SSCC selects architect for campus expansion; discusses enrollment

Selection of an architect for the Brown County campus expansion project, a report on the rebranding initiative and a decrease in enrollment were among the agenda items discussed during the Southern State Community College Board of Trustees meeting Wednesday. 

During the meeting, held at the Fayette Campus in Washington C.H., SSCC Vice President of Business and Finance Jim Buck reported to the board that he anticipates the college will be able to finish the fiscal year "well within our current budget" despite a more than 13-percent decrease in enrollment. 

According to Buck's written financial report, enrollment for Southern State Community College is down an estimated 13.1 percent compared to the last spring quarter, with the student overall headcount down 14 percent. Moving forward, the college may consider budgeting for a decrease in enrollment for the fall semester of 2-5 percent, as opposed to the flat enrollment rate that was projected. 

"Given the unprecedented increase experienced in fiscal year 10, a leveling was anticipated," Buck said in the written report.

"The college's average enrollment increase over the last five and 10 years has been 8.7 percent and 6 percent, respectively. We are approaching the fiscal year 13 budget projecting enrollment to be flat.

"Traditionally, the change from quarters to semesters (which will take place in fall 2012 for SSCC) has been accompanied by enrollment declines, but it is unclear at this point if that will be our experience." 

On Wednesday, Buck told the board, "We'll still have a strong budget, it seems, June 30 (the end of the fiscal year)."

Buck said that he would like to have a finance committee meeting scheduled before the May board meeting to discuss FY 2013. 

"A note about next fiscal year – Initial plans in this budget, we were thinking enrollment should be flat. We really don't have a great idea (about what enrollment will be). What I'm hearing from a lot of schools (they are) projecting a 2- to 5-percent decline. That seems like a reasonable number, (but) until we have some reason to do that, we'll wait and see," Buck said.

Buck said he will need to spend "a little more time and detail with our estimates" and consider some other unresolved issues before officially budgeting for a decrease in enrollment. Other factors include employees who are talking about retirements and health insurance costs.

In February, the board voted, in split decisions, to approve an increase in technology fees beginning spring quarter and an increase in tuition for the fall semester to go toward offsetting an estimated $900,000 projected deficit. It was reported during a February finance committee meeting that there was a 10-percent drop in student enrollment during fall quarter, with a total projected drop of 11 percent for the year, as reported to the committee.

"By the time the finance committee meets, we'll have some pretty decent numbers," he said. 

Also during the meeting, Buck and the board's Long-Term Planning/Facilities Committee gave a report on their search, and ultimately their decision, for architecture firms for the Brown County campus expansion project. 

"I think we were impressed with all the firms, frankly," Buck said. "We felt that all four of those firms could have given us an excellent project."

The college hired the architecture firm BHDP, which has locations in Cincinnati and Columbus. 

Buck said that BHDP had recently designed a campus at a private college in Lima that was almost the exact same square footage on the almost exact same budget. He went for a tour of the campus and said he was impressed with what they were able to accomplish. 

"They really did a lot with the space," Buck said. 

Board president Dr. Vicki Wilson said that she told the architects that she was after a "wow" factor, so that when people travel underneath the overpass on state Route 32, the campus has the type of architecture that says, "We are here." 

Holding up a proposed design for the campus, Wilson said, "The thing that this says to me is 'possibilities.' Here's phase one, phase II, phase III, walking trails, wind turbines ... It is so exciting what can be done with this project. It's really exciting. I'm thrilled."

Buck said as they move further along in the design phase, they will get more feedback from the board and from various SSCC departments. 

"The entire college community will be engaged in this," Buck said. "One of the big challenges we have is addressing programming. You can't do that in a vacuum. It takes a lot of people." 

"Stay tuned," Wilson said. 

Also, during the president's report, Dr. Nicole Roades, Vice President of Institutional Advancement, gave a presentation to the board on the college's new logo and rebranding initiative. 

In other business: 

• In the president's report, Dr. Kevin Boys wrote that the Southern State Foundation anticipates to award nearly $50,000 in scholarships for the coming school year.
 
"Working closely with the financial aid director, the Southern State Foundation expects to award nearly $48,000 in scholarships for new and returning students this upcoming fall," Boys wrote.

Boys credited Buck, Stevetta Grooms and Janeen Deatley for their work in "keeping the scholarship program running in the absence of an executive director of the foundation. While this year will be a good year, it represents one of regrouping. The entire team is confident that next year will be even stronger." 
Boys also noted that SSCC faculty and staff remain "the most faithful and consistent donor group" to the foundation.

• In Buck's March report to the board, it was noted that the SSCC Daycare center, The Patri-Tots Learning Centers in Hillsboro and Wilmington, reported a year-to-date loss at the end of February of $34,675.

"The revenue reported is a net of $18,839 in discounts to employees. Without these discounts, the daycare loss through Feb. 29, 2012 would have been reduced to $15,836. As previously mentioned, the college currently does not charge auxiliary operations for administration and facilities," according to the report.

"If those costs were added, it is estimated that the year-to-date loss in daycare would be increased to $47,724 without the employee discounts and $66,563 with those discounts. Current enrollment consists of 28 percent children of students, 21 percent children of employees, and 51 percent children of community members."

• Boys reported that he and Clinton County board member Leilani Popp had met with David Bailey, a former Clinton County commissioner and Director of the Clinton Improvement Corporation (CIC). Boys said that a donation of land from the CIC in 1996 made the construction of the SSCC Wilmington Campus possible, and that donation will now be commemorated with a plaque.