Northern Essex Community College Board of Trustees
Minutes of Meeting (OFFICIAL) – February 1, 2023
A meeting of the Northern Essex Community College Board of Trustees was held in room TC103A&B in the Hartleb Technology Center at the Haverhill Campus on February 1, 2021 at 5:00 PM. A Zoom Teleconference option was also available.
PRESENT:
Ms. Borislow
Ms. Pachano
Mr. Gomez
Ms. Quiles (Via Zoom)
Ms. Fernandez (Via Zoom, left at 5:46PM)
Ms. Sanchez
Ms. O’Rorke (Via Zoom)
Mr. Silverio
Ms. Paley Nadel
Ms. Worden (Via Zoom)
UNABLE TO ATTEND: Mr. Hamm
ALSO, PRESENT: President Glenn
CALL TO ORDER: Chairwoman Borislow called the meeting to order at 5:03 PM with a roll call of attendance and a quorum present.
APPROVAL OF MINUTES: Chairwoman Borislow asked for a motion to approve the December 7, 2022 meeting minutes.
On a Motion presented by Trustee Gomez and seconded by Trustee O’Rorke, by roll call vote, the Board unanimously approved the December 7, 2022 minutes as presented.
CORRESPONDENCE:
There was none.
UNFINISHED BUSINESS:
a) Introduction of Newly Hired Employees (Verbal)
President Glenn introduced several new employees to the Board. They were:
– Nicole Curry, Assistant Athletic Director/Athletic Trainer;
– Jennifer Desmond, Accountant II, Accounting & Finance;
– David Hobbs, Director of Public Safety/Chief of Police;
– Jacob Quiring, Academic Tech. & Data Management Coordinator, Library Services;
– Emily Yunes, Early College 5th Year/Promise Coordinator, K-12 Initiatives.
The board welcomed the new employees to NECC.
EDUCATION REPORT:
a) Support for Online Students/Data Modalities (ADM-3769-020123)
President Glenn introduced Jody Carson, Dean of Business and Professional Studies. Prior to being appointed Dean of the Division, Ms. Carson had coordinated the college’s Early Childhood Education program and was also influential in the development of the open educational resources initiative and Competency-Based Educational programming. Jody was also at the forefront of this online programing initiative which assists students who were struggling with online learning.
Dean Carson thanked Dr. Glenn for the introduction. She noted that the NECC online success initiative was born from a call to action from Provost Beaudin in the Summer of 2022. Dean Carson was asked to bring together leaders from the student and academic affairs areas to look at Fall 2021 student success rates. The task force met several times to review and analyze existing resources and the noted gaps and began to work on strategies in August.
In the Fall 2022, new efforts were deployed to assist students. These efforts included: added technology help in each orientation session, the addition of drop-in sessions with student ambassadors, the addition of academic technology FAQ sessions, and a facilitated prep session for students who needed help to be successful in online courses. Some students, she noted, needed someone to help them through the technology issues when taking online courses, and these academic technology sessions were designed to be prep courses which were overall well received.
Also, at the beginning of the Fall 2022 semester, a communication campaign to faculty and students was deployed to raise awareness of the work of the committee, and the opportunities for students that resulted from their work. By the Spring 2023, more and similar efforts were offered, adding more sessions and communicating opportunities.
Feedback/evaluation from students was generally positive and noted that the efforts helped with time management, addressed motivation, and generally made students feel more secure in their academic classes. At the end of the course evaluations, 100% of participating students felt the prep was helpful, would recommend the course to other students, and felt better prepared to start the semester online.
In closing, Dean Carson noted that next steps include expanding the membership of the task force, prepping for continued Online Success courses for May/June 2023, continue communication to faculty and students, and analyzing the impact of the classes.
