Minutes 03/26/2002

Governing Board Meeting
March 26, 2002

Minutes

A regular meeting of the Maricopa County Community College District Governing Board was scheduled to be held at 6:30 p.m. at the District Support Services Center, 2411 West 14th Street, Tempe, Arizona, pursuant to A.R.S. §38-431.02, notice having been duly given.

PRESENT

GOVERNING BOARD ADMINISTRATION
Nancy Stein, President Fred Gaskin
Ed Contreras, Secretary Raul Cardenas
Don Campbell, Member Christine Hall for Phil Randolph
Linda B. Rosenthal, Member Anna Solley
Gene Eastin, Member Rufus Glasper
Ron Bleed
Pete Kushibab Gina Kranitz
Larry Christiansen
Ken Atwater
Art DeCabooter

STATE BOARD

Stan Grossman
Nick Balich, Absent Homero Lopez
Corina Gardea Gene Giovannini
Linda Thor
Alberto Sanchez for Tessa Martinez Pollack
Arnette Ward

CALL TO ORDER

The meeting was called to order at 6:33 p.m. by President Nancy Stein.

EXECUTIVE SESSION

There was no executive session.

PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE

The assembly pledged their allegiance to the United States of America.

Mrs. Stein recognized the presence of students from Dr. Luna's NAU CC 580 class, Dr. McCloud's NAU Cohort Masters Program CC580,

CITIZEN'S INTERIM

No citizens came forward.

BOARD MEMBER REPORTS

Gene Eastin stated that he was pleased with the establishment of a new Associate Arts in Education degree. At this time, Dr. Gaskin discussed the importance and the potential of a fourth transfer associate degree in teacher education. Coordination and cooperation is supported by all of the college presidents and the three universities. The Teacher Education Partnership led by Dr. Anna Solley has been appointed to be the body to coordinate the effort. Mr. Eastin noted that in an information item at a previous meeting the district was referred to as "Maricopa," and expressed concern that this may be confusing. For clarity, he requested that all departments refer to the district as not as Maricopa but "Maricopa Community College District" or "MCCCD."

Ed Contreras reported regarding his membership on the screening committee for the presidential search for Chandler- Gilbert Community College. He recognized the screening committee for their work. Interviews are now finished and four names will be submitted for consideration.

No reports were given by Don Campbell, Linda Rosenthal, and Nancy Stein.

CHANCELLOR'S REPORT

Dr. Gaskin recognized Dr. Gene Giovannini as the new president of GateWay Community College. He also recognized Dr. Atwater for being featured in the Arizona Black Executive Magazine and for his bonding with the community.

SECRETARY'S REPORT

There was no report.

FACULTY REPORT

Linda Larson came forward to provide information and encourage continued support from the Governing Board on professional growth activities focusing on travel. She discussed the benefits that travel experiences funded by professional growth dollars brings to the classroom. Carol Drachler, professor of art history at Mesa Community College, came forward to provide information on the enrichment and benefit her students receive from her personal travel experience funded by professional growth funds. One of the benefits is that it allows her to teach outside of the textbook. She thanked the Board for their support.

EMPLOYEE GROUP REPORTS

Rachel Hollingsworth came forward on behalf of the Professional Staff Association to report on recent and upcoming activities. The Annual PSA Conference will be held July 19 and 20 at the Sunburst Hotel. Invitations will be forthcoming. The Third Annual PSA Seminar Day was recently held. Sixty PSA members attended. The PSA membership drive recently finished with 671 participating members.

COLLEGE REPORTS

Dr. Larry Christiansen introduced Carol Achs, who came forward to provide information regarding Water Safety Day. This is an annual event held at Mesa Community College. The goal of the program is to promote drowning prevention and awareness. This year 2300 K-third grade children are expected to participate in water safety activities. Acknowledged were corporate sponsors, Larry Thacker, and Mesa Community College whose contributions and support make this program a success. Invitations were made for attendance of the event which is scheduled for April 24.

