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LAS VEGAS, January 26, 2012 — President Barack Obama introduced North Carolina’s Jackie Bray to the world Tuesday night during the State of the Union.
Ms. Bray, an out-of-work mechanic, attended Central Piedmont Community College, where she enrolled in a program designed in part by Siemens, a local gas turbine factory. The company paid her tuition and then hired her at the plant.
In the wake of President Obama’s call for a national commitment to train 2 million Americans with skills that will lead directly to a job, College of Southern Nevada officials are proud to introduce students such as Shawn Greene.
Mr. Greene, a 24-year-old with some college credit, was laid off from his job at a local air conditioning company this summer, when he enrolled in the brand new natural gas heat pump program at CSN.
Created by a partnership among the college, Southwest Gas and IntelliChoice Energy, the courses teach technicians to install and maintain natural gas heat pumps, which rely mostly upon natural gas to heat and cool large commercial spaces. The technology is new to the United States and uses about 80 percent less electrical energy compared to today’s traditional heating and cooling systems.
Greene was hired mid-fall semester by IntelliChoice Energy, where he now works in research and development. He will graduate with an Associate of Applied Science in Air Conditioning Technology this spring.
“I got the confidence and experience I needed at CSN and it opened doors for me,” Greene said. “I love my job.”
To learn more about what CSN is doing to train a highly qualified workforce to help build Nevada click here.
About CSN:
Founded in 1971, the College of Southern Nevada (csn.edu) is the state’s largest and most ethnically diverse higher education institution. CSN offers more than 200 degree and certificate options in more than 130 areas of study, including 30 degree and certificate programs available entirely online. Students create flexible, personalized schedules, including day, evening, and weekend classes taught on three main campuses and multiple locations throughout Southern Nevada. CSN — Your future starts here.
Greetings, Happy New Year! Welcome to spring semester 2012 and to The CSN Chronicle for January. There is much activity on many fronts that I’d like you to know about.
Holiday Party
Through the Foundation Board of Trustees and the President’s Cabinet, I have extended your collective appreciation to the Foundation for the outstanding holiday party we held last month at Texas Station, and we have already set the date for the 2012 party. Ticket revenue raised sufficient support to fund one full-time student for a year at CSN, and your food donations contributed more than 800 pounds of food to Three Square to help others in our community during the holiday season. Thank you all!
Emergency Management for Higher Education Program
In late 2010, CSN was awarded more than $700,000 in grant funding through the Emergency Management for Higher Education Program. Grants are awarded to a limited number of institutions to improve emergency management efforts including 1) develop/refine a comprehensive emergency response plan; 2) provide faculty/staff training in emergency procedures; 3) coordinate/communicate information across the college; 4) identify collaboration needs with local, state, federal resources. I have been advised that the committee work is well underway, the RFP for emergency call boxes to be installed around the campuses has been awarded, and the Emergency Preparedness Guide was written, advertised and disseminated college-wide last fall. CSN’s approach to emergency notification is a multi-level one and includes text and e-mail alert systems among the layers already in place. Further, in developing our overarching Emergency Operations Plan, we are fortunate to have subject matter experts who bring a high degree of knowledge and years of hands-on experience to the table. We will keep you apprised of training opportunities and other topics of interest. Our goal is a prepared CSN ready to respond if/when a threat occurs.
During the Semester Break:
Since mid December, a number of significant events have occurred that I will highlight. Some will be further described below.
- New permanent faculty and staff have joined us. Please welcome:
- Matt Sanchez, Director of Student Financial Service
- Stephanie Espinoza, Instructional Services Librarian
- Caprice Roberson, Instructional Services Librarian
- Dr. Garry Widdison, Instructional Dentist
- Tamara Flores-Sahagun – Coordinator, Western High Tech
- Jeff Lycan – Coordinator, Nellis
- Student leaders and the administration refined a plan to invest an approved 8% increase in registration fees in greater student success. The plan is summarized below, and the full plan is available here.
- OTS sponsored the annual TechConnection program at the Cheyenne campus. This day-long program of exhibits and training shared the latest technologies in higher education and has raised more than $30,000 for the CSN Foundation. Many thanks to Mugunth Vaithylingam and to the OTS staff!
- CSN will join with UNLV and the cities of Henderson, Las Vegas and North Las Vegas and Clark County in sponsoring an economic development summit for 100 business and community leaders on January 26th. The objective is to engage the state mandate for regional economic improvement.
- CSN joined with the system office and its PEBP committee to develop a survey of all employees on improvements needed in our PEBP plans. The surveys will be distributed January 19. BBI was selected as the NSHE consultant on benefit plans and will begin to explore future options.
- Presidents of the eight institutions joined the system’s Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Council (EDIC) to better advance diversity goals of NSHE, including sharing of plans and information, improving data gathering and information, and planning a diversity summit to be held next fall semester.
- The legislative study on higher education’s funding formula continued to move forward with extensive inter-institutional discussions in preparation for the study committee’s next meeting. The meeting is further described below.
- A decision was made to acquire Canvas as the new learning management system (LMS) from Instructure. We will go live in spring 2014 and will spend the months ahead conducting training and migrating course content to the new system.
- Facilities and building systems improvements on all campuses continue to improve our facilities and extend the useful life of our systems. Through spring semester and into the summer, improvements are planned for restrooms, HVAC systems, and interior finishes.
Formula Study
January 11 marked the second meeting of the Legislature’s study committee on higher education funding. Preliminary concerns so far include the following conclusions:
- The current funding formula does not meet the state’s goal of more graduates;
- The current funding formula does not meet the state’s goal of reasonable progress to a certificate or degree;
- The current funding formula does not ensure mission differentiation;
- as presently structured, developmental education is failing;
- The current budget does not encourage entrepreneurial behavior;
- The current formula does not meet the state goal of innovation;
- The current formula does not address equity issues or dis/economies of scale; and
- The current formula does not address the state goal of alignment with economic development.
As a result, and with the concurrence of the presidents, the current formula was set aside in favor of a new approach summarized here. National leaders in funding formulas have been retained to help define the new model, and the committee will also retain a consultant to help with this process. I have shared the “shell” of the new model with leaders of the Faculty Senate, but this new approach will need many eyes on it and our best thinking. Unintended consequences and other traps await us, I’m sure. My plan is to keep you fully informed on where this process may take us.
At a special meeting of the Board of Regents on January 20, CSN and other institutions l submitted final plans for using revenues from an eight percent increase in registration fees. The fee increase will become effective fall semester 2012. CSN proposes to make a number of key investments in student success by:
- Establishing math resource centers on each campus;
- Hiring more full-time faculty;
- Hiring more staff support in financial aid, admissions, and advising; and
- Providing more support to computer labs and to the library for extended hours.
While this fee increase adds a greater burden on students for their education, the revenues directly benefit students as they pursue their education at CSN.
Many thanks to student leaders for their tireless help on this plan and for all of the student input.
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Questions from Faculty and Staff Members:
“What preparations are underway for the 2013 legislative session?”
We have already begun meeting with legislators and candidates in preparation for the 2013 session. Apart from the rush of late fall or during the session itself, we are using this time in the interim to hold one-on-one discussions with senior legislators. We’re discussing PEBP issues, the funding formula study, CSN’s equity problem, and we’re inviting legislators to tour one or more of our campuses. I believe the relationships we cultivate now will help us in 2013, and we’ll need all the help we can get.
