SSC Regents convene for June meeting

The Seminole State College Board of Regents convened Thursday for its monthly meeting. At its June meeting, the SSC Board unanimously agreed to hold tuition and mandatory fees at the current rate, heard reports on campus activities, approved the college’s Educational and General Fund Budget for the 2010 fiscal year, accepted the audit, accepted an agreement for exchange of services with the SSC Educational Foundation and discussed purchasing technological equipment for classroom video capture.
During the president’s report, Dr. Jim Utterback announced internal changes that included former GEARUP Adviser Courtney Lee being named the new director of Human Resources and outgoing director of Human Resources Mona Ridley being named as a psychology instructor.
He also informed the board that Darren Wise of Upward Bound has resigned.
Utterback gave an update about campus activities, preparations for the Higher Learning Commission visit, a highlight of the year-in-review and talked about the Cargill Associates Fundraising Survey.
As their first item of business, the board reviewed and approved the college’s educational and general budget for 2010.
This year’s state appropriation totaled $6,122,559, a 3.69 percent decrease from the previous year’s state appropriation.
Next, the board reviewed and approved the internal audit conducted by BKD, LLP, reviewed earlier by the Board’s Audit Committee. The audit covered miscellaneous claims and is required by the state annually.
For the next item of business, the board reviewed, considered and approved freezing tuition and mandatory fees for the 2010 fiscal year.
“This choice reflects our commitment to honor a request from the Oklahoma State Regent for Higher Education and join other schools in the system that will also not be raising tuition and fees this year,” Utterback said.
Utterback further said that although there has been a decrease in state funding, additional increases are necessary because of new federal funds that will be coming to SSC through the new stimulus bill.
The board also approved an agreement for exchange of services with the SSC Educational Foundation. The action was a routine renewal of a long-standing cooperative agreement.
The SSC Educational Foundation’s Board of Trustees approved the agreement pending review by legal council during their quarterly meeting on June 17.
The final item of business was approval of the purchase of classroom video capture system technological equipment from SKC Communication Products.
It was approved that the purchase will be made using grant funding and will not exceed $40,922.25. 
“This new equipment will improve the classroom experiences for students and faculty,” Utterback said.     
Two items were approved on the consent agenda: the holiday schedule for the 2009-10 academic year and routine annual contracts for services, leases and maintenance agreements.
Utterback also presented outgoing Regent Roger Nansel with an engraved clock as a token of gratitude for his seven years of service on the board.
“I appreciate Chairman Nansel’s leadership and service over the past seven years,” he said. “During his leadership, SSC has more than doubled in size, several new buildings have been built and several new programs added. He will be greatly missed,” said Utterback.
Board members present at the meeting included: Chairman Roger Nansel, Vice Chairman Jon Flowers, Jeff Miller, David Wilson, Bill Huser and Marilyn Bradford.
The next regent meeting is scheduled for July 23.