The two hundred and thirty-seventh meeting of the Central Virginia Community College Board was held at 4:30 p.m. on July 15, 2020, Zoom Meeting (https://vccs.zoom.us/j/92095383522) |
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ROLL CALL
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Members Present
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Dr. Mac Duis—Bedford County
Dr. Jeffrey Garrett—Appomattox County
Ms. Julie Harris—Campbell County
Mr. Nathaniel Marshall—City of Lynchburg
Mr. Clay Stanley—Campbell County
Ms. Bonnie Svrcek—City of Lynchburg
Dr. Steve Troxel—City of Lynchburg
Mr. Joseph Tucker—City of Lynchburg
Dr. John Walker—Amherst County |
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Members Absent
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Ms. Tamara Rosser—Bedford County |
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Special Guests Present
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Staff Present
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Dr. John Capps, President
Dr. Muriel Mickles, VP for Student and Academic Affairs
Mr. Lewis Bryant, III, VP for Finance and Administration
Mr. Chris Bryant, VP of Institutional Advancement
Mr. David Lightfoot, VP of Information Technology
Ms. Kris Ogden, Dean of Institutional Effectiveness
Mr. Will Sandidge, Director of Strategic Initiatives
Mr. Jeff Sydenstricker, Interim Chief of Police
Ms. Mary Zoccola, Administrative Assistant |
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CALL TO ORDER
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| Dr. Steve Troxel, Chair, called the meeting to order at 4:32 p.m. |
| Dr. Troxel stated that there is a quorum present, and since we are in a Zoom (virtual) meeting all voting will be by roll call unless there is no objection, and then the vote will be by unanimous consent. |
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Approval of Minutes No. 235
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On a motion made by Mr. Marshall, duly seconded, Minutes No. 236 from the regular meeting of January 22, 2020, were approved as written with one abstention. The motion carried. It should be noted that Ms. Schvek stated that she abstained because she did not attend the January 22nd meeting. |
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PUBLIC COMMENT
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None |
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INTRODUCTION OF SPECIAL GUEST
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None |
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PRESENTATION
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CVCC Reopening Plan
Mr. Will Sandidge
Dr. Kris Ogden |
Mr. Will Sandidge reported that he is coordinating CVCC’s reopening plan for Fall 2020. Dr. Ogden collected the data from the Reopening Plan taskforce and created our written Fall 2020 Reopening Plan.
Dr. Ogden provided details about CVCC’s Fall 2020 Reopening Plan. Dr. Ogden stated that the focus was to support our students and faculty in order to get them through the spring semester successfully. A new grading system policy was implemented, just for spring that had a pass/fail component that allowed students to have more time to successfully complete their courses, without any penalty.
Dr. Ogden reported that CVCC continued to offer course work and delivery of services remotely for summer 2020. As CVCC transitioned into Phase Two, our team collected all the information we had learned from the spring and developed our Fall 2020 Reopening Plan. SCHEV required that this plan be submitted on July 6th along with a link, which is posted on our website. The Reopening Plan is currently under review at the VCCS.
Dr. Ogden reported that CVCC is following the CDC, the Virginia Department of Health, the Commonwealth Executive Orders, and specific guidelines for institutions of higher education. These guidelines apply to all higher education institutions.
Dr. Ogden stated that the first item required in the guidelines was to create a team that would be responsible for the development and the implementation of the plan.
Dr. Ogden stated that the questions considered in the development of the plan were: What will be required for us to be able to reopen this fall? What will be our timeline for reopening? Who will be allowed on campus during this reopening? How can we keep everyone safe when they do return to campus?
Dr. Ogden stated that the requirements included many categories, repopulation of campus, monitoring health conditions to detect infection, containing and preventing the spread of disease if any were detected on campus after reopening, and then what would be our plan if we had to return back to the same environment that we had in the spring with a shutdown of the campus again.
