Trustees approve 2.8% salary increase for EACC employees
Campus to be open four days a week during summer
The East Arkansas Community College Board of Trustees, meeting Thursday evening, voted to renew president Dr. Cathie Cline's contract for another year.
"This is the May board meeting and we usually address the president's contract at that time," Brent Howton, board chairman, told trustees.
Board member Jan Haven recommended the college extend Cline's contract for another year, “as well as set her salary in the upper one-third of presidents and chancellors of two-year colleges, which is commensurate with her experience,” she said.
The recommendation followed the board’s approval of the budget and salary schedule for fiscal year 2023 which includes a 2.8% cost-of-living adjustment for all staff.
"In an effort to retain qualified employees, this budget also proposes a merit raise of 2.8% to be given in December if revenues are as projected," added Cline. "The budget also includes a $1,200 increase to the faculty salary scale for nine- and 10-month faculty and an additional $700 one-time merit bonus to be awarded to those faculty in December, revenues permitting."
Cline said the bonuses would be given per state regulations to employees who qualify.
"The total investment in salaries from institutional funds is budgeted to increase by 0.56% or $31,931, compared to institutionally funded salaries in 2022,” Cline told trustees.
Cline said the savings was achieved by restructuring the organization in a more efficient manner that allows the college to eliminate some positions or offset salaries with grant funding.
In his recommendation for budget approval, Tanner McKnight, vice president for finance, said the total revenue budget of $19,432,765 is a decrease from the 2021-22 fiscal year due to the college no longer anticipating Higher Education Relief and Recovery Funds (HERRF), which were Covid stimulus funds.
"For comparison's sake, total budgeted revenue for fiscal year ’20, pre-Covid, was $18,877,634," said Cline. "For fiscal year ’21 it was $18,117,078, and for fiscal year ’22, where HERRF was included, it was $20,142,789.
Cline also reported the proposed budget for the 2022-23 year includes no change in tuition but does include a technology fee increase of $3 per credit hour, a proposed increase of $15 to $18 per credit hour for building use fees, and fee increases for allied health and commercial diver training to help offset the rising cost of those programs.
In another move to help retain employees, Cline suggested the college move to a four-day work week during the summer.
"This spring, I held several listening meetings for employees to discuss ways the college could improve their working lives,” said Cline. "Many employees are concerned about the cost of gas and asked me to look into a fourday operations schedule for the summer."
Cline said of the state’s two-year colleges adopt a four, 10-hour day work week in summer with campuses being closed on Fridays.
She said a poll of employees indicated support by the staff.
"Specifically, we are requesting the official college hours of operations will be 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m, Monday through Thursday, with offices closed on Fridays," said Cline. "Employees will have two options for work schedules, subject to supervisor approval, which would be 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. or 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. However, all offices providing services to students and the public will be open from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Monday through Thursday. Employees will have a half-hour lunch break.”
Cline also said classes or events scheduled for Fridays, in the evening or on the weekend, would continue.
"We are a very diverse college that operates many events and classes outside of normal business hours. This will continue to be the case. Departments with special needs, such as maintenance, will continue to work as best suits those job responsibilities," said Cline.
Cline said the move is a onetime move that would be reassessed in August to determine if it was something the college wanted to continue.
Cline also updated the board on the status of campus projects.
"Six bids were received, ranging from $4,297,300 to $4,990,00," Cline told the board of the renovations to change the former CRTI building to a welcome center. "The low bid was submitted by Construction Network Inc., CNI, out of Jonesboro."
Cline said the project was originally scheduled to begin in July, but she recently learned they could start as early as next week.
Cline also said they also hope to begin work soon on the project tying the two campuses together.
"Since this project is primarily funded through a TAPS grant from the Arkansas Department of Transportation, the plans must go through several approval stages before work can begin," said Cline.
The board also accepted several Arkansas Division of Workforce Service Grants totaling $641,4931.91.
Cline also recommended to the board they accept a Trauma EMS Training Site Sustaining Grant for $6,233 and an Arkansas Career Coach Grant in the amount of $134,189.
"This is a good program for us to have," said Cline of the career coach program. "This funding enables us to provide college and career planning services by assigning a career coach to participating area high schools, including Augusta, Brinkley, Forrest City and Lee County.”
In other business, the board approved financial statements for February, March and April and accepted resignations, changes in duties and new hires.