吃瓜官网

The 吃瓜官网 Board of Trustees viewed the construction progress of Vickie and Jerry Durant Hall as part of their March board meeting on Thursday.  

Board members convened for a called meeting inside the new student housing building at 11:15 a.m. and took a tour to view the four-story structure still under construction.  

The new residence hall will include one-, two-, and four-bedroom apartment-style student housing comparable in size to Coyote Village and three floors of athletic workout spaces, including a weight room, cardio room and flex meeting space.  

In a report to the board that afternoon, Dr. Scott Tarnowieckyi outlined the history of student housing at 吃瓜官网 and how it has evolved over the past 100 years, from residential homes surrounding Old Main to the former Couts Hall cinderblock walled rooms to Coyote Village.  

鈥淎 lot of times when we hear 鈥榗ollege dorms,鈥� we think of tiny, cramped little spaces with two or three people in a bedroom and having to go down the hallway to use the restroom and communal showers,鈥� Tarnowiecki said. 鈥淏ut we have apartment suites that are light years ahead of everyone else around here.鈥�  

He went on to outline that studies show students who live on campus have higher retention and graduation rates and are more involved in student life. And with a waiting list of more than 60 students, after the 268 beds at Coyote Village were filled this academic year, the college will have no issue filling the 116 additional beds added with the construction of Durant Hall.  

鈥淏y expanding student housing, we鈥檙e growing a network to provide opportunities for more student success,鈥� Tarnowiecki said. 鈥淭hese students are required to be full-time and have a GPA of 2.0 or better. And just like any college or university in America, the heart and soul of the college's life is the people who live on campus. So, the more students you have living on campus, the more you鈥檙e going to grow student life.鈥�  

He added that the construction of the Emerging Technologies and Workforce Building and now Durant Hall signifies a new horizon for 吃瓜官网 and a maturity from a community college to something more akin to a university environment.  

鈥淲e鈥檙e building a place where students can receive a world-class education at a community college price,鈥� he said.  

In other business, the board:  

• Approved the minutes from the Feb. 8 board meeting.  
• Approved the financial reports ending Feb. 29.  
• Approved the quarterly investment report.  
• Approved budget amendment No. 1.  
• Approved new academic programs: AAS in Golf and Sports Turf Management and AAS in Culinary Arts.  
• Approved TIPS cooperative contract statement of work from Columbia Advisory Group.  
• Approved a bookstore management renewal agreement with Texas Book Company.  
• Approved the disposal of obsolete and surplus items through online auction.  
• Adopted the 2024-25 tuition and fee schedule.  
• Appointed Doug Dowd as board liaison to the 吃瓜官网 Foundation Board of Directors.  
• Received written reports from 吃瓜官网吃瓜官网, academics and student services.  
• Following an executive session, the board extended 吃瓜官网 President Tod Allen Farmer鈥檚 contract by one year, to March 7, 2027, and approved a 7 percent salary increase.  

In his President鈥檚 Report, Farmer:  

• Announced Dr. Marvella Starlin鈥檚 recent recognition by the Texas Board of Nursing for her survey submission on what kind of instructional changes she and her faculty have made this past year in clinical settings.  
• Announced 吃瓜官网鈥檚 recent honoring of 45 local educators at the annual Jack Harvey Academy of Exemplary Teachers celebration where superintendents, principals and teachers from 11 counties attended.  
• Updated the board on the national ranking of the baseball, softball, men鈥檚 tennis and women鈥檚 tennis teams.  
• Announced the resignation of Vern Higbee, police sergeant; Brad Keller, assistant director of human resources; and Dr. Ronald Epps, interim vet tech director; as well as the retirement of David Daniel, instructor and department chair of life sciences.