Dr. Ogden stated that CVCC will follow the original fall Academic Calendar with a start date of August 24th. Dr. Ogden explained course delivery at CVCC for fall 2020. Virtual is exclusively online courses with no set meeting time. Virtual real-time classes have a scheduled meeting time and day. Hybrid is mixture of on campus and virtual formats and those are mostly for our skills based CTE hands on courses and science labs. There are certain cohorts of students who may have a need to be on campus as well. This plan addresses primarily the safety of those who will be coming on campus for these hybrid experiences.
Dr. Ogden reported that another consideration is our student’s ability to access computers and technology. The plan is to have computer labs open by appointment for students to have access to computers and internet here on campus and at our off-site centers.
Dr. Ogden stated that CVCC is continuing to work with our K-12 partners as they work toward creating their own school division schedules for fall. We want to accommodate our dual enrollment students, but for CVCC, we will open on time, on August 24th.
Dr. Ogden stated that our primary focus is safety. There will be limited access on campus and our doors will remain locked. Students who do need to come to campus for those in person experiences will be met by a faculty or staff member who will ensure that they have met the appropriate screening guidelines within our plan.
Dr. Ogden explained that CVCC’s screening includes information that is shared prior to arriving on campus and attesting by signature that you have met the requirements as outlined in the Virginia Department of Health. Face coverings are required as outlined in Executive Order Number 63.
Dr. Ogden stated that our Facilities department is working tirelessly to ensure that there is safe physical social distancing in all spaces that will be used for in person experiences. They are using COVID19 specific cleaning and disinfecting protocols for all of these spaces.
Dr. Ogden stated CVCC is providing timely communication, along with education and training about the expected protocols when visiting campus. Dr. Ogden added that we need to be prepared to return to virtual/telework if required. Dr. Ogden showed examples of some of the signage that visitors will see across campus and in the classrooms as reminders about safe behaviors.
Dr. Ogden reported that CVCC is using professional development for training staff and faculty to make sure that they are delivering the best quality of educational opportunities to our students.
Dr. Ogden stated that the CVCC message has been revised, CVCC is the Right Choice, Right Now. CVCC is a safe place to learn. Dr. Ogden reported that the overall safety and security on campus is primary for us to be able to successfully reopen this fall.
Dr. Troxel stated that the Fall 2020 Reopening Plan is impressive and that the Board members are very appreciative of all the work that Dr. Ogden, Mr. Will Sandidge and the reopening team did to pull the plan together. |
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REPORT OF STANDING COMMITTEES
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CURRICULUM COMMITTEE
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| G3 Initiative/CTE Academy |
Mr. Nat Marshall, Chair of the Curriculum Committee, stated that there were no action items to bring before the committee. Mr. Marshall reported that Dr. Ferguson presented an update of the G3 Initiative/CTE Academy to the committee.
Dr. Ferguson stated that CVCC is in the process of Phase I with existing programs this fall and will add to the programs next fall.
Dr. Troxel asked Mr. Marshall to explain the G3 Initiative/CTE Academy graphic to the Board.
Mr. Nat Marshall explained that the graphic described the many different inputs into the program, high school students, adult learners and under-skilled workers and the outputs or goals, job placement, workforce ready employees and skilled applicants. Also, the community groups that are engaged in the process with CVCC being the platform that brings it all together. (See Appendix A) |
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FACILITIES AND FINANCE COMMITTEE
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Dr. Duis, Chair of the Facilities and Finance Committee, stated that there are four action items to bring before the committee for a vote. |
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Auxiliary Parking Fund
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Dr. Duis reported that the first is an approval of our auxiliary parking fund. This document is straightforward, and Mr. Lewis Bryant is available to answer any questions.
Dr. Troxel read the Auxiliary Parking Fund figures to the Board and asked Mr. Lewis Bryant to give a short explanation.
Mr. Lewis Bryant stated that it is a requirement of the VCCS that we submit and maintain positive cash flow fund balances throughout the entire document, and that the document meets the VCCS requirement.
