LCC
student): We were curious about the increase, and the fees.
We would like to know if the increase would apply to all
LCC students rather than just students who would take like CAD
classes, or technology classes?
My understanding, from what the gentleman was saying?
if it is going to apply to all LCC students, then I understand
that, but it just applies to students in the technology field
because that constantly increases.
President Cunningham:
There are two different fees.
What was approved tonight -- and thank you for coming, we
appreciate your involvement in this process.
The course fees that were approved tonight were for
specific courses that are offered.
So if you take a course that has an increase of a course
fee, that would apply to you but not all students.
The Virtual College fee would apply to Virtual College
students; it would not apply to all students.
Cassandra Browne:
Would there be a fee that would apply to all students?
President Cunningham:
That would be tuition and that will be taken up next
month.
IT
WAS MOVED by Trustee Canady and supported by Trustee Holden to
go into closed session for the purpose of discussing
negotiations.
Ayes:
Canady, Creamer, Holden, Jeffries, Patterson, Pelleran,
Rasmusson
Nays:
Absent:
Motion carried.
The Board entered into
closed session at 7:38 p.m.
The Board returned to
open session at 8:03 p.m.
Roll Call
Present:
Creamer, Holden, Jeffries, Patterson, Pelleran, Rasmusson
Absent: Canady
Adjournment
The Chair adjourned the
meeting at 8:05 p.m.
KP attended the 67th
police academy graduation, and it was phenomenal.
She was very impressed.
She wanted to compliment the students and the staff.
The Chair moved to
adjourn without objection.
The meeting adjourned at
8:11 p.m.