STUDENT GOVERNMENT REPORT

Students from Student Leadership at Glendale Community College came forward to report on their participation in Student
Leadership Experience 2000. Michael Slaughter provided information about the Paired Link Program where a student is paired with another student with a disability to provide awareness and understanding. Program activities will be held April 2. Marlene DeForest, reported on disability awareness activities coordinated by Psi Beta - Psychology Club. Panel discussions were held focusing on students with disabilities and students who have family members with disabilities. Of 380 students who were surveyed, one quarter have family members with a disability. The results of their research will be utilized in a presentation at the Western Psychology Association Conference. Donna Pearson provided information on the COOL (Campus Opportunities Outreach League) Conference held in Atlanta. Activities and programs were offered to encourage social activism and student leadership. Faculty member Jim Reed provided information regarding the participation of the GCC Forensics Team in a competition held in Rome. The team traditionally takes first place awards and came home with a fourth place from the Rome event.

Student government representatives from Paradise Valley Community College provided information on their Homelessness and Hunger Month (March) event. A sleepout will be held to raise pledges to fight hunger. Outreach is being conducted to encourage students to participate in upcoming Student Council elections.

A report was provided by a student government representative from GateWay Community College announcing the upcoming Annual Spring Fling to be held on April 10.

STATE BOARD REPORT

There was no report.

ACCA/AADGB REPORT

There was no report. No meeting was held due to the Spring Break recess.

LEGISLATIVE REPORT

Jack Lunsford and Chris Bustamante provided an overview of the legislative issues on the state and national levels affecting community colleges referred to in the legislative report item. Mr. Lunsford reported that notice has been received that the Board's districts have been pre-cleared. Information was provided on two task forces to submit recommendations to the AACC Board on the Reauthorization of Education Act and the Workforce Investment Act. These recommendations, once accepted or modified, will become a part of a national platform. Major issues include increasing Pell grants, accountability, and more funding for Hispanic institutions. A sub-group of the task force which has been formed to look at teacher education and preparation will make their report to the task force in July. Mr. Bustamante provided information on state budget cuts and future cuts as recommended by the Governor that will impact the district. The Government Relations Department will be working with ACCA to attempt to minimize budget cuts. He also reported that the Community College Day at the Legislature was a success.

AWARDS AND RECOGNITIONS

Arnette Ward recognized the campus coordinators for their work that contributed to the success of the United Way Campaign. She also thanked Dr. Gaskin for his leadership and support. The total amount raised was $230,526, a 45 percent increase over the previous year. Information was provided on districtwide contributions. Paul Luna, President of the Valley of the Sun United Way; Deedee McVerdie, Senior Vice President of the Development for the Valley of the Sun United Way; and Chris Trojan, Campaign Director of the Mesa United Way, were introduced and made comments of appreciation for the contributions and support made by the district. Dr. Gaskin thanked President Ward for her leadership, the college coordinators for their hard work, and the United Way representatives for coming forward to recognize the district personnel for their contributions.

APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA

President Stein requested a motion to approve the agenda.

MOTION MOTION NO. 9096

Linda Rosenthal moved that the Governing Board agenda be approved. Motion carried 5-0.

CONSIDERATION OF CONSENT AGENDA

President Stein asked for any requests to remove items from the Consent Agenda. Mrs. Stein requested that items E-1,
AGENDA E-2, and F-1 be removed from the Consent Agenda.

The following items are included in the Consent Agenda:

(A-1) APPROVAL OF MINUTES - of the February 19, 2002 retreat and February 26, 2001 meeting.

(C-1) CONSIDERATION OF EMPLOYMENTS, RESIGNATIONS, RETIREMENTS, AND SEPARATIONS - Approve personnel actions as presented.

(C-2) ADOPTION OF WORKPLACE VIOLENCE POLICY - Approve proposed policy on Workplace Violence Prevention.

(D-1) CURRICULUM - Approve the curricula as submitted.

(D-2) INTERGOVERNMENTAL AGREEMENT BETWEEN GLENDALE COMMUNITY COLLEGE AND THE CITY OF GLENDALE TO CONTINUE STUDENT/FACULTY BUS SERVICES - Approve an Intergovernmental Agreement between Glendale Community College (GCC) and the City of Glendale (City) for the joint purpose of continuing student/faculty bus services linking GCC, Arizona State University West (ASUW), and the Thunderbird Graduate School (TGS). GCC's share of the cost in this partnership to continue student/faculty bus service is $7,064 from February 16, 2002 through June 30, 2002.

