The Barton Community College Board of Trustees approved contracts for head coaches, management staff and administrators during a meeting Tuesday. The board also heard a monitoring report on Barton services and regional locations.
At 1 p.m. Wednesday, trustees will attend the Ellsworth Correctional Facility Learning Celebration.
Head coach contracts and administrative contracts were renewed with no personnel changes. Management staff contracts were renewed with two new contracts: Stephanie Joiner was named executive director of Foundational Education and Krystall Barnes was named Business and Industry Partnership manager. Previously, Joiner served as Director of Student Academic Development and Barnes was coordinator of Workforce Training Projects & Events.
There are no open positions and no contract non-renewals for head coaches, administrators or managers.
Under new personnel, trustees approved Kevin Johnston as the Student and Residence Life assistant on the Barton County campus; Rebecca Carter as a Student Services specialist at the Ft. Riley Campus; and Raul Alejandro Avila Alvarez as an instructor of keyboard and director of accompaniment on the Barton Campus (a contract position).
Changing demographics
A strategic planning report was presented by Todd Mobray, director of Institutional Research, who noted changing demographics.
Lower population growth increases economic opportunities for women and minority groups and exerts upward pressures on wages, especially for unskilled labor, Mobray said, citing data from various sources. The effects and solutions at Barton were highlighted:
• Female and minority enrollments (primarily Hispanic enrollments) have held or increased, while male enrollments have dropped dramatically (44% since 2016).
• The labor shortage and wage pressure factored into salary increases at the college.
• The population of the United States, currently at 333 million, is projected to grow by nearly 14%, largely through immigration, to 379 million by 2050. Most likely, international students will become a source for growth in addition to the growth in college-attending females and minorities mentioned previously.
“The drop in birthrate is worldwide amongst high-income countries,” he said. “The birthrate drop was not caused by the pandemic. However, it did have a negative effect on an already declining birthrate.”
Location, location, location
The trustees heard a monitoring report on END No. 6: Barton Services and Regional Locations. The ENDS are a set of overarching goals that are part of the board’s policy governance model.
According to END No. 6, The college mission will be supported by the strategic development of Barton service and regional locations. In addition to the Barton County campus, military academic services are offered at Fort Riley and Fort Leavenworth. The Grandview Plaza campus offers technical education such as hazardous materials, emergency management and OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) training.
This report was facilitated by Kurtis Teal, dean of Military Academics, Technical Education and Outreach Programs.
“We’re always looking for new service opportunities,” Teal said.
Executive session
The board recessed into an executive session, in compliance with the Kansas Open Meetings Act, for 20 minutes, to discuss an employee’s performance under personnel matters. No action was taken after the executive session except to adjourn.
