Mesalands board approves vaccination mandate

The Mesalands Community College board of trustees by a 4-1 vote last week approved a new mandate that requires all employees and students to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19.

The action during a special meeting Thursday followed a nearly one-hour closed executive session to discuss limited personnel matters, litigation and real-estate matters. In open session, board members commented little about the mandate except for its one dissenter.

Board member Tom Sidwell, who voiced opposition to a possible COVID-19 vaccination mandate in previous meetings and threatened not to run for re-election because of it, voted against it.

“I’m not in favor of government mandates of any kind,” Sidwell said, while expressing support for the “safe and healthy campus” part of the document.

That section states in part: “The Board retains and reserves unto itself all powers, rights, authority, duties and responsibilities conferred upon and vested in it by the Constitution and statutes of the State of New Mexico to enact policies for the benefit of creating a safe and healthy campus.”

The other board members — Liz Estrada, Teresa Stephenson, Jimmy Sandoval and Chairman Jim Streetman — voted in favor of the mandate.

Josh McVey, vice president of public relations at the college, said Monday that 31 Mesalands employees were unvaccinated and 47 were vaccinated as of Dec. 13, which at that time two shots counted as a full vaccination.

McVey said he did not have a total number of employees who had their booster shots. The total did not include campus adjuncts or those who are working off-campus.

The COVID-19 vaccination mandate took effect Jan. 1. It applies to “all faculty, staff, students, contractors and community members utilizing College services or facilities.”

The policy states to be fully vaccinated, students and faculty must receive a booster dose if they completed their initial series of Pfizer or Moderna vaccines before June 1 or the Johnson & Johnson single-dose vaccine before Oct. 1. They must provide documentation of the booster before Jan. 18.

Those who received their initial Pfizer or Moderna doses after June 1 or a Johnson & Johnson dose after Nov. 1 must provide documentation of the booster within one week of eligibility according to Food and Drug Administration guidelines.

The mandate states Mesalands “does not desire to discipline non-compliant individuals and seeks good faith effort in all individuals to comply.”

“However, failure to comply with this policy in good faith and become fully vaccinated as outlined may result in disciplinary action, up to and including termination of employees, disenrollment of students, termination of services of contractors, or revocation of college services and facilities for community members,” it states.

Those who qualify for medical or religious exemptions must undergo weekly COVID-19 testing. Those with exemptions who fail to comply are subject to discipline that includes firing.

Students and employees also can use a remote-learning exemption.

Mesalands President Gregg Busch in earlier meetings expressed reluctance to impose a vaccine mandate, citing opposition from many students. He also acknowledged Mesalands probably would be forced to accept the mandate because of pressure from state officials.

In other business:

• The board approved a compensation equity plan for all campus workers. Busch said a study that compared peer institutions found many Mesalands workers were underpaid. The plan would raise their salaries to the median or mean, along with a 2% longevity pay raise compounded annually, beginning in the second half of the 2021-2022 academic year. Raises do not include the college’s president or his executive staff, Busch said.

Busch also said supplemental contracts to cover the duties of full-time workers also would save $500,000.

• The board approved a purchase requisition of $19,612 from Crane Service of Albuquerque to transport an 18-ton wind turbine hub from Minco, Oklahoma, to the campus. Jim Morgan, vice president of campus affairs and external relations, said the transporter will place the hub in the shop so it eventually can be mounted to a turbine nacelle. It would be used for wind-turbine maintenance training.

• The board approved a letter of engagement with CLA Talent Solutions of Minneapolis to begin a nationwide search for a chief financial officer. The firm would be paid a certain percentage of the CFO’s salary.

• The board approved the appointment of Streetman and Sidwell to the Mesalands Community College Foundation for one-year terms each effective Jan. 1. Sidwell replaces Estrada, whose term expired after she declined to run for re-election.

• The board tabled action on a purchase requisition on furniture and other equipment for the college’s forthcoming esports program. Streetman said he wanted more clarification on the proposal from CDW-G of Chicago before proceeding.

• The board concluded its meeting with members thanking the departing Estrada, who also spent many years on the college’s foundation board. “It’s been an honor to be associated with the college for about 20 years,” she said.