Kentucky Community and Technical College System
Board of Regents Meeting Minutes

July 21, 1997

The first meeting of the Kentucky Community and Technical College System Board of Regents (KCTCS) was held on Monday, July 21, 1997, at 2:00 p.m. (ET) in Room 110 of the Capitol Building in Frankfort. Dr. James Ramsey, State Budget Director and Chairman of the KCTCS Statewide Transition Team, presided over the meeting.

Dr. Ramsey introduced the members of the board whose appointments had been announced by the Governor at a press conference on July 14, 1997. The oath of office was administered by Judge William L. Graham, Circuit Judge of Franklin County, to the following members - John R. Banks, Richard Bean, Michael Hoseus, Martha Johnson, Lorna Littrell, Diana Lutz, Cynthia Read, and Marvin Russow.

Members of the KCTCS Transition Team were introduced - Ron Carson, Deputy State Budget Director; Dr. Ed Ford, Deputy Secretary of the Cabinet; Dr. Ben Carr, Chancellor, University of Kentucky Community College System (UKCCS); Dr. Jack Jordan, Vice Chancellor for Business Affairs, UKCCS; Dr. Anthony Newberry, Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, UKCCS; Delmus Murrell, Acting Commissioner, Department of Technical Education, Workforce Development Cabinet; and, Beverly Haverstock, General Counsel, Workforce Development Cabinet. Sandy Gubser, Executive Director, Office of Policy, Budget, and Personnel, Workforce Development Cabinet, was not present.

Remarks by Governor Patton

Governor Paul Patton addressed the group. In his remarks he stressed the importance of postsecondary education in Kentucky. Creation of the KCTCS is a birth of a new institution of postsecondary education in the state. KCTCS will be the largest college in Kentucky in terms of enrollment and will operate under the third largest budget. KCTCS will prepare the young people of this state to work with businesses and industries and to go on to other institutions to further their personal development. The first members of KCTCS will shape the personality, character, and productivity of this institution. The Governor said that everyone in the state is being cooperative to make this effort work - the Workforce Development Cabinet, the community colleges, and other people around the state - but the KCTCS board members govern this institution. Every effort has been made to select the very best board that could be selected. The members were selected from 24 nominations - 12 from the UK Board of Trustees and 12 from the Governor’s Postsecondary Education Nominating Commission. The Governor and his staff have conducted background checks and interviews with all 24 nominees. The members were selected without bias, political prejudice, or pressure.

Election of Officers

Since six additional members - two students, two staff, and two faculty - are yet to be selected, Dr. Ramsey appointed the following temporary officers to serve until such time as all members are selected: Chair - Martha Johnson; Vice Chair - Marvin Rossow; Secretary - Beth Hilliard, Assistant to the State Budget Director, Governor’s Office for Policy and Management; Treasurer - Ron Carson.

Overview of House Bill 1/House Bill 4 and KCTCS

Dr. Ramsey made a presentation on House Bill 1 and House Bill 4 and the creation of KCTCS. He discussed reasons for the reform, suggested indicators of the problems with the previous system, indicated goals for the new system, and identified significant features of the Act (including creation of the Council on Postsecondary Education, Strategic Committee on Postsecondary Education (SCOPE), Strategic Investment and Incentive Funds, Commonwealth Virtual University, and KCTCS).

Delmus Murrell made a presentation on the technical schools. He provided information such as a historical perspective of the technical school system, the impact of HB 1 on KY Tech, role of the current department, program information, guarantee to employers, training opportunities and career connections, funding, physical facilities, and personnel data. KCTCS will take over the operations of the KY Tech System on July 1, 1998. Mr. Murrell assured the group that his office will keep the KCTCS informed of actions taken until that time.

Dr. Ben Carr made a presentation on the community colleges. Information was provided on the creation of the UKCCS, mission, degree programs, enrollment data, continuing education and community service, budgeted revenues and expenditures, employees, and facilities. Thirteen community colleges (Lexington Community College will stay under the University of Kentucky) will be placed under the KCTCS board as soon as the substantive change review process is completed by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (COC/SACS). Dr. Carr said that this process has begun. A prospectus will be sent to SACS and so that they can dispatch teams to Kentucky to visit the community colleges.

