Northland Pioneer College (NPC) Friends and Family Director Betsyann Wilson reported success from a recent fundraising event to the Navajo County Community College District Governing Board last week.
The 63 or 31-mile Pedal the Petrified was a non-competitive bike ride through the Petrified National Forest held Sept. 16. Riders raised money through sponsorships and paid an $86 entry fee, with proceeds going to NPC student scholarships.
According to Wilson, “We had 250 riders registered,” a number up from the last four years. “The books are still open, I still have some bills to pay and I still have donations coming in, but right now we have made what we made last year, which is over $40,000 for student scholarships.”
Wilson also updated the board on the recent disc golf tournament numbers, reporting that $500 in scholarship funds was approved from the proceeds of the tournament. That scholarship will be awarded per semester for military veterans attending NPC. Scholarship applications will be taken Oct.1-31, with the award being given for the spring semester 2018.
Other scholarships to be available for the spring semester include the Charles E. Lisitzky Memorial Scholarship, which offers one member of the Navajo, Apache and Hopi nations $500; and the Marsha A. Smith Memorial Art Scholarship, which was not funded last year, “because we were letting more interest accrue on the principal. Now it’s in a good, healthy place,” Wilson said. “It’s a full tuition scholarship for the following academic year.” That award is available to returning NPC students.
For a full list of scholarships available, visit the NPC website at www.npc.edu.
A report from the Faculty Association was given by President Pat Lopez, who explained that as a faculty member, she makes time to speak to her students about scholarships. “I do try to tell them that there is money on the table. These are very poor counties, but there is money available and I encourage them to use those funds.”
Lopez went on to report on current issues from the faculty perspective. First, in regards to the ongoing search for a new NPC president, “Generally speaking, after speaking to other teachers, we felt heard,” she said, explaining that they were asked questions based on the needs of the faculty that the perspective president would likely be made aware of.
“The second thing is, we know that we are preparing for a change of equipment and consolidation (in audio and visual instruction). I think the AV department does an extraordinary job of providing regular monthly trainings and is always available.”
The monthly financial report was also on the agenda, given by Chief Operating Officer Jason Foutz. The report showed the financial situation from the first month of the new fiscal year 2017-18, which began in July. According to the report, the cash flow from all activities year to date (YTD) is $2,698,591; the cash used for all activities YTD is $1,937,316; and the net cash for all activities is $761,275. Foutz told the board that budget is at six percent of its annual expenditures and right on track for the year.
