MINUTES

Special Meeting - Board of Trustees

August 18, 2003

 

In accordance with the terms and provisions of the Texas Open Meetings Act, Chapter 551 of the Texas Government Code, the Board of Trustees of the Austin Community College District convened in public session on Monday, August 18, 2003, at 6:05 p.m. in the Highland Business Center Board Room (201) of Austin Community College located at 5930 Middle Fiskville Road, Austin, Texas, with the following members present:  Rafael Quintanilla Chair /Presiding Officer; Barbara Mink, Vice Chair; Allen Kaplan, Secretary; Lillian J. Davis; Beverly Watts Davis [arrived at 7 p.m.]; John Hernandez; Nan McRaven [arrived at 6:07 p.m.]; Beverly S. Silas; and John Worley.

 

It is further found and determined that in accordance with the policies and orders of this Board, the notice of this meeting has been posted and return thereof made pursuant to the terms and provisions of the Texas Open Meetings Act, Chapter 551 of the Texas Government Code, and there has been full compliance with the terms and provisions of said act, including the timely posting of the subjects of this meeting.

 

Items for Discussion/Possible Action

 

Agenda Item 7754

Presentations and Selection of Consultant for Presidential Search Services for the Position of President of Austin Community College

Mr. Quintanilla introduced the item and Trustee Barbara Mink provided information concerning the recommendations of the five search firms by employee association representatives and selection by Trustees Allen Kaplan, Nan McRaven, and Barbara Mink.  The five search firm finalists were:  Ambler Associates, Dallas;  Association of Community College Trustees, Washington, D.C.; Gold-Hill Associates, Ashville, North Carolina; Isaacson-Miller, Boston, Massachusetts; and The Pauly Group from Illinois.  Dr. Mink stated that one firm, The Pauly Group, withdrew from consideration; therefore, four presentations would be made.  Michelle Cruz Williamson and David Bellshaw of Isaacson, Miller; John Anthony of Ambler Associates; Bob Barringer, Gold Hill Associates; and Narcissa Polonio, Association of Community College Trustees, presented  to the Board of Trustees.  Each firm was allowed a total of 15 minutes:  5-minute presentation on the strengths of their firm; 5-minute response to five pre-arranged questions; and 5 minutes to respond to questions directly from Trustees. 

 

Trustees discussed the presentations and their choices.

 

Beverly Silas moved and Allen Kaplan seconded that:

MOTION:  The Board of Trustees authorize Board Chair Rafael Quintanilla to begin negotiations of a contract with Isaacson-Miller.

 

John Hernandez moved and Lillian Davis seconded that:

 

SUBSTITUTE MOTION:  Ambler Associates be selected as the firm for the presidential search services.

Trustees discussed the experience and fee structures of each firm.  Trustees expressed first and second choices of the firms. 

Trustees John Hernandez and Lillian Davis withdrew the Substitute Motion.

 

VOTE ON ORIGINAL MOTION:  The motion passed on a vote of 7-2.

FOR:  Beverly Watts Davis, Allen Kaplan, Nan McRaven, Barbara Mink, Rafael Quintanilla, Beverly Silas, and John Worley, 

AGAINST:  John Hernandez, Lillian Davis.

Mr. Quintanilla stated he would provide the Board of Trustees with information following discussion with Isaacson, Miller.

 

Recess

Chair Quintanilla recessed the Special Meeting of the Austin Community College Board of Trustees at 8:06 p.m.

 

Reconvene

The August 18, 2003, Special Board meeting was reconvened in public session at 8:07 p.m. pursuant to Texas Government Code 551.

 

Agenda Item 7755

Proposed Approval of Fiscal Year 2004 Austin Community College Operating Budget

Mr. Quintanilla introduced the item. 

Trustees Lillian Davis moved and John Hernandez seconded that:

MOTION:  That the Board of Trustees adopt the Fiscal Year 2004 Operating Budget as proposed by the Administration.

 

Trustees Allen Kaplan moved and Beverly Watts Davis seconded that:

SUBSTITUTE MOTION:  The budget be amended to include:  (1) a twenty-cent per hour increase beyond what has been proposed in the budget for all classified and professional-technical employees.  The cost would be $416,000 for 1,008 employees; (2) $300,000 to full-time faculty in September 2003 and not in the Spring to bring them only to market for the past year and not the coming year; and (3) $300,000 for adjunct faculty to bring them closer to market.  This would total $1,016,000.  This would be paid for by cutting one-half percent of the Capital/ Technology budget ($550,000) and $500,000 from re-instituted budget from 2003.  The total would be $1,050,000.

