NORTHERN ESSEX COMMUNITY COLLEGE BOARD OF TRUSTEES
MINUTES OF MEETING (OFFICIAL) – September 1, 2021
A meeting of the Northern Essex Community College Board of Trustees was held via a Zoom Teleconference at 5:00PM.
Present:
Ms. Borislow
Mr. Cox
Mr. Dodier
Mr. Guilmette
Mr. Linehan
Ms. Modeen
Ms. O’Rorke
Ms. Paley Nadel
Not Present: Ms. Fernandez, Ms. Quiles, Ms. Sanchez
Also Present: President Glenn
CALL TO ORDER:
Chairwoman Borislow called the meeting to order at 5:02 PM.
APPROVAL OF MINUTES:
Chairwoman Borislow asked for a motion to approve the June meeting minutes.
On a Motion presented by Trustee Guilmette and seconded by Trustee Cox, by roll call vote, the Board unanimously approved the June 2, 2021 minutes as presented.
CORRESPONDENCE:
There was none.
UNFINISHED BUSINESS:
a) Introduction of Newly Hired Employees (Verbal)
President Glenn welcomed Christina (Grace) Modeen, the newly appointed Student Trustee, who is also a newlywed of two weeks. Christina has enrolled in nine credits this semester, with a perfect 4.0 average record.
President Glenn also noted that there were several new employees hired over the summer months of July and August. The following employees were introduced: Kimberley Bevan, Human Resources; Christine Carbone, PACE Program, and Sarah Cooper, SOAR Program, Travis Karas and Michael Ryan, SOAR program; Stella Vlahakis, Office of Institutional Effectiveness; Eusebio Marote, Facilities; and Dr. Paul Beaudin, Vice President of Academic Affairs. The board welcomed the new employees.
EDUCATION REPORT:
a) ACEN Accreditation for Associate Degree and Practical Nursing Programs (ADM-3691-090121)
Dr. Scott Lancaster, Dean of Health Professions, introduced Dr. Kelly Fisher, assistant Dean of Nursing and Health Professions who provided the education report. Kelly was praised for her exceptional efforts in completing the accreditation report soon after beginning her career at NECC.
The Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN) accreditation NECC self-study report and four-day virtual site visit was conducted in February 2021 for review of both, the Associate Degree and Practical Nursing programs. This process of writing the self-study report for both nursing programs and conducting a virtual site visit was met and successfully completed during a challenging time of a pandemic. The ACEN site visitors report and the evaluation panel have recommended to the ACEN Board the following outcomes:
Associate Program: Continuing Accreditation for 8 years:
Continuing accreditation as the associate program is in compliance with all Accreditation Six Standards.
Practical Program: Continuing Accreditation for 8 years:
Continuing accreditation as the practical program is in compliance with all Accreditation Six Standards.
President Glenn noted the college’s health professions serve as examples of the challenging regulatory environment that exist to ensure that we continue the incredibly high standards of this level of accreditation excellence. This workforce connection reveals the kind of training that we need in our hospitals.
He also noted that he and Trustee Paley-Nadel serve as members of the Board of Trustees at Lawrence General Hospital, and he recently attended a Trustee Orientation. President Glenn estimated that probably more than half of the people he works and serves with on local boards have some prior connection with NECC, revealing our vital partnership with the local workforce pipeline. In closing, President Glenn thanked Dr. Lancaster and Dr. Fisher for their exceptional work.
CHAIR REPORT:
Chairwoman Borislow welcomed all Board members to the start of a new semester and especially thanked Trustees Cox and Linehan who have agreed to continue to serve well beyond the expiration of their term of office and until their successor is named. She noted that the Trustee nominating and appointment process can be long before being approved by the Governor and this go around is taking a bit more time usual.
A warm welcome was extended to Dr. Paul Beaudin, NECC’s new Vice President of Academic Affairs whom Chairwoman Borislow met for the first time during their interview.
Chairwoman Borislow noted that the Mass. Dept. of Higher Education Trustee Training deadline of November 1st is approaching and she encouraged those with one or two sessions remaining to complete their training online. One session still remains to be uploaded for trustees to review and access through the portal. Cheryl Goodwin will notify trustees when it is available.
