Board of Governors Meets in Sidney

The Western Nebraska Community College board of governors met at the WNCC Sidney campus Wednesday following a celebration of Sidney’s Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center. 

The Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center is designed to assist start-up businesses toward independence. The Center has three businesses with others that have expressed interest in the program. Following the Center’s ribbon cutting, the WNCC Board of Governors met for their April meeting with chairperson F. Lynne Klemke presiding over the meeting.

The meeting included a presentation by students from the WNCC campuses supporting a tobacco free policy. The students are seeking a no use or sale of tobacco products on college grounds, or any property owned by WNCC. The effort was funded by a $20,000 grant awarded to the project. The policy would address tobacco, smoking and vaping, according to the presentation. College President Dr. Todd Holcomb said under the policy, anyone who uses the college facilities would have to adhere to college guidelines. The exemption would be uses such as Native American religious services.

The board reviewed City Planning Commission reports from Sidney, Gering, Scottsbluff and Hemingford, noting none of the reports have negative impact on the college.

The agenda also included resignations and appointments to staff positions. Of the list, one was removed for discussion. Graham Judd, Emergency Medical Services instructor and program director, submitted his resignation. Board members asked why he is leaving so soon after his appointment. He was appointed to the position in May 2018.

“He’s been here less than a year,” Holcomb said. “He caught us off-guard, flat-footed and embarrassed.”

Holcomb said as a personnel issue he could not elaborate in a public meeting on why Judd left his position.

Approved resignations include Associate Systems Administrator Neal Brady, Executive Vice President Kim Kuster Dale, Judd and Associate Systems Administrator Loren Moench. Appointments include Laurie Alkire as Honorary Status of Professor Emeritus, Neal Brady as Enterprise Resource Planning Administrator and Moench as Information Technology Associate Director.

Gretchen Foster reported on college admissions. She said the office is busy promoting the college.

“All of us, at some point, are recruiters for WNCC,” she said. “We do believe we’re a friendly place.”

She said there is a difference between selling and promoting the experience.

“We can sell the atmosphere. We sell WNCC. But we’re not selling anything. We’re working with human beings,” she said.

As such, she said, sometimes the best encouragement is to guide a student toward a campus that fits their needs, even if it isn’t WNCC.

As the meeting wrapped up, board members commended Sidney campus administrator Paula Abbott and the staff for the success of the Business Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center.

The board was also updated on renovation and construction work at the Scottsbluff campus.

The board then met in executive session regarding a “Strategy Session Concerning Pending or Threatened Litigation.”