The Navajo County Community College Board heard a report from Northland Pioneer College Vice President for Learning and Student Services Mark Vest Tuesday that showed summer enrollment at Northland Pioneer College has increased substantially with the reduced summer rates, scholarship opportunities and Kids College.
According to Vest, the enrollment for Kids College has more than doubled this year over last year with as many as 600 kids taking advantage of the college’s offerings of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) courses, theater, cooking, sports and more.
“Of the kids enrolled, 309 are taking STEM courses, already exceeding the 2018 projections,” stated Vest. The college offered scholarships based on essay and artwork submissions to offset the fees associated with the courses.
NPC also offered summer classes for adults at half-price, meaning each credit cost $33 rather than $66. The impact of that cost change increased summer enrollment this year over last year by 28 percent. “Of course, we don’t know yet how that will impact the fall semester if people took courses over the summer that they would have normally taken in the fall,” noted Vest.
He also provided a snapshot of the demographics of NPC, which he explained serves a very disadvantaged area of northeastern Arizona. Vest stated that the service area totals 22,000 square miles, which is served by four college campuses and five centers.
“NPC provides a range of direct employment and transfer programs, relying heavily on interactive television and networked classrooms for general education course delivery,” he said. He further explained that the college’s two largest age cohorts are 18 to 19 and 40 to 45. “The student body is 60 percent female, with the overwhelming majority of adult students working and having family responsibilities,” he noted.
The region serves three tribal nations, as well as a growing Hispanic minority.
The median household income for the service area is well below the state average, while unemployment rates are more than double the state average. The population density is less than 10 per square mile, making it difficult to aggregate students at specific sites and programs.
Despite these figures, many of the people in the college’s service area are looking to improve their lives and those of their families. While the college had anticipated reduced enrollment following state funding cuts that forced increased costs and reduced services, the opposite has actually occurred. Vest reported that in 2014 and 2015 there were 633 completers, people who obtained their associate’s degree or certificate, which is three times that of previous years.
In other business, Betsyann Wilson of NPC Friends & Family reported that more than $80,000 in new scholarships were obtained last school year and she has hopes for more in the coming year. She also informed the board that the construction trades are offering items such as wooden dog houses and planters for sale, and that proceeds from those sales are going toward scholarships for students interested in pursuing a degree in the construction trades.
Vice President for Administrative Services Blaine Hatch reported on the Higher Learning Commission’s financial ratios update, which showed that NPC ranked highest among the state’s community colleges due to the college’s lack of new debt and the fact that the college has at least six months of operating reserves at all times. “Our reliance on state aid means we need to have these reserves. It’s a key concept,” explained Hatch.
The board also approved the purchase of 10 SmartBoards and document cameras totaling $62,739.36 from CCS Presentation Systems as part of NPC’s five-year Title III grant and 2014-16 Strategic Plan. The equipment would be used district-wide for 10 new Model 3 classrooms.
Another purchase approved was for gig switches for the enhancement of the Virtual Desktop Integration system for $74,117.49 from World Wide Technology.
The board also approved a resolution to enter into an agreement with the Arizona School Alliance for Workers’ Compensation. The company provided an estimate below the estimate from NPC’s current provider, Copperpoint, reducing the cost from $83,589 to $63,376.
NPC’s administration also awarded Phillip Hiatt meritorious status for his 19 years of work with the college’s facilities department.
David Singer was also honored as an outstanding alumnus who obtained his degree in 2007 and now teaches at Rio Salado College.
The board adjourned into executive session to discuss the contract for the college’s president, Dr. Jeanne Swarthout. No action was taken following the session, as it had been inadvertently left off the agenda. The item will be presented for discussion and possible action during a special teleconference meeting slated at 8:30 a.m. today (June 19).
