Am I glowing? Stop digging Tastes like…art Winning streak

4
Wingspan
By Kasey M. Orr and
Jennifer Stogsdill
Co-Editors
The president of Laramie County Community College
told the Board of Trustees that he will merge two academic
divisions at the college.
During the business meeting of the Board of Trustees
Jan. 23 President Dr. Joe Schaffer advised the board that
he had informed the College Council that, as part of the
greater reorganization currently in progress, the Career
and Technical Education (CTE) Division will be folded
into the Division of Business, Agriculture and Computer
Technology. This new division will be called the School
of Business, Agriculture and Technical Studies.
President Schaffer explained to the board that
this overall reorganization would also provide a more
uniform system of describing, defining and organizing
faculty leadership positions.
“We need to establish a more formalized mechanism
for identifying and directing faculty leadership,” the
president explained. “Across our academic areas we use
different terminology, different definitions… it’s just
good business to define what we mean by faculty leadership.”
In other news, the board unanimously approved the
following items:
Digital message signage system bought
The purchase of a factory-new digital message signage
system for $47,090.70 from current fund monies to
implement a digital signage system at LCCC.
The board discussed the digital signage at its Jan. 4
special business meeting. Chad Marley, chief technology
officer, said for now eight digital signs will be put on
campus in the Student Services Building, residence halls
and Center for Conferences and Institutes. The digital
signs will be used to share information with the campus.
Lisa Murphy, interim associate vice president of institutional
advancement, said the public relations office
will coordinate the screens and put up information in
case of an emergency. Marley said eventually the Albany
County Campus could be included. Murphy said for now
the college will start with eight and then added a few
more each year as money becomes available because of
the budget. She added the college would need to have
about 20 total eventually.
campus news
Marley said the screens will be 42-inch TVs that will
be mounted on the wall and will have a wireless communication
device. Each is estimated to cost $2,700.
Murphy said separate divisions on the campus can add
their own information and become involved with this,
but it depends on the division and who wants to do it.
She added that Student Services wants to handle its own
information.
Murphy also said that in an emergency, PR and
security can override all screens to broadcast emergency
information to everybody.
Judy Hay, vice president of student services, said bulletin
boards can be messy and usually have old information,
with the digital screens, information can be offered
more quickly. Student Services will have three screens;
one will be in the welcome area, and Hay said that one
will probably be just a TV for entertainment while students
wait. She said another one will go near student records
to be used mainly as a distraction for other people
in line to give the person being waited on privacy.
At the suggestion of Trustee Ed Mosher, LCCC will get
one interactive kiosk-type screen and seven of the noninteractive
screens to see how the interactive screens
work at the college. The addition of the kiosk added
about $4,000 to the original proposal.
At the Jan. 4 meeting there was also discussion about
the two outside marquees at the entrances to campus.
Murphy said they will eventually need to be addressed
because replacement parts no longer are available.
President Schaffer said the college will have to look
further into finding a way to fix the external signage of
the campus.
Career & Technical addition planned
The planning of a 2,000-square-foot addition to the
northeast side of the Career and Technical Building and
authorized the president to carry out all aspects of the
project and to outline the curriculum for a pilot program
that will run for two years to be brought to the Wyoming
Community College Commission for approval.
At the Jan. 4 meeting, Tim Macnamara, director of
physical plant, and Stan Torvik, vice president of workforce
and community development, discussed the proposal
to turn two free-standing walls into a standalone
2,000-square-foot building. The space would be used
for expanding the wind energy program, the welding
program and the process technology program. Torvik
said five refineries are in the state that need experienced
February 11, 2013
wingspan.lccc.wy.edu
President tells of divisional merger, organization changes
UW commuters sought
By Dani Kakalecik
Campus Editor
The Laramie County Community College Student Government
Association was visited at its meeting on Jan. 22 by a student, who voiced
her concerns about public transportation.
Carole Webb said she believed LCCC should provide a bus that runs
from the LCCC campus to the University of Wyoming campus. The senators
discussed ideas about how to obtain feedback from students on the
issue and the possibility of a survey.
Senator applications will be available for those interested in becoming
a part of the organization next semester. Also, the senators will push to
get those applications included in the acceptance package and possibly
even the new student orientation package to get students interested and
involved in SGA earlier.
SGA is also organizing “Ask a Senator Day.” Students who participate
in “Ask a Senator Day” may throw a pie at the face of a senator. SGA is also
examining the possibility of relocating the bookstore and remodeling the
student lounge.
workers, and experienced welders are always needed, so
these programs are needed immediately.
This space will house the re-established certificate
and degree program in welding until the Flex-Tech
Building is built. The college will need to go to the WCCC
for approval, but if it is approved, construction could be
completed by mid-August 2013, and the welding program
could start by the fall 2013 semester.
P-card program implemented
The implementation of a purchasing card or “P-Card”
program. This program works with a bank to streamline
and reduce accounting paperwork with the procurement
process for the college. The P-Card is used for purchasing
through various venders who accept Visa cards.
Then a single bill statement is sent from the bank to the
college, while the bank itself (in this case UMB Bank)
will make the payments to the individual vendors.
President’s housing allowance hiked
Amendment No. 2 to the president’s employment
contract, which extends the period of his housing allowance
for the president and his family, who are currently
in a house owned by the college. This extension provides
time for the Schaffer family to finish construction of
their new home before moving out of the current one.
Strategic Planning Committee formed
A new committee named the Strategic Planning
Committee was formed during the meeting. Headed
by Chairwoman Carol Merrell, the committee will work
with Schaffer and a number of other members from
College Council to create an overall strategic plan that
will align with that of the Wyoming Community College
Commission. Trustees Ed Mosher and Bill Dubois asked
to join the chairwoman to represent the trustees on this
committee. Chairman Merrell added that when she has
participated in this kind of committee, she found “the
biggest joy” was “to really find out what is happening in
this college at that level.”
The president of the Student Government
Association, Mike Wondrash, brought a student body
concern to the attention of the board, citing that as the
days become colder, the 30-foot bubble between campus
doors and smokers has gradually reduced. President
Schaffer stated simply and confidently, “We’ll take care
of it.”
Following the meeting, the trustees went into executive
session to discuss several personnel matters.