Serving the High Plains
Serving the High Plains
The Mesalands Community College board of trustees on Feb. 18 heard a preliminary report on a strategic plan that lays out the college’s goals for the next five years and authorized a purchase order with an Amarillo firm to draft an overdue update of its master plan.
The board approved a proposal to empower Mesalands President John Groesbeck to approve a purchase order with Parkhill, Smith & Cooper of Amarillo to draft the master plan.
The firm’s fee for basic planning services is $86,550, plus additional services of $4,250. With about another $1,000 of gross-receipts taxes, it’s within the $100,000 the college budgeted for the master plan revamp.
Brian Griggs, principal at the firm, noted it has been 15 years since Mesalands’ last comprehensive master plan.
“MCC is in need of a new Master Plan aimed to align the physical plant resources of the college with the operational, developmental and enrollment growth strategy for MCC in the coming decade,” Griggs stated in a letter to Groesbeck.
Griggs said during the meeting the firm would assess Mesalands’ buildings inventory and try to “align (them) with potential opportunities.” Groesbeck said the college suffers “not from a lack of square footage; it’s the wrong square footage.”
Griggs said he anticipated the new master plan could be completed within six months, and the firm would try to gain an “informed consensus” with the college’s vice presidents, officials and stakeholders.
One member of the board of trustees looked favorably on the update.
“It’s time,” Craig Currell said.
A draft of the strategic plan for 2021 to 2025 states the college wants to increase enrollment by at least 150 by improving its mix of programs, strengthening online courses, adding sports and adding on-campus housing and food services.
Among the courses Mesalands may offer include nursing, drone-flying technology, renewable energy technology, substance abuse or addiction counseling, lab technology, blacksmithing arts, sustainable agriculture, powersports and small engine repair, digital business and entrepreneurship, and manufacturing design and prototypes. It also wants to establish two joint bachelor’s degrees with partner universities or colleges.
Among the sports the college wants to offer are women’s volleyball, men’s and women’s soccer, men’s baseball, women’s softball, e-sports and club sports such as rugby, motocross, trap shooting and archery.
The old armory building, which has been converted into a student center, would have a new gymnasium floor, locker rooms, an eating area for residential students, a nearby indoor fieldhouse with artificial turf, outdoor sports fields for soccer and additional parking.
Groesbeck said the strategic plan is “doable, but it’s a lot.” He said he’s received no negative feedback about it and anticipates board action on it in March or April after the plan’s comment period.
In other business during the meeting:
• Aaron Kennedy, vice president of student affairs, reported a drop in student headcount during the fall semester from 1,068 in 2018 to 887 in 2019 — a decrease of 20%. Fall credit hours also dropped over 19%.
Kennedy attributed the decrease to FieldCorp, a subsidiary of General Electric, temporarily pulling students from Mesalands’ wind-energy training center in favor of its facility in New York. FieldCorp later relented and is bringing its students back to Mesalands for training, he said.
The second factor in the decline is the state’s recent takeover of the Northeast New Mexico Corrections Facility in Clayton from the Geo Group. Kennedy said the state dropped all of Mesalands’ classes at the prison.
Groesbeck and Kennedy said they wouldn’t be surprised if a rebound in enrollment numbers is found in the spring.
• Groesbeck said he’s received no objections to a proposed name change to Mesalands College. He said the change would more accurately reflect it drawing students from a much wider area than just Tucumcari and Quay County. Groesbeck asked staff to talk to friends about the proposal, and he asked Kennedy to get students’ input on it, as well.
• The board approved the college’s academic calendar for 2020-2021. Fall enrollment begins Aug. 13 and spring enrollment Jan. 14. Graduation is set for May 7, 2021.
• In the Mesalands Moment part of the meeting, faculty member Donna Garcia said the college is setting up a social-work degree with an emphasis on substance-abuse counseling. She said classes would begin first at state prisons, and the Santa Rosa facility had started courses in mid-February. She said Mesalands eventually would offer the classes on its main campus, with occupational and applied services certificates. Garcia said job growth in addiction counseling is projected at 22%, compared to typical job growth of 5% to 6%.
• The board went into closed executive session for 75 minutes to discuss limited personnel matters, possible litigation or real-estate transactions. No action was taken when open session resumed.