Long-time industry partner Arizona Public Service Co. and outstanding alumnus Amie Rodgers were recognized for their support of Northland Pioneer College during the regular monthly meeting of the Navajo County Community College District Governing Board on Nov. 15.
APS was the major catalyst in NPC launching its Industrial Maintenance & Operations (IMO) program to train plant operators and maintenance personnel. Since 2002, NPC utilized space at APS’ Cholla Power Plant in Joseph City for hands-on instruction. This fall, the program moved into the Skills Center on the Holbrook NPC campus.
“The IMO program started with 18 students and has grown to over 140 now in the program. APS has, and continues to be, a strong partner in preparing skilled workers for our local power generating facilities,” noted Peggy Belknap, NPC’s dean of Career and Technical Education. NPC also offers IMO instruction at the Coronado Generating Station in St. Johns and at Tucson Electric Power’s Springerville facility.
Cholla Plant Manager Richard Nicosia praised the long-standing relationship between APS and NPC, noting, “We will continue to be there to help the program.”
Christopher Susag, 4-Corners regional training supervisor for APS, also praised the NPC program for producing highly-trained and qualified workers.
“We wanted to thank you on behalf of the many students who have completed their training through NPC because of the strong partnership and guidance of APS,” noted NPC President Jeanne Swarthout.
The board also recognized Amie Rodgers, publisher of The Maverick Magazine, as the Outstanding Alumnus for the Fall 2016 semester. Rodgers has leveraged her love of the arts and the unique lifestyle of the White Mountains into a successful monthly magazine focusing on those two areas.
After accepting the award from NPC Friends and Family Executive Director Betsyann Wilson, who nominated her for the honor, Rodgers thanked NPC for “this amazing honor and for bringing education and the arts to our communities.”
The only action item on the board’s agenda was the approval of the previous month’s meeting minutes.
Maderia Ellison, interim vice president for Administrative Services, reviewed the calendar and assumptions used for developing the college’s budget. Members discussed adopting a three-year tuition plan and the pros and cons of differential tuition for programs with higher costs.
“We are working hard to remove barriers for students, but differential tuition would create additional barriers, not only for cost, but also limiting opportunities to explore career options,” noted Dr. Swarthout.
Uncertainty on the amount of reduction in property tax values and the increase in employee benefit costs will be major factors impacting next year’s budget. NPC is anticipating breaching the expenditure limitation again next year. Changes in state law adjusting the base used in the expenditure limitation formula, which would bring the college below a revised limit, do not take effect until the 2018 budget year.
The board’s discussion about employee compensation segued into Mark Vest’s presentation on fall enrollment.
“For the past seven terms, I’ve been able to say our enrollment was increasing. Those increases ran counter to the general enrollment decline in Arizona rural community colleges. That trend stopped this fall,” said Vest, NPC’s vice president for Learning and Student Services.
He attributed the 10 percent drop in enrollment to “faculty availability.” Vest stated, “We see no decline in student interest, but we have been hit by a wave of retirements and losses among NPC faculty, and dual enrollment faculty at area high schools. We need to address those losses to meet student demand.
“The loss of two instructors at the Arizona Department of Corrections facility in Winslow resulted in nearly 40 percent of our enrollment drop,” Vest explained. “Those positions have been filled and some of that enrollment has been recovered, but after the 45th day cutoff used to determine fall Full Time Student Equivalent (FTSE) enrollment.”
The loss of a full-time business instructor at the Winslow campus also contributed to the enrollment decline. “We are still trying to fill that position, so the decline will probably continue into the spring semester,” he said.
“In our Early Childhood Education program, the retirement of Claude Endfield, who had headed the program for nearly 30 years, and the need to completely revise the curriculum used resulted in substantial enrollment reductions. The new curriculum is in the approval pipeline, but it will take 12 to 18 months to implement.”
Vest explained the continuing search for a much-needed psychology instructor was the result of “a contraction of the labor pool, especially for rural community colleges.” Compensation does not appear to be the major limiting factor, with NPC faculty salaries in the mid-range for the state’s community colleges. With more retirements anticipated, hiring qualified faculty will continue to be a challenge for NPC, but also gives the college an opportunity to review positions and programs.
The new TALON project, which delivers transferable college course content to students at area high schools, generated 42 FTSE in its pilot semester. TALON is already achieving its goals of addressing a lack of qualified dual enrollment teachers at some area high schools and providing college course access to students in remote locations. Area high schools are asking for more TALON courses and student seats in future semesters.
However, Vest pointed out, it is straining math and English department resources in the short term. “We anticipated the impact of TALON on our math and English departments, but again, retirements in those departments have created a temporary shortage. We’re working now to provide additional course offerings for spring and next fall, he said.”
Vest also explained why the college was adopting a two-level evaluation process to determine a student’s placement in English, mathematics and reading skills. “We are an ‘open enrollment’ institution, which means anyone, regardless of educational level, can enroll. To promote student success, especially in transferable general education courses, we must evaluate the ability of a student to be successful in a given course.”
The college will use high school grade point average (GPA) and evaluation of completed math courses for recent high school graduates. Others will use a standardized placement test. The new placement process will be in place for the fall 2017 semester. The college also plans to pilot a “GRIT” test that attempts to measure a student’s priorities and perseverance in fall 2017. Vest noted that research at many rural community colleges shows that a student mindset of perseverance is a better predictor of course success than raw ability. Should the GRIT test prove a good predictor of success, it will later be incorporated into the placement process.
NPC Friends and Family had the largest number of applicants yet for its Leg-Up and Fill-the-Gap grants, noted Wilson in her monthly report. Her workshops on how to prepare a scholarship application resulted in multiple submissions from Whiteriver and Kayenta.
Friends & Family also awarded the Val 153 scholarship to NPC Fire Science student Rhonda Krouse. The scholarship was created to honor Pinetop Firefighter Valeree Reidhead-Claude, an NPC alum who died in the line of duty. This scholarship honors her memory by awarding a full scholarship for certain fire science and EMS courses. Funds cover tuition, books and fees of NPC students over the age of 18 returning to college to pursue the Firefighter/EMS field.
Wilson also announced the creation of the Prescott Winslow Memorial Scholarship to honor the late district governing board member. The scholarship will be awarded to a Winslow High School graduate, starting for the spring semester.
And she encouraged folks to “mark the dates” of Tuesday, April 4, for Arizona Gives Day, and April 29 for the Friends and Family Golf Tournament.
“It has been a difficult week for NPC employees–with the shooting death on Nov. 8 of Show Low Police Officer Darrin Reed, the husband of Nursing and Allied Health Division secretary Catherine Reed,” commented President Swarthout. A way to honor Reed, a graduate of the NPC Law Enforcement Academy, and support the family are being considered.
Swarthout also announced she is suspending the search for the vice president for Administrative Services position, and will be proposing splitting the responsibilities between two associate vice presidents.
“The duties and responsibilities grew under the former VPAS, and two national searches could not find a candidate qualified to fill both the financial and operations duties. Splitting the duties will be nearly cost neutral for the college, with no new resources needed. The change will put the new president in a better position to concentrate on government relations and oversight of the entire college,” she added. Swarthout has announced her plans to retire in June 2018.
The next regularly scheduled meeting will be held at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 20, in the Tiponi Community Center on the Holbrook-Painted Desert Campus, 2251 Navajo Blvd. Copies of the agenda are posted at least 24 hours in advance at www.npc.edu/about-npc/public-notices/dgb-meeting-agendaminutesrecordings.
