Serving the High Plains
Serving the High Plains
The president of Mesalands Community College last week reported that early enrollment at the college had more than quadrupled compared to the same time last year.
According to data provided by Josh McVey, vice president of public relations, a total of 42 students had been enrolled at the college on Aug. 11, 2020. On Aug. 11, 2021, that number had risen to 184 — an increase of 438%.
By Aug. 12, the early enrollment number was 220, compared to 51 at the same time a year ago — an increase of 431%.
Aug, 12 also was before the college’s main enrollment event, Stampede Day.
College President Gregg Busch credited Rountree, vice president of student success, and McVey for their “aggressive” actions and initiatives to enroll new students after the previous vice president of student affairs, Aaron Kennedy, retired last month.
“This far above from what we’re seeing nationally in COVID recovery,” Busch said.
McVey said he used strategic enrollment data to boost new-student numbers and eliminated duplicates for more efficient data-sharing.
He said Stampede Day also was well-run, including a vaccination event where 39 people received shots against COVID-19.
Natalie Gillard, vice president of academic affairs, praised Stampede Day for being “welcoming and alive” to new students.
Busch said Rountree also identified low-income populations in Tucumcari that had been reluctant to take classes at Mesalands due to a lack of transportation. In response, the college will use its recently acquired 15-passenger van to transport those students from their homes.
“This is breaking the cycle of poverty … and will improve their lives,” Busch said of the low-income enrollees.
Busch said Rountree identified 50 new low-income students, with a potential of 500 that could be enrolled.
In addition, Busch said the college also will educate 85 new FieldCorp students in the wind-energy program. That doesn’t include students who will return for recertification, he said.
In other business and from the president’s report:
• Busch said about $10,000 in seed money has been acquired to start a food pantry for students.
• Busch said he met with Thomas Bailey of ECMC, a contractor for the U.S. Department of Education. Several years ago, the college was awarded free participation as a Hispanic Serving Institution into Project Success, but Bailey received little to no coordination from administrators. Busch said the college would use such benefits, including helping with student-loan payment difficulties, offering technology to help students make good career choices and free training to faculty and staff to improve Hispanic student success.
• Milan Rasic, who hails from North Carolina, was hired to supervise the campus fitness center and has a background enrollment and recruiting. Busch said Rasic will lead recruiting of athletes and other students to Mesalands.
• After Busch met with state Rep. Jack Chatfield (R-Mosquero), the legislator offered to bring a future meeting of the state’s Legislative Finance Committee to the college.
• Jim Morgan, vice president of campus affairs and external relations, said he signed a memorandum of understanding to join New Mexico State University and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory in a federal grant to explore ways to reuse old wind-turbine blades.
• Morgan said he’s trying to restore power to the old ALCO building, but it has proved difficult.
• The board approved a process for introducing proposed policies. In short, all proposals except the president’s are reviewed by the president’s Cabinet and can get commented on over a seven-day period.
• The board approved a resolution supporting student success, access and resource management. It states the college is “fully committed to the ideals of student success, improving access for students to higher education and prudent management of our resources.” It also states it wants to “close the equity gap in achievement and reduce overall student debt.”
• The board approved a notice of non-discrimination on the basis of race, age, religion, color, national origin, ancestry, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, spousal affiliation, pregnancy, childbirth, conditions related to childbirth or pregnancy, physical or mental disability, serious medical conditions or veteran status.
• The board approved a purchase requisition of $50,000 each to McGraw Hill of New York, Pearson Education in Atlanta, Hawkes Learning Systems of South Carolina, Cengage Learning of Chicago and Amazon.com — all for textbooks.
• A 30-minute closed executive session to discuss personnel matters, litigation and real estate ended with no action taken when open session resumed.