TCCC Trustees want to be included in long range planning
By Dwight Otwell Editor

Members of the Tri-County Community College (TCCC) Board of Trustees want to insure that they are included in the long-range facility planning process.

A long-range plan is being developed that includes gathering of data to determine what community and college personnel see as future priority facility needs. That data will be used by the architectural firm of Clark Patterson Associates to develop a Master Facility plan by May 1, 2008.

Long range planning is due by January 1 but the college hopes to have it completed in December.

David Slagle said long range planning will include wish lists. Priority facility needs will be established at all community colleges in North Carolina in hopes of enacting a state bond referendum to finance needed construction.

Chairman of the TCCC Board of Trustees Larry Kernea said the information coming out of the long range planning will be a priority, almost bullet list.

Trustee Jan Lukens said the board needs to be informed about the results of the long range planning. He said he thought the information gleaned from community meetings would come back to the board, then go to the architects and then the state.

TCCC President Donna Tipton-Rogers said a called meeting of the board could be held. The next regularly scheduled board meeting is in January, after the long-range plan is sent to the state.

Some board members were concerned that plans for future construction for TCCC would be done without their oversite or approval.

Kernea said he can't imagine that TCCC would be obligated to build anything without the board's approval. The state allocated $45,000 for TCCC to formulate facility plans. It was noted that the idea is that when there is a bond referendum, the Master Facility plan would insure that a plan is in place, based on the architectural firm and what needs to be built. It will be a six-year plan.

Trustee John Cassady said the board would like to look at the long-range planning data "before it is launched out of here".

Trustee Eva Wood said she wants to see an auditorium in the facility plan.

"I have been advocating this for years," she said. "The college has the land."

Wood said an auditorium could be used for graduations, concerts, etc. Also, the public school system could use it free.

Wood also mentioned the possibility of dormitories or apartments for students being constructed. That would increase the college's enrollment and enlarge the school, she said. Other community colleges have dormitories or apartments for students, she said.

In another matter, in her first meeting with the Board of Trustees, new TCCC President Tipton-Rogers gave a report to the board.

"I appreciate the trust you have given me. I will not let you down," she told the board.

"There are a lot of things that need attention. Facilities wise, we have a long way to go," she said.

Tipton-Rogers said a few internal positions have been moved around in collateral moves to make things run more smoothly.

Some of the moves include the following: Jason Chambers - director of admissions - has assumed additional responsibilities by overseeing Student Services. This includes general Reception, Admissions, Financial Aid, Registrar's office, Counseling and High School Partnership Programs; The Student Support Center will be moved to the Enloe Building and is currently evaluating a more user-friendly name that better reflects the mission of the department; the current Student Support Center will become the Career, Testing, and Counseling Center. About three offices have been combined into an administration office so that personnel can be shared.

In another matter, the audit of TCCC found no audit exceptions or areas of concern.