On Wednesday, February 19, 2020, the Arkansas Northeastern College Board of trustees met for its regularly scheduled meeting where ANC President Dr. James Shemwell reported the results of the 2019 Economic Security Report, where ANC still offers the best return on investment for students.
The Economic Security Report is published by the Arkansas Research Center and the Arkansas Department of Workforce Services using actual Arkansas wage data (as opposed to self-reported surveys) of graduates of all Arkansas colleges and universities. The 2019 Economic Security Report provides first year earnings and employment data for 2016 and 2017 graduates. This report revealedthat the Arkansas Northeastern College leads all colleges and universities in Arkansas in terms of the average full-time wages for certificate of proficiency and technical certificate graduates with averages of $40,303 and $41,241, respectively, during students’ first year of employment. These programs are short-term programs where students can earn the credential in a year or even a semester.
In terms of overall (full-time & part-time) wages, ANC’s associate degree graduates’ earnings exceed all bachelor degree overall wage averages of every public university except the medical school at UAMS. The data also revealed that ANC performs well above the State average for community colleges in every wage and employment rate measure. The first-year, full-time wage average of ANC’s Steel Tech associate degree graduates at $89,583 exceeds the first-year, full-time wage averages of every bachelor program average at every university in Arkansas, including UAMS. Other ANC programs the highlighted include the average full-time wages of $53,554 for Nursing associate degree graduates, $62,335 for Paramedic technical certificate graduates, $58,193 for Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration technical certificate graduates, $57,769 for Construction Technology certificate of proficiency graduates, and $56,937 for Emergency Medical Technician certificate of proficiency graduates. Additionally, ANC also offers the lowest tuition in the state.
The Board was also given an enrollment report by ANC Director of Student Services Courtney Fisher. Enrollment numbers have remained steady and the headcount for this Spring Semester is 1,360 as compared to last Spring’s number of 1,367. The total number of credit hours this Spring is 11,593 as compared to 11,642 last Spring.
Several local employers have embraced the new Center for Allied Technologies as a preferred location for hiring events. Because these events draw large numbers of people beyond normal daily traffic, parking spaces have become an issue for ANC, requiring security personnel to shuttle individuals from more distant parking lots on the College grounds. The Board approved extending the current parking lot in front of the facility southward to add 38 parking spaces, each 10’ wide to match the width of current parking spaces. Additionally, the Board approved to expand the sidewalk immediately west of theparking lot. The timeframe for the project, depending upon dry weather, would begin in late March or early April.
The Board approved acceptance of a grant made possible through the University of Texas at Austin, Charles A. Dana Center. The Strong Start to Finish Grant, available to Two-Year Colleges in Arkansas, is designed to help improve student completion in mathematics by establishing mathematics pathways that ensure that every student completes their first college-level mathematics course in one year or less. The Dana Center will collaborate with and provide technical assistance to participating institutions through workshops and direct access to Center subject matter experts. The Grant provides $10,000 over three years to help support our participation in the workshops, webinars, and other activities that support this initiative.
ANC Vice President of Instruction Dr. Keith McClanahan reported that the College has been given the dates of March 7 & 8, 2022 for ANC’s Higher Learning Commission site visit for Re-Affirmation of Accreditation. Although the College has been preparing for this visit for the past eight years, even more focus is being given to efforts on things that the College will be required to address and provide the evidence of activity and success towards those activities. Currently, ANC has HLC work teams chosen from employees for each specificCriterion for Accreditation that will be investigated. The teams look at their assigned criterion, investigate how the College meets the Criterion, and then they will write narratives that explain how ANC has met the Criterion and Core Components, using the specific evidence identified to “prove” that the College indeed has met the Criterion.
Executive Vice President/Chief Academic Officer June Walters provided a report on ANC’s Strategic Planning Process. As a part of the development of the strategic plan for the College, a Vision Statement was created for the College. The statement was developed through a college-wide process which included input from all employees. The vision statement reads, “A leader in transforming learning, lives and community through bold innovation.” A companion piece to the Mission Documents is the statement of Strategic Operational Goals for 2020-2025. These goals were developed by the Planning Task Force. Utilizing information collected from both internal and external stakeholders, the Operational Goals reflect the goals of the College but are stated in actionable terms. They were developed and are supported by faculty, staff, students, and the community. They will provide direction over the next 3 to 5 years for assessment, planning, budgeting, and resource allocation. The Board approved the College’s Mission Documents, including the Philosophy, Purposes, Mission, Goals, Vision Statement, and the Strategic Operational Goals for 2020-2025.
Before closing, the board elected its new officers for the 2020 year:
Chairman, Mr. Curtis Walker of Blytheville
Vice Chairman, Mr. Randy Scott of Blytheville
Secretary, Dr. Thomas Westbrook of Blytheville