“What is the purpose of the Foundation’s inserts in the newspaper?”
Quarterly, the Foundation sponsors inserts in the Review Journal to share CSN stories and our brand with a wider audience. In addition to our excellent marketing plan, we have to keep our stories and services front and center in a positive way. CSN’s story is quality education changing lives. It’s a story we tell repeatedly to any constituency who will listen. You can find the latest insert online here.
“What message about CSN can I bring to political candidates I speak to during election season?”
As the season begins in earnest, make sure to tell state lawmakers and candidates three things: Stop cuts to higher education; invest in CSN as an economic engine for workforce development; and change the funding formula to help CSN’s equity problem and to help NSHE be more accountable to stakeholders.
The Center for Academic and Professional Excellence (CAPE) has organized an outstanding series of meetings and workshops during convocation week. Please take advantage of these opportunities to learn more about PEBP efforts, new software and technology, and other topics of professional interest. Many thanks to the CAPE staff and to all those facilitating the instruction and training for their service!
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Watch for a forum later this semester with candidates for the position of Vice President for Student Affairs. I invite your attendance and participation.
Best wishes for the New Year and for spring semester.
–Mike Richards
December 12, 2011
Cabinet Members:
President Mike Richards
John Bearce, Director of Institutional Research
K.C. Brekken, Director, Communication & Events
Constance Brooks, Director, Government Affairs & Diversity Initiatives – absent
Thomas Brown, Senior Advisor to the President
Patty Charlton, Senior Vice President for Finance & Facilities
Chemene Crawford, Interim Vice President for Student Affairs
Darren Divine, Vice President, Academic Affairs
Richard Hinckley, General Counsel
Shellie Keller, Chair, Administrative Faculty Assembly
Rob Telles, President, Classified Council – absent
Jacque Matthews, Executive Director, Foundation – absent
Joan McGee, Chief Campus Administrator, Charleston Campus
Charles Milne, Faculty Senate Chair-Elect
Dan Morris, Executive Director, Business Operations – absent
Aimee Riley, President, Student Government
Josh Ruter, Interim Campus Manager, Henderson Campus
Tracy Sherman, Faculty Senate Chair
Mugunth Vaithylingam, Chief Information Officer – absent
The meeting was called to order by Dr. Richards at 9 a.m.
The notes of the November cabinet meeting were approved with minor changes.
Dr. Richards went over some upcoming events on the calendar and told the group about a Board of Regents Town Hall meeting to take place at CSN on February 23. Details will be shared as they are made known. The Board of Regents will hold a special meeting on January 20 about the 8% tuition increase. A draft plan will be presented at the meeting.
Joan McGee presented the 1st annual Strategic Plan Progress Report that details the development of the objectives for 2010-2011. The report is very comprehensive. The next step will be for Hyla Winters and Joan to meet and discuss ways to implement the feedback received from the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities. They recommend a revision of the current plan to focus on fewer objectives, with more measurable and specific outcomes.
John Bearce gave an update on iNtegrate. It is working as it is supposed to; priority registration is complete and early registration is underway. So far over 25,000 students are registered for spring 2012. Grade rosters have been made available to faculty for fall posting. John said to avoid crashing the Peoplesoft system, as was the case for fall registration, a regulator of sorts will display a message when the system is operating at maximum capacity instructing students to try again later. The message will most likely generate complaints, but is the only option at this point to avoid system shutdown.
Thomas Brown reported on all the activity in Human Resources, Affirmative Action, Sexual Harassment training and on the Cheyenne campus. CSN is doing well overall in Affirmative Action goals, and in 6 of 7 IPEDS categories we are on target. Thomas said, however, that the goals are ongoing and CSN will continue in its efforts to improve.
In Human Resources, there are 27 active recruitments underway to fill about 54 vacancies, many of which are in the facilities areas. Initial work has also begun on a potential college-wide attendance policy. A draft has been developed and shared with Patty Charlton. HR will soon begin sending reminders of mandatory classes, work performance standards and evaluations to supervisors of classified employees. Also the recruitment for a Vice President for Student Affairs closed on November 22. HR is awaiting information from the consultants facilitating the recruitment.
Human Resources is currently processing 63 Family Medical Leave Act active cases and 5 catastrophic leave cases. The department continues the payroll/benefit sessions for newly-hired employees and helping employees with health insurance and retirement questions. Also, HR continues to work with OTS on the BSDPro upload to HRMS for part-time contracts and PAFs. Email notifications went to employees who have yet to complete sexual harassment training and notification to supervisors of classified employees about taking their required supervisor trainings. HR staff have begun using the automated system for I-9 completion and trainings on the system are scheduled for department assistants and staff who complete the forms as well. Regarding the I-9 audit of human resources, all concerns expressed by the auditors that are due to be resolved by December 31 will have been cleared by then. The next steps will be to revisit the I-9 forms and ensure compliance in all areas. Also being tested currently is the iLeave web-based leave tracking software system. The system will allow leave information (balance updates, request status, accrual information, etc.) to be readily available for employees on and off campus. HR is working toward a January/February implementation date.
CSN’s Affirmative Action plan continues to be a focus of the Human Resources department along with other general recommendations from the HR consultant. The goal is to complete all recommendations by the end of the fiscal year and as of today, about 75% of them have been implemented. The Affirmative Action plan will be completed and submitted to Administration in January. New Diversity training will be presented in Spring.
Thomas also reported on the many improvements to the Cheyenne Campus and told everyone how sincerely he appreciates the efforts of Sherri Payne and the Facilities department on all of the projects. The improvements include:
- A furniture master plan being developed by the Facilities department to inventory all of the furniture currently on hand and details on its condition. A replacement schedule will be put into place to rotate out the pieces that are in the worst shape first.
- Remodeling of the Main Building at Cheyenne is continuing. The corridors on the 2nd floor are almost complete, and the 1st floor is about half done. Carpet replacement and paint is also ongoing. The project will take several years to complete.
- The directories are almost finished – the vendor will soon add the electrical work and waterproof the cabinet. Once done, the new maps will be added.
- An ADA survey of the campus is taking place to ensure accessibility compliance.
- Asphalt by the Culinary receiving area will be replaced, along with a new gas line needed there.
Thomas also updated everyone on CAPE training. CAPE is currently working on customized training for the Deaf & Hard of Hearing department, along with teambuilding and conflict resolution. They are developing customized Excel training and customer service training for Human Resources employees, preparing training materials for new workshops including Windows 7 and MS Office 2010, developing the Spring training calendar, and continuing to conduct MyCSN training while providing staff with assistance as requested. The customized customer service training is being offered by CAPE and delivered for all CSN departments upon request. To date, the specialized training has been conducted for:
- CSN Police Department
- Tutorial Services
- Student Affairs
- Human Resources
Chemene Crawford highlighted the current events in Student Services. The MyCSN call center is being developed and will provide support to students, faculty and staff for system navigation. The interview process is currently taking place for potential personnel who will operate the call center. The Center will tentatively be in place for the Spring semester.
