Cloud County Community College Board Approves Increase to Out-of-State, International Tuition Rates

Cloud County Community College
Cloud County Community College

The Cloud County Community College Board of Trustees voted to approve the tuition, fees and campus housing rates for the 2023-2024 academic year during their regular meeting on Tuesday, January 24th.

In-district tuition for Cloud County residents and in-state tuition remains unchanged.  The board did accept the administrative recommendations increasing the out-of-state tuition from $84 to $103 per credit hour, and increasing the international tuition from $84 to $103 per credit hour.

The new rates place Cloud County Community College as the seventh lowest for out-of-state and the second lowest for international rates with combined tuition and fees.

The board held a discussion on tuition, fees, and housing rates for the next academic year during a study session in November.  Vice President for Administrative Services Caesar Wood presented the board with options to consider for increasing the tuition and fees for international students.  Prior to this change, the college's international rates were $78 below the state average and $89 below the state median rate.

The new rate increases were shared in an open forum last semester with members of the student body who are out of state, international, as well as resident assistants enrolled at Cloud County.

In other action items, the board approved the College Foundation submitting a grant application for the Distance Learning and Telemedicine grant provided by the United States Department of Agriculture. 

The Distance Learning and Telemedicine grant program helps rural residents tap into the enormous potential of the internet to improve education and health care, two of the most crucial keys to successful rural economic and community development.  This grant can be used to purchase audio, video, and interactive video equipment, broadband facilities used for distance learning, computer hardware, network components, and software, and instructional programming.  There is a 15 percent match required to apply.

The foundation is requesting $417,066, with a $62,559.90 match from fundraised dollars to assist in the purchase of distance learning technology for the Technical Education and Innovation Center.

The Technical Education and Innovation Center will house Cloud County's premier academic programs of Renewable Energy, Nursing & Allied Health, and Agriculture.  The new 33,725-square foot Center will be located between the college and Walmart, along College Drive.  College President Amber Knoettgen says the project will begin in spring 2023.

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The college board approved a professional services agreement with GLMV Architecture of Wichita, Kansas in May, and later approved a professional services agreement with McCownGordon Construction to serve as the Construction Manager At-Risk (CMAR) for the construction of the Technical Education and Innovation Center in July.

The first bid package, including earthwork, utilities, site concrete, asphalt paving, concrete structure, steel, plumbing, HVAC, and electrical, was approved by the board last month.

McCownGordon Construction is continuing with design of the project, with a target cost for the remaining scopes to bid at approximately $6.2 million.

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According to the Kansas Chamber's report, The Challenge to Compete – Kansas Workforce 2020, Kansas needs to build a talent pipeline that educates, trains, recruits, and retains a qualified workforce.  President Knoettgen says the Technical Education and Innovation Center is in direct response to these educational and workforce needs of Kansas.

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Construction on the Technical Education and Innovation Center is expected to be completed in summer 2024.

In personnel items, the board approved the appointment of Gracie Rudolph to the new position of Coordinator of Fundraising and Alumni Relations, effective February 1, 2023.  Rudolph has been serving as an admissions counselor at the college. 

Rudolph, a native of Clyde, received an Associate of Science degree from Cloud County in 2019 and a Bachelor of Psychology degree from Fort Hays State in 2021.

Rudolph will assist with some of the duties previously assigned to Carleen Nordell, Director of Community & Alumni Relations, with additional duties to include assisting with grant writing.

The board also waived their policies to allow the consumption of alcoholic liquor in Arley Bryant Gymnasium on the college's Concordia campus on April 14th, 15th and 16th for the Cloud County Community College Foundation Scholarship Auction.  This year's auction will be held on Saturday, April 15th.

During their 2023 Board Organizational Meeting, Jesse Pounds was reappointed as Chairman.  Richard Hubert will serve as Vice-Chairman of the board.

Pounds has also been appointed to the CloudCorp Board of Directors.  Hubert has been appointed as the board's representative to the Kansas Association of School Boards Government Relations Network.  Bruce Graham was appointed as the board's delegate to the Kansas Association of Community College Trustees.  Jim Koch was appointed to the College Foundation Board.

Hubert, Koch and Mark Matthew have been appointed to serve on the board's Audit/Finance Committee.  Graham and Matthew have been appointed to the Nominating/President's Evaluation Committee.  Graham, Koch and Patricia Macfarlane have been appointed to the Negotiating Team, while Hubert and Macfarlane have been appointed to the Benefits Committee.

Ferrell Law Firm has been designated as the college's law firm.  Central National Bank has been designated as the college depository.

Following their regular meeting, the board met for their mid-year retreat.