In addition, over the summer, Chairwoman Borislow reported that there have been many positive achievements to note:
– the school is moving forward with the SOAR initiative (which stands for “Seizing Opportunities to Aspire and Rise”) and is modelled after NECC’s PACE program;
– 100% of the recent radiologic technology program graduates have passed the national exam;
– 130 Faculty and Staff have participated in the mental health training and certification offered through the Center for Professional Development;
– Mercedes Rodriguez, NECC Culinary graduate, has been accepted at the Culinary Arts Institute of America. This is a tremendous achievement for Mercedes who was encouraged by Denis Boucher, Director of NECC’s Culinary Arts Center;
– And lastly, Chairwoman Borislow reported that the maze of cones and caution tape on the Haverhill campus is part of the multimillion-dollar improvement project which included the paving of the parking lots, new curbing, markings, a new water pump house, electrical systems upgrade, and the new ADA compliant entrance to the Behrakis Student Center.
REPORT OF BOARD COMMITTEES:
a) Audit and Finance Sub-Committee
Since the Audit and Finance Sub-Committee did not meet this month, there is no report at this time.
b) Alumni Advancement Sub-Committee:
Sub-Committee Chair Fernandez was unable to attend the meeting, but will email the report to Chairwoman Borislow.
c) Equity Imperative Sub-Committee
Sub-Committee Chair Paley-Nadel has had discussions with Dr. Noemi Custodia Lora and noted that the Center for Equity and Social Justice is actively looking for a chief officer to manage the center. Much effort will be placed on coordinating programs involving English as a Second Language and social justice issues. Dr. Custodia Lora is also putting together an advisory board for the center to promote equity in the college environment.
d) Nominating Sub-Committee
Sub-Committee Chair Quiles was unable to attend today’s meeting, but Chairwoman Borislow noted that the list of candidates was submitted in April to the Governor’s office and we are still waiting to hear from them.
e) Presidential Evaluation Committee
Trustee Cox reported that the Sub-Committee met several times in the late spring and early summer, and the sub-committee includes Trustees O’Rorke, Worden, Paley-Nadel, Linehan, and Borislow. Similar to the process used in past years, the team scheduled interviews with college staff, students, and external stakeholders in addition to reviewing President Glenn’s self-evaluation. The Committee was guided by two priorities set by the Commissioner of the Mass. Department of Higher Education, namely the equity agenda and how campuses (and Presidents) handled the pandemic. It was noted that President Glenn has done a tremendous job working with the faculty, staff, and students throughout the pandemic, and the college is moving toward developing a Center for Equity and Social Justice to help drive the equity agenda. Trustee Cox expressed great appreciation for President Glenn’s leadership and was very happy to put forth the Sub-Committee’s recommendation to the full board for approval. Chairwoman Borislow thanked Trustee Cox for his efforts regarding this process.
Chairwoman Borislow asked for a motion to approve the 2020-2021 Presidential Performance Evaluation (ADM-3692-2021).
On a Motion presented by Trustee Worden and seconded by Trustee O’Rorke, by roll call vote, the Board unanimously approved the 2020-2021 Presidential Performance Evaluation as presented.
REPORT OF ADMINISTRATION:
a) Update on the Return to Campus
President Glenn expressed his thanks for the support provided to him and the rest of college over the last year. He noted that while staff and students are returning to the physical campus, the college has been open and fully operational and never closed during the pandemic. At the present time, there are more in-person classes; however, as the Covid cases have started to increase slightly, some students have expressed a greater interest in online courses.
At present, for the safety of all faculty, staff, and students, the college has implemented a mask mandate for anyone indoors while on campus, unless you can be in an office or space alone. Although the college expects little resistance to the mandate, President Glenn noted that the leadership team is working on guidelines and procedures for staff to use if an issue on non-compliance arises. It was also noted that a vaccine mandate may soon follow this mask mandate.
Trustee Paley Nadel asked who is responsible for issuing a vaccine mandate. President Glenn noted that this is a collective decision arrived at by the Presidents of the fifteen Massachusetts community colleges.
