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CCCC trustees approves tuition rates

Students attending County Community College during the 2019-20 academic year will pay the same tuition and housing rates as this year, but will see a slight increase in course fees.
The Cloud County Community College board of trustees, during its regular meeting on Tuesday night, approved the tuition and housing rates and course fees.
Course fees will increase $32 to $35 per credit hour, with the comprehensive fee going from $16 to $19.
The funds generated by the increase in course fees will be used to provide health care services to students.
In previous years the college had a physician assistant on campus.
The college advertised for the physician assistant position, offering a salary of $41,671, and received no applications.
Average pay for a physician assistant in the area is $90,000.
It is estimated that the $3 increase in the comprehensive fee will generate $105,690.
“That would be to help us get a physician assistant on campus that could potentially provide mental health for students as well,” vice president for academic affairs Nancy Zenger-Beneda said.
The college has agreement this year with Cloud County Health Center to provide medical care to students.
“All of our options are on the table in terms of developing a partnership, working with the hospital, hiring our own person. All of that is still on the table,” Zenger-Beneda said, “But we need that financial resources to pursue any of these options.”
Board member Larry Henry said that the $3 increase in fees would leave Cloud County in about the middle of the pack among community colleges in Kansas.
“So hopefully we are not going to price ourselves out of business,” Henry said, “The fees are going for the students, so I think it is something they will be paying for, but they will also be receiving a benefit.”
Cloud County tuition rates will remain the same at $71 per credit hour for in-district (Cloud County residents), $78 for in-state, $84 for out-of-state, $84 for international tuition and online rates will match the residency.
Online course fees will remain $25 and the Geary County Campus facility fee will remain at $10.
Housing rates, per semester, will remain unchanged at $3,385 for Thor (Thunder Heights and Building 15 private room), $2,730 for Black & Gold (Thunder Heights shared room and Hillsdale), and $2,730 for Bolt (LaBarge House and T-Birds Village apartment). All rates include a 17 meal per week meal plan.
The meal plan may be excluded from the Hillsdale room rate.
Also during the meeting, the board of trustees joined other entities in Cloud County in compiling a list of priority projects for the county.
Cloud County executive director Ashley Hutchinson, at the direction of the board of directors, asked local entities to put together a list of the top three priorities for the county.
During the CloudCorp board of directors meeting earlier this month those lists were discussed.
A modern medical facility was included in six of the seven lists presented, and was the top priority on four of those lists.
Trustee Pat Macfarlane suggested considering a modern medical facility as the number one priority because each of the other entities had it listed either number one or number two.
“I concur with that. The facility has been there since the 50s with no real update. It is their turn,” trustee Jesse Pounds said.
Macfarlane said that a new medical facility should be more than just an urgent care facility, and that there needs to be surgical suites with at least two surgeons on staff that can cover for one another and provide OBGYN (obstetrician-gynecologist) services.
“As it stands right now you can't have a baby in Concordia, Kansas. So how are you supposed to grow a community if you can't have a baby?”
Henry also placed a medical facility at the top of his list.
Trustee Ellen Anderson had the college listed as the top priority on her list with the hospital being a close second.
Trustee Tom Tuggle also stated that a medical facility is the top priority.
Board president Greg Askren listed industry/jobs as the top priority, and medical care as the second priority.
“My thinking behind that was because of our dwindling population in the county, and also in Concordia. Until we increase our jobs, bringing in industry, brings in more jobs, to increase our numbers in the county, then we are going to fight the battle every time putting this (hospital) to a vote before the people,” Askren said.
After discussing other options, including upgrades to campus housing at the college, to include on the list, it was decided by the board to present Hutchinson with a list of two priorities with a medical facility being number one, to include surgical and OBGYN facilities, and attracting industry and supplying a skilled work force being number two.
Included in the consent items approved by the board was the renewal of contracts for Charles Long, head men's and women's soccer coach; Hector Leiva, assistant men's and women's soccer coach; and Debra Monzon, volleyball coach, for the 2019 contract year.
College president Dr. Adrian Douglas, reported to the board that four applications for the position of coordinator of student engagement had been received.
Shane Britt, director of residence life and student engagement, resigned in October to take a position elsewhere.
Dr. Douglas reported that those duties had been split, and the position of coordinator of student engagement would be a part-time position this year, with the hope of making it a full-time position.
The board met in executive session for 10 minutes, with Dr. Douglas and college attorney Justin Ferrell to discuss non-elected personnel.

 

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510 Washington St.
Concordia, KS 66901