The NSHE directive, Don’t Wait Graduate, will use leftover grant funds to contact students with a number of credits earned in the last 5 years, and encourage them to re-enroll. Of the 8600 letters sent, 5300 are CSN students. CSN’s Project Graduate initiative fits well with NSHE’s plan, in that CSN students with 45 credits or more and a declared degree goal will also be contacted and encouraged to re-enroll. The letters will go out soon with instructions for the students to go to counseling/advising to put together an academic plan to achieve a degree. There are 5,196 students currently enrolled at CSN who will receive these letters. This number of students is in addition to the 5300 that NSHE will contact.
Dr. Crawford also reported on the Executive Leadership Institute (ELI), a year-long program developed by the AACC. CSN has just begun the program for faculty and staff, and AACC mentioned CSN favorably in their publication. On December 9, the ELI meeting was on the Charleston campus and featured Ned Doffoney, Chancellor of North Orange County Community College District, as keynote speaker. The meeting was a great success. CSN also hosted the WRCBAA conference in October, which Dr. Crawford helped facilitate. It also was a great success and very well-received by both attendees and presenters.
Richard Hinckley told the group that CSN hired a new attorney to serve as one of the general counsels for the College, Diane Welch. Diane was a legal secretary at CSN several years ago before completing her law degree. She returns to us with a certain amount of familiarity, which will make her transition easier. She and Richard will alternate attending the cabinet meetings.
Dr. Richards ended the meeting with other news from around the College. Mugunth Vaithylingam and his wife Aby welcomed a baby girl last week. Jacque Matthews is recovering well from surgery and will return to work the second week of January. The Holiday Party was a success and seemed to be enjoyed by all attendees. Also, Chancellor Klaich and CSN Student Body President, Aimee Riley, will be on Jon Ralston’s “Face to Face” to discuss student fees and other issues facing CSN.
Patty Charlton also told the group about a celebration in the works that K.C. Brekken and the Internal Recognition Committee are working on. The celebration will take place at the end of the academic year and will be the venue for employee service awards and other recognition. The tentative date for the event – as yet to be named – is May 18, 2012, the Friday before graduation. A contest will be announced soon among the employee groups for naming the event.
Meeting adjourned at 9:50 a.m.
Next meeting scheduled January 9, 2012.
aml
Holiday greetings to all! This is the last Chronicle for 2011 and the last time the logo for our 40th year will be used. During the days prior to the December Board of Regents meeting and at the meeting many actions were taken that will impact CSN.
Please Note: During January, I will again hold roundtable meetings on each campus. You will be e-mailed an invitation shortly. We can discuss any of the following topics as well as other issues you may wish to raise.
PEBP Benefits
Previously, I have mentioned the PEBP task force and its recommendations. Those efforts are continuing. Carolyn Collins and Tina Petrie are able representatives for us, and Jennifer Yonesawa and Rob Telles are also participating in the work of the task force. A consultant has now been retained to offer additional suggestions and directions.
It appears that the earliest NSHE can separate from PEBP is 2015 because legislative action would be needed during the 2013 session. If separation is approved, NSHE would need time to get a new plan in place. This timeframe has led the task force to consider short-term solutions, and the consultant is expected to focus on what can be done now to improve our benefits. We are vigilant on this critical issue. It has become the most serious issue we face in NSHE and at CSN. Its impacts on recruitment and retention of faculty and staff already constrain us.
You might be interested in the results of a health benefits survey conduct by the UNLV Faculty Senate and Classified Council:
- Employees are suffering as a result of PEBP changes. They are delaying medical care and not filling prescriptions.
- The Board of Regents should direct the NSHE PEBP Task Force to proceed with haste to obtain other health coverage for employees.
- As the Task Force’s research has already shown, the level of access to health care is inferior.
- The Board of Regents should implement either a supplemental insurance policy or provide a supplement to Health Savings Accounts.
- We are not seeking “added” benefits. We are seeking a return to an acceptable level of access to health care.
At the Board of Regents’ meeting all campuses were encouraged to survey their employees regarding PEBP access and coverage. You will likely be hearing more about this early spring semester.
National Governors Association (NGA) Policy Academy and Complete College America (CCA)
During the first week of this month, various discussions and presentations regarding CCA and NGA goals were shared with faculty, staff, students, legislators, city and county officials, and Regents. A team of state officials attended the NGA policy academy in Atlanta and returned with a draft of state goals and metrics:
Goal 1: Increase the number of students graduating with a high quality degree or credential in accordance with the goals of Complete College America.
Goal 2: Align degree productivity with the state’s economic development goals to meet the needs of Nevada’s workforce and establish Nevada’s “new economy.”
Metric 1: How many students are we graduating relative to Nevada’s CCA goals?
Metric 2: How many students are graduating relative to the overall student population?
Metric 3: What is the return on the state and student investment in public institutions in terms of certificates and degree completions?
Metric 4: How can institutions demonstrate that gains in efficiency are not achieved at the expense of student learning?
Details of this draft need further discussion and testing, but the momentum and intent of this issue is clear: goals and performance metrics are being adopted. In the coming weeks the governor’s office will convene an informal task force whose charge will be to review these metrics and refine them as appropriate. The governor’s office and legislative leaders want to link the metrics to higher education funding.
NSHE’s new strategic directions document, available here, bears directly on NGA/CCA goals, and I encourage you to become more informed on the state’s new direction.
Tuition/Fee Increases
The Board of Regents approved an 8 percent increase in student registration fees for FY 2013. Institutions were directed to work with students and faculty on final plans for using the fee revenue, and we will be working on this over the next month. CSN and other institutions provided a preliminary plan that directed the revenue toward:
- Scholarships and need-based financial aid;
- Staffing in Student Affairs;
- Improving our full- and part-time ratio with more full-time faculty;
- Establishing and staffing math resource centers on three campuses; and
- Enhancing advising and academic support services.
Final plans will be provided to the Board of Regents at a special meeting in January.
Work Climate and Diversity
During the Regents’ meeting each institution reported on diversity efforts, including work climates at NSHE institutions. I reported briefly on the work climate committee and survey as part of our efforts to improve the organizational culture of CSN. I know our committee has been meeting each month, and plans a follow-up survey next spring.
I have been asked about media reports on litigation that is pending. While I cannot comment on specific cases, it is our position at CSN that whenever a legal matter arises, involving CSN or its employees, we expect full cooperation with authorities, as well as true and accurate testimony.
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Questions from Faculty and Staff Members:
“What are the changes in CSN’s admission policy?”
Beginning next fall, community colleges in Nevada will require a high school diploma or GED for admission of degree or certificate seeking students. Institutions may also adopt an alternate pathway for admission. This is standard practice at most community colleges in the country to impress on prospective students, parents and others the need for college readiness. The alternate pathway we have adopted will allow prospective students, who score above a certain threshold on placement tests, or those who have transfer credits from accredited institutions, to gain admission to CSN.
“What is the change in ACT testing?”
The Board of Regents approved a resolution urging the State of Nevada and district superintendents of public K-12 instruction to adopt the statewide administration of the ACT test for all high school students in their junior year. Additionally, when the test is adopted statewide, the Board of Regents will consider policy revisions requiring the ACT test for admissions at all NSHE institutions and requiring Nevada high school graduates who have taken the ACT be placed into a college-level course based on the ACT cut score. Also, in time, the presidents and many of the superintendents would like to replace the Nevada High School Proficiency Exam with the ACT test.
