Kimber J. Forrester

The board meeting agenda includes reports from the President, various ad-hoc and standing committees, and a presentation on the Plan Let's Go update. New business items cover the approval of the tentative 2027 fiscal year budget, tuition and course fees for the 2026-2027 academic year, and several contracts for construction and renovation projects, including West Campus North Stair improvements, electrical upgrades, and signage installation. Additionally, the board will consider ratifying construction change orders, authorizing a self-study report for accreditation, implementing the Pioneer Scholarship, renewing a sublease with the Intermediate Unit, and approving a lease agreement. The meeting concludes with an executive session regarding personnel and real estate.

The Board discussed the President's report on student credit transfers and federal financial aid applications. An audit report from MaherDuessel was presented, confirming that financial records were in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. The Board approved the purchase of equipment, software, and training curricula for the Industrial Maintenance and Mechatronics program and authorized a contract with Portico/Campus Ivy for financial aid management consulting. Additionally, the Board approved the 2025 audit, various construction change orders, furniture and millwork purchases, and authorized lease negotiations with the Corry Higher Educational Council. Meeting dates for 2026 were established, and construction change orders from October 2025 were ratified. The Board held an executive session regarding campus safety, security, and real estate.

The Board meeting included a presentation on College KPIs and a report on a fraud scheme involving ghost student enrollment. The Foundation-President's Advisory Group announced upcoming leadership events and provided an update on the scholarship campaign. The Academic Committee reported on policy discussions and the purchase of health science software. The Board approved the purchase of equipment for the Center for Health Sciences, amendments to policies concerning discrimination, harassment, and hazing, and reaffirmations of personnel and finance-related policies. Additionally, the final fiscal year budget for 2026 was approved, and members discussed recommendations for future board appointments and reviewed operational updates related to Title IV funding and student enrollment growth.

The meeting included construction updates from the President, noting that the College's budget information was sent to the county and an update would be provided at an upcoming Erie County Council Finance meeting. The Chairperson reported on the annual meeting schedule and the possibility of a special meeting regarding a construction change order exceeding $50,000. Key presentations covered the new Key Performance Indicator (KPI) dashboards accessible on the EC3 website, which track enrollment, success rates, retention, graduation, and job placement. The Academic Committee discussed reviewing and emphasizing the separation of procedure from policy during a 5-year policy review cycle, leading to the approval of an amendment to the Records and Management Retention Policy. The Personnel Committee reaffirmed two Human Resource related policies: Compensation Ranges and Military Leave. The Finance Committee reported on the tentative budget status pending the state budget, noting the importance of cash reserves, and approved an amendment to the Disposal of Surplus Property policy. In New Business, the Board approved the implementation of the Pioneer Scholarship portion of "Plan Let's Go!" Version 2026 for Spring 2026, which will substitute for free tuition until Federal Financial Aid is approved. Additionally, the Board approved a sublease agreement with Northwest Tri-County Intermediate Unit (IU5) for space usage for the Regional Choice Initiative. A motion to amend the Duties of the Board of Trustees Policy was tabled for further review.

The agenda for this meeting included several key new business items presented by the standing committees. The Academic Committee presented resolutions for the purchase of equipment for the Center for Health Sciences, the amendment of the Policy Against Discrimination and Harassment, and the implementation of the Anti-Hazing Policy. The Personnel Committee sought reaffirmation and amendment of policies regarding Conflicts of Interest and Nepotism. The Finance Committee presented resolutions to approve the Final Fiscal Year 2026 Budget and to reaffirm and amend several policies related to finance, facilities, IT, contracting practices, and expense reimbursement. Other discussions included recommendations to the Erie County Government concerning potential EC3 Board Members, a presentation on the Title IV Update and EC3's Operational Response, and a planned Executive Session.