LANSING COMMUNITY COLLEGE
BOARD OF TRUSTEES
April 16, 2007
Regular Meeting
Adopted Meeting Minutes
Call to Order
The
meeting was called to order at 6:04 p.m.
Roll Call
Present:
Hollister, Canady, Pelleran, Proctor, Rasmusson, Laverty
Absent:
Smith
Pledge of Allegiance
Trustee
Pelleran led the Pledge of Allegiance.
There was
a moment of silence for the Virginia Tech Campus.
Approval of Minutes
MOVED by
Trustee Pelleran and supported by Trustee Canady to approve the
March 19, 2007 Regular Board of Trustees Meeting and the March
26, 2007 Special Board of Trustees Meeting minutes.
Roll call
vote:
Ayes:
Canady, Pelleran, Proctor, Rasmusson, Laverty
Nays:
None
Absent:
Smith
Additions/Deletions to the Agenda
There
were none.
Limited Public Comment Regarding Agenda Items
State Representative Joan
Bauer - Report on Community Colleges State Appropriations
State
Representative Joan Bauer stated that she was a member of the
State Appropriations Committee. She reported that as a member of
the subcommittee on appropriations she brings good news in step
1 for next year's budget. Representative Bauer stated that the
appropriations committee went on the road and had hearings
across the State at four different sites. She stated that they
heard from all twenty-eight community colleges. Representative
Bauer stated that community colleges play a vital role in
education. She further stated that not everyone will go on to a
four year degree, so more than ever it is important that we
retrain workers and train people for the jobs of the 21st
century. She reported that they recommended to the full
appropriations committee for next year's funding a 2?% increase
for each community college. She also reported that they are
making two additional recommendations with some parity funding
that would mean an additional $327,000 to the base allocation of
$29,937,300. Ms. Bauer stated that they would also be
recommending an additional $7 million dollars that would be
divided on the same ratio to all community colleges. This
funding would be an additional $719,100 for the community
College's nursing programs. She stated that these
recommendations would go to the appropriations committee, the
full House, and then to the Senate.
Ms. Bauer
reported that the current year's budget is in difficult
straights. She stated that they have made cuts of about $300
million, but that there is still $3 to $600 million that needs
to be cut. She stated that currently they are still in much
discussion. She reported that the Senate has put forth a list of
cuts and that the Senate is not at all interested in talking on
this year's budgets. Ms. Bauer stated that the House is in a
different position. The House is trying to decide what they can
live with for next year and what is realistic to get through.
She reported that they are doing all that they can to protect
the remainder of this year's budget. She reported that if they
do not get additional revenues in someway, the good news would
probably be impossible.
Discussion followed.
State Representative Joan
Bauer - Presentation of 50th Anniversary Resolution
Representative Joan Bauer presented the Board of Trustees and
the President with a tribute congratulating Lansing Community
College on their 50th Anniversary.
Oath of Office - The Honorable Charles F. Filice
Judge
Filice led Trustee Jerry Hollister into the Oath of Office:
"I do solemnly swear that I will support the Constitution of the
United States and the constitution of the State of Michigan, and
that I will faithfully discharge the duties as a member of the
Board of Trustees of Lansing Community College according to the
best of my ability".
Trustee
Hollister was sworn in at 6:24 p.m.
Trustee
Hollister introduced is wife Kathy, daughter Meghan, son
Jonathan, and his Dad Dave and wife Chris Hollister.
President's Report
National
Community College Month Scholarship Recipient
President
Cardenas reported that April is National Community College
Scholarship month and that since 1995 Lansing Community College
has offered a scholarship to the first baby born within the LCC
district on April 1st. The scholarship covers tuition
for 24 semester credits at Lansing Community College.
President
Cardenas acknowledged this year's recipient, Gage Flynn, born
April 1, 2007 at 12:01 am at Sparrow Health Systems. His
parents, Mariann Broyles and Patrick Flynn were unable to attend
tonight's meeting. She congratulated LCC's newest student to
Lansing Community College.
President
Cardenas introduced some of the students from the Phi Theta
Kappa Society to present the Board of Trustees with a
recognition that they had received.
The
President, Heidi Simpson, and Service Director, Nicoli Delfavero
of Phi Theta Kappa, presented to the Board the 2007 Whitney M.
Young, Jr. Service Award that the Society had received. This was
a gold status award for the 10% membership they have raised over
the last three years. Ms. Simpson stated that this was an
international award the society won. She thanked the President,
Board of Trustees, Rebecca Woods and their advisor Anand
Ramaswami for all of their support.