“What is the status of the funding formula study?”
You may recall that the Legislature authorized a study to update and revise the higher education funding formula. A committee comprised of legislators, Regents, and gubernatorial appointees is conducting the study. One meeting has been held to organize and to issue a request for proposals for a consultant to assist the committee. The next meeting of the committee will be on January 11th.
“How are the Regents’ accepting the Fresh Look at Nevada’s Community Colleges Task Force recommendations?”
In its review of community colleges in Nevada, a task force, established by the Chancellor, was asked to develop recommendations. Ten recommendations were submitted. The Regents’ received the report, and concurrently, not as a result of the task force report per se, some of the recommendations are going forward: revision of the funding formula, alignment of workforce and state economic development goals, development of meaningful certificates and degree, and public/higher education partnerships. The NSHE strategic directions document includes a reference to explore implementing recommendations of the task force.
Happy holidays to all of you!
–Mike Richards
I have much information to share with the CSN family this November as we prepare for the holiday season.
Holiday Celebration
Our annual holiday party will be held at Texas Station from 6 to 9 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 8. Sponsored by the CSN Foundation, this event has quickly become a college tradition, a time to socialize, relax and have fun. Please mark your calendar, get your tickets and plan to be with us. Again this year we will collect food donations (cans and sealed packaged items) for Three Square Food Bank. For more information go to www.csn.edu/holidayparty.
The Board of Regents will discuss at length the new NSHE Strategic Directions planning document at the December meeting. The plan is designed to advance student success at our colleges and universities, as well as position the system for the 2013 legislative session. Four strategic initiatives comprise the plan: 1) Increase student achievement, retention and success, 2) Increase transparency, accountability and performance, 3) Increase continuous review and revision of programs to support innovation and responsiveness, and 4) Ensure that higher education is accessible and affordable for Nevadans. I have posted the document on CSN’s Strategic Plan web page.
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Complete College America and CSN
Through the Complete College America (CCA) program and the National Governor’s Association (NGA), Nevada has committed itself to focusing on and pursuing the performance measurements advocated by these two groups. Both organizations seek to significantly increase the number of Americans with college degrees or credentials of value and close attainment gaps for traditionally underrepresented populations. Nationally, the goal is that six out of every 10 young adults will have a college degree or credential of value by 2020. Currently in Nevada, only 30% of adults, age 25-64, have a college degree. Each Nevada institution has received a target number of completers to annually strive for until 2020.
I have posted a report from the system office online that indicates our Complete College America goals and the actual number of completers during this first year.
I have asked Drs. Divine and Crawford to lead strategies to achieve CCA/NGA objectives:
- Overseeing initiatives for enrolling and graduating students from diverse backgrounds;
- Continuing our Project Graduate program;
- Adopting performance standards and policies from CCA and NGA;
- Training faculty and staff on CCA/NGA goals;
- Recommending operational or structural changes to achieve CCA/NGA goals;
- Working with faculty on developmental education; and
- Exploring accountability and reporting mechanisms.
Nevada is one of 30 states subscribing to CCA/NGA goals and has been selected as one of six states to pilot connecting the goals with public policy. The Governor, Regents and Chancellor are committed to Nevada being among the leading states in the nation to advance CCA/NGA purposes.
As I have met with the cabinet and the leaders of the faculty to review the CCA/NGA agenda and our institutional obligations, I have stressed two points: 1) faculty participation to the fullest extent possible through forums, Senate meetings, and training sessions; and 2) an institutional commitment to shaping the CCA/NGA agenda where we can in accountability, degree attainment, and developmental education. I believe it is better for CSN to be proactive and part of the dialog surrounding performance metrics to help shape public policy rather than to have no say in the discussion and be forced to react to it at a later date.
- I commend faculty and staff members who have already stepped forward on CCA/NGA initiatives. The math faculty have worked internally and statewide to improve developmental education;
- The Student Affairs staff have carried out Project Graduate and other efforts for student success;
- The leaders of the Faculty Senate have demonstrated great vision and energy, representing CSN with the system;
Through the efforts of many of our people, CSN technology has improved on a number of fronts. The new SIS/MyCSN system is fully operational and is registering students for spring semester. The VoiP system is nearing completion with the final installation of phone sets in individual offices. The research and demonstration of a new LMS system has now been completed and a selection will be forthcoming. Many thanks to all who have labored over many months to implement these improvements! We are also moving ahead—enthusiastically—to acquire and implement new financial and human resources systems for a fully integrated administrative computing system.
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Faculty & Staff Information Handbook
We have reinstated the Faculty & Staff Information Handbook and posted it online. Thanks to all of the many individuals throughout the CSN community who helped collect and review this information. Located on the General Counsel’s Policies & Procedures webpage, the handbook contains great information about our organization.
U.S. Secretary of Education Visit to CSN
Please mark your calendars. On Nov. 29 at 10:15 a.m., U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan will be at CSN to host a public town hall on K-12 and higher education in Nevada at the Horn Theatre on the Cheyenne campus. Chancellor Klaich will moderate the event. This event falls at the same time as the first meeting of the Formula Funding Study Committee, of which I am a member, at the Grant Sawyer Building. I hope you can attend one of these important events that day.
Way-finding, keys and room numbering
At the end of the renovation project on the Cheyenne campus, new signs and room numbers were adopted for the science labs and classrooms. This is part of a larger project to better navigate Cheyenne’s instructional spaces. Over time, new signs and room numbers will be implemented throughout the campuses. The price of this project, however, is some confusion in the short term as changes are made when classes are not in session. New directional maps have been installed on all three campuses, and later new building signage will be added. The Ralph & Betty Engelstad Health Sciences (K) Building on West Charleston includes much of the new signage along with the science renovation on the Cheyenne campus. We are also stretching our resources to improve access to buildings and rooms with electronic key cards. Our goals for this project include, ease of room and building navigation, room security with appropriate electronic access, and better key management.
Questions from Faculty and Staff Members:
“Why was fall enrollment down?”
I believe fall enrollment dropped for a number of reasons. As the recession has dragged on and unemployment remains high, there are few jobs for graduating students, and where students have jobs, they’re hanging on to them. The new MyCSN system may have discouraged some students. Six months of talk in the Legislature about closing locations didn’t help either. But also know that the enrollment drop at most schools in Nevada also occurred in many other states this year, including New York and Alabama among others.
How was the part-time instructor job fair at CSN on Nov. 17?
CSN is still committed to improving our ratio of full-time to part-time faculty, however, from time to time, we reach out to the community to ensure that we can maintain a strong pool of highly qualified part-time instructors from which to choose. The latest fair was quite successful in adding names of qualified faculty to department rolodexes. Many thanks to all who planned and organized the event.
Will CSN be closed during the winter break?
Other than state designated holidays, CSN will remain open during the winter holidays, although various departments may decide on a case-by-case basis to close shop for a couple of days, depending on their workload and staffing availability during this time.
The CSN Foundation Board of Trustees has developed a fundraising campaign statement and has organized itself to move forward with a 10-year campaign. We are ready to launch, and we deeply appreciate the commitment of the Trustees to CSN’s future.
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Happy Thanksgiving to all of you!
