College employees getting bonuses in November

DUBLIN — Employees at Bladen Community College will be getting a bonus in their November checks.

College trustees meeting on Tuesday night approved the one-time gifts in the amount of $1,000 to full-time employees and $500 to those on staff as part-time. The total expense to the college is $113,570.

In her presentation, Tiina Mundy told the group the funds will be brought together from several sources, including remaining budget not spent last year. COVID-19 had a hand in some of the remaining funds becoming available, and senior college officials also wanted to reward staff for handling the pandemic.

Mundy, director of Human Resources, said there have not been any increases for staff in the last two years.

“This is a gesture of appreciation to them, for their hard work,” she said.

The trustees, who were missing Ray Britt and Hayes Petteway, were unanimous in approval.

The president’s report of Dr. Amanda Lee included an update on a $100,000 grant awarded by Cannon. The funds will go toward renovations for the nursing program. Combined with a grant from the Golden LEAF Foundation, the college will be purchasing new equipment for labs.

Another $91,000 will be expended over a three-year period. It comes from the Governor’s Emergency Education Relief program. Scholarships are available for continuing education students in amounts of up to $750 if enrolled in a workforce pathway where they will earn a credential in a course with minimum of 96 hours.

Trustees were also updated by Lee on a data breach that happened Sept. 3. The student impacted was offered a year of credit monitoring.

Lisa DeVane, director of institutional effectiveness and planning, shared the results of the college’s performance measures. The college didn’t receive any scores below the baselines for basic skills progress, student success rate in college-level English, student success rate in college-level math, first year progression, curriculum completion, licensure pass rate index, and college transfer performance.

Jay Stanley, vice president of finance and administration, said the college’s two new buildings that opened earlier this year are nearing the end of the contractual process. There is still discussion and negotiation to close the financial obligations for the Workforce Development Building.

Trustees unanimously approved a budget resolution.

Sunset & Vine, the educational foundation’s major fundraiser, will not take place next month. Director Linda Burney, of the foundation, updated trustees on an alternative appeal to sponsors and said finances remain strong despite the loss of the event and the pandemic’s impact on market investments.

The foundation is coordinating the yellow ribbon campaign, which includes a tree in the Student Resource Center with about 800 names of registered students attached.

“It’s a reminder to us,” Burney said, “that though our students may not physically be with us, we see their names, read their names and think of them often.”

About 125 large yellow ribbons are on trees around campus.

Sondra Guyton, vice president for workforce and continuing education, led off the evening with a recognition of employees. She was followed by an inspiring testimony from Denise Owens, a guest student speaker to the panel.

Crystal Dowd, advisor to the Student Government Association, said 77 participants enjoyed a virtual field trip of historical Philadelphia last week on Constitution Day. Two tour guides from the City of Brotherly Love were with them on the 90-minute journey that included visits to 20 historical sites.

Elections of SGA officers is taking place this week. The officers and senators will be introduced at the next trustees’ meeting.

And in the Faculty Senate and Staff Council report, Re Gena Gilliam introduced officers. Lacie Jacobs will be Council’s chairwoman, Travis Locklear is vice chairman, Rachel Byrd is secretary and Roy Thompson will be treasurer. The Senate’s president is Gilliam, vice president is Tim Marshburn, secretary is Sharon Coe and treasurer is Jay Watson.

Lee said the college, for the fourth time, was designated a 2019 Tree Campus USA by the Arbor Day Foundation. Trustees also approved a resolution to support an attainment goal of myFutureNC — a nonprofit connecting leaders in education, business and government — that would have 2 million North Carolinians with a high-quality credential or postsecondary degree by 2030.