CCCC board approves hiring of VP

The hiring of Dr. Kim Zant as vice president for academic affairs was approved during a special meeting Tuesday night.
Zant, who is currently the career pathways manager at Grossmont/Cuyamaca Community College District in El Cajun, Calif., will fill the position left vacant when Pedro Leite, vice president for academic affairs and student success, resigned in August.
A graduate of Fort Hays State University with a bachelor of arts degree in business education, Zant has a bachelor of business administration degree from Texas Tech University, a master of business administration degree from the University of South Carolina and a higher education leadership doctorate from Southwestern College in Winfield.
Zant will take over the position at Cloud County on October 21.
Cloud County interim president Amber Knoettgen said that the search committee interviewed several candidates for the vice president position and brought two of those candidates to campus for a visit.
“It was a unanimous decision by the selection committee,” Knoettgen said of offering the job to Zant.
In other action taken during the meeting, the board approved the Microsoft renewal agreement in the amount of $20,235.91 and authorized payment from tech fees.
The college has an agreement with Microsoft which allows the installation of any version of the Microsoft operating system and any version of Microsoft Office. It also allows for faculty and staff access for their home computers. The agreement also includes software assurance.
The license also includes the Microsoft products for students.
Dr. Betty Stevens met with the board during the meeting, via Zoom, to discuss the upcoming Higher Learning Commission (HLC) visit.
HLC is a regional accreditation agency that accredits degree-granting colleges and universities that are based in a 19-state region.
Stevens, the former dean of the Global Campus at Kansas State University and president of Highland Community College, serves as a consultant evaluator and visiting team chair conducting accreditation visits to colleges and universities in the North Central Region.
Board member Jim Koch asked Stevens what is the most important thing the commission looks for in its site visit.
“Well, they have your written report where you say what you do. And their first purpose is to confirm that you do what you say you do,” Stevens said, “so they will look at that report and they will look to see that it is an accurate representation of how the college operates.”
Stevens said that the commission will also check on quality indicators in the academic and financial areas to make sure that the students are getting the education that they expect and they are completing their studies and going on to whatever they want to do.
It was suggested by Stevens that going into the visit by the commission, the board members focus on the board activity over the past six months, including the decision back in May to not renew the contract of former college president Dr. Adrian Douglas.
“I don't know what happened exactly or why, but it seems unusual to me to have those changes so close to your visit by the Higher Learning Commission,” Stevens said.
Koch said that in the case of the change in leadership, the board was faced with some issues that occurred that really left them not much choice as to what action had to be taken.
“Timing was unfortunate, but I think if you were here and had an opportunity to be aware of the situation, you would perhaps see the change in leadership a little differently,” Koch said.
Stevens told the board members that they represent a fine community college.
“It is one of the best in the United States, actually. So you need to be proud of that, boast about it, recruit the students based on that,” Stevens said. “You do a good job, and you do it because you are conscience about what you do and that is a point in your favor, for sure.”