ANC Board of Trustees Meeting/Fall Enrollment Report

 

Members of the Arkansas Northeastern College Board of Trustees met for their regularly scheduled

meeting on Wednesday, October 20, 2021, where they were given an enrollment report for the Fall

Semester.

Despite challenges due to the COVID-19 pandemic, ANC saw a slight increase in its number of

students enrolled for this Fall Semester over last semester from 1,358 students to 1,457, according

to Vice President for Student Affairs Dr. Chris Heigle. Heigle added that while the headcount was

up, the number of credit hours being taken was slightly down from 12, 058 in the Fall of 2020 to

11,855 this Fall. While much of the country is dealing with enrollment decreases (Forbes Magazine

reported a 600,000 student enrollment decline nationwide this last spring semester), ANC has

managed to hold its own and credits much of that to its willingness to accommodate student needs

in its delivery modes. ANC Faculty have worked hard to implement a multi-modal approach

whereby every delivery system (ZOOM, Internet, and face-to-face classes) is available all in one so

that students can choose the best way to attend on any given day.

Board members were introduced to employees accepting new positions with the College. Destinee

Dillard has been named the JAG College Career Coach. Jobs for America's Graduates (JAG) is a

nonprofit youth development program dedicated to helping at-risk young people graduate from high

school and make successful transitions to postsecondary education or meaningful employment.

Lisa McGhee, who most recently served as the Director of the Student Support Program has been

promoted to the TRIO Director overseeing all three TRiO Programs on ANC’s campus including

SSS, EOC, and ETS. Alton Chambers has left the ANC Maintenance staff at the College to become

its newest Security Officer.

In other business, the Board approved acceptance of several grant awards. The Career Pathways

Initiative Grant of the 2020-21 Pathways (TANF) grant budget was approved. The Career Pathways

Initiative (CPI) is an employability program that provides residents in Mississippi and Greene

counties with assistance in obtaining the education and training necessary for gainful employment.

The CPI program operates under a case management approach to provide individualized academic

and career advising, as well as financial support for tuition/fees, books, childcare, and

transportation. In 2020-21 the program served 243 students with 115 completing at least one

credential 180 credentials in total) and 93 percent going to work. Based on this successful

performance, the College has been officially notified that the Career Pathways Initiative Grant

Award has been awarded $ 573,242.26 for 2020-21 academic year (previous year funding was

$642,452.55).

Arkansas Northeastern College has also been awarded, and the Board approved, a grant from the

Arkansas Department of Workforce Services in the amount of $90,942.91 to continue developing a

pilot program titled TANF Career Connect Subsidized Employment Program. The purpose of the

grant is to deliver a program that connects recent and soon-to-be ANC graduates with local

employers, so that participants can obtain or maintain employment to allow them to become self-

sufficient. The grant will run from August 1, 2021 to June 30, 2022 and will provide funds for one

non-classified position. The grant will also provide funds for student support services to include

emergency transportation and supplies required for work, up to $400 per student. In addition to

funds paid direct to ANC, DWS will also compensate employers by reducing their labor costs. To

receive reimbursement through DWS for hiring a Career Connect participant, the employer must

pay the employee a minimum of $11 and a maximum of $15 per hour, and must employ the

participant for a minimum of 35 hours per week. Participants must also be recognized and treated as

a regular employee, who receives all benefits associated with employment.

The Board also approved acceptance of the Educational Opportunity Center (EOC) Grant award for

the 2021-2022 fiscal budget year for $391,147. The Educational Opportunity Center (EOC) is a

long-standing program at ANC as part of the TRiO initiative designed to assist adults 19 and older

in returning to education - in college, vocational/technical, specialized school, or GED programs.

The Board also approved acceptance of the TRiO Student Support Services Grant award in the

amount of $335,111. Student Support Services is a long-standing program at ANC as part of the

TRiO initiative designed to assist first-generation college students with basic college requirements

and academic development, and to motivate students toward the successful completion of their

postsecondary education.

In order to apply for the U.S. Department of Education’s Title III Strengthening Institution’s

program (SIP), colleges must either be determined eligible or must apply for designation as an

eligible institution. Based on ANC’s IPEDS data, the College was not automatically included into

the program, and, therefore, in January of 2021 ANC applied for, and was awarded, eligibility for

the FY 2021 funding competition. The first two rounds of federal CARES Act funding included an

additional award for institutions eligible to apply for the department’s SIP grant. ANC did not

receive any funds during the first two federal CARES distributions, but did receive ($96,709)

through the American Rescue Plan due to the College’s recent designation as a SIP eligible

institution. The Board accepted the award.

ANC Vice President of Instruction Dr. Keith McClanahan gave an update on the College’s

preparations for an upcoming visit by its accrediting agency the Higher Learning Commission. The

HLC Peer Review Team will be on campus March 7 & 8, 2022 for ANC’s HLC site visit for Re-

Affirmation of Accreditation.

ANC President Dr. James Shemwell provided the Board a productivity funding update. Overall,

ANC has improved it productivity since the model’s onset. Beginning with the FY19 funding year,

the Arkansas Department of Higher Education (ADHE) instituted a productivity funding model for

all public colleges and universities in Arkansas. Each funding year is based upon a three-year

average of previous years’ funding metrics, including credentials earned, students continuing,

students transferring, students completing degrees within three years. After the second year of the

model, and with coordination among the other independent two-year colleges in Arkansas, the

productivity model for two-year colleges was revised for FY21 with metrics and metric weights

more reflecting the total community college mission. Not surprisingly, ANC showed increases in its

productivity, starting in FY21 and continuing through the recently-released funding numbers for

FY23. During the first five years of the productivity funding model, ANC has increased its base

funding by $308,693, from $8,577,052 in FY19 to $8,885,745 in FY23.