–Mike Richards
Cabinet Members:
President Mike Richards
John Bearce, Director of Institutional Research
K.C. Brekken, Director, Communication & Events
Thomas Brown, Senior Advisor to the President
Patty Charlton, Senior Vice President for Finance & Facilities
Chemene Crawford, Interim Vice President for Student Affairs
Darren Divine, Vice President, Academic Affairs – absent
Richard Hinckley, General Counsel
Shellie Keller, Chair, Administrative Faculty Assembly
Rob Telles, President, Classified Council
Jacque Matthews, Executive Director, Foundation
Joan McGee, Chief Campus Administrator, Charleston Campus
Charles Milne, Faculty Senate Chair-Elect – absent
Dan Morris, Executive Director, Business Operations
Aimee Riley, President, Student Government
Josh Ruter, Interim Campus Manager, Henderson Campus
Tracy Sherman, Faculty Senate Chair
Mugunth Vaithylingam, Chief Information Officer
The meeting was called to order by Dr. Richards at 9 a.m.
The notes of the September cabinet meeting were approved.
Joan McGee is working with Deans Weiner and Castro to get the last few Strategic Plan updates to complete the first annual report. She reminded the group that the plan will be to get these updates in August from now on to facilitate a timely October 1 report for cabinet next year. Joan also shared a draft template for input on revising the required tasks currently listed on the Strategic Plan, so as to more closely align the task with the desired outcome.
K.C. Brekken shared results of a survey about Convocation. The results showed that employees like to attend for various reasons, networking and hearing important information topping the list. They like it to be brief and to hear the President’s updates. Some recommendations for future convocations included possibly having a motivational speaker and hearing more about the budget. Aimee Riley suggested having a student voice at convocation as well. K.C. reminded the group about the Regent’s awards and the October 21 deadline for nominations. She encouraged everyone to nominate an outstanding person in one of the categories:
- Regents’ Scholar Award
- Regents’ Award for Creative Activities
- Regents’ Teaching Award
- Regents’ Academic Advisor Award
Patty Charlton highlighted two areas, iNtegrate 2 and the Formula Funding Study. A steering committee consisting of the NSHE Business Officers met a week or so ago to discuss and confirm the project org structure, roles and responsibilities of the committee and members, develop a communication plan, establish a timeline and confirm necessary resources. Gerry Bomotti from UNLV will be the lead in identifying and engaging an outside consultant to work with the Finance Subcommittee on defining a common Chart of Accounts. Steve Zink from System Computing Services will take the lead on identifying and engaging an outside consultant to assist in a review of existing policies and procedures in the following major areas:
- Accounts payable/travel
- Accounts receivable/cashiering
- Purchasing and contracting
- Budget
- Sponsored projects
- Payroll/position control
- Compensation/classification
- Employment/salary administration/performance
- Benefits
- Time and effort reporting
- Overall campus data extraction and reporting (including Data Warehouse activities)
The consultants’ roles are important so as to ensure best practices are implemented, and former ineffective practices are not reintroduced in the new system. CSN’s point people will be Mary Kaye Bailey for Finance and John Scarborough for Human Resources. It will be important also to visit institutions that have undergone similar implementations. Some possible choices are CSU San Luis Obispo, University of Northern Arizona and Lone Star College.
The Formula Funding Study will also involve looking at institutions in other states and their cost studies. An ongoing concern for community colleges is performance-based funding and the limiting language contained therein. The funding equity problem has been acknowledged. There will be a meeting on October 13, and the full group will meet again in November.
Patty reminded everyone that direct deposit is available for mileage and hosting reimbursements. She also reminded everyone that phone use in the car must be hands-free.
Joan McGee reported on the campuses and learning centers. She is working with HR to form committees to get permanent Site Coordinators at Nellis and Western and a Campus Administrator at the Henderson Campus. Announcements will go out soon to internal CSN only. Joan is working on several issues at the Charleston Campus, including facility use concerns, elevator maintenance, inventory, security, parking infractions, space requests and more. Josh Ruter was welcomed with a nice party given by the Henderson Campus. Joan has been busy with activities since her last report to cabinet. She was the keynote speaker for CSN High School graduation ceremony, attended meetings, hearings, conferences and other events for the benefit of the college, the students and executive leadership.
Josh Ruter gave a report on the Henderson Campus. The A Building’s roof leaks and is being given top priority for repair. The B Building is getting data drops for VOIP phones and the campus will be getting blue light emergency phones as part of the Emergency Management Grant. The Facilities Department moved ash trays 100 ft from entrances to encourage compliance with smoking regulations. The Boulder City Center will close soon—Spring 2012 will be the last semester of instruction there. An ADA elevator will be installed at the baseball field press box, the Henderson site planning committee will be re-assembled soon, and the campus bake sale raised $470.
Mugunth Vaithylingam gave an update on the Office of Technology Services. The department has been busy with the Exchange 2010 migration. There have been 3,626 migrations and only 2 PC issues. Mac users will be manually migrated. The VOIP upgrade is going smoothly. The Henderson campus will be done on a weekend because the PBX system there necessitates all phones being upgraded simultaneously. The PC Refresh project is moving along and about 88% complete. Mugunth encouraged everyone to keep sensitive data on the server and he is working with the department to develop a policy for PC and Laptop security. Weekly announcements are being sent to all with instructions for changing passwords. The new passwords should be in place by November 1. OTS Recognition Day is December 9 at the Cheyenne Campus June Whitley Center and Tech Connection 2012 will be on January 18 from 8:00 am to 6:00 pm at Cheyenne as well. At Tech Connection last year, $30,000 was raised for CSN and OTS is trying to improve on it this year. CAPE will be working with OTS to offer about 40 workshops at the event which will be during Spring Convocation. The Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce honored Robert Spivey and Mugunth with Awards for Excellence in Customer Service. Mugunth again reminded everyone to clear their mailboxes – including their sent folder, deleted items folder and inbox. The ideal total mail folder size is less than ½ GB. Instructions are available at this link: http://www.csn.edu/pages/3428.asp?item=14841
Dr. Richards concluded the meeting with several announcements. The first draft of the Faculty and Staff handbook will be posted to the web site within the next month. The work climate committee’s charge has been expanded and the membership will rotate in staggered terms for members. Ruben Kieuhen resigned his post at CSN to give his attention to campaigning. There will be a transition in the Diversity office to possibly include government relations. Candidates are being interviewed.
Jacque Matthews congratulated Chemene Crawford on the many improvements she has noticed in the past few months in Student Affairs.
Three Square will provide a list of items needed for the food bank and employees will be encouraged to bring a donation to the Holiday Party December 8 at the Texas. Our goal is to surpass last year’s donations. Details to follow soon.
Rob Telles reminded everyone to purchase Boo-Grams from Classified Council.
Meeting adjourned at 10:00 a.m.
