'Hotline' approved

The Mid-Plains Community College Board of Governors unanimously approved the $94,600 purchase of distance learning equipment to implement a "hotline" for interactive classes between McCook and North Platte Community Colleges.

The purchase includes production and routing equipment for dedicated classrooms to deliver interactive television classes.

The purchase will satisfy the need to reduce unnecessary duplication of classes on the two campuses and assure the "making" of certain classes on both campuses, according to the board agenda.

The purchase will be made from an excess of funds in this year's college budget.

The board also approved a request to approve a bid from Weathercraft roofing to repair the roof on Barnett Hall.

Campus Development Chair Dale Wahlgren told the board, "The roof is leaking and we're running out of buckets." He said the board had prepared a list of projects in the past, but had gotten away from completing the list. "Now it's leaking and we have to get it fixed."

The project will cost $19,982.

Wahlgren also informed the board his sub-committee had received preliminary figures for the proposed expansion of classroom space and more science labs at the McDonald-Belton campus.

Estimated costs for the first proposal --  to build an addition on the west side of the building -- be $3.2 million for 18,000 square feet.

The second option -- to remodel the gym in McDonald Belton into science labs and classrooms would cost an estimated $3 million for an additional 37,000 square feet.

The second option would require the building of a new gym at an estimated cost of $3.2 million. Wahlgren suggested the college look at working in a partnership with the city of North Platte and/or Lincoln County to build the new recreation center.

No action was taken on the item. Board members asked that committee members look at the sale of the North Platte Vocational Technical campus before proceeding.

The board moved to table a proposal to hire a marketing firm to develop a new marketing plan for the college until a request could be made to the North Platte Community College Foundation and the McCook College Foundation to help fund the project. The marketing plan comes as a result of the board's agreement late last year to return the Community College designation to its North Platte and McCook sites.

The board also tabled the search for a new vice-president of the North Platte campus at the request of incoming President Dr. Michael Chipps. Chipps requested the postponement until he had time to review the administrative structure of the college.

Chipps told the board he did not want the delay to be a long one. "It's not that we don't want a person in that position, it's that we may want to change the job description," he told the board.

In other action, the board:

- Approved amendments to personnel policies on first reading.

- Approved the search of a full-time academic advisor.

- Approved the hire of Brenda Coltin as the area's new enrollment management director.

- Approved the purchase of an electronic solvent recycling system for the auto body technology center.

- Approved the purchase of materials for an underground sprinkler system at the student housing complex on McDonald Belton Campus.

- Approve the hire of Dr. Douglas Clouatre as full time political science instructor at North Platte.