On a motion by the Finance and Facilities Committee the Auxiliary Parking Plan, was approved by unanimous consent. |
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March Financial Statement
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Dr. Duis reported that the March Financial Statement was within budget, certainly at that time of the school year. Dr. Duis noted that the March Financial Statement would have been reviewed at the April Board meeting, but that meeting had been canceled due to the COVID19 closings. Dr. Duis asked if there were any questions for Mr. Lewis Bryant?
Dr. Troxel asked Mr. Lewis Bryant about the promotional items under General Administration on Page 6.
Mr. Lewis Bryant stated that this was a receipt. The expense was last year, but the cash came in this year.
On a motion by the Facilities and Finance Committee the March Financial Statement was approved by unanimous consent. |
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June Financial Statement
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Dr. Duis reported on the June Financial Statement. Dr. Duis stated that there were some large receipts noted, revenues noted from fee collections, which came in June. Lessoning of expenditures, because the greater Lynchburg Transit Company GLTC waived charges for that period due to the school closure and so with both of those items included in this report, the balances are very healthy going into the new school year.
On a motion by the Facilities and Finance Committee the June Financial Statement was approved by unanimous consent. |
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2020-2021 Local Funds Budget
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Dr. Duis reported on the 2020-2021 Local Funds Budget. Dr. Duis stated that there are some modifications to the budget proposal from the past year, to true up the budget with what was actually spent in previous years. There are some reductions and some additions. One of the larger additions had been approved after the budget process last year, the Beacon of Hope program.
Mr. Marshall asked why the funds for CVCC’s Student Handbook were cut. Mr. Lewis Bryant responded that those funds had not been fully utilized in the past four years. It has become cost prohibitive since we reach so many students by text and phone calls. Mr. Lewis Bryant added that if it became necessary, he would find additional funds later.
Dr. Troxel asked how CVCC planned to reach those people in the community who do not have access to electronics?
Mr. Chris Bryant responded that CVCC is very cognizant of our student population. We have a wide variety of accessibility, with text messaging being the number one way to reach our student demographic. Links can be inserted into a small text format. Also, our Student Services division has made thousands of phone calls directly to our students to make sure they have all the support services they need to enroll, to attend and to be successful at CVCC. He added that a direct mailing card was sent to households the other day. Mr. Chris Bryant stated that CVCC will use every avenue available to reach our students.
On a motion by the Facilities and Finance Committee the 2020-2021 Local Funds Budget was approved by unanimous consent. |
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Dr. Muriel Mickles
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Dr. Mickles reported that through the CARES Act CVCC received over $900,000 in funds to be distributed to our students who were affected by COVID19. We were able to help 942 students.
Dr. Mickles introduced Dr. Jason Ferguson the new Associate Vice President of the Professional and Career Studies division. Dr. Mickles stated that Dr. Ferguson is not new to CVCC. Dr. Ferguson was the Director of the ADJ and EMS programs, as well as several other programs. Dr. Ferguson is quickly making a positive difference at CVCC.
Dr. Mickles reported that in March CVCC transitioned into remote learning and teleworking. All our Student Services are remote. As Mr. Chris Bryant reported we make phone calls, send text messages and emails to our students. We want to know how they are doing and how we can help them to be successful students.
Dr. Mickles added that Michael Farris, Dean of Enrollment, is creating short videos to send to students through text messaging. These videos explain how to enroll, how to apply for financial aid and several other help items. Twice weekly, the Student Services staff have online virtual meetings that are opened to the public where students can ask questions to various departments.
Dr. Mickles stated that CVCC now has a Mascot, Calvin Cougar and he appears in several videos and posters.
Dr. Mickles reported that the fall schedule was modified to reflect changes to a remote learning environment. The schedule is on our website and enrollment is increasing. In preparation for faculty switching to online teaching, CVCC offered professional development. One course is mandatory, Growing with Canvas and the other is optional, ITE 295. Also, both courses were offered to our dual enrollment instructors at no cost.
