September 1, 2022, Agenda and Minutes
Board of Directors Meeting
Thursday, September 1, 2022, 6:30 p.m.
room B123/Convening Center, 500 Technology Way, Florence, KY 41042
Board Members Present:
Ms. Haley Anderson
Mr. John Baines
Mr. Larry Brown
Mr. Charles Coleman
Dr. Justin Ervin
Mr. John Hayden
Mrs. Madeline Kues
Board Members Absent:
Mr. Erik Hermes
Mrs. Ruth Howell
Mr. Charles L. Session, Jr.
Gateway and KCTCS Faculty and Staff Present:
Mr. Phil Dischar, Marketing Manager
Ms. Jane Frantz, Executive Assistant, President’s Office
Dr. Fernando Figueroa, President/CEO
Dr. Denise Fritsch, Dean of Institutional Effectiveness
Ms. Christi Godman, Associate Vice President, Workforce Solutions
Ms. Amy Hatfield, Associate Vice President, Human Resources
Ms. Adrijana Kowatsch, Vice President Development and External Relations
Mr. Doug Penix, Associate Vice President for Academic Services
Mr. David Schoenling, IT Project Manager
Mr. Paul Tontillo, Director of Budget & Fiscal Services
Dr. Teri VonHandorf, Provost and Vice President, Academic Affairs
Mr. Jamie Younger, Vice President, Administrative & Business Affairs
- CALL TO ORDER/PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE/MOMENT OF SILENCE/ROLL CALL
Chair John Baines called the meeting to order at 6:30 p.m. The board recited the Pledge of Allegiance and observed a moment of silence. Roll call was taken. The record will reflect that a quorum was present. Mr. Hayden joined by Teams video conference after roll call was taken. - MISSION MOMENT
Dr. Figueroa introduced Ms. Jane Frantz to speak to the board about her experience as a Gateway staff person for 10 years. Ms. Frantz is the Executive Administrative Assistant in the Office of the President. She said that soon after she started working at Gateway she realized that it is a transformative organization, and she is committed to the mission of Gateway. She thinks everyone has a significant role to play in the success of the college. Ms. Frantz said that she is proud of and thankful for the positive support the board provides to Gateway. - APPROVAL OF MINUTES
Chair Baines called for a motion to approve the minutes from the May 26, 2022, meeting. Upon motion by Mr. Larry Brown, and seconded by Mr. Charlie Coleman, a vote was taken to approve the May 26, 2022, minutes as presented. The vote was unanimous to approve. - ANNUAL REAFFIRMATION OF CODE OF ETHICS
Chair Baines explained the code of ethics. He called for a motion to affirm the Code of Ethics. Upon motion by Mr. Coleman, and seconded by Mrs. Madeline Kues, a vote was taken to affirm the Code of Ethics. Each board member present will sign the copy to be put in permanent record. Absent members or those attending virtually will be sent individual signature pages to return to be kept on file. - COMMITTEE REPORTS
A. The Nominating Committee Chair, Mr. Coleman, announced that Mrs. Kues will join the slate of officers to be elected at the October meeting. She is nominated for the position of Secretary. - CHAIRPERSON’S REPORT
Chair Baines presented information about the problem of work force demands and demographic changes in our region. Northern Kentucky has low unemployment and has many well-paying jobs with opportunities for training. Mr. Baines spoke about the numbers of available jobs and the different generations in the labor force. Millennials are the most dominant generation in the workforce. Birth rates are decreasing and immigration is not replacing the population, which has declined since 2016. Kentucky needs to focus on talent attraction, but it may not make the difference that is needed to move Kentucky forward.
Discussion followed about the history and factors affecting population trends in Northern Kentucky and the Commonwealth. Northern Kentucky is expected to continue to be the leader in the state for job growth; and Northern Kentucky has geographic benefit of being across the river from Cincinnati. - PRESIDENT’S REPORT
Dr. Figueroa congratulated student representative Haley Anderson and presented her with a certificate of completion for the KCTCS Student Leadership Academy, which took place this summer.
Dr. Figueroa introduced Dr. Teri VonHandorf and Mr. Jamie Younger to share the fall enrollment and budget updates. Dr. VonHandorf shared that as of August 31, 2022, student headcount is 4,055; credit hours are at 34,983; under-served students are at 734; and adult learners are at 1,111. These are all at or above year-to date numbers or fall semester goals. Discussion followed about the biggest growth being in online courses. Dual credit is 36% of enrollment, and the state reimbursement rate for dual credit tuition is an issue. A suggestion was made to monitor the cultural impact of online classes on students and faculty in a post-covid environment, while student preference for online courses is clear across the state. Gateway is continuing to look at the success rates of students and make adjustments in classes with different modes of instruction.
Mr. Jamie Younger presented information about year-to-date tuition revenue and waiver comparison. As of August 31, 2022, Gateway is almost $100K over fall budget from tuition and fee income. The work that was done to get to this point included weekly Wednesday student activities; welcome week events; recruiter trips to high schools; and other efforts by advisors, faculty and staff. The spring 2023 budget numbers so far are not relevant because registration isn’t open yet. Student retention is everyone’s job, and that has a big effect on the spring enrollment as a percentage of fall enrollment. There is a possibility that the dual credit tuition waivers may exceed the budget.
Dr. Figueroa talked about the renovations at the Center for Technology, Innovation and Enterprise. The electricity is on and passed state inspection today. The 12-week classes are full and start on September 12.
SACSCOC update by Dr. Denise Fritsch. The on-site visit is September 19-22, and the board will be having lunch with the committee on Wednesday, September 21. This is the ten-year regional accreditation reaffirmation. She spoke about the Quality Enhancement Program (QEP) that is a feature of the accreditation process. Gateway’s QEP will enhance the development of employability skills throughout the students’ experience in and outside the classroom. Ten essential skills for employability are the focus of the QEP. Dr. Fritsch offered the board members the opportunity to participate, or invite people in their networks to participate, in the student events related to networking events, interview practice and other activities. Dr. Fritsch spoke about how Gateway’s QEP aligns with the CPE Kentucky Graduate Profile. Gateway is participating in the CPE initiative and has been awarded grant money from CPE in addition to receiving a private donation for QEP.
Discussion followed with a question about how this QEP is different from the last QEP. The previous QEP was a broad and multi-faceted project on the topic of student advising and orientation. This QEP will enhance and expand on efforts that are already being taken in many classes. The events and activities will highlight for the students the ways that Gateway is preparing them for the workforce, beyond their technical and program skills.
Dr Figueroa continued the President’s report with a reminder about the Dr. Czarapata luncheon at Gateway on November 1. He reported that he will be the Covington Business Council luncheon speaker on September 15. He shared with the board his goals for the fiscal year 2022-2023. He also sent them to Chair Baines and Mr. Session as the chair of the performance evaluation of the president committee. His goals are to elevate three areas of Gateway: the brand, the mission, and the faculty and staff of Gateway. They are all in alignment with the “3 x 4” facets of the mission statement (engage, connect, and inspire) and of the strategic plan (accessible, supportive, relevant, and sustainable). - ADJOURNMENT
Chair Baines called the meeting adjourned at 8:00 p.m.
Prepared by Ms. Jane Frantz, Recording Secretary
Important Dates to Remember
Board Meeting - October 20, 2022
Board Meeting - December 8, 2022
