The Navajo County Community College Governing Board met on March 18, with the board approving the Fiscal Year 2025 wage recommendation put forth by the compensation committee.
Prior to the approval, Associate Dean Allison Landy gave an update on the compensation committee, which is currently looking at ways to implement a new salary structure and how to increase wages without causing compression. Compression occurs when pay differences based on position and skill level become too thin, resulting in lower level positions being paid similarly or even more than higher levels.
Landy explained for this year the committee will be looking at the known problems within compensation and recommended a 2025-26 salary and wage increase of 2.96%, totaling an estimated cost of $509,000. Economic adjustments recommended were 2.5% for all eligible staff and faculty, which is approximately 240 employees, and 1.5% for eligible administrators, which is approximately 26 employees. The estimated cost of this economic adjustment is $406,000.
It was also recommended that 0.6% budgeted amount, estimated to be $103,000, to be held for “off-cycle.” Landy explained, “So that we have money to address these inequities and known challenges we have. So that as the committee works through its efforts and does its business and comes up with some recommendations, we’ll have the flexibility and the leeway already in the budget to be able to make those adjustments for those particular entities.”
Eligible employees include those not currently under disciplinary action. This data does not include new positions, adjunct faculty or temporary hourly employees. The board approved the wage adjustments as presented.
Betsy Wilson, NPC’s Friends and Family Director gave an update, during which she announced Alesa Benally from Indian Wells and Alyssa Melbrooks from Show Low as the awardees of the Classified and Administrative Staff Organization (CASO) Spring 2025 scholarship, which provides $5,000 to each.
Wilson also reminded the board that Tuesday, April 1, is Arizona Gives Day. Gives Day is a 24-hour giving event that helps raise money for nonprofits statewide. “We made history last year by winning first place in the category of most dollars raised by a medium-sized nonprofit. Not just in Navajo County, but all across Arizona,” stated Wilson. She added she hopes to earn that again this year, especially since it will be her final Gives Day before retiring. “This will be my swan song, so I really would like to go out on a high note.”
For more information, or to donate, visit www.npc.edu/az-gives. “You know that we have students that traveled hundreds of miles to go to school, so Arizona Gives Day is so important, because nothing about these students is lacking in any way with regard to their ability or their desire,” said Wilson.
Vice President of Administrative Services Maderia Ellison presented the primary property tax levy and rates, during which it was recommended to set the primary property tax levy rate at $1.7512, generating revenues of just over $19.1 million. NPC’s proposed tax levy and rate is set at the maximum allowed by statute and will require a Truth in Taxation notice and hearing. This represents a revenue increase of $786,958 from the prior year.
Ellison also presented the 2025-26 introductory budget analysis which shows how much revenue is projected. Total revenue for Fiscal Year 2025-26 is $40.2 million, which is an increase over the previous year’s amount of $38.8 million.
Director of Institutional Effectiveness Judy Yip-Reyes gave an update on reports and analytics the Office of Institutional Effectiveness have been working on. The board also received updates on current construction projects within the district as well as an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) implementation update.
After the regular meeting, the board held an executive session.
In other business, the board:
* Approve board policies 1100 through 1180.
* Approve board policies 1300 through 1350.
* Approved the deletion of several Energy and Industrial Technology Programs, which includes Associate of Applied Science (AAS), Certificate of Applied Science (CAS) and Certificate of Proficiency (CP) programs because the ITT programs have replaced them. This excludes the Industrial Plant Operations pathway.
* Approved modifications to the Associate of Business so students can continue to complete their Arizona general education curriculum requirements while pursuing this degree. Needed modifications include adjustments to the curriculum and edits to the catalog language.
* Approved modifications to the Behavioral Health Studies AAS to add two new courses to its program. These added courses better align NPC’s curriculum with industry standards as stipulated by the National Addiction Studies Accreditation Commission and state licensure requirements for Licensed Addiction Counselor Technicians.
* Approved modifications to the Computer Information Systems AAS, CAS and CP in order to enhance the curriculum’s transferability to Arizona’s three state public universities and align with best practices.
* Approved of modifications to the Cybersecurity CAS, CP and AAS in order to enhance the curriculum’s transferability to Arizona’s three state public universities and align with best practices to align with best practices.
* Approved of modifications to the general education categories across the catalog.
* Approved modifications to the Management and Leadership Specialization Program, including the AAS, CAS and CP, to align the Management and Leadership Specialization program with community and industry needs. These changes include curricular updates and writing edits.
* Approved modifications to the Medical Office Administration Program, including the AAS, CAS and CP, to align the program with community and industry needs. These changes include curricular updates and writing edits.
* Approved modifications to the Software and Web Development Specialization Program, including the CP, CAS and AAS to focus on software development.
* Approved modifications to the Entrepreneurship Specialization Program, including the CP, CAS and AAS to align the program with community and industry needs.
* Approved the course fees and general fees for 2025-26. No action was needed for tuition, which was previously approved.
* Approved to purchase 100 small form factor desktops and 100 laptops from HP at a total cost of $208,104. Funds budgeted in FY 2025 by the Technology Advancement and Support Division and an HP contract were utilized to ensure the better value at a cost savings for the college.
* Approved a job order contract with CORE Construction in the amount of $293,712 for the Painted Desert Campus Tawa building HVAC unit replacement. CORE handled the bidding process, saving NPC administration time and effort. The project went out to 15 companies, 10 reviewed it and CORE received six bids. They picked the one with the best value.
* Approved to purchase 40 Cisco Smartboards for replacement, with extended warranty for each, from CDWG. The total amount of the request is $178,976. This is a budgeted expense.
* Authorized Chair Everett Robinson to send a letter supporting the continuation of Federal Pell grant funding to the President of the United States and members of Arizona’s Congressional Delegation.