Trustee Pachano thanked Dean Carson for her report. She asked if she knew what the success gap between white students vs. Hispanic students was and if there is a lack of direct resources (access to internet, technology, computers, etc.) that causes some of the issue?. Dean Carson notes that she doesn’t have an exact number but knows that financial aid is assisting with the purchase of a laptop, and there is also assistance in securing internet access. President Glenn also noted that while the equity gap has shrunk, it is definitely still an issue and we continue to have work to do.
Trustee Gomez also thanked Dean Carson for her presentation. He asked what academic resources are available to students once they start at NECC? As a student himself, he recalled his use of the college’s Math Lab, so noted that studying from home may prohibit a student access to those services. Dean Carson noted that along with 1:1 virtual assistance with faculty and drop-in tutoring, academic coaches are also available online and can help students with coursework, the use of Blackboard, etc. These services are available to both day and evening students.
Trustee O’Rorke asked if the college had ever done an assessment on how many students do not have internet access. President Glenn noted that during the pandemic, some analysis was done in collaboration with the superintendents from Lawrence and Haverhill (our largest draw communities), and it was estimated at approximately 30% of Lawrence students did not have broadband access, and in Haverhill the estimate was about 20%. This is one item, he noted, that will be discussed next week at the ACCT meeting in Washington, D.C. as the community college system (as a whole) needs assistance in addressing this systemic problem. Trustee O’Rorke thanked President Glenn noting that we should definitely be going for funding to help as it is really small dollars for a larger return on investment.
President Glenn thanked Dean Carson for her report.
Program Demand Gap Analysis (PDGA) (ADM-3770-020123)
President Glenn introduced Kirsten Kortz, Associate Dean of Curriculum, Assessment, and Academic Policy and Linda Schildkraut, Director of the Center for Corporate and Community Education who provided the second education report on the Program Demand Gap Analysis for both Credit and Flex Credit (non-credit) programs.
Dr. Kortz noted that on the credit side, the PDGA provided Deans, the Assistant Provost, and herself with an executive summary of all the information gathered for all of NECC’s programs of study including which included information on program demand in today’s competitive market. The report was incredibly comprehensive and included data points such as average salary, demand, supply, workforce needs, etc. and helped align what we do as a college with what is needed in the workforce. The review of the report allowed academic leaders to really look at programs offered, and make strategic decision on what we could modify and/or what we could add.
As a result of that review, Academic Affairs is researching a few new possible programs such as Surgical Technology as well as expanding existing programming such as our Culinary Arts and certificate-level Health programming. In addition to program review and enhancement, she noted, the PDGA gap analysis helped us better allocate and use our Perkins funding which covers career and technical programs (70% of our programs). This program also helped make program approval move faster, and the college just received access to the analytics which will help us strengthen academic programs and conduct reviews at the course content level.
Ms. Schildkraut then noted that on the flex-credit side, the Center for Corporate and Community Education used the PDGA as a guide for evaluating current programming as well as programs that are under research and development. The data for the non-credit helps determine offerings that are related to necessary job skills as well as programs that are shorter to completion and very job specific. Some of the programming that has resulted after reviewing the PDGA has been:
a) Expansion and redesign of the Supervisory Skills for a certificate. The gap analyst showed that all the skills necessary were in demand, so we took our Supervisory Skills program and modified it into small pieces and will be offering it this Spring;
b) Expand and modify the Certified Nursing Assistant program (runs 10 months of the year) to include modules of ESOL training to help meet the need of the industry and garner more people who may need support for English Language Learners for documents, vocabulary, etc. The first CNA-ESL program will run in April 2023;
c) Similarly, expand the 150-hour EMT program by adding an ESOL component which will be rolled out in March of 2023;
d) Implement a Cannabis industry training program that focuses on job skills and industry information for a Dispensary Assistant, Advanced Manufacturing Agent and Cultivation Technician.
Ms. Schildkraut also noted that the PDGA was also helpful in allowing CCCE staff determine which programs were not in our best interest to offer based on need. For example, Red Hat, a third-party IT training program was declined as IT was not a highly visible point of focus and did not align with the current training program being offered.