Trustees spoke to the motion.

 

Trustee John Worley requested a Friendly Amendment:

FRIENDLY AMENDMENT:  Change the distribution of market adjustments from $300,000 to $400,000 for adjunct faculty and to $200,000 for full-time faculty.

Allen Kaplan did not accept the Friendly Amendment.

 

Trustee John Worley requested a Friendly Amendment:

FRIENDLY AMENDMENT:  To split the Substitute Motion into (1) a motion for a twenty-cent per hour increase for classified and professional-technical employees; (2) a motion to cut the Capital/Technology budget by $550,000; (3) a motion to cut the restorations by $500,000; and (4) a motion to increase the market adjustments for full-time faculty and adjunct faculty by $300,000 each.

Trustees Allen Kaplan and Beverly Watts Davis accepted the Friendly Amendment.

 

Trustees agreed to vote on the motions by the reductions first and the increases second.

 

Allen Kaplan moved and Beverly Watts Davis seconded that:

MOTION:  That the Board of Trustees cut the Capital/Technology bottom-line funding by one-half percent ($550,000).

Trustee Allen Kaplan withdrew the motion.

 

Allen Kaplan moved and Beverly Watts seconded that:

MOTION:  That the Board of Trustees cut $500,000 from the $1,200,000 dollars in the reduced service restoration.

Trustee Kaplan withdrew the motion.

 

Allen Kaplan moved and Beverly Watts Davis seconded that:

MOTION:  That the Board of Trustees cut $1,050,000 from the $1,200,000 restorations.

Trustees spoke to the motion and discussed the impact on student services

VOTE:  The motion failed on a vote of 2-7.

FOR:  Beverly Watts Davis, Allen Kaplan.

AGAINST:  Lillian Davis, John Hernandez, Nan McRaven, Barbara Mink, Rafael Quintanilla, Beverly Silas, and John Worley.

 

Nan McRaven moved that:

MOTION:  The Board of Trustees approve an across-the-board increase for all categories at three percent and that the remaining dollars be used to provide a twenty-cent increase for all classified and professional-technical employees.

The motion failed for lack of a second.

 

Allen Kaplan moved and John Worley seconded that:

MOTION:  The Board of Trustees reduce the restoration by $500,000 from the $1,200,000 restoration.

VOTE:  The motion failed on a vote of 4-5.

FOR:  Beverly Watts Davis, Allen Kaplan, Beverly Silas, John Worley.

AGAINST:  Lillian Davis, John Hernandez, Nan McRaven, Barbara Mink, and Rafael Quintanilla.

 

John Worley moved and Beverly Silas seconded that:

MOTION:  That non-district tuition be increased $3 beginning in Spring 2004.

 

Beverly Watts Davis requested a Friendly Amendment to the Amendment to the Substitute Motion.

FRIENDLY AMENDMENT TO MOTION:  That the Board of Trustees target lower-income students from poorer districts so that the impact on them is lessened.

Trustee Worley accepted the Friendly Amendment.

VOTE:  The motion failed on a vote of 4-5.

FOR:  Beverly Watts Davis, Allen Kaplan, Barbara Mink, John Worley.

AGAINST:  Lillian Davis, John Hernandez, Nan McRaven, Rafael Quintanilla, Beverly Silas.

 

Barbara Mink moved and Nan McRaven seconded that:

MOTION:  The hourly rate be raised by twenty cents per hour across-the-board for classified and professional-technical employees who earn $30,000 or less per year.  The cost would be $151,000 and would be taken from the restoration.

 

John Worley moved and Beverly Watts Davis seconded that:

SUBSTITUTE MOTION:  The proposed increase be phased out as the income increases.  If you make less than $25,000 per year, you get a 25-cent increase per hour; $25,000 per year, you get a 23-cent per hour increase; $26,000 per year, you get a 21-cent increase per hour; and on reducing by two cents until you get to $37,000 at which point it phases out altogether.  The cost would be $220,292.80 and would be taken from the restorations.

VOTE ON SUBSTITUE MOTION:  The motion failed on a vote of 3-4-1.

FOR:  Beverly Watts Davis, Allen Kaplan, John Worley

AGAINST:  Lillian Davis, Nan McRaven, Barbara Mink, Rafael Quintanilla, Beverly Silas.

ABSTAIN:  John Hernandez.

