The Vance-Granville Community College Board of Trustees approved a proposed total budget request of $3,071,984 for the 2017-2018 fiscal year for Vance, Granville, Franklin and Warren counties at its bimonthly meeting on the college’s Main Campus on Monday, March 20.

VGCC’s budget requests, which include $2,493,174 in current expenses and $578,810 in capital outlay, now go to the board of county commissioners in each of the four counties served by VGCC. The capital outlay budget is composed of $95,960 in recurring needs and $482,850 in one-time needs.

Of the $2.49 million current expense county budget, $1,146,197 is being proposed for Vance County for the Main Campus and the nursing simulation lab at Maria Parham Health; $752,184 for Granville County for Main Campus, South Campus and the Culinary Arts location in Oxford; $225,625 for Warren’s campus; and $369,168 for Franklin’s campus.

Of the $95,960 in recurring capital outlay requests for facility improvement needs, funding by county is: Vance, $41,220; Granville, $28,740; Warren, $6,000; and Franklin, $20,000.

The college is requesting the one-time capital outlay funds of $482,850 for the Main Campus in accordance with VGCC’s Capital Improvement Plan submitted to Vance County, said Steven Graham, VGCC’s vice president of finance and operations. Vance and Granville share in the funding of the campus between Henderson and Oxford on a 3:1 ratio. A total of $362,138 is being requested from Vance County and $120,712 from Granville.

The proposed budget for the four counties represents a $61,451 increase over the 2016-2017 current expense budget and a $30,000 increase over the current year’s recurring capital outlay.

At the Main Campus, the increase in current expenses is being requested in order to maintain plant operations at the current level of service, to cover merit-based pay adjustments, and to fund a full-time safety coordinator position to lead campus compliance safety regulations and to develop, maintain and coordinate environmental, health and safety programs and training for the college, according to Graham. At each of the three satellite campuses, the current expenses are level with 2016-2017 funding.

“The college is requesting additional recurring capital funding from Vance and Granville counties in the total amount of $30,000 to perform a backlog of mid-sized repair projects and to maintain the adequacy and use of existing facilities going forward,” Graham added.

In addition, the college has currently earmarked funds from the Connect NC Public Improvement Bond, approved in a March 2016 state referendum, in the amount of $6,705,695 to fund major capital improvements to the Main Campus buildings and infrastructure. Other bond funding has been planned for other campuses as follows: South Campus, $325,000; Franklin Campus, $202,260; and Warren, $65,000.

Trustee Abdul Rasheed, chair of the board’s Budget Committee, described the budget as essential to helping Vance-Granville fulfill its role in providing the education and job skills training needed by area citizens. “It’s everything about the future of the area we serve,” Rasheed said.

County funding represents approximately 9 percent of the college’s overall budget.

New Medical Office Pathways

The trustees voted to approve two new curriculum programs and terminate a third. The board is adding to the Career and College Promise pathways program for high school students the opportunity to earn certificates in Medical Office Administrative Assistant I and II, effective this fall. A certificate in Medical Transcription Specialist will be terminated in the fall.

The Medical Office Administration curriculum prepares individuals for employment in medical and other healthcare related offices. The new Level I certificate pathway will be a 17-credit-hour program with classes in computers, keyboarding, medical terminology, medical insurance billing, and office procedures. The Level II pathway, an 18-credit-hour certificate, will have courses in word processing, medical legal issues, office ethics, healthcare customer relations and electronic healthcare records.

The certificate program that is being terminated will allow currently enrolled students to finish their certificates, according to Trustee Barbara Cates Harris, chair of the board’s Curriculum Committee.

State Budget Priorities

The North Carolina Community College System has adopted three budget strategies for the current session of the North Carolina General Assembly, VGCC President Dr. Stelfanie Williams informed the trustees.

The NCCCS is seeking “technical adjustments” to correct a salary loss error from 2016 and to secure an adjustment for enrollment growth. The community college system wants to ensure that business and industry have quick and easy access to a highly-skilled, well-trained workforce and ensure that students have an awareness of quality, well-paying career opportunities. To continue to provide business and industry with a highly-skilled workforce pipeline, community colleges must have a stable and solid foundation of operations, as outlined in the priorities.

Legislative priorities include investment in workforce training, funding additional career coaches, increasing student completion, rewarding colleges for outcomes, stabilizing budgets and raising faculty and staff salaries.

A key goal of NCCCS is to provide an affordable pathway for students to earn a baccalaureate degree through a Community College Transfer Incentive program, according to the NCCCS. The initiative seeks to reward completion and provide incentives to students who choose a North Carolina community college transfer program by providing a scholarship to students who complete an associate degree and then transfer to either an institution of the University of North Carolina system or a private college or university in North Carolina. Under such a plan, students would save in the area of $20,000 in tuition, fees and housing costs, while the state would save approximately $8,000.

Other Action

In other action:

• In his Building Committee report, Donald C. Seifert, Sr., chair, said bid awarding is pending for the roof renovations for Building 6 on the Main Campus, a project that is expected to be completed during the summer term. A lab is being renovated for the new Histotechnology program, also slated for completion this summer.
• Trustee Sara C. Wester, chair of the Personnel Committee, informed her fellow board members of the plans for the annual evaluation of the president, and she reported on new employees, retirements and resignations.
• The Investment Committee, chaired by Trustee L. Opie Frazier, Jr., reported on growth in the college’s investments.
• Colton Hayes, student trustee and president of the Student Government Association, detailed recent and upcoming events for students.
• Dr. Williams announced the following events: Fifth Annual Dinner Theater, April 27-28; Vance-Granville Community Band concert, May 1; Endowment Fund Golf Tournament, May 2; and Graduation, May 12. She said the board will have its annual retreat on Aug. 28.

The next meeting of the VGCC Board of Trustees will be held on Monday, May 15, at the Main Campus.