Dr. Ramsey reported that Ron Carson, Anita Lawson (consultant to the KCTCS Statewide Transition Team), Dr. Ben Carr, Dr. Charles Wethington, President of the University of Kentucky and he recently met with SACS officials. It is anticipated that the accreditation issue will be considered at the December meeting of SACS. Transition of the community colleges to the KCTCS could occur subsequent to that action. The process for change in accreditation of the technical schools also has begun. A meeting will be scheduled with officials of the Council on Occupational Education, the accrediting agency for the technical schools.

Bylaws

Anita Lawson discussed the draft of the KCTCS bylaws. The bylaws are a framework for organizing KCTCS and conducting business. The document was drafted by using several models of existing agencies such as those in Georgia, South Carolina, and Tennessee, states with similar community college/technical school boards. The Association of Governing Boards also provided a model.

Jack Conway offered a clarification of Section 6 concerning a quorum and the unique situation of this board that has one-half votes which may be cast. Business can be conducted only when a majority of the votes that can be cast are present.

Concerning Section 8, Power to Vote, Mr. Conway recommended that the wording to be changed in the last three lines of the first paragraph to read: "The faculty representatives of the Kentucky Community and Technical College System share one vote, which may be cast one-half vote each; the two non-teaching personnel representatives share one vote, which may be cast one-half vote each; and the two student representatives share one vote, which may be cast one-half vote each." This means that the faculty, staff, and student representatives of each branch do not have to vote together but each individual can cast a one-half vote.

Mr. Bean moved that the bylaws, including the amendment to Section 8, be adopted. Ms. Lutz seconded the motion. The motion passed.

Procedures for Student/Faculty/Staff Appointments

The recommended process for selecting the student, faculty, and staff appointments from the community colleges and the technical schools was distributed.

Mr. Conway said that the community college system faculty representative appointment process calls for an election procedure to be conducted. That process could be done by October 1. The faculty member will serve a three-year term. For the student member, the president of the student body at each community college will meet and elect a single representative to serve on this board for a one-year term. For the staff member, an election will be held among the staff of each community college. That slate of thirteen nominees will elect an individual to serve for a three-year term.

On the technical school side, an election within each of the fourteen service areas will be held. Those names will be forwarded to the chancellor of the technical institutions branch and the chancellor will mail out ballots along with biographies of the nominees. The student member will serve one year, staff three years, and faculty three years. This election procedure will take approximately 34 days.

Concerns were expressed about the possibility of several representatives being elected from one institution.

Mr. Bean recommended to impose a constraint that no more than one of the group of these six elected members of the board be a representative from one institution or one service area. The recommendation was accepted by a vote of 5-3. This restriction will apply to each branch.

Mr. Hoseus moved that the elections be staggered in order to achieve this desire for this first round of elections. The order for voting should be student members first, staff members second, and faculty members last. Ms. Johnson seconded the motion. The motion passed by a unanimous vote.

Dr. Ramsey will ask the Communications Group of the KCTCS Statewide Transition Team to convey this information on the election of student, staff, and faculty representatives to the community colleges and the technical institutions.

A motion was made by Mr. Russow, seconded by Mr. Bean, to adopt the procedures for selecting the student, staff, and faculty representatives as amended. The motion passed.

Search Process

Dr. Ramsey discussed the timetable for the search for a KCTCS president. On June 30 the Transition Team authorized their search process group to draft a Request for Proposal (RFP) to select a search firm to assist the board in the search process. The RFP was approved by the Transition Team on July 9 and the RFP was distributed to nationally recognized search firms on July 10. Responses from search firms are due by August 4. By August 18 the search process group will complete a technical review to assure that the responses received comply with the information requested. A list of firms will be submitted to the KCTCS board for review in mid-August. Representatives from these firms can be brought in to be interviewed by this board prior to the selection of the search firm.

New Business

Dr. Ramsey said that the Transition Team is currently the KCTCS staff until a president is selected and staff is hired. Six work groups have been organized to deal with specific issues - budget request, personnel, administrative/other, accreditation process, search process, and communications. An academic programs group may be appointed. I nformation needs or suggestions should be directed to Dr. Ramsey so that appropriate information can be provided to make this an effective board. Minutes and agendas of the work groups and the transition team meetings will be shared with KCTCS members and KCTCS members are encouraged to attend transition team meetings. The next transition team meeting is scheduled for July 29 at 10:00 a.m. (ET) at this location.

Dr. Ramsey suggested that the board schedule a day and a half retreat to discuss HB 1 and HB 4 and other relevant information. Dr. Ramsey will work with Chair Johnson to identify dates and develop an agenda for the retreat.

The meeting adjourned at 4:45 p.m.