The Cloud County Community College Board of Trustees met for the regular scheduled board meeting on Monday, September 22 at 5 pm in the President’s Addition.
Chairman Dave Garnas and members Kevin Pounds, Kevin Muff, Jesse Pounds, Richard Hubert, and Amber Hanson were all in attendance.
In action items, the Board voted unanimously to approve a plan to modernize and expand the cadaver lab and to pursue grant funding to do so.
The lab, which is one of only two at community colleges in Kansas, in currently limited by insufficient space, outdated infrastructure, lack of scalable tools and lack of virtual dissection.
Last year, more than 600 students from 47 schools and 25 Kansas counties visited the cadaver lab with an interest in science-based careers, but more were turned away due to insufficient capacity.
The belief is that the increased demand will yield educational and career training opportunities, providing students with access to cutting-edge resources and technology.
This plan will seek a collaboration with the Foundation office, pursuing grants and other philanthropic support to fund the expansion of the Cadaver lab.
The also voted to unanimously approve the 2026-2027 academic calendar, shifting the start date of school back approximately a week for the fall of 2026.
The semester will start of August 19th, allowing for more time for faculty and staff to prepare for the beginning of the semester.
In reports, the board heard about the enrollment of the Children’s Center. The toddler, infant and new pre-school units are all full with the addition of new teacher, Chayla Maichel, on Sept 2nd.
On-campus housing has 267 students for the fall semester, which is a slight increase from fall of 2024. Attendance to the cafeteria has also increased.
The board meets once a month on the last Monday of the month and these meetings are open to the public.