Dr. Mickles stated that our online courses are virtual, virtual-real time and hybrid, and that Dr. Ogden had described these delivery modes during her presentation.
Dr. Mickles reported that we now have a live chat feature on our website. This is another way that CVCC is trying our best to reach out to our students and answer those questions that they may have in this new environment. We know this is not easy for them and we try to be proactive.
Dr. Mickles reported that Dr. Ferguson has restructured the Workforce into two program groups. One is the Business and Health Care that includes education and public safety. The other is Industry and Manufacturing that includes transition, summer academies, NCCER and the CDL programs.
Dr. Mickles reported that through Workforce CVCC received a healthcare pathway grant of $67,000 from the VCCS. The focus is on EMS and it is stackable, fits our G3 Initiative and promotes the One Door policy.
Dr. Mickles state that CVCC received approval from the VCCS for two new fast forward programs this fall, Solar Systems Installer and Certified Apartment Maintenance Technician.
CVCC is launching a professional development series, Virtual Leadership for individuals interested in leadership.
Dr. Mickles stated a brief synopsis of courses and services offered by Workforce. They include pre employment and current employee assessment, Apprentice Medical Scribe Professional, Certified Medical Assistant, Emergency Medical Technician, Phlebotomy Technician, SHRM Certification, Exam Prep Courses in CSC NCCER Electrical, Certified Apartment Maintenance Technician, Solar System Installer and the CDL commercial driver's license. |
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Mr. Lewis Bryant, III
VP Finance and Administration
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Mr. Lewis Bryant reported that due to the COVID19 environment, the Amherst/Campbell Hall renovations are on hold and did not make it out of this year’s General Assembly session. Hopefully, the VCCS will be able to reintroduce it in this upcoming session, and we can move forward.
Mr. Lewis Bryant stated that CVCC is moving forward with repairs and replacement projects like the reroofing project.
Mr. Lewis Bryant reported that there have been some new hires in Facilities. John Rocha, Facilities Manager, is very responsive to the health and safety requirements for the campus due to COVID19. Jennifer Dowdy is John’s assistant and a real asset too. George Profred is the site manager for our janitorial group, and he takes a great amount of pride in his work.
Mr. Lewis Bryant reported that he had distributed the newly adjusted department operating budgets internally. The budgets are roughly $400,000 lighter this year. Mr. Lewis Bryant stated that CVCC is bracing for the Governor’s cut, and that there is a hiring freeze as well. Mr. Lewis Bryant stated that CVCC is watching enrollments very closely.
Mr. Lewis Bryant added that Follett, CVCC’s book provider, has done an excellent job for us. They are continuing to ship books for free.
Mr. Lewis Bryant reported that CVCC received $908,000 in CARES Act funds for higher education. These funds can be used to pay salaries for faculty who transitioned from in person instruction to remote instruction.
Mr. Lewis Bryant reported that CVCC applied for and received funding for cleaning and disinfection services. These are known as CRS funds. |
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Mr. Chris Bryant
VP Institutional Advancement
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Mr. Chris Bryant reported that the Foundation raised about $100,000 more than last year. Given the pandemic environment this is a rather good indicator that our college culture is healthy and vibrant, and our constituents really believe in what we are doing. The Foundation under spent in their budget by $200,000 and with a gain of $100,000. The Foundation is in good shape.
Mr. Chris Bryant stated that they did not spend as much on equipment but hope to increase equipment purchases in the upcoming year.
Mr. Chris Bryant stated that the Foundation did give away, $463,000 in scholarships this year and that is right under the average of $500,000.
Mr. Chris Bryant stated that scholarships and equipment are their two biggest buckets. They were able to hold the line on scholarships but have some more work to do on equipment.
Mr. Chris Bryant reported that the Foundation did apply for several grant opportunities that were competitive. The grants will help with equipment purchases for the future and lift up of the CTE Academy.