Trustee Worden asked if a survey was taken among students and staff as to what percentage approved of the vaccine mandate. President Glenn reported that during the summer months, the college conducted a survey of students’ views of the vaccine through the Navigator application. The results were marginally helpful as the results were nearly evenly split: 1/3 were for it, 1/3 were against it, and 1/3 were uncertain.
Trustee Worden also asked if there existed any hesitancy regarding in-person classes. President Glenn noted that the mask mandate has addressed some of those concerns, and understandably, people have different levels of comfort. President Glenn noted that the college has made other accommodations (air cleaners, adequate spacing, ventilation, etc.) and has worked through any issues as they occur. He also noted that all Health Professions students with clinical responsibilities are required to be vaccinated. The college has established many safety precautions, and feel that we have managed this risk responsibly.
Chairwoman Borislow has noted there have been endless conversations with colleges and the business community surrounding the pandemic and expressed thanks for the college’s proactive stance in keeping everyone safe.
b) Fall 2021 Board of Trustee Meetings
President Glenn noted that we anticipate that future Board of Trustee meetings will be held in-person. The college had planned to have the fall meeting at the Heights Culinary location, but the conference room size would not allow for proper social distancing and public participation. The Hartleb Technology Center is now available for the upcoming meetings in the fall, and updates on location will be made as we get closer to those meetings. Presently, we are planning on holding the October Board of Trustee meeting in person at the Tech Center.
c) FY22 Budget Update
President Glenn noted that there has been a 1% increase in the headcount, but the full-time equivalent is down 2%, similar to last year, and demonstrating that more students are taking fewer credits. This is an improvement over the past several years, but not what we were aiming for nor what we budgeted for. Dr. Jennifer Mezquita, Vice President of Student Affairs and Jonathan Miller, Dean of Students are distributing aide to students who are in need, but there is still a lot of uncertainty surrounding the pandemic delaying commitment to attend. President Glenn noted that there are just under two weeks until the enrollment freeze date, and he will keep trustees updated.
d) State Auditor’s Report
President Glenn noted that the State Auditor’s report was emailed to the Trustees over the summer, and wanted to add it to the agenda. He indicated that a few minor items were noted, namely that we need to have better asset inventory control by regularly updating this process throughout the year. CFO/COO Mike McCarthy and his staff, with the assistance of the Compliance Committee and Cheryl Goodwin, will work on mitigating this issue which was inherited from a previous set of circumstances.
e) SUCCESS Fund
President Glenn noted that the college has been allotted $1.2 million through the SUCCESS fund for the hiring of staff which will directly impact student needs/services, and we are hopeful that this funding will continue for years to come. The SOAR Program under the direction of Vice President Mezquita and Dean of Students Jonathan Miller will support students in similar ways as the college’s successful PACE program.
f) NECC Final NECHE Accreditation Report
President Glenn expressed his thanks for all who supported the college in the NECHE Accreditation reporting process. He noted that the institution’s response affirming the results was recently transmitted to the Commissioners. Later this month, a meeting with the Commissioners and Site Visit Team Chair, President Sonya Christian will be held at which a brief summary will be provided followed by a question and answer session. President Glenn noted that he fully anticipates a 10-year certification with a 5-year report detailing our institutional effectiveness with regard to the Equity and other initiatives.
g) NECC Strategic Planning Process
The Strategic Planning Core Team met this past week, led by the college’s Strategic Planning Lead Team: Cheryl Goodwin, Chief of Staff, Audrey Ellis, Director of Institutional Effectiveness, and Allision Dolan-Wilson, Vice President of Institutional Advancement. This Lead Team, together with our consultants, Joan McArthur-Blair and Jeanie Cockell, held an 8-hour Zoom meeting in which the participants found to be very energizing. President Glenn felt confident that this process will develop new leadership roles using the Appreciative Inquiry model. The Core Team meeting, followed by further discussion at Convocation, will start a strategic planning process that continue in the weeks that follow.