Fly Team Michigan
Dean Jan
Danford and Howard Dillman presented to the Board the Fly Team
Michigan collaborative agreement. Mr. Dillman stated that LCC
along with Delta College, Jackson Community College,
Northwestern Michigan College and Western Michigan University,
have agreed to create and sustain a relationship with one
another that will address cost effective operations for aviation
education through leveraging shared resources and personnel.
President
Cardenas reported that this is a model for the rest of the
State, which encourages community college President's across the
state to share assets, work together more cooperatively and to
go out for bids as a group of colleges and not as a single
institution for better pricing. She also stated that this will
provide better services and pathways for our students. If one
community college can not afford a part of a program, another
community college close by can offer that program.
Strategic Update
Report
President
Cardenas reported that a 46 member committee is working on
creating goals and metrics for the institution. She stated that
the group has been meeting on a monthly basis in small groups.
The President reported that in order to assist with the process,
the college has hired the Director of Institutional Research and
Effectiveness, Mr. Jason Mayland.
FY08 Budget
Development Process
Catherine Fisher reported that this process has run differently
than from the past. Ms. Fisher stated that the college has
decentralized the process and added significant modeling and
planning on the College's revenue side and funding side. She
stated that it was critical for the college to look everywhere
it can to increase the College's funding. She also stated that
the college should look at revenue as closely as the college has
looked at cost and expenses in the past. Ms. Fisher reported
that they have involved every level of the college and that the
Chair's have been very actively involved in planning both
expenses and revenue. She stated that the college is currently
looking at all of its options and will be presenting them at the
Budget Workshop on next Monday.
Discussion followed.
Action Item -
Alcohol Permit Request
President
Cardenas presented a request for Lansing Community College to
provide alcohol service to Capital National Bank on the occasion
of its 25th Anniversary Celebration at LCC's West
Campus Conference Center. She stated that Capital National Bank
will be hosting its employees, customers, and special
dignitaries at this event and is requesting to be able to serve
wine with dinner and bar service for the rest of the evening.
She reported that due diligence has been conducted by the
College as it relates to insurance and legal liabilities that
would be incurred, and that a more detailed outline of the event
was provided in the Board packet. President Cardenas stated that
the event will take place November 9, 2007.
Action Item -
Approval of Bids
Ms. Beard
presented the following bids for the Board's approval:
-
Physical Plant Air Filters in the amount of $30,592.78 per
year. The recommendation was to award the bid to Midwest Air
Filter.
-
Parking Structure Restoration 2007 in the amount of
$117,765. The recommendation was to award the bid to M One
Limited, Inc.
- West
Campus Technical Training Center Classroom Renovation in the
amount of $349,500. The recommendation was to award the bid
to Moore Trosper Construction.
- HHSC
3rd Floor Fit-Out in the amount of $1,813,000.
The recommendation was to award the bid to Granger
Construction Company.
Discussion followed.
Action Item -
Approval of Legal Contracts
President
Cardenas reported that the college has submitted a RFP for legal
services. She stated that in order for the college to continue
to work with the two legal firms (Foster, Swift, Collins & Swift
and Miller, Canfield, Paddock and Stone) that the college does
the majority of their work with, the college is asking for an
agreement between these two legal firms and Lansing Community
College. These agreements will allow the college to continue to
work with them up until the time that the RFP's process has been
completed and the college has identified the legal firms they
will be working with.
Trustee
Canady requested to see the rates of services before making a
decision.
James
Humphries provided a copy of the rates of services to each
Trustee. Copies of these rates are on file with the official
Board meeting materials.
Chairman
Laverty asked the Board if they would like to remove the
approval of the Legal Contract and vote on the other items.
MOVED by
Trustee Canady and supported by Trustee Pelleran to remove
approval on the legal contracts and to take a vote on the rest
of the consent agenda.
The floor
was open for discussion.
Roll call vote:
Ayes:
Canady, Hollister, Pelleran, Proctor, Rasmusson, Laverty
Nays:
None
Absent:
Smith
Motion
carried.
MOVED by
Trustee Pelleran and supported by Trustee Canady to approve the
alcohol permit request and bids.
Roll call
vote:
Ayes:
Canady, Hollister, Pelleran, Proctor, Rasmusson, Laverty
Nays:
None
Absent:
Smith
Motion
carried.