Mr. Chris Bryant reported that they secured two competitive Tobacco Grants in March of this year that will help to purchase a new X ray machine to replace the aging X-ray machine. The competitive grant is for 50% and because of the success of CVCC’s radiology program in this region they will not have any trouble raising the match portion of that hundred thousand dollars.
Mr. Chris Bryant reported that the Foundation did receive a grant from the Tobacco Commission for our milling machines. The match was at $115,000, about $230,000 will be spent in the next year or two for machines in our shop.
Mr. Chris Bryant stated that they will pursue a grant through GO Virginia and that will be matched by their local partners. This will help to uplift the CTE Academy. The biggest expense is the hiring of two directors. The Foundation will budget $400,000 in support to the college over the next two years for the two director positions.
Mr. Chris Bryant stated that the Foundation will celebrate their 40th Anniversary on March 25, 2021. The Foundation Board will help with creating goals for growth of donors and donations. |
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Mr. David Lightfoot
VP of Information Technology
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Mr. David Lightfoot reported that this “new normal” increased everyone’s reliance upon technology in a very short timeframe. Thankfully, CVCC was moving to a cloud phone system prior to the remote work requirement. CVCC employees adapted systems and business processes; and implemented/embraced new systems and business processes.
Mr. Lightfoot stated that the phone cutover plan was expedited and is serving us well. The new system allows employees to answer their CVCC phone from anywhere, provided they have an Internet connection and a PC and/or a smartphone. Also implemented call queues for the main # and many departments. The call queues are staffed by multiple employees, who are now working from home. This allows multiple calls to a call queue to be answered simultaneously. These two features made the remote work more transparent to callers.
Mr. Lightfoot reported that many faculty and staff had laptops, but many did not. Also, some applications can only be accessed from on-campus or via a Virtual Private Network (VPN). Provisioned laptops were purchased as replacements to those without a laptop and old laptops were provisioned.
Mr. Lightfoot stated that at the time of the remote order, CVCC had support for only 25 VPN users. IT worked hard to configure the new phone system, provision phones, laptops, and VPN’s. The faculty and staff were very willing to embrace these new technologies.
Mr. Lightfoot stated that CVCC has implemented live chat on the website. When someone opens any of our webpages, after 8 seconds Calvin Cougar will ask that person if he can help answer any questions. If the person responds, a chat with an employee will be established. It was implemented last Friday, and by Monday 70 people had used live chat.
Mr. Lightfoot reported that they are leveraging Navigate in innovative ways. Scheduling via the web is one feature of Navigate. It allows students to schedule time with Counselors and Navigators, and to schedule time in the open computer lab—when it opens later this month.
Mr. Lightfoot stated that he was very impressed with the innovative ideas that resulted from the pandemic and willingness of everyone to embrace them. |
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Dr. Ogden
Dean for Institutional Effectiveness & Planning
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Dr. Ogden reported that the work in her office specifically relates to the current crisis. Before the end of the spring semester they surveyed our faculty and our staff to gain their perceptions about what went well and what did not go well. Dr. Ogden stated that this data helped to determine the types of professional development needed for the faculty and staff to be successful in this environment.
Dr. Ogden stated that in getting ready for the fall reopening there have been calling campaigns. Part of the call campaign is asking the students questions in a survey type format to help us understand better about the students who are not enrolling yet, and their reasons. We want to know what is holding them back so that we can work to address those needs in our community. We want to make sure that everyone who wants to attend CVCC is able to get the access and information they need to complete their educational goals. |
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Jeff Sydenstricker
Interim Chief of Police
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Mr. Jeff Sydenstricker reported that the Continuity of Operations Plan and the Campus Emergency Management Plan were reviewed by the team and updated as required and then submitted to the VCCS for review. Our Pandemic Plan annexed to our Recoup plan is undergoing a much-needed update that will include a lot of lessons learned from what we are going through right now that will be done in the near future.
