SSCC adds two new administrative posts

By BRANDY CHANDLER

The Highland County Press

   The Southern State Community College Board of Trustees approved the creation of positions for two additional deans at the college Wednesday evening.

   The board heard a report from SSCC Vice President of Academic Affairs Dr. Ryan McCall, at the request of college president, Dr. Kevin Boys. Boys

reported to the board that during a recent meeting of the Ohio Learning Commission – the accrediting body for the college – the group

emphasized that if community colleges do not police themselves to encourage continued assessment and improvement, “someone is going to do it for us.”

Community colleges will play a critical role in turning around the economy, he said, and community colleges should push continued improvement because,

“We owe that to our students, we owe that to the taxpayers, and to our state and our country.”

   With continuous improvement in mind, Boys asked McCall to address the board on recent initiatives. McCall spoke about increased pushes for

partnerships with other institutions, articulation agreements, sharing of resources, grant applications, a potential changing of minimum faculty

credentials, oversight, and new accreditations standards. With new standards, institutions are encouraged to choose and focus on an area of

improvement for three years, and report back the results. SSCC will start that process in 2012 when the college converts to semesters from quarters.

   SSCC has looked at other institutions of similar size on how they organize and handle administration. McCall outlined the areas he is

presently in charge of, as well as what campus directors are being expected to do, including vetting and evaluating faculty, program development,

reporting to state agencies, facilities assessment, etc., plus running each campus.

   McCall noted that with the 30-percent increase in student enrollment, 40-percent increase in credit hours and 14-percent   increase in full-time

faculty, everyone is doing more, and has managed to do their jobs well.

   He suggested creating positions for three deans: a dean of technical and career education, who would oversee health science directors and technical

chairs; dean of liberal arts and core studies, who would oversee core studies chairs; and the dean of instructional operations, who would oversee

the schedule, articulations and Learning Resource Center.

   Board chairperson Kay Ayres asked how many new hires McCall was proposing, and he said two. Karen Davis, central campus director and dean of

instruction, would move to the position of dean of instructional operations. Davis would retain her present responsibilities, he said, and take on a few

others as well.

   The board did not discuss the report, and Ayres said to Boys that it was his decision to make. The board accepted the proposal with a vote of

7-0 to accept both the president’s report and vice president of business and finance’s report. 

   Board member Paul Hall was not in attendance.

   In other business, the board:

   • Voted to enter into executive session to discuss collective bargaining.

   • Heard from Davis and Fayette campus director Jessica Wise on the Phi Theta Kappa, the honor society for community colleges, and the role it plays

at SSCC, through its core components of leadership, service, fellowship and scholarship. 

   Phi Theta Kappa members Wotsa Klu and Angel Souther were honored by the board for their inclusion on the All-Ohio Academic First Team, and All-Ohio

Academic Third team, respectively.

   • Heard from board member Ralph Shell, whose term expires this spring, speak on a life of public service. He posed the question, “Are we there

yet?”, regarding the improvements and mission of SSCC. Shell said all work should be done for the betterment of the college’s students.

   • Voted 7-0 to pass a corporate resolution authorizing Boys as the signer on all college accounts.

   • Voted 7-0 to pass an alternative retirement plan resolution. Boys said the resolution was to be in compliance with a law that requires state

institutions offer an alternative plan within the Ohio Public Employees Retirement System (OPERS).

   Boys said the alternative allows an employee to have more control of where their retirement funds are invested, rather than a set pension plan.

   • Heard Boys’ report that the president’s report would now be available online at www.sscc.edu.

   • Prior to the board meeting, the SSCC board's long-range planning committee, Vicki Wilson, Jim Ward and Rory Ryan, met with Dr. Boys. Wilson said the committee hopes to have a report for the May meeting.

   The Southern State Community College Board of Trustees approved the creation of positions for two additional deans at the college Wednesday evening.

   The board heard a report from SSCC Vice President of Academic Affairs Dr. Ryan McCall, at the request of college president, Dr. Kevin Boys. Boys reported to the board that during a recent meeting of the Ohio Learning Commission – the accrediting body for the college – the group emphasized that if community colleges do not police themselves to encourage continued assessment and improvement, “someone is going to do it for us.”

Community colleges will play a critical role in turning around the economy, he said, and community colleges should push continued improvement because, “We owe that to our students, we owe that to the taxpayers, and to our state and our country.”

   With continuous improvement in mind, Boys asked McCall to address the board on recent initiatives. McCall spoke about increased pushes for partnerships with other institutions, articulation agreements, sharing of resources, grant applications, a potential changing of minimum faculty credentials, oversight, and new accreditations standards. With new standards, institutions are encouraged to choose and focus on an area of improvement for three years, and report back the results. SSCC will start that process in 2012 when the college converts to semesters from quarters.

   SSCC has looked at other institutions of similar size on how they organize and handle administration. McCall outlined the areas he is presently in charge of, as well as what campus directors are being expected to do, including vetting and evaluating faculty, program development, reporting to state agencies, facilities assessment, etc., plus running each campus.

   McCall noted that with the 30-percent increase in student enrollment, 40-percent increase in credit hours and 14-percent increase in full-time faculty, everyone is doing more, and has managed to do their jobs well.

   He suggested creating positions for three deans: a dean of technical and career education, who would oversee health science directors and technical chairs; dean of liberal arts and core studies, who would oversee core studies chairs; and the dean of instructional operations, who would oversee the schedule, articulations and Learning Resource Center.

   Board chairperson Kay Ayres asked how many new hires McCall was proposing, and he said two. Karen Davis, central campus director and dean of instruction, would move to the position of dean of instructional operations. Davis would retain her present responsibilities, he said, and take on a few others as well.

   The board did not discuss the report, and Ayres said to Boys that it was his decision to make. The board accepted the proposal with a vote of 7-0 to accept both the president’s report and vice president of business and finance’s report. 

   Board member Paul Hall was not in attendance.

   In other business, the board:

   • Voted to enter into executive session to discuss collective bargaining.

   • Heard from Davis and Fayette campus director Jessica Wise on the Phi Theta Kappa, the honor society for community colleges, and the role it plays

at SSCC, through its core components of leadership, service, fellowship and scholarship. 

   Phi Theta Kappa members Wotsa Klu and Angel Souther were honored by the board for their inclusion on the All-Ohio Academic First Team, and All-Ohio

Academic Third team, respectively.

   • Heard from board member Ralph Shell, whose term expires this spring, speak on a life of public service. He posed the question, “Are we there yet?”, regarding the improvements and mission of SSCC. Shell said all work should be done for the betterment of the college’s students.

   • Voted 7-0 to pass a corporate resolution authorizing Boys as the signer on all college accounts.

   • Voted 7-0 to pass an alternative retirement plan resolution. Boys said the resolution was to be in compliance with a law that requires state institutions offer an alternative plan within the Ohio Public Employees Retirement System (OPERS).

   Boys said the alternative allows an employee to have more control of where their retirement funds are invested, rather than a set pension plan.

   • Heard Boys’ report that the president’s report would now be available online at www.sscc.edu.

   • Prior to the board meeting, the SSCC board's long-range planning committee, Vicki Wilson, Jim Ward and Rory Ryan, met with Dr. Boys. Wilson said the committee hopes to have a report for the May meeting.