(D-3) INTERGOVERNMENTAL AGREEMENT BETWEEN MESA COMMUNITY COLLEGE AND TEMPE UNION HIGH SCHOOL DISTRICT #213 - Approve an Intergovernmental Agreement between Mesa Community College (Regional Academy) and Tempe Union High School District #213. This agreement is for training and support services to be provided to Desert Vista School, a Cisco Local Academy, for an annual fee of $2,000.00 (FY July 1, 2001 - June 30, 2002)

(D-4) APPROVAL OF CONTRACT FOR SCOTTDALE COMMUNITY COLLEGE AND MARICOPA COUNTY HUMAN SERVICES DEPARTMENT INGOVERNMENTAL
AGREEMENT HEAD START PROGRAM - Approve the Intergovernmental Agreement between Scottsdale Community College and the Maricopa County Human Services Department Head Start Program to continue a working relationship to provide Early Childhood Education related services to low-income and special-need children of enrolled Scottsdale Community College Students. The effective date of the agreement for Food Catering would be July 1, 2002 to September 30, 2003.

(F-2) CONTRACT AWARD FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE NEW STUDENT CENTER AT CHANDLER-GILBER COMMUNITY COLLEGE - Approve awarding a contract in the amount of $2,194,800.00 to Brignall Construction Co. for the construction of the new Student Center at Chandler-Gilbert Community College.

(F-3) CONTRACT AWARD FOR A NEW PERFORMING ARTS CENTER AND MULTI-PURPOSE CLASSROOM WING AT SOUHT MOUNTAIN COMMUNITY COLLEGE - Approve awarding a contract in the amount of $7,099,000 to Layton Southwest, Inc. for the construction of a new Performing Arts Center (PAC) and Multi-Purpose Classroom Wing at South Mountain Community College.

(F-4) FUNDING FROM THE NINA MASON PULLIAM CHARITABLE TRUST TO THE MARICOPA COMMUNITY COLLEGES FOUNDATION FOR THE SUPPORT OF THE NINA MASON PULLIAM LEGACY SCHOLARS PROGRAM AT MCCD - Accept funding from the Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust to the Maricopa Community Colleges Foundation in the amount of $220,118 to support the continuation and expansion of the Nina Scholars Program. These funds will apply to academic year 2002-2003.

(F-5) LEASE OF CLASSROOM AND OFFICE SPACE AT 1025 N. COUNTRY CLUB DRIVE, MESA, ARIZONA - Approve the lease of classroom and office space located at 1025 N. Country Club Drive. This is an extension of an existing lease initially entered into on August 25, 1998. The first year of the annual lease shall be $12.00 per sq. ft. for 32,516 square feet, or $390,192, plus all appropriate taxes and utilities. Subsequent years of the lease will be adjusted based upon the base year and the change in the consumer price index.

(F-6) LEASE OF CLASSROOM AND OFFICE SPACE AT 145 N. CENTENNIAL WAY, MESA - 4TH FLOOR - Approve the lease of the fourth floor of 145 N. Centennial Way. This lease agreement with the City of Mesa provides for 33,695 square feet of classroom and office space. The term of the lease is for three (3) years commencing July 1, 2001 and expiring on June 30, 2004.

(G-1) MESA COMMUNITY COLLEGE INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY SERVICES SERVER UPGRADE - Approve the purchase of Sun Microsystems server and peripherals by Mesa Community College. This purchase is to be funded through the campus capital acquisition process. The package totals $160,000. It is comprised of a new Sun 3800 server and associated Disk arrays (658 GB).

MOTION MOTION NO. 9097

Linda Rosenthal moved that the Consent Agenda be approved with the exception of items E-1, E-2, and F-1. Motion carried 5-0.

(B-1) GOAL PRIORITIES FOR FY 2003-2004 - Retain the following goals as priorities for resource planning:

MOTION MOTION NO. 9098

Linda Rosenthal moved that the Goal Priorities for Fiscal Year 2003-2004 be approved as submitted. Motion carried 5-0.

(E-1) TUITION PRICING PLAN - Adopt the Tuition Pricing Plan as recommended.