 

VOTE ON ORIGINAL MOTION:  The motion passed on a vote of 8-0-1.

FOR:  Beverly Watts Davis, Lillian Davis, Allen Kaplan, Nan McRaven, Barbara Mink, Rafael Quintanilla, Beverly Silas, John Worley.

AGAINST:  None.

ABSTAIN:  John Hernandez.

 

Nan McRaven moved and Beverly Watts Davis seconded that:

MOTION:  The Board of Trustees approve a three percent across-the-board increase with the remainder to be used in market adjustments in areas in which agreement could be reached.  This would be about $400,000-$500,000 that could be used for faculty or adjunct market adjustments.

Trustees spoke to the motion.

Nan McRaven withdrew the motion.

 

Rafael Quintanilla moved and Nan McRaven seconded that:

MOTION:  The Board of Trustees add $100,000 for market adjustments for each faculty group and that the Administration be authorized to find the areas to make the cuts.

 

Beverly Watts Davis moved for a Substitute Motion.

SUBSTITUTE MOTION:  The Original Motion remain as stated but instead of the Administration deciding where the cuts would be, that the issue of out-of-district tuition be revisited.

Beverly Watts Davis was not on the prevailing side and, therefore, could not make the motion.

 

VOTE ON ORIGINAL MOTION:  The motion passed on a vote of 7-1-1,

FOR:  Beverly Watts Davis, Allen Kaplan, Nan McRaven, Barbara Mink, Rafael Quintanilla, Beverly Silas, John Worley.

AGAINST:  Lillian Davis

ABSTAIN:  John Hernandez

 

John Worley moved that:

MOTION:  The Board of Trustees reduce the transfer to reserves by $300,000 and allocate that amount of money to additional market adjustments for adjunct faculty.

The motion failed for lack of a second.

 

VOTE ON MAIN MOTION, AS AMENDED:  The motion failed on a vote of 4-4.

FOR:  Lillian Davis, Nan McRaven, Barbara Mink, Rafael Quintanilla

AGAINST:  Beverly Watts Davis, John Hernandez, Allen Kaplan, and John Worley.

Beverly Silas did not vote.

 

Nan McRaven moved and Beverly Watts Davis seconded that:

MOTION:  That the Board of Trustees reconsider out-of-district tuition and increase out-of-district tuition by $3 beginning in Spring 2004.

VOTE ON MOTION:  The motion passed on a vote of 5-3-1.

FOR:  Beverly Watts Davis, Allen Kaplan, Nan McRaven, Beverly Silas, John Worley.

AGAINST:  Lillian Davis, Barbara Mink, Rafael Quintanilla.

ABSTAIN:  John Hernandez.

 

John Worley moved and Beverly Watts Davis seconded that:

MOTION:  The Board of Trustees allocate, of the $315,000 brought in, $100,000 for full-time faculty and $215,000 for adjunct faculty who are farthest away from their goal.

VOTE:  The motion failed on a vote of 4-4-1.

FOR:  Beverly Watts Davis, Allen Kaplan, Barbara Mink, John Worley.

AGAINST:  Lillian Davis, Nan McRaven, Rafael Quintanilla, Beverly Silas

ABSTAIN:  John Hernandez.

 

Nan McRaven moved and Beverly Watts Davis seconded that:

MOTION:  That the Board of Trustees approve the Fiscal Year 2004 Operating Budget as presented (Exhibit A) by the Administration with the three approved amendments approved by the Board of Trustees:  (1) The hourly rate be raised by twenty cents per hour across-the-board for classified and professional-technical employees who earn $30,000 or less per year.  The cost would be $151,000 and would be taken from the restoration; (2) addition of $100,000 for market adjustments for each faculty group and that the Administration be authorized to find the areas to make the cuts, and (3) increase out-of-district tuition by $3 beginning in Spring 2004.

VOTE:  The motion passed on a vote of 6-3.
FOR:  Beverly Watts Davis, Lillian Davis, Nan McRaven, Barbara Mink, Rafael Quintanilla, Beverly Silas

AGAINST: John Hernandez, Allen Kaplan, John Worley.

 

Agenda Item 7756

Proposed Approval of Fiscal Year 2004 Austin Community College Non-Operating Budget

This item was delayed until the next Board meeting.

 

Adjournment

Having no motion before the Board, the August 18, 2003, special meeting of the Austin Community College Board of Trustees was adjourned at 10:40 p.m.


Approved By
                                                 

Allen H. Kaplan, Secretary