Instructors Lee Courtney and Frank Challis submitted plans to retire to the college board of trustees Wednesday.
Courtney and Challis have been instructing students at Seward County Community College for 32 and 33 years, respectively.
Courtney, social science instructor, started in 1977.
Challis, speech and drama instructor, began his Seward County career in 1976.
“I’m not leaving for any reason because of the college,” Courtney said. “One of the main reasons is I’ve spent a long time in education and I want to do other things.”
Business division secretary Diane Heiers also told the board of her plans to retire. Heiers has been at the college for 16 years.
In other business, the board discussed plans for an additional athletic team. Golf is the sport being considered. The board decided to wait until 2010 to decide if they wanted to implement the sport.
Soccer and cross country are also being considered; however, golf has the most interest and least cost.
A new marketing director has been hired. The position for the ag coach has also been filled.
The board has decided not to raise the tuition and fees for students at SCCC. The college remains the cheapest community college in the state of Kansas.
The technical school will change the way it charges students for the 2009-10 school year. Students will be charged by the credit hour instead of one flat rate. Students in the autobody and diesel programs will be required to buy their own tool sets starting next semester.
Ed Poley, director of Area Technical School, informed the board that one of the job requirements for these students is to have their own tools.
“By doing it this way they can put it in their financial aid packets,” said Celeste Donovan, dean of student services.
The ag building will add on a wash rack; construction will start Monday. Only one bid was received back from the seven companies contacted. The wash rack will be completed by June 19 and be ready to use next fall. The cost for the building will be $104,600 at a cost of $200 per square foot. Construction of the wash rack will conclude a performance bond.
Coding and Reimbursement Specialist Certificate Program was submitted for its last steps in the process for approval.
The board approved the program. Instructor Sherry Farrell had developed and researched the program.
From SCCC/ATS, the board of regents and other community colleges in the state will evaluate the program and give feedback. If they approve of the program it can start being taught. It is hoped that the program can be started in the fall of 2009.
The program will require 45 credit hours and take a student one and a half years to complete as a full-time student.
Farrell and Cynthia Rapp, dean of instruction, are excited about the program. They are sure that the first classes offered will make.
Staff members from the Southwest Medical Center are interested in taking the courses.
SWMC has been looking for a person for more than a year with the qualifications that this program will offer.
Another benefit to the college offering this program is that the government is going to require that the coding be done in an I-10 format.
At the end of the fall semester, the dorms lost 53 students. Donovan said that it is not uncommon for students to leave at the end of the fall semester. Currently there are 190 students living in the dorms.
SCCC/ATS has qualified for the Title V grant. Requirements for this grant are the college population must be at least 25 percent Hispanic for three years and not be receiving Title III funding.
The purchase of Apple iMac computers for the journalism and art departments were approved by the board.
The regional science fair for grades 4-12 will be hosted at the Seward County Community College/Area technical school.
The March board of trustee meeting will be at the Technical school in the drafting room.