(E-2) PROPOSED TUITION AND FEES FY 2002-2003 - Adopt proposed changes to the tuition and fee rates as follows:

County Resident Tuition and Fees:

Out-of-State Surcharge:

Discussion was held on the items. Mrs. Stein expressed concerns that every year the Board is asked to consider raising tuition. Her greatest concern being for the student who is looking to the Maricopa Community Colleges for the best college value in Arizona and the affordability of the education to the student. Voting for approving of the Tuition Pricing Plan means voting for approval of the tuition increase. Mrs. Stein noted that revenues need to rise, but inquired if the intentions of those who crafted the Arizona Constitution are being met. She suggested the Chancellor look into what could be done or cut to reduce the budget. Mrs. Rosenthal expressed regret at having to raise tuition, but noted that the legislature had cut funding and to provide quality education, unfortunately, more contributions must be borne by the students. She noted the information provided in the material regarding scholarships available from the district in addition to federal financial aid. The Tuition Pricing Plan is an attempt to look ahead, but each year this exercise must be carried out to determine the necessity and the amount of a tuition increase. Mr. Contreras thanked Dr. Glasper for making suggested changes in the Tuition Pricing Plan. Dr. Glasper responded to questions regarding the location of the scholarship dollars in the budget. If the increase in scholarship dollars proves insufficient, the Chancellor agreed to reallocate dollars from within the budget sufficient to meet students' needs.

MOTION MOTION NO. 9099

Linda Rosenthal moved that the Tuition Pricing Plan be adopted as recommended. Motion carried 4-1. Mrs. Stein was opposed.

MOTION MOTION NO. 9100

Linda Rosenthal moved that the proposed changes to the tuition and fee rates be adopted as presented. Motion carried 4-1. Mrs. Stein was opposed.

(F-1) APPROVAL TO AWARD CONTRACT FOR FEDERAL REPRESENTATION SERVICES - Approve a contract with the firm of Parry, Romani, DeConcini & Symms, for the provision of Federal Representation Services for the District.

Mrs. Stein inquired how approving this contract relates to instructional programs for students. A response was provided by Jack Lunsford. The firm would represent the district in soliciting funds for programs such as the ACE Program and the Hispanic Nursing Fellows Program. Target areas would include teacher preparation and education. The focus is on teachers and students. In response to inquiries made by Mr. Contreras, Mr. Lunsford explained the previous firm's contract expired. Its fee of $5,000 per month had not increased since 1996. The current contract is competitive and was not considered on a "low-bid" basis, but other considerations. Dr. Campbell expressed reservations regarding the need for hiring a firm in Washington. Mr. Lunsford explained that this firm is bipartisan, will supplement the district's own delegation in Washington D.C., and will provide more access to high levels of leadership in congress and the administration. In response to inquiries from Mr. Eastin, Jack Lunsford explained that it is cost effective to contract with a firm and the representation will be more effective with the firm housed in Washington. Dr. Gaskin explained that the Maricopa Community College District is the largest community college in the country but at a disadvantage as all but one of our state legislators do not earmark. The firm will be monitored and evaluated. The evaluations will be shared with the Board.

MOTION MOTION NO. 9101

Linda Rosenthal moved that the Board approve a contract with the firm of Parry, Romani, DeConcini & Symms, for the provision of Federal Representation Services for the District, with the Board having the opportunity to review evaluations. Motion carried 5-0.

INFORMATION ITEMS

(VI.A) Preliminary Proposed Fiscal Year 2002-03 Budget
Debbie Thompson overviewed the material provided in the submitted information item in addition to the handout material presented at the meeting.

MONITORING REPORTS

(VII.A.) Budget Analysis Report Summary
Fund 1 - General Unrestricted Fund
For the Eight Months Ending February 28, 2002

Dr. Glasper commented that 59% of the budget has been expended this year as compared to 56.5% expended at this same point in time last year. Revenue projections reflect the General Fund State Aid portion of the State's 4.5% budget reversion and the District's projected fund balance will decrease by about $6.9 million during this fiscal year.

NEXT BOARD MEETING

The next Governing Board meeting will be a Work Session on April 9, 2002.

ADJOURNMENT

The meeting adjourned at 8:45 p.m.

_________________________________
Ed Contreras
Governing Board Secretary