Chairman, Committee and Board Member Reports
Chairman's Report
- Information and Announcement
Chairman
Laverty reported that the Budget workshop will be on Monday,
April 23, 2007 at 4 p.m. in the Administrative Building Board
room.
He also
reported that on Wednesday, April 18, 2007 from 7:30 am - 8:30
am, Capitol Area Michigan Works! will be having their
Legislative Breakfast. He stated that CAMW sponsors this every
two months.
Chairman
Laverty reported that the Audit Committee will be meeting on
Monday, April 23, 2007 from 5:00 - 6:00 p.m. in the
Administrative Building Board room and the Personnel and
Compensation Committee will be meeting on Thursday, April 26,
2007 at 4:30 p.m. in the Administration Building room 200.
Committee Reports
Finance Committee Report - Trustee Rasmusson
Trustee
Rasmusson confirmed the Audit and Finance Committee date and
times that were announced by the Chair.
Board Members
Reports
Affirmative Action/Health
Insurance - Trustee Rasmusson
Trustee
Rasmusson presented the following resolution to the Board:
Upon
Motion being duly made, supported and passed, the Board of
Trustees of Lansing Community College adopted the following:
RESOLVED
that:
WHEREAS,
the Board notes that the Constitution of the United States
provides in Article I, Section 10 that no State "shall impair
the obligation of contract;" and
WHEREAS,
the Board notes that a State legal officer is claiming that
public bodies are barred by new State laws from any form of
affirmative action and any health care insurance benefit that
would benefit other than a husband-and-wife family or individual
employee alone; but
WHEREAS,
the Board notes that the College has contracted with employees,
by contracts lawful when made (LCC-MAHE, Appendix I, page 112
and 7.1.3.0), to implement a policy of civil rights and remedial
affirmative action and includes a joint finding, and includes
race as a protected category, and, further, the federal courts
have ruled that non-discrimination includes remedial affirmative
action and this legal construction of "non-discrimination" was
part of the contracts, and the College has contracted with
employees, by contracts lawful when made, to provide health
insurance benefits to genuine permanent households of employees,
in which all members genuinely contribute to the household or
are genuine dependents and the College has found (1) the
additional cost was very small, (2) the benefits promoted
productive and creative employees, (3) promoted health for
employees including preventive medicine, (4) relieved much
stress from health problems on employees, and (5) allowed the
College to treat all employee households the same and thereby
provide equal pay for equal work to all similarly placed
employees; and
WHEREAS,
the Board notes that diversity is a valuable aspect of the
education experience and there was past societal discrimination
in this community, and that the health care benefit is aimed at
genuine permanent households, such as siblings who raise their
respective children in a single household for reasons of economy
and overcoming the high cost of child day care or two adult
friends who do so, and meet the genuine and permanent household
standard, and was not aimed at any concern with the sexual lives
of its employees. And the College has no way to be cognizant of
the sex lives of its employees, and would be legally barred as
an arm of government from such surveillance, and never intended
to have such surveillance..
THEREFORE, the Board directs the President to consider having
legal counsel examine the questions related to whether the
conduct demanded by the said State legal officer would violate
the law, including the laws of the United States and including
Article I, Section 10 of the Constitution of the United States;
would cause the College to break the law, and/or cause the
College to breach its contractual obligations.
Trustee
Rasmusson stated that the Board should at least make a
preliminary look at whether the College is obligated to follow
the instructions the College has received from the State.
MOVED by
Trustee Rasmusson and supported by Trustee Canady to have the
Board direct the President to
consider having legal counsel examine the questions related to
whether the conduct demanded by the said State legal officer
would violate the law, including the laws of the United States
and including Article I, Section 10 of the Constitution of the
United States; would cause the College to break the law, and/or
cause the College to breach its contractual obligations.
The floor was open for
discussion.
Roll call
vote:
Ayes:
Canady, Hollister, Pelleran, Proctor, Rasmusson, Laverty
Nays:
None
Absent:
Smith
Motion carried.
Cultural Change - Trustee
Rasmusson
Trustee
Rasmusson requested that this resolution be removed due to the
President already exploring a lot of things that would relate to
a cultural change at the college.
Daycare for Students - Trustee
Rasmusson
Trustee
Rasmusson presented the following resolution to the Board:
Upon
Motion being duly made, supported and passed, the Board of
Trustees of Lansing Community College adopted the following:
RESOLVED
that:
The Board
Liaison is tasked to prepare a brief preliminary report with
respect to the feasibility of a program of affordable daycare
for students with children through leveraging College and
community resources and available funding sources.
