'Super-spreader' event feared at college

The president of Mesalands Community College said last week if he can’t get higher vaccination rates in the student population, he’s resigned to an eventual COVID-19 super-spreader event after classes resume in the fall. He added the college likely will require masks and social distancing.

College President Gregory Busch said in his monthly report before the board of directors during its meeting July 20 that about nine of 10 Quay County residents age 18 to 24 remain unvaccinated against the virus.

In response to that data, Busch said he will schedule another vaccination event at the college.

Busch also said the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is predicting a third wave of COVID-19 infections — mostly because of the spread of the highly contagious Delta variant and people resisting vaccinations that would mostly protect them.

“We are in a predicament,” he said. “We’re in a position where it’s not going to be, ‘How are we going to reopen?’ but ‘How we’re going to respond to the super-spreader event when it happens?’”

Busch said many unvaccinated students have conveyed to faculty and coaches: “I’d rather get COVID than get the vaccine.” He said if shots are required at the college, many students have stated they’ll simply enroll in another school.

Busch said signs on the college’s doors state masks and social distancing are “suggested.” After conferring with the executive team, he said it’s likely that masks and social distancing instead will be “required” at Mesalands.

The Mesalands campus was largely shut down during the 2020-2021 school year in response to the pandemic, and most classes instead were held virtually.

“We cannot afford to do that again,” Busch said. “We can’t afford to have another year like last year.

“We’re in a difficult place, folks,” he added. “We have to boost the vaccination rate.”

In other parts of Busch’s report:

• He said the Higher Learning Commission on July 16 gave Mesalands the highest marking of approval for its reaccreditation. Busch said Vice President of Academic Affairs Natalie Gillard addressed four deficiencies listed in the commission’s initial report. Mesalands won’t have to have its accreditation reaffirmed until 2024-2025.

• Busch gave his congratulations and thanks to Aaron Kennedy, Mesalands’ vice president of student affairs, who retired effective July 16. He had been at that position at Mesalands since 2007.

• Busch said Mesalands has a preliminary agreement with several several baccalaureate degree institutions to provide bachelor’s degree completions for the transfer of all Mesalands technical programs, including allowing Mesalands students to stay in Tucumcari to complete a bachelor’s degree. He said more details about the articulation agreements would be announced later. The agreements came in the wake of an annual meeting with the Mountain States Community Association in Denver.

• He said he was working with faculty to develop a compensation review and a performance evaluation system.

• Busch said he met with Thomas Bailey of the Educational Credit Management Corporation, who said the Office of Federal Student Aid Initiative has significant resources, including Project Success, to help Mesalands students. Busch said he also would set up a food bank for students.

• He said he would release a plan by early August on how Mesalands would spend the $1.2 million from the federal American Rescue Plan.

• Busch said he is working with Jim Morgan, vice president of campus affairs and external relations, along with Homeland Security and local emergency personnel to host active-shooter training for the president’s Cabinet.

• Busch said he is collaborating with the information technology department to update Mesalands’ website.

• Busch said he will be working with student-success expert Henry Fernandez on how to increase academic achievement for Hispanic students. New Mexico college presidents, the New Mexico Secretary of Education and members of the legislature are invited to the presentation.

• Busch said he is working with Hazel Rountree, vice president of student success and access, to develop a rehabilitation and reintegration program for inmates in seven New Mexico correctional facilities who are enrolled in Mesalands classes. He said about one-third of the college’s students are incarcerated.

• Busch said he received a letter from David Stratton, professor emeritus of history at Washington State University and a Tucumcari native, who praised the selection of Busch as Mesalands president and his commitment to the Complete College America plan. Stratton plans to publish in March with the University of New Mexico Press a book, "Tucumcari Tonite! A Story of Railroads, Route 66, and the Waning of a Western Town."

In business by the board of trustees:

• The board read a spring enrollment report,, which showed the headcount dropping to 806 in spring 2021, compared to a previous recent high of 1,105 in spring 2019. Spring credit hours also fell to 4,533 in spring 2021 compared to a recent peak of 6,636 in spring 2018.

“We’ve got a lot of work to do to get our numbers back to where we were,” board Chairman Jim Streetman said.

• Busch and the board briefly discussed a notice of non-discrimination for the college. The board could not approve the notice because it wasn’t an action item on the meeting agenda. Busch pledged to have the board act on it during its August meeting.

• Morgan said IT director Larry Wickham recently spent a weekend resolving problems with the college’s Jenzabar operating system.

• The board approved purchase requisitions for the coming school year: $74,250 to Tillman Enterprises of Clovis for the Stampede Village lease; $71,500 to Xcel Electric for electricity; $22,000 to the City of Tucumcari for water; $22,000 to New Mexico Gas for natural gas; $22,000 to Plateau Wireless for internet; $26,666.63 to Ricoh Americas for copier leases; and $168,813 to New Mexico Public Schools Insurance Authority for insurance.