Trustee Paley Nadel thanked Kirsten and Linda for their report. She asked if there were opportunities here to work with the business community, and if so, noted that the Lawrence Partnership would be a good engagement partner. She also noted that the CNA and EMT ESOL trainings could not be more relevant and will cover the incredible needs in our community. She thanked them for their work.
Trustee O’Rorke agreed that these programs are widely needed and noted that they should be offered in both English and Spanish. Ms. Schildkraut agreed, but noted that these two programs are only state-certified in English, so at the end of the day, students have to take their final testing (and relate to clinicians at the hospitals) in English, so teaching it in both languages is possible, but adding an ESOL component to the English version makes more sense at this time.
Trustee Silverio agreed but noted that in his experience, there is a lot of turnover in CNAs. Perhaps, he noted, there is a way the college can continue to address the turnover issue which can be attributed to the industry wage. Perhaps the development of a pathway from flex credits to credits where they come back to the college would be beneficial. President Glenn agreed and noted that the need for all types of healthcare technicians is high and pathways from flex credit to credit makes perfect sense as we focus on getting students them back to us for additional training.
In closing, President Glenn thanked Ms. Kortz and Ms. Schildkraut for their informative report.
BOARD CHAIR UPDATE:
Chairwoman Borislow provided four brief updates:
1) She noted that it was a very busy January with the visit of BHE’s new Commissioner of Higher Education, Dr. Noe Ortega on January 23rd. The highlight of his visit was meeting with some of our SUCCESS/SOAR students.
2) Chairwoman Borislow also thanked Trustees Quiles and Paley Nadel for attending the recent Legislative Breakfast hosted by NECC on January 27th.
3) She reminded trustees that all trustees must complete their online training within 6 months of appointment.
4) Trustee Borislow also noted that she had recently received a copy of the new Presidential Evaluation Guidelines from the Mass. Department of Higher Education. A committee will be formed to conduct President Glenn’s evaluation this spring.
REPORT OF BOARD COMMITTEES:
a) Audit and Finance Sub-Committee: President Glenn noted that the Audit and Finance committee met just prior to the meeting. In the packet, Trustees received the FY23 Quarter 2 Budget update (AFC-23-03) and the GW&K Investment Management Update (AFC-23-04). The committee reviewed the budget update which showed a slight increase in credits generated which translated to about $200,000 in additional revenue. Expenses also increased slightly, and overall the budget experienced a 5.1% quarterly increase from a year ago.
President Glenn thanked Jim McCarthy from GW&K for his meeting with committee. In that meeting, they reviewed a shift in college assets and a few downward trends in stocks. Over the last few months, the college was able to recoup some of that loss, and currently maintains $13.8 million in investments. At this point in time, Mr. McCarthy from GW&K is not recommending any changes.
b) Alumni Advancement Sub-Committee: There was no report; the Committee will be meeting next week.
c) Equity Imperative Sub-Committee:
Sub-Committee Chair Paley-Nadel noted that the college is creating a culture of equity, and asked Chief JEDI Francellis Quinones to provide the committee report.
Ms. Quinones provided a brief update on the Equity imperative group noting that the group has been reviewing potential names for advisory board members. In addition, they are discussing the structure and expectations of that board and building a “Did You Know?” component to the board’s future agendas to help share definitions and understanding.
In addition, Ms. Quinones noted the development of additional partnerships and workshops including a Cultural Immersion Trip scheduled for March 2023, an unconscious bias training for mid-level managers in collaboration with the Center for Professional Development, and participation in REJI which is helping us to make steady progress in toward the goal of equity in policies, procedures and classroom practices.
d) Nominating Sub-Committee: There was no report.
