LINN — State Tech Regents at their June 25 meeting approved tuition rates for the fall semester within the maximum available to the school. As a result, students next fall will see an increase of $8 per credit hour.
State Tech VP of Finance Jenny Jacobs explained that previously, base tuition and fees could not be increased by an amount that exceeded the statutory maximum as provided by the Missouri Department of Higher Education as required by the Higher education Student Funding Act (HESFA). However, with the passage of HB 856, which went into effect July 1, the college will not have to base tuition increases on HESFA calculations for a period of five years.
Jacobs noted the board in January agreed to set the maximum allowable increase and the recommendation at the June 25 meeting was to increase tuition by $8 per credit hour to $189. There is no increase in tier fees.
In other business, State Tech has set enrollment records in each of the last four years and is expected to welcome a record 2,000 students to campus this fall.
VP of Student Affairs Dr. Chris Bowser told Regents that as of June 22, a total of 1,230 first-year students had enrolled, with 627 second-year students and 120 dual-credit students, giving State Tech a total of 1,977 students enrolled. That is 132 students more than the same time last year.
While there has been a slight decline in the number of applications from metro areas, Dr. Bowser said 34 had been received in the two weeks prior to the meeting. State Tech President Dr. Shawn Strong signed 27 letters of admission on June 24.
“We are seeing students a little bit out of our 80-mile radius saying they’d rather go to school closer to home,” said Dr. Bowser.
“Have on-campus visits resumed?” Regents President John A. Klebba asked.
Dr. Bower confirmed that in-person visits have been held throughout the year, with a masking requirement instituted on July 1, 2020, and removed it at the end of the spring 2021 semester.
“We did not have any issues with families wearing masks,” Dr. Bowser said. “We limited the number of families that could attend so we could accommodate more people in a day.”
Bus trips involving students touring campus also resumed.
“We saw an uptick in the last month (of the spring semester) of schools bringing students to campus, and we anticipate that as long as schools are allowing travel in the fall, we’ll pick it back up,” said Dr. Bowser. “That’s our bread and butter because schools will bring between 25 and 75 students at a time, and it’s a lot easier to sell the institution than it is one family at a time with tours.”
* Dr. Bowser told Regents that Title IX requires State Tech to teach students, faculty, and staff how to approach situations of sexual assault, harassment, and disclosure, and enable meaningful change on campus.
Title IX training stems from a federal law that prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex or gender in educational institutions that receive federal funding. Sexual misconduct and sexual harassment are both forms of sex discrimination.
The program will be rolled out this fall for students in a course that will be tested.
“We believe this approach will keep us in compliance,” said Dr. Bowser, noting the college is required to track the completion of the course. “That has been a long process but we appreciate the help we’ve received from the marketing department and Title IX team in putting this together.”
* On Dec. 27, 2020, the governor’s emergency education relief fund was established to assist with the physical and mental well-being of students outside of the normal college classroom.
State Tech applied for a $600,000 grant for funding to establish a mental health wellness center on campus and the hiring of two employees to operate it, including a licensed mental health professional.
“The easiest way to explain this would be to say we would have a triage person, someone that would work with students on lower-level issues but understand when they need to elevate to a counselor,” said Dr. Bowser.
The grant was approved for $270,000, which will allow State Tech to fund two staff positions for two years, during which data will be collected to determine whether their presence on campus makes a positive impact.
Dr. Bowser said specifically the target is improved graduation rates.
Currently, he and Dr. Strong are looking for a place on campus to house the wellness center. “The trouble we have now is our two existing counselors are located at different places on campus,” Dr. Bowser said. “There is no unified place where students know they can go for that kind of assistance.”
A handful of qualified people have already applied.
* State Tech’s Power-Up event is always held the day before fall classes begin as an orientation for new students. “It’s a high-energy event,” said Dr. Bowser, noting it will be held outside again with the anticipation of welcoming 1,200-1,300 new freshmen to campus.
