By Lee Ann Sides Garrett
news@salisburypost.com
Rapid Response and the economy were the main topics at the Rowan Cabarrus Community College board of trustees monthly meeting Monday.
Jeannie Moore, vice president of continuing education, highlighted the college’s response to area-wide layoffs from January 2007 to present.
About 460 workers from Freightliner, Philip Morris USA, Hanesbrands, Carter Furniture, Food Lion and the motorsports industry received training and services from the College’s R3 Center, with some being referred to the north or south campus for additional training.
“We have a great record with helping people,” said Board Chairman Ray Paradowski.
For each layoff in the area, the college implemented meetings and information sessions for laid-off workers and tracked workers’ progress or enrollment through a database, Moore said.
He also discussed possible uses for a $30,000 grant received for continuing education.
Robert D. Keeney, vice president for business and technical services and the college’s chief fiduciary officer, reported on the current enrollment and the college’s budget. With enrollment up 15 percent over last spring, the current faculty will absorb the increase with additional or larger classes, Keeney said.
The board also voted to adopt a “reduction in force policy” required by the state to be part of the administrative code. It is a policy to provide for the reduction of staff in the event the school becomes too financially strained.
“We are not looking this year at a likelihood in reduction in force,” Keeney said.
A review of information presented by the RCCC building committee highlighted the bid process for the new Building 400 to be built on the North campus.
After studying more than 70 bids, the committee accepted the bid of Summitt Builders of Salisbury. Summitt’s contract was $1.3 million below the architect’s projection of building costs for the project.
The board also officially awarded two $5,000 scholarships given by the State Employees Credit Union to Emily Taylor and Hannah Waller and appointed three new directors to the RCCC Foundation, Dianne Greene, owner of Century 21 real estate, Carol Herndon, CFO and chief administrative officer of Food Lion, and Carol Spalding, president and secretary to the board of trustees.