JT Bowers

This Strategic Plan for Pterpont Community and Technical College outlines its direction, guided by values of ethics, adaptability, accountability, compassion, collaboration, and inclusivity. It focuses on four key pillars: People, Programs, Partners, and Performance. The plan aims to advance an inclusive and supportive environment by increasing enrollment, retention, and graduation rates, while developing and retaining talented faculty and staff. It seeks to continuously improve academic and training programs through enhanced pathways and innovative learning experiences. The college will also strengthen relationships with various partners and measure its success through key performance indicators related to enrollment, financial health, accreditation, and sponsored activities.

The meeting focused on several administrative and committee reports. Key discussion points included the purchase of an Accessibility tool to meet the April requirement deadline, and the routing of 'Great Ideas' submissions to appropriate committees or workgroups. Administrative reports covered the need for faculty to register all current students for Spring 2026 and updates on Career and Corporate Training (CCT) expansion, including setting goals for Learn & Earn partnerships for every program. The Academic Faculty Caucus (ACF) reported prioritizing student voting rights on the Board of Governors (BOG), rebuilding legislative relationships, and reviewing faculty workloads. The BOG Finance Committee reported an improvement in Pierpont's Composite Financial Index (CFI) from 1.08 to 1.81. Committee reports addressed the review of a Student Appeals SOP, faculty development discussions regarding CCT, assessment deadlines for General Education written competency, and high-priority items from the Online Learning committee, such as researching Accessibility requirements updates for online Blackboard courses due in April 2026, compiling an OER resource list, and addressing budgetary issues related to Respondus. New business involved a curriculum proposal to change course SCY 2995 to SOWK 2995, which was tabled pending clarification on course numbering discrepancies.

The Finance and Administration Committee meeting included a review of the FY 2026 Pierpont Fee Revenue Analysis, which indicated a revenue shortfall of $126,126 in Education and General Tuition and Fees due to enrollment decline compared to the previous year. Key discussion centered on the FY 2027 Tuition Changes and the Preliminary Budget. This included reviewing the Governor's budget recommendation, noting an expected net increase of $40,560 in state appropriations for FY 2027, contingent upon legislative approval. Discussions also covered tuition increase scenarios based on flat enrollment projections and identified 'must-have' expenditures prioritized by the President's Council.

The meeting included an executive session to conduct candidate interviews for the Presidential Search. Following the executive session, the committee moved to invite specific candidates (Candidates 8, 9, 18, and 23) to participate in campus interviews scheduled for March 2-6.

The meeting focused on reviewing activities, accomplishments, and upcoming initiatives related to the Student Services Operational Plan. Key discussions included an examination of Fall 2025 enrollment compared to previous periods, highlighting point-in-time comparisons and census date data. The review of accomplishments covered achievements across the PEOPLE, PROGRAMS, PARTNERS, and PERFORMANCES strategic areas, such as filling vacant positions, launching revised online orientation, piloting math surveys, leading enrollment series with Deans, and championing Supplemental Instruction. Ongoing and upcoming initiatives were also reviewed, including the redevelopment of BIT, researching student progress metrics, and finalizing implementation of Handshake.