Next meeting scheduled November 14, 2011.
aml
Cabinet Notes
September 12, 2011
Cabinet Members:
President Mike Richards
John Bearce, Director of Institutional Research
K.C. Brekken, Director, Communication & Events
Thomas Brown, Senior Advisor to the President
Patty Charlton, Senior Vice President for Finance & Facilities
Chemene Crawford, Interim Vice President for Student Affairs
Darren Divine, Vice President, Academic Affairs
Richard Hinckley, General Counsel
Shellie Keller, Chair, Administrative Faculty Assembly
Rob Telles, President, Classified Council
Jacque Matthews, Executive Director, Foundation
Joan McGee, Chief Campus Administrator, Charleston Campus
Charles Milne, Faculty Senate Chair-Elect
Dan Morris, Executive Director, Business Operations
Aimee Riley, President, Student Government
Josh Ruter, Interim Campus Manager, Henderson Campus
Tracy Sherman, Faculty Senate Chair
Mugunth Vaithylingam, Chief Information Officer
Guest: Anita Del Corio, Manager, Human Resources
The meeting was called to order by Dr. Richards at 9 a.m.
The notes of the August cabinet meeting were approved.
New cabinet member, Josh Ruter, Interim Campus Manager at Henderson introduced himself. Shellie Keller, AFA Chair, introduced herself to the newer members.
Dr. Richards reviewed some upcoming dates on the calendar, and added the CSN Holiday Party on December 8 at the Texas Station.
Jacque Matthews reviewed the 4-page insert from the Las Vegas Review Journal published on September 7. She has received wonderful feedback from the community via phone calls, emails and handwritten notes. Two individuals, in response to the publication, contacted Jacque and want to set up scholarships. The next printing will come out in November and will feature a Municipal Court Judge and an Osteopathic Medical Director who are both former students of CSN. Jacque encouraged cabinet members to send information to her about successful members of the community who are former students of CSN. The Foundation is always looking for success stories to remind the community what a superb institution CSN is.
The Foundation’s audit is complete and went very well. The comprehensive campaign is progressing, and the Trustees continue to organize and meet with key groups at the college to determine needs and direction. So far they have identified over $250M in need to begin. Mary Thomas is coordinating the employee giving campaign; Jacque is meeting with the Health Sciences folks to identify vendors, professional associations and advisory boards to work with as well.
Patty Charlton distributed a summary of Bart Patterson’s report to the Board of Regents on Efficiency and Effectiveness. The recommendations he presented to streamline processes involved the areas of Payroll, Human Resources and Purchasing. In addition, he presented some general recommendations. The full report can be viewed at the following link:
http://system.nevada.edu/tasks/sites/Nshe/assets/File/BoardOfRegents/Agendas/11/sept/main/BOR-13.pdf
Joan McGee is developing a process for annual progress updates to key objectives in CSN’s Strategic Plan. By the end of August of each year, representatives from each division will meet with Joan to summarize and update the progress made on the objectives. By early October, she will present an overview to the cabinet. The annual report will assist in the evaluation of measurable progress to the Plan, which is integral to CSN’s accreditation.
John Bearce gave an update of the Institutional Research Department and told the group about a new person on the team, Scott Camero. Scott comes from Nevada State College and has both institutional research and iNtegrate experience. The iNtegrate project continues with the transitioning of new data into the PeopleSoft system. John said it did not go as well as everyone hoped, but it is working. The consultants are very responsive, over 35 thousand students were successfully enrolled and the team will continue to work through the challenges of the new system. Another new part-time person with iNtegrate experience, Andrew Moore, will be working to develop an online training environment with mock data needed for faculty and staff training. CAPE will facilitate the training.
Requests for queries are a little tricky because the new system has different functionality than the old system. Institutional Research plans to develop a list of standardized reports for the most commonly requested data.
Thomas Brown told the group about Human Resources’ new web page. Dr. Richards commented on the great strides being made in the department toward improving customer service. Thomas said the improvements came about from implementing the recommendations of the consultant that visited HR last year and earlier this year, and the improvements will be ongoing. He is currently scheduling meetings with each VP, Dean and Department Head to determine how HR can better assist each with their goals. Anita DelCorio gave an online tour of the site for the cabinet members, highlighting some new features and the more intuitive layout of the page. http://www.csn.edu/pages/382.asp
Other changes, activities and accomplishments in HR include:
- Automation of the I-9 process for online, paperless system
- Streamlined hiring procedures (pending approval)
- Policy on non-competitive selection (pending review and approval)
- Evaluation of the feasibility of an online application system upgrade
- Formed a committee to review and evaluate an automated leave management system
- Working with NSHE iNtegrate team on the conversion of HRMS to PeopleSoft
- Gathering health benefit comments for Board of Regents
- Three HR employees were nominated for Employee of the Year
- Instituted online registration for fall convocation with record numbers for almost every session offered
- Working with OTS to update CAPE classrooms
Thomas also reported on Affirmative Action. A webpage was created for the Affirmative Action Office to readily disseminate information regarding AAO/EEO and the appropriate contact information. Two sexual harassment prevention trainings were developed that have garnered many compliments and positive comments from attendees. Thomas also continues to attend each initial search committee meeting to share CSN’s AAO/EEO goals and contact information.
Chemene Crawford reported a busy start to the fall semester, in an effort to get the bugs worked out of the new systems in place. She said that some of the issues were brought to light through students on CSN’s FaceBook page, and she thanked K.C. Brekken for keeping current with the postings. The main focus for Student Affairs this year is to implement, evaluate and improve processes over the entire division. She anticipates the need for much training to create uniformity and consistency across the whole division and will be seeking feedback toward that end.
Richard Hinckley informed everyone of the Nevada law that will be enforced beginning October 1 prohibiting cell phone usage (other than hands-free) and texting while driving. It is important that employees observe the law, especially during their work day, because any citations issued for not complying with the new statute will be the employee’s responsibility.
Rob Telles said Classified Council is working to revamp their webpage and include relevant links and updates. The Classified Employee of the month is included as well. On September 22, Classified Council will be holding a bake sale on the Henderson campus, with Cheyenne and Charleston following on the 28th and 29th, respectively. The money raised will be used to benefit Angel Tree. Rob told the group that the Catastrophic Leave bank is very low, and asked cabinet members to remind their departments to donate leave if they can.
Dr. Richards reported that the Board of Regents has suspended the tuition policy and is putting together a group to examine the issues. EDICT’s report recommendations were accepted and include specific obligations to review supplier inclusion. The System is formally asking PEBP to look for an alternative to the high deductible health insurance plan currently in place. They are being asked to work with other employee groups to improve benefits and find a “middle ground” as a choice for employee health care.
Patty Charlton said the formula funding study group will meet in the next couple of weeks.
Darren Divine reminded everyone that the Board of Regents meeting in March 2012 will meet here at CSN’s Charleston Campus.
Dr. Richards reported that enrollment as of Friday, September 9, was down about 8%.
Meeting adjourned at 10:10 a.m.
Next meeting scheduled October 10, 2011.
aml
The CSN Chronicle
Greetings to all of you! As we near the mid-way point in the semester, I hope things are going well. Because a number of fine rumors are circulating, I’m going to start this Chronicle by addressing some of them. Then I’ll share information about other important news and activities.
Rumor Control
Distance education will be outsourced. No. We have no plans to change anything regarding distance education other than the learning management system (LMS).
Nevada will create a virtual college. No. Although a recommendation in the report of the Fresh Look Task Force advanced the idea, there is no support, particularly at CSN, to create a redundant online college. CSN is already fully on online, delivering excellent classes and student support services.
