April 1, 2021 Minutes

Steering Committee Minutes

Committee Members Present:

  • Stephen Benson – Vice President, Finance & Administration (Co-Chair)
  • Meredith Brown – Program Director/Assoc. Professor, Radiologic Technology
  • Londa Carriveau – Director, High School Pathways
  • Karen Clark – Director, Admissions & Recruitment
  • Daelynn Copeland – Asst. Professor/Facility Director, Child Studies & Education
  • Lisa Elliott – Director, Marketing & Communication
  • Frank Graves – Dean, Workforce & Public Service
  • Fred Hills – Vice President, Instruction & Student Engagement
  • Paul Hoffman – Director, Student Development
  • James Kubacak – Director, Financial Aid
  • Johnette McKown – President of McLennan Community College
  • Kim Patterson – Executive Director, Foundation/Institutional Advancement (Co-Chair)
  • Phil Rhodes – Vice President, Research, Effectiveness & Information Technology
  • Aranzazu Torres - Recruiter
  • Lise Uhl – Division Chair, Visual & Performing Arts
  • Laura Wichman – Director, Institutional Research
Committee Members Absent:
  • Sharon Kenan – Librarian/ Professor, Library Services

Meeting start time: 2:03 pm

Agenda Topics:

  • Welcome and Opening Discussion (Dr. Stephen Benson) 
  • Follow-up items
    • Website & Minutes
      • The website is updated with all of the subcommittees’ meeting minutes. 
  • Feedback from Coffee and Conversation
    • Received positive feedback from people. 
  • Process improvement work
    • RFP is out and the deadline is tomorrow for proposals. Vendors interested will submit proposals and the goal is to evaluate the RFPs responses and have a recommendation for the board of trustees for their meeting at the end of the month. 
  • Strategic Enrollment Plan
    • Documentation for the initiative meetings.
    • Have some open sessions on campus. 
  • Subcommittees
    • Admissions & Marketing (Lisa Elliott & Karen Clark)
      • Discussed faculty and staff engagement program and the first level be a training tool on the different topics.
      • Brochures
      • Strategic enrollment management
    • Finance (James Kubacak & Grayson Meek)
      • Discussed Marketing Strategy
      • Increasing McLennan Scholarships to a greater percentage to HS students
      • Creating a different type of scholarship to the higher 10% HS students 
  • Research & Growth Opportunities (Jeff Martin-Moreno & Joe Arrington)
    • What are our successes and let the community know
    • What source of non-degree work options
    • Working on a survey towards Hispanics to use on campus and community – their view of MCC
    • Integrate work with Hispanic churches and the Hispanic Chamber of commerce
    • Work with high schools – Leaders influencing the students regarding college
    • Losing students to other community colleges – we do not know why at this time
    • Workforce Partnership 
  • Retention (Paul Hoffman & Jessica Shelton)
    • Recommendation establishes that our retention is directly to our relationships
    • Commitment to relationship
    • Increase retention by 10%
    • Identify changes and clarify roles 
  • Current Spring Enrollment - Dr. Benson skipped this topic due to being short on time 
  • Current Enrollment Initiatives
    • Reskilling Grant
      • Kim mentioned that we received a grant from the coordination board for financial assistance.
    • Marketing Efforts
      • Kim mentioned that we have a new campaign “We Train Heroes.” This will be a Perkins Grant funding.
    • Admissions & Recruiting Efforts
      • Express Path Open House in the Spring and extending it to Falls County.
      • Visit High Schools
      • Use Facebook; social media
      • Temporary Students (there is a law that no longer exists) trying to figure ethical ways to cover MCC 

Meeting Adjourn: 3:36 pm