You can listen to archived audio from the October 5 SCCC Trustee candidate forum with candidates for the general election in November.
Candidates in attendance at the forum, in their speaking order as randomly drawn by number: Kay Burtzloff; Jennifer Malin; Keeley Moree; Kelly Hill; Marvin Chance; John Engel.
Tyler Parks served as moderator for the forum; Parks serves on the legislative affairs committee for the Liberal Chamber of Commerce. The Liberal Chamber helped sponsor the forum, along with area media outlets including Seward County Broadcasting.
The candidates began with opening statements, in their randomly drawn speaking order:
Question 1: “What would you do as a board member to encourage community involvement with [at] the college?”
Jennifer Malin; Keeley Moree; Kelly Hill; Marvin Chance; John Engel; Kay Burtzloff.
Q2: “What would you do to encourage students to either stay in Liberal after graduating or return after matriculating to a four year university?” Or, as rephrased, “What would you do to encourage students to stay or return to Liberal?”
Moree; Hill; Chance; Engel; Burtzloff; Malin.
Q3: “Of the ways the college receives funding, which would you feel needs adjusted if any?” Or, as rephrased, “Of the ways the college receives funding, which do you feel should be adjusted if any?” Or, as again rephrased, “Of the three ways the college receives funding, which would you like to see adjusted?”
Hill; Chance; Engel; Burtzloff; Malin; Moree. Follow-up by Hill; Burtzloff.
Q4: “Do you feel the state funding model is adequate; if not, what would you like to see changed?”
Chance Jr.; Engel; Burtzloff; Malin; Moree; Hill. Follow-up by Chance Jr.
Q5: “Do you think local taxes [tax dollars] to the college is advantageous to the community as a whole?”
Engel; Burtzloff; Malin; Moree; Hill; Chance Jr.
Q6: “There is a need for dorms. What would your plan be to have more dorm space on campus?” Or, as rephrased, “There is a desperate need for dorms. What would your plan be to provide more dorms?” Or, as again rephrased, “There is a need for dorms. What would your plan be to add dorm space?”
Burtzloff; Malin; Moree; Hill; Chance Jr.; Engel. Follow-up by Burtzloff; Hill.
Q7: “If you could add one new program, sports or otherwise, what would it be?”
Malin; Moree; Hill; Chance Jr., Engel; Burtzloff. Follow-up by Moree.
Q8: “Did you approve of adding a soccer team and an e-sports team, and what would you like to see done with the facilities for the soccer program?” Or, as rephrased, “Did you approve the soccer and e-sports addition, and what would your plan be for a [new] soccer facility?”
Hill; Chance Jr.; Engel; Burtzloff; Malin; Moree. Follow-up by Hill.
Q9: “Do you approve of all the recent land acquisitions?” Or, as rephrased, “Did you agree with all of the recent land purchases?”
Chance Jr.; Engel; Burtzloff; Malin; Moree; Hill. Follow-up by Hill.
Q10: “What more would you like to see done to promote the opportunities that already exist at Seward County Community College?” Or, as rephrased, “…the opportunities that currently exist at Seward County Community College?”
Engel; Burtzloff; Malin; Moree; Hill; Chance Jr.
Q11: “Do you feel the college has a healthy relationship with our [local] high school and the other area high schools? If not, what more could be done to improve it?” Or, as rephrased, “…if not, what would you like to see done different?”
Burtzloff; Malin; Moree; Hill; Chance Jr.; Engel.
Q12: “What value do you put on being personally engaged on campus as a board member?”
Malin; Moree; Hill; Chance Jr.; Engel; Burtzloff. Follow-up by Moree.
Q13: “What type of SCC [Seward County] events have you attended in the past year?”
Moree; Hill; Chance Jr.; Engel; Burtzloff; Malin.
The Q-and-A portion of the forum concluded after this question.
The candidates gave their closing statements in the reverse order of their speaking order and opening statements, and the moderator then concluded the forum.