The new password policy is an administrative decree. No. The new policy and the reasons for it were exhaustively discussed in Faculty Senate last spring. As I mentioned at convocation, the intent of the policy is to protect college and employee information through regular changes in passwords. Requiring regular password changes is a common practice at many businesses and organizations.
Starting Nov. 1, the new computer password protection standards will take effect and you will be prompted to change your Active Directory password. Please be proactive and change your Active Directory password as soon as possible before Nov. 1. Changing your password now will ensure the new standards are implemented smoothly. This is part of the Information Systems and Electronic Resources Acceptable Use Policy that was approved in May. Information about password protection can be found in section II G.
The state/national Complete College America (CCA) agenda will threaten current curricula and programs. No. While CSN and other institutions are learning more about how the CCA will affect Nevada, the aspects discussed by the administration integrate into existing structures and programs, predominately in student services.
Human Resources Improvements
Watch for the HR Newsletter, issued periodically with current information from Human Resources. The newsletter will be posted on the web.
HR staff members are working steadily to improve services to all CSN employees. A new software system for administering leave is being tested, and a new I-9 system has been acquired. Both systems will make our operations more effective and efficient. I hope, too, that you have visited the new HR web site. The product of months of effort, the new site offers a wonderful resource for faculty and staff. Also, take advantage of HR staff visits to other CSN campuses. Their regular circuit of visits saves you travel time.
Our facilities staff members, under the direction of Sherri Payne, continue with the phased plan to upgrade space at the Cheyenne campus. New carpet and paint has made a huge difference, along with improved mechanical systems. Restrooms are next on the list of projects. We have also introduced new directional maps and signage to all three campuses. In some cases room numbers will be revised for more systematic “way-finding,” a particular need at Cheyenne. Exterior maps are also part of this project. Our thanks to Sherri, Luis Tristan and the team for these much-needed improvements.
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System Planning and Fiscal Direction
At a special meeting of the Board of Regents on Oct. 21, the Board is expected to develop its strategic direction in preparation for the 2013 legislative session. The goals and objectives of the Nevada System of Higher Education have not been updated for some time, particularly as the national college completion and workforce competency agendas have been published. It is expected, too, that institutional performance measurements will be introduced as an aspect of NSHE’s strategic plan.
We at CSN have developed preliminary directions and ideas for the revision of the state funding formula. A legislatively-approved study is getting underway as members of the study committee and working group have been named. From CSN, Patty Charlton is on the working group, and I am on the study committee.
On Thursday, Dec. 8, CSN is celebrating the end of the year with a Holiday Fiesta at Texas Station. The ‘fiesta’ theme celebrates the large and colorful community gatherings of Latino culture. You should be getting a ‘Save the Date’ e-mail soon, so mark your calendars and plan to join us for this wonderful and festive celebration. Tickets, which go to support CSN programs and scholarships, are $5 and go on sale Nov. 1. Again, we are collecting Three Square donations at the door. The CSN Foundation sponsors the holiday party, and we thank the trustees for their continuing support. I have every assurance that this year’s event will be even more fun than last year. More information is available at www.csn.edu/holidayparty.
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Hispanic Heritage Month
I would also like to encourage you to help CSN celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month. You can do this in a number of ways, such as attending the CSN Cesar Chavez Scholarship Luncheon on Oct. 26 at the Stratosphere. In addition, there is a Wine & Tequila Tasting Fundraiser on Nov. 1 at the Blue Martini at Town Square. More information about both events, which raise money for CSN student scholarships, is available on the CSN home page.
Reminder: Driving and Cell Phones
I would like to remind everyone that talking, texting or otherwise using a handheld device like a cell phone while driving is now against the law as of Oct. 1. Please do not use your handheld device while operating your vehicle at any time. Whomever you need to communicate with – whether it is a coworker, a supervisor at CSN, a family member or friend – will understand and appreciate your prudence if you wait until you are off the road and no longer operating a vehicle to contact them. I want to stress that you must not use your cell phone to conduct CSN business on your phone while driving at any time.
Regents Awards
The college’s Internal Recognition Committee is now soliciting nominations for the NSHE regents’ awards, including Regents’ Scholar, Regents’ Teaching, Regents’ Academic Advisor and Regents’ Creative Activities awards. As you will recall when our own Dennis Soukup won the Regents’ Teaching Award this past year, it was a huge source of pride for the college. Each award also comes with a $5,000 stipend. Nomination materials are due to Jann Carson by 5 p.m. on Oct. 21 at jann.carson@csn.edu. For more information on these awards, go to www.csn.edu/recognition.
The committee will also begin soliciting nominations for the excellence and distinguished awards (these are given out at convocation) shortly.
Questions from Faculty and Staff Members:
“How’s fall enrollment?”
Our official census date is Oct. 15, but the last numbers I saw indicated headcount and FTE enrollment were down about 10%.
“Why is enrollment down?”
CSN’s enrollment history is cyclical and we have periods of growth and decline. We believe enrollment is declining as many Nevadans, who would be students, have been told that our education system is broken and are looking out of state for postsecondary opportunities. We’ve talked for six months about closing sites and even a campus. That probably didn’t help. Nevada’s population is no longer growing as it once was, and many who have lost their jobs in recent years have given up and moved away instead of enrolling at CSN to obtain more marketable skills. Increasing tuition and fees probably did not help either. But I would not say enrollment is suffering. For the past three years, CSN’s student population has grown and we have some catching up to do. I see this as an opportunity to look inward and focus on the quality of the education we provide and making sure all of our students receive the attention, knowledge and skills they need to achieve their goals.
Best regards to all.
–Mike Richards
August 8, 2011
Cabinet Members:
President Mike Richards
John Bearce, Director of Institutional Research
K.C. Brekken, Director, Communication & Events
Thomas Brown, Senior Advisor to the President – absent
Patty Charlton, Senior Vice President for Finance & Facilities
Chemene Crawford, Interim Vice President for Student Affairs �
Darren Divine, Vice President, Academic Affairs
Richard Hinckley, General Counsel
Shellie Keller, Chair, Administrative Faculty Assembly – absent
Rob Telles, President, Classified Council
Jacque Matthews, Executive Director, Foundation
Joan McGee, Chief Campus Administrator, Charleston Campus – absent �
Charles Milne, Faculty Senate Chair-Elect
Dan Morris, Executive Director, Business Operations �
Aimee Riley, President, Student Government
Tracy Sherman, Faculty Senate Chair – absent �
Mugunth Vaithylingam, Chief Information Officer
The meeting was called to order by Dr. Richards at 9 a.m.
The notes of the June cabinet meeting were approved.
Dr. Richards reviewed some upcoming events for August and September, including the Adjunct Impact Conference on August 20, Convocation on August 22 and the Board of Regents Meeting on September 8-9 at Desert Research Institute here in Las Vegas.
Jacque Matthews said a new insert in the Las Vegas Review Journal will be out on September 7, highlighting student success, the new Dean of Arts & Letters, Wendy Weiner, Seth Maurer, a former CSN student who now serves on the CSN Foundation Board of Trustees, a former CSN culinary student who now works as a chef in a well-known California restaurant and much more. A $25,000 grant from WalMart was applied to CSN’s Learn and Earn Program. MGM donated $57,000 to CSN– $40,000 to Dental Faculty Practice for senior citizen dental care, and $17,000 to Learn & Earn. Jacque said the Board of Trustees met on June 21 to further develop a comprehensive campaign for CSN. The Board divided into 10 industry teams with chairs chosen for each. The Executive Committee will meet on August 16. The Foundation hired a part-time major gifts officer, Lou Emmert.