Mr. Sydenstricker stated that they had consulted multiple times with Dr. Kerry Gateley from VDH, the health director for our region. Dr. Gateley’s guidance during this new COVID19 environment, was greatly appreciated.
Mr. Sydenstricker reported that since March, the campus buildings have been secured. They are accessible via card access to essential personnel. Students who need to complete skills or labs on campus are met by their instructors and taken directly to their specific class. This keeps the extra cleaning and disinfecting to specific areas being utilized.
Mr. Sydenstricker reported that they did purchase new body armor for about two thirds of our officers that were wearing expired body armor and it will arrive in the very near future. Mr. Sydenstricker stated that the campus police will stop wearing Class A uniforms in an effort to be more approachable to students, staff, and the public. The campus police are considering a softer appearance of khaki style cargo pants and black polo shirts. The officers will retain all of their equipment and will continue to wear what they need to perform their duties.
Mr. Sydenstricker reported that the Campus Police have embarked on automating many tasks like shift sheets, vehicle maintenance, emergency device checklists in order to cut down on paper usage.
Dr. Troxel asked Mr. Sydenstricker if he could bring the Local Board members up to date on Chief Dove’s Comprehensive Safety and Security Report mentioned at the January 22 Board meeting. Dr. Troxel stated that the report lacked a true evaluation of vulnerabilities for our technology system. Chief Dove was working with a branch of Homeland Security to perform a complete audit.
Mr. Jeff Sydenstricker responded that he had no knowledge of the report but will look into it further. |
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Mr. Will Sandidge
Director of Strategic Initiatives
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Mr. Sandidge thanked everyone for their efforts on the Reopening Plan. Mr. Sandidge stated that the committee had made tremendous progress towards reopening the CVCC campus for fall. He appreciated everyone’s hard work and input. |
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Dr. John Capps
President |
Dr. Capps stated that his evaluation with the Chancellor is soon. One of the fundamental components of that evaluation is the institutional goals that will be defined for the forthcoming year. Some of those goals are self-apparent like stabilizing our enrollment. For every ten percent CVCC falls short in full time equivalent students we lose 10% in state funding, $900,000. Dr. Capps added that in this challenging economic climate a budget cut from the state is expected. If that cut is 10% that represents another $900,000 loss in funding. Dr. Capps stated that we must stabilize enrollment at the same time we must manage our budget prudently.
Dr. Capps named other institutional priorities, the safety and security of our college community in this new environment, the workforce needs of our community and launching the regional CTE Academy over the next year, addressing the profound equity gap in our community that has been exposed since March.
Dr. Capps reported that CVCC plans to address these equity gaps by establishing a new subcommittee in the Title III steering committee that will focus on ways in which the needs of our underrepresented students can be met and try to achieve even more diversity at CVCC.
Dr. Capps stated that this Board has two responsibilities, to advise and to consent. Dr. Capps added that tonight the Board exercised consent by approving the local funds budgets. He stated that as local board members they are ambassadors for the college in the communities they represent, and also liaisons between those communities and CVCC. Dr. Capps asked the board members to give their advice on where CVCC needs to go, what CVCC’s focus should be and where CVCC should invest resources over the course of the next year. Dr. Capps stated that he would like to incorporate these recommendations into CVCC’s institutional goals for 2021.
Dr. Capps turned the meeting over to Dr. Troxel for discussion.
Dr. Troxel opened the floor for discussion.
Mr. Marshall asked if CVCC had a plan to cultivate a pool of diverse, community-based teachers that could address the needs of our students. Mr. Marshall stated that it is important for student success that they have instructors that represent their community.
Dr. Capps responded that CVCC has achieved fairly good success with diversity in terms of the administration and staff but agreed that significant progress needs to be made to have a more diverse faculty at CVCC.
Dr. Duis stated that the new Navigator positions were a timely addition to the Counseling staff. The responsibilities of the Navigators, to guide first year students through the process of applying to the CVCC, applying for financial aid, and finally enrolling in classes, were tailored to help students at this challenging time. It was very smart to increase your Counseling staff.