Instead of beginning at 9 a.m. as in years past, this fall’s Power-Up event will begin at 3 p.m. on Aug. 23 with student check-in to allow all service offices to operate and assist families all day.
“Students and families can trickle in and get everything taken care of before they start orientation,” Dr. Bowser said.
Following a welcome session, faculty will explain programs and services, and vendors will be on campus to provide various goods and services. A barbecue that evening will feature the Dave Baker Band and Murphy’s Ford.
Dr. Bowser said that in the past, with a break between meeting instructors and the events, many students left campus and did not take part in the fun activities.
* VP of Advancement Shannon Grus said that a program designed to help specific programs is underway in which cooperative employers have agreed to pay an additional dollar per hour for interns, with that money going back into the program. She noted the extra $1 is currently generating about $6,000 for the Electrical Distribution Systems program and Grus hopes to open it to all programs next year.
* Toro has submitted a proposal in which the company will provide more than $1 million in equipment over four years for the Commercial Turf & Grounds program.
* State Tech’s sponsorship program is once again busy with a goal of topping last year’s total of $16,000.
* The career expo held on Feb. 10 welcomed about 120 companies to campus to provide an opportunity for students to discuss options. There was a 99% job placement rate. Next year’s expo is slated for Feb. 9 and Grus said 250 employers are anticipated to participate.
“That’s going to be a substantial day,” said Grus, noting the college could potentially host up to 260 companies. “I can’t tell you how many new companies are calling every day.”
Klebba asked if tents could be set up outside but at that time of year, it’s impractical. “I’d just hate to turn anyone away,” he added.
The career expo is scheduled to be held in two sessions in a single day in the Activity Center and elsewhere on campus.
* Chief of Staff Amy Ames told Regents that Phase A of the Utility Technology Center is nearing completion with only a few items remaining to be finished. The expectation is to begin Phase B soon now that funding has been secured.
* Airport modifications, including moving the tower, are awaiting final signatures for easements.
An easement of 49 square feet will cost $140,000, of which, State Tech is responsible for $14,000.
* A first-round payment of $20,000 from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act was put toward pavement markings, and the airport is set to receive $9,000 in the second round of funding, which will be used for overall maintenance and operation.
* A total of $594,000 has been received for deferred maintenance for improvements at the automotive lab, and power-washing the ITC building. The remainder of those funds will be used for parking lot improvements, HVAC issues, and elevator improvements.
* Ames told the board that changes to the Human Resources software are nearly complete.
* Since Jan. 1, 2021, 65 positions have been activated, with 43 filled as of the June 25 meeting.
* Information Technology improvements include upgrades to the database, which are expected to launch by mid-November.
* A total of 698 graduated last year, the biggest class to date, with a 99% job placement rate. Retention for this fall is 83%, down slightly from 85% in 2018.
* Ames praised the efforts of the marketing department in recruiting students, with materials ready well ahead of schedule for the fall of 2021 session.
*Klebba was again elected president of the board, and Steve Sellenriek was elected Vice President.
RECOGNITIONS
* Dr. Strong was recognized for his fifth year of service.
* On March 5, the Missouri State Board of Nursing approved increasing maximum Practical Nursing Technology program enrollment from 26 to 32 students.
* On May 10, the MSBN approved major curriculum changes to the program, allowing students to make a more seamless transition from the PNT program to the Associate of Nursing program. Special thanks were offered to PNT coordinator Simone Perrigo, lab and remediation coordinator Kelly Royston, and Nursing Department Chair Linda Claycomb for all their hard work in making this possible.
* Physical Therapist Assistant Instructor Tony Brenneke is currently serving as the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) Missouri Central District Chair.
* Three State Tech students competed at the National Skills USA. Those students and their associated departments are Tanner Wray (Precision Machining Technology, CNC Milling), Gavin Lowe (Precision Machining Technology, CNC Turning), and Dalton Whittle (Electronics Engineering Technology, Electronics Technology).