Dan Morris reported that iNtegrate progress is right on task with the projected schedule. Enrollment cancellation will follow the payment due date of August 11 for fall semester classes. The iNtegrate team, Registrar and Student Financial Services are working to ensure that enrollment is not cancelled for students with pending financial aid. The contracts have ended for the consultants assisting with the new system processes in Admissions, but the Financial Services and Advising consultants still have a bit longer to assist.
Aimee Riley said Student Government is in the process of planning and goal setting for the new academic year. They are currently working on filling appointments—2 on the Charleston campus and 1 for Cheyenne. She reported that Papa John’s Pizza donated food for the Student Welcome Back Event; and an agreement has been secured with Papa John’s for CSN students to receive a 50% discount. Implementing Club Ride is also on Student Government’s list of tasks to complete. A Health and Wellness committee has been established with the intention to focus on more than athletics. The broader scope will include campus food options, dental care, stress management, sport program promotions and possibly a golf team. Aimee said she has heard a lot of feedback regarding Math and Science classes’ lack of availability.
Chuck Milne said that Faculty Senate is working on appointments, and there should be more to report as the academic year progresses.
Dr. Richards told the group that NSHE Chancellor Dan Klaich and Board of Regents Vice Chair, Regent Kevin Page will attend CSN’s convocation at the Texas. He reminded everyone to attend and to take advantage of the many training opportunities offered by CAPE during convocation week.
Enrollment is down for the fall semester, primarily due to budget cuts. The Nevada System of Higher Education is organizing a formula study committee to work through the funding equity problem. The group will report back to the Legislature in 2013.
Dr. Richards said that many employees and students are struggling with emotional issues, depression and various upsetting situations, especially in the current economic climate. He asked that the cabinet members be sensitive to the uncertainty people are feeling. There are resources available to employees through the Employee Assistance program, and for students, Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS). He encouraged everyone to rally around hurting individuals and help when possible.
Darren Divine told the group that the remodel of the science labs at the Cheyenne campus is almost complete and the whole thing looks great. He told everyone to take a look if they get the chance, and that Sherri Payne and all the facilities folks did a terrific job.
Meeting adjourned at 9:40 a.m.
Next meeting scheduled September 12.
aml
The CSN Chronicle
Greetings to all! I hope your semester is going well. There are a number of activities I’d like you to know about.
Cheyenne Improvements
We’ve made a number of capital improvements in our venerable Cheyenne campus, and there is more being done to improve the use and aesthetics of these facilities. The new science labs, along with new classrooms, are in use! Sherri Payne and her staff have worked with the State Public Works staff and Clark and Sullivan, the contractor, on this extensive upgrade that was funded through capital improvement dollars from the 2009 legislative session. It looks wonderful! Our own facilities staff members have developed a phased plan to upgrade public circulation and assembly space with new carpet, painting, and mechanical improvements. Restrooms will also be renovated. Each semester we will be working on better signage and new finishes to freshen Cheyenne. During the renovation this past summer, a modular lab was installed north of the Horn Theatre. We will keep that facility in operation even though construction is finished on the labs. This increases capacity in our science programs.
I hope you have a chance to visit the remodeled science labs on the second floor, south end of the main building. Thank you, Sherri and the entire facilities staff, for the effort on this important project.
Strategic and Fiscal Direction
The September meeting of the Board of Regents will be held next week in Las Vegas at Desert Research Institute. During the meeting, the Board will hear from Dr. Sandra Elman from the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities. New accrediting standards and processes are in place for all Nevada colleges and universities, and the Board needs to learn about the changes as they plan strategically for NSHE’s future. Dr. David Longenecker, Executive Director, Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education (WICHE), will be a guest of the Board to facilitate strategic planning for the regents and the System. We may also hear more on the status of the funding formula study that is expected to get underway this month.
Texas Station will be the site for our annual Holiday Party on Thursday, December 8th. Please mark your calendars and plan to join us for this wonderful celebration.
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Online Courses and Programs
Online Learning: the Fresh Look Task Force and the Pew Research Center
Two major reports have raised policy issues regarding online learning. Within Nevada, the Fresh Look at Community Colleges Task Force has made a recommendation to establish the Nevada Virtual College, operated by a third-party vendor to deliver courses and programs throughout the state. Nationally, the Pew Research Center also released a report with the following findings:
As online college courses have become increasingly prevalent, the general public and college presidents offer different assessments of their educational value. Just three-in-ten American adults (29%) say a course taken online provides an equal educational value to one taken in a classroom. By contrast, fully half of college presidents (51%) say online courses provide the same value.
More than three-quarters of the nation’s colleges and universities now offer online classes, according to the survey of college presidents, and about one-in-four college graduates (23%) have taken a course online, according to the general public survey. Among those who have graduated in the past decade, the figure rises to 46%. Adults who have taken a course online have a somewhat more positive view of the value of this learning format: 39% say a course taken online provides the same educational value as one taken in person, a view shared by only 27% of those who have not taken an online course.
At CSN about 300 courses (938 sections) and 30 certificate and degree programs are offered on-line, along with student support services for student success with online instruction. These courses and programs are expected to meet the same standards of rigor and quality as site-based classes, and accreditation standards explicitly address this expectation. I suspect that that is why more college presidents indicate equal educational value of online courses in the Pew chart above.
I am opposed to the creation of a Nevada Virtual College as a separate, degree-granting institution, and I would submit the CSN is already Nevada’s virtual college, given the scope of offerings, the technology support system in place, faculty oversight, and student services tools available. Accreditation for CSN’s online program is already through CSN. A new institution and process is not needed.
Previously I reported that CSN received a grant of $756,000 in emergency management funds. This grant is supporting an initiative to improve the safety of our campuses and our police department over the next two years. Proceeds of the grant will support equipment, training, and emergency preparedness efforts for the institution. Some of our new efforts will be tested with faculty and staff during this academic year.
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Questions from Faculty and Staff Members:
“How many students are enrolled this semester?”
Our official census date is October 15th, but the last numbers I saw indicated headcount enrollment was up about 1 percent over the same time last year and our FTE was up about 3 percent.
“Are budget cuts over?”
I hope so, but I don’t think the Nevada System of Higher Education and CSN are out of the woods yet. The economy is recovering slowly and erratically. I also expect the 2013 legislative session to be very difficult.
“When did student completion become such a hot issue, and how do we balance that with student learning and success?”
Since early in 2010, national and state attention to certificate and degree completion has eclipsed other student-related issues. Major foundations, the National Governor’s Association, professional associations in higher education, and the White House have focused their attention on completion and career readiness. We must reciprocate, but from my perspective, this new national agenda has sometimes overshadowed student learning, assessment, and a broader view of student success. Liberal education has taken a back seat to career education and a perceived urgency to “get students through.” We must be mindful of that as we carry forward and remember that our job remains to instill critical thinking skills, curiosity and an appreciation for lifelong learning.
Best regards to all.
- Mike Richards
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