Trustee
Rasmusson stated that the Board can ask the Board Liaison to
check into the statues and do analysis for the Board to see if
this is something that could be recommended to the President. He
clarified that this resolution does not create the program but
asks the Board Liaison to look at it.
Discussion followed.
MOVED by
Trustee Rasmusson and supported by Trustee Pelleran to assign
this task to the Board Liaison.
Roll call vote:
Ayes:
Canady, Hollister, Pelleran, Proctor, Rasmusson, Laverty
Nays:
None
Absent:
Smith
Motion
carried.
Presidential Search - Trustee
Proctor
Trustee
Proctor reported that the Board will be attending a team
building exercise on April 27, 2007 at the Sheraton Hotel. He
stated that from this workshop, hopefully the Board will move
forward to reinstitute the Presidential Search process with a
Board who will have some credibility amongst those who might
apply for consideration as President of Lansing Community
College.
Workforce Development Board -
Trustee Proctor
Trustee
Proctor stated that is had been reported that people are not
leaving the State of Michigan in droves but that there is some
out migration of retirees moving to warmer climates. He
continued that the state is not fairing that poorly in retaining
those who require the kind of skills the State needs to move the
State forward.
Discussion followed.
Action Item -
Approval of Legal Contracts
MOVED by
Trustee Rasmusson and supported by Trustee Pelleran to approve
the legal contracts.
The floor
was opened for discussion.
Trustee
Canady requested that the hourly rate of each firm be kept on
file.
Roll call
vote:
Ayes:
Canady, Hollister, Pelleran, Proctor, Rasmusson, Laverty
Nays:
None
Absent:
Smith
Motion
carried.
Closed Session
There was
no closed session.
Public Comment
There
were no pubic comments.
Board Evaluation
Trustee
Pelleran asked James Humphries if the College is continuing to
meet with the County Clerk and if the College is moving forward
with their requirements.
Mr.
Humphries replied yes.
Trustee
Proctor stated that he has review the bylaws and the governance
policies for what the responsibilities and duties of the Board
Liaison are to be. He further stated that he does not think the
Board adequately articulated those duties and responsibilities.
He stated that the Board Liaison also carries out some legal
activities related solely to Lansing Community College. Trustee
Proctor stated that at some point the Board needs to clarify his
responsibilities. Trustee Proctor suggested that there may need
to be some dual supervisory reporting for this position. He
stated that the duties that pertain to the college should be at
the purview of the President, and those pertaining to the Board
at the purview of the Board through the Chair. Trustee Proctor
stated that currently this is not clear.
He
further stated that this may be the same for the other
positions. He mentioned that there is a perception that the
Internal Auditor reports to the Audit Committee and that this
may not be in accordance with what his reporting relationship
ought to be to the Board. At some later point there needs to be
a common dialogue.
Chairman
Laverty stated that he agreed that there needed to be more
clarification on those positions. He stated that there needs to
be some sort for discussion between the Chair, Trustee Proctor,
President Cardenas and the Board Liaison. He stated that he had
concerns with the different Board policies approved by the
Board. He asked if the policies were in place and compatible
with the Board bylaws.
Trustee
Proctor stated that the Board needs to review the scope the
Personnel and Compensation Committee.
Trustee
Pelleran stated that the scope of the Personnel and Compensation
Committee is long over due and there needs to be definition to
the job descriptions for the employees that the Board hired. She
stated that she was not happy with how the process turned out,
and would like to see the staff report under the purview of the
President. She also stated that there were certain decisions
that were made by Committees that should have gone before the
full Board.
Trustee
Pelleran thanked the Board Administrative Assistant for her due
diligence and hard work on the process and fine tuning the
process for the effort to fill the Board vacancy. Trustee
Pelleran also thanked all of her colleagues who served in that
capacity and is delighted to have a new Trustee on the Board.
Chairman
Laverty stated that Mr. Humphries and Ms. Duncan will be working
with the President to put together an orientation process for
the new Trustee, Jerry Hollister.
Adjournment
MOVED by
Trustee Canady and supported by Trustee Rasmusson for the
meeting to adjourn.
Ayes:
Canady, Hollister, Pelleran, Proctor, Rasmusson, Laverty
Nays:
None
Absent:
Smith
Motion
carried.
The
meeting adjourned at 7:07 p.m.
