The monthly Navajo County Community College District Governing Board meeting took place on Jan. 16. In addition to discussing the Northland Pioneer College president search, the board reviewed the state audit results for NPC and addressed a variety of agenda items.
NPC Chief Operations Officer Jason Foutz, announced that the semifinalists for the position of president for the college have all been interviewed. The search committee has deliberated on the candidates and the finalists will be announced in the next few days. The interviews of the chosen finalists have been moved to the week of Feb. 5. The decision to extend the interview period by a week was to provide ample time for the committee to make recommendations to the board on the finalists.
Federal compliance was also a hot topic of discussion. NPC Director of Enrollment Services Jeremy Raisor addressed the board regarding the different areas of federal compliance and how that ties in to the upcoming accreditation process. The college has reviewed its compliance with federal regulations in anticipation of the comprehensive evaluation associated with the accreditation renewal. “Right now, we are in compliance with federal regulations. We are in pretty good shape,” said Raisor.
Federal regulations change over time so ongoing assessment of college compliance is a necessary part of the preparation the college undergoes prior to the accreditation visit by the Higher Learning Commission in 2019. Compliance is based on twelve areas. Some of those areas include review of student outcome data, assignment of credits, program length and tuition, standing with state and other accrediting agencies, and competency based programs.
NPC faculty member and chair of the Assessment of Student Knowledge Sub-Committee, Dr. Mike Solomonson, provided an update of the assessment process because this is an area of focus in the upcoming November of 2019 accreditation renewal for the college. Solomonson said, “A key component of whether we are successfully accredited as an institution is how well we are going through the assessment process.” The assessment process has three phases including setting goals, gathering evidence through an assessment tool, and the final phase takes that information and uses it to improve student learning.
Diversity is also addressed in this process. “Do our students seem to be able to see beyond their own scope and if not, what are strategies that we can try to implement to try and make them more aware,” said Solomonson.
NPC Chief Business Officer Maderia Ellison provided an update on the financial position of NPC. As of the period ending Nov. 30, 2017, the college is in line with where it should be. Revenues were at $7.9 million. Ellison pointed out, as she did last month, that revenues did not come in as early as expected due to the delay by Navajo County in the processing of property taxes this year.
NPC Executive Director of the NPC Friends and Family, Betsyann Wilson, confirmed that the $50,000 donation from the Smart Family Foundation was received. That in addition to other generous donations and the Navajo rug auction has now left the Pres Winslow Memorial Scholarship with a balance of $71,000 to be distributed over time at $1,000 per semester.
By late February the application period for a variety of scholarships will begin so that students will know in advance for the fall semester if they have been awarded a scholarship.
