SCCC/ATS Trustees Meet, File For Conceal/Carry Waiver

The Seward County Community College/Board of Trustees met Monday, June 24, following the swearing in of re-elected Trustee members Ron Oliver and Dustin Ormiston by Pam Perkins, administrative assistant to the president.
The board adopted a resolution to temporarily exempt the college from a Kansas Senate substitute bill that would allow concealed weapons in all college buildings. The bill requires municipalities, including community colleges, to allow individuals with concealed carry permits to bring a gun into a city or county office or into any building on a college campus. Community colleges can apply for an exemption for up to four years. During that time the college will develop a plan to meet the requirements of the statute.
Dr. Duane Dunn, SCCC/ATS president, told the board that the college has over 167 doors. The legislation describes adequate security measures as having metal detectors and personnel at each building entrance. The cost would exceed $10 million for equipment and personnel for the first year. Dunn also explained that such security methods would severely impact the movement of students, employees, and the public as they move from one building to another for classes, job requirements, or public events. In addition, concerts, basketball games and other campus events would be impacted as each individual attending an event would need to be screened before being admitted to a building.
Liability insurance will be an issue as well, he said. The college’s insurance carrier may not continue its coverage if faculty and students are allowed to carry weapons.
Celeste Donovan, dean of student services, also reported that the college was selected to receive a 2013 Lee Noel-Randi Levitz Retention Excellence Award, one of three colleges and universities chosen to receive this award. The award recognizes state-of-the-art programs and services that are improving retention by promoting student success and satisfaction through a comprehensive advising program, mandatory first-year seminar course, strong academic support, early alert and at-risk team intervention systems, Student Support Services through the TRiO program and opportunities for student engagement.
Dennis Sander, dean of finance, reported that the college received a $74,692.89 return on their investment for the 2013-14 school year from EduKan, the college’s online consortium with five other western Kansas community colleges.
In other action, the board
1. Hired Susan Ingland, and Mary Ruiz, Nursing instructors; Michael Martin, Mathematics instructor; Larry McLemore, division chair of industrial technology; and Judy Waters, English instructor; Greg Unger, Diesel Technology;
2. Accepted the resignation of Alison Chambers, communications/theater instructor; Kelly Campbell, security and safety supervisor; David Ingle, Diesel instructor; Diane Miller, nursing instructor; Jacy Sautter, director of the Student Living Center; and Jason Sautter, assistant men’s basketball coach; and James Choate, Sustainable Agriculture Resources;
3. Accepted the proposal from Byron Bird and Associates of Liberal in an amount not to exceed $30,500 to perform the fiscal 2012 independent audit;
4. Approved the purchase of a used Chevy Impala from Foss Motor of Liberal in the amount of $16,650;
5. Approved $25,092 to upgrade the multi-media equipment in the college conference rooms from six different venders; and
6. Approved the purchase of the Active Directory Services and Exchange Mail Server software from Dell of Round Rock, Texas, in the amount of $30,713.90.

The next Board meeting will be July 22, 2013 at 7:30 p.m.