Dr. Capps responded that this was true. Dr. Mickles had redeployed the staff in the Learning Commons to take on some of the Navigators tasks like calling students, helping them overcome obstacles, making sure they are making timely progress. In this remote environment, the human touch becomes even more important. It is fair to say that people have been working harder in this remote environment than they were before. Dr. Capps stated that he could not be prouder of the extraordinary effort that people at this college have exerted.
Dr. Mickles stated that during these challenging times faculty and staff worked hand in hand. When faculty needed help with students who were struggling, Student Services was there to assist. Student Services reached out to students in various ways, phone calls, emails, and texting. Faculty were very appreciative of their assistance.
Dr. Duis stated that it might seem counterintuitive with a tight budget, but you may want to either retool or add more student support staff during these challenging times, maybe by re assigning existing employees.
Dr. Capps stated that before the approved budget was placed on pause the General Assembly had appropriated millions of dollars to employ additional counselors and navigators for the community college system. Student Support Services has been a lifeline for our students. Dr. Capps added that CVCC is fortunate, our faculty, staff, and administrators all work as a unified team. It is not true everywhere, but it is true at CVCC.
Dr. Troxel stated that we need to make sure that we understand what our goals are for the students down the road. A few questions to consider as we move forward, where are we going, who do we need to get us there and how we are going to get those individuals.
Dr. Troxel stated that he is certainly onboard for growing/training people in our own community to meet our educational needs. Dr. Mickles is a perfect example. Dr. Troxel stated that CVCC has increased technical training. We need to develop technical trainers from our community. Dr. Troxel added that there will be times that we must reach outside our community to provide our students with the best possible training.
Dr. Capps stated that he is on a taskforce for the University of Lynchburg and what we are talking about tonight revolves around that theme, growing CVCC students who transfer to UL achieve an advanced degree and ideally come back to teach at CVCC.
Mr. Stanley stated that he is from Campbell County and the success of the CTE Academy is very important to us and the entire region. If successful, the CTE Academy will help us meet our growing workforce needs. We want to see our dual enrollment programs continue to thrive and not lose any of the momentum that we built up over the past few years.
Dr. Garrett stated that we must reach out to those adult learners, especially in this climate of job loss and retraining. They need a way to take care of their families either through technical/trades training or post-secondary degrees. Dr. Garrett stated that we need to expand our virtual options to reach those students that cannot make it to campus but need the education CVCC has to offer.
Dr. Garrett stated that the region is passionate about the regional academies. Dr. Garrett suggested that CVCC look to partner with more of the local businesses to expand our regional academies and offer more opportunities to students.
Dr. Capps stated that those are absolutely vital points and what we said before is certainly true in this case the CTE Academy is a significant initiative. Unemployment is climbing in our area and our community will need new skills. Adults are wanting to be retrained so they can sustain a family supporting wage.
Ms. Svrcek stated that in our community hospitality is the largest sector for unemployment. How do we connect with that group?
Dr. Capps responded that we are always looking to find creative ways to reach out to prospective students.
Mr. Marshall stated that there are many resources in the community that we should be utilizing. There are good facilities that are rarely used that would be cheaper than building something new. Also, if we think outside the box, these facilities could be used to bring classes closer to the students.
Dr. Capps responded that the GO Virginia grant that we are planning to submit stipulates that Business Engagement Director position for the CTE Academy will engage in aggressive outreach to our partners in business and industry and the population.
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CHAIR’S REPORT
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Dr. Troxel stated that there are downsides to staying home and a lot of people get depressed and fearful. On the other side, staying safe from disease is important. Many people are missing that human interaction. It is fabulous that CVCC employees are calling our students and interacting with them. It may give them the lift they need in the midst of this very challenging environment. |
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NEW BUSINESS
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None |
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OLD BUSINESS
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None |
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ADJOURNMENT
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There being no further business, the meeting adjourned at
6:44 p.m. |