REPORT OF ADMINISTRATION:
a) BHE Public Higher Education Financing Proposals (Verbal)
President Glenn noted that these proposals have been quite public, and at last week’s MASS,Inc. meeting, they were summarized after some two years of planning with Parthenon Capital. There is some anticipation of funding, and the board is recommending about $2k per student to help with living expenses (in consultation with the Mass. Community College Pilot Project) when setting the Expected Family Contribution to zero for families making $125k or less (regardless of sector). Also, he notes, the MassConnect proposal will provide state tuition support for adults 25 years and older and comes with an approximate $46-million-dollar price tag, but the return on investment would be considerable. President Glenn noted that he would continue to keep trustees updated.
b) Mass. Association of Community Colleges – FY24 Budget Priorities (ADM-3771-020123)
President Glenn noted that in the agenda packet, Trustees were provided with a copy of the MACC FY24 budget priorities that were also recently shared with our legislative delegation at the January 27th breakfast on campus. He noted that when the board meets next in March, a full year of statewide student outcomes should be finalized and reported out. In addition, President Glenn noted that he will be attending the ACCT meeting with Trustees Paley Nadel and Pachano next week and will discuss these priorities with members of Congress.
c) NECC Strategic Plan (Verbal)
President Glenn was pleased to distribute to Trustees a copy of the new NECC Strategic Planning Planner. He noted that VP of Institutional Advancement Allison Dolan-Wilson mentioned the planner in her report last month. This working document will assist college employees in aligning their annual and longer-term goals with the college’s goals and strategic objectives and will assist in developing metrics and integrating to do lists throughout the years. He thanked Ms. Dolan-Wilson for her continued work on the plan.
d) Haverhill Campus (Verbal)
President Glenn noted the continued success of the Knight’s Basketball team as they are now ranked 3rd in the nation. He also noted the continued progress of the plans of the NECC Health and Wellness facility. The release of the RFP is imminent. Planning for the renovation project of the B & E buildings continues and DCAMM has noted that they will fund the entire project. And, lastly, the college’s performing arts/theater students once again faired very well at the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival in Washington, D.C. NECC student Gwynnethe Glickman placed third out of 150 nominees in the Irene Ryan Acting Competition, the third time she has won at the festival.
e) Lawrence Campus (Verbal)
President Glenn noted that Dr. Noemi Custodia Lora & JEDI Francellis Quinones are currently planning a Cultural Immersion trip to the Dominican Republic with college staff and business/community leaders. The trip will be in March 2023, and planning for visiting locations across the Dominican are in progress.
NEW BUSINESS:
Chairwoman Borislow noted that the board had four (4) new academic programs and one (1) grant presented for approval and noted that each item would be voted on separately.
a) New Academic Program Approvals
1) Motion to Approve Lab Technician Certificate Program (ADM-3772-020123)
On a Motion presented by Trustee O’Rorke and seconded by Trustee Paley Nadel, by roll call vote, the Board unanimously approved the Lab Technician Certificate Program.
2) Motion to Approve Medical Billing and Coding Certificate Program (ADM-3773-020123)
On a Motion presented by Trustee O’Rorke and seconded by Trustee Gomez, by roll call vote, the Board unanimously approved the Medical Billing and Coding Certificate Program.
3) Motion to Approve Entrepreneurial Business Associate in Science Program (ADM-3774-020123)
On a Motion presented by Trustee O’Rorke and seconded by Trustee Paley Nadel, by roll call vote, the Board unanimously approved the Entrepreneurial Business Associate in Science Program.
4) Motion to Approve Marketing Associate in Science Program (ADM-3775-020123)
On a Motion presented by Trustee O’Rorke and seconded by Trustee Pachano, by roll call vote, the Board unanimously approved the Marketing Associate in Science Program.
b) Grants:
1) Massachusetts Department of Higher Education: Community College (ADM-3776-020123)
On a Motion presented by Trustee O’Rorke and seconded by Trustee Gomez, by roll call vote, the Board unanimously approved the Massachusetts Department of Higher Education: Community College grant in the amount of $73,815.46 through June 30, 2023.
OTHER BUSINESS: There was none.
ADJOURNMENT: With no other business, Chairwoman Borislow adjourned the meeting at 6:34PM.
