Board of Trustees approve two academic options, one minor at recent meeting

Items approved during the meeting included adding two Chadron State College academic options and one academic minor, as well as acceptance of employee salary recommendations, construction contracts, Board of Trustees’ policy changes, and preliminary operating budgets for the three state colleges and System Office.

The academic minor beginning in Fall 2018 at Chadron State College is Environmental Geoscience (Physical Sciences). The new options, also beginning in Fall 2018, are Environmental Geoscience (Physical Sciences) and Athletic Training Preparation (Sport and Recreation Management).

The Board approved three construction projects for CSC. Those projects include replacing the windows and updating restrooms in King Library, as well as re-roofing Armstrong Gymnasium.

Several revisions to Board policies were also approved. Board Policy 3100 further clarified temporary suspension. Board Policies 5030, 5103 and 5104 detailed how to process and pay earned wages, accumulated sick leave, and vacation pay to the estate of a deceased employee. Revisions to Board Policies 3401, 4830 and 6021 were approved to update criteria for the Non-Resident Scholars Program and expand opportunities for out-of-state and international students. The title also changed from Non-Resident Scholars to the Nebraska Access Program.

Several informational items were also presented to the Board, including reports on promotion and tenure, employee and student demographics, construction, spring student occupancy, contracts and change orders, grant applications and awards, and personnel reports.

CSC was awarded a grant from the Mari Sandoz Heritage Society in the amount of $888 to study axillary bud responses to defoliation at different growth stages in the rhizomatous grass, Bromus inermis.

Additionally, operating budgets for all of the state colleges and System Office were approved. Chadron State’s general fund appropriation for 2018-19 is $17,508,452.

The meeting closed with reports from each of the three state colleges and the Chancellor.

The 2018-19 schedule for Board meetings is as follows: Sept. 14-15 at Chadron State College, Nov. 15-16 at Wayne State College, Jan. 15 in Lincoln, March 21-22 at Peru State College, and June 18 in Lincoln.