h) William & Rosemary Klueber Planned Giving Society Gift
President Glenn noted that a considerable charitable gift (25% of her estate) was recently given to the college by a prior donor. This generous gift will help continue our mission for our students to thrive well into the future. President Glenn thanked Vice President Allison Dolan-Wilson for all her efforts and to the William and Rosemary Klueber Planned Giving Society, which allowed the college to honor the memory of William J. Klueber ’63 and Rosemary B. Klueber ’70, two beloved members of the Northern Essex Community College alumni family.
i) NECC Haverhill Campus 50th Anniversary Planning
The college had planned many in-person celebrations on campus to commemorate the 30th anniversary in Lawrence, the 50th anniversary in Haverhill and the 60th anniversary of the college’s founding, but plans are currently being adjusted due to an increase in Covid cases in the area. The Trustees will receive updates when a modified set of celebrations are developed.
j) DHE Fall 2021 Virtual Trustee Convening – Wednesday, October 27th, 9:00 am to noon.
On October 27, the Board of Higher Education will hold the 2021 annual Statewide Trustee Convening from 9:00 am to noon. All Trustees are encouraged to attend as representatives of the college.
k) Haverhill Campus
President Glenn expressed his thanks to CFO/COO Mike McCarthy and his staff for the spectacular facelift that has been completed at the Haverhill campus. The entrance to the Behrakis Center is nearly complete, and the campus has new paving and curbs in the parking lots.
l) Lawrence Campus
Next Tuesday, a “Meet the Candidates” Mayoral event will take place in the Dimitry building sponsored by NECC and the Lawrence Partnership. All faculty, staff, students, trustees and community members are welcome to attend.
Trustee Paley-Nadel has worked with Secretary Acosta and other members of the workforce board in order to amplify the offering of ESL classes to the residents. Currently, there is a waiting list of 600 people who want to take these classes. Trustee Paley Nadel noted that hopes to continue to partner with the city, the state, and the Lawrence Public School system to meet this demand. Many thanks to Vice President Noemi Custodia Lora for working with the consultant on this important initiative.
NEW BUSINESS:
a) Grants: President Glenn noted that there were five grants slated for approval.
1) Gallaudet University Regional Center – East (ADM-3694-090121)
Gallaudet University, a federally chartered and funded private institution for Deaf and Hard of Hearing students located in Washington, D.C, opened its Regional Center on the campus of Northern Essex Community College in June, 1980. The college has been awarded grants covering the past thirty years. The spending plan for the Regional Center -East will continue to support personnel functions and a limited amount for travel, general office supplies, memberships, and honoraria.
2) Massachusetts Department of Higher Education FY22 Grant Projects (ADM-3695-090121)
President Glenn noted that the four (4) grants totaling $508,410, listed below are slated for approval, under the Massachusetts Department of Higher Education: FY22 Grant Projects:
1) Commonwealth Dual enrollment Partnership (CDEP)
$40,000
2) Higher Education Innovation Fund (HEIF)
$74,600
3) STEM Starter Academy
$265,00
4) Training Resources and Internship Networks (TRAIN)
128,810
On a Motion presented by Trustee Paley-Nadel, and seconded by Trustee Worden, by roll call vote, the board unanimously approved both the Gallaudet University Regional Center-East Grant in the amount of $155,500 for the contract period of October 1, 2021 through September 20, 2022; and approved the Massachusetts Department of Higher Education: FY22 Grant Projects totaling up to $508,410 for the period upon their awards through September 21, 2022.
b) Personnel Actions: Sabbatical Leave
President Glenn noted that trustees received a late agenda item via email which included one motion for approval of a sabbatical leave. Agenda Item 9b1 requests a full year/half workload/full salary Sabbatical Leave. President Glenn noted that the college encourages faculty to seek projects that are beneficial to staff members and the college community. Professor Isabelle Gagne will work on researching and implementing best practices for students with learning disabilities, particularly in the male and minority student populations, which ties in directly with the Equity Imperative initiative.
On a Motion presented by Trustee Linehan, and seconded by Trustee O’Rorke, by roll call vote, the board unanimously approved the Personnel Action Recommendation, Sabbatical Leave, of Professor Isabelle Gagne in Spring – Fall, 2022 semesters.
ADJOURNMENT: With no other business, Chairwoman Borislow adjourned the meeting at 6:09 PM.
