The State Fair Community College Board of Trustees began a new period in its history Tuesday as Randall Eaton presided over his first meeting as board president.
Eaton, who was re-elected to his second term during the April 5 election, was unanimously chosen as president at the board’s April 11 special meeting. Nick La Strada also was sworn in April 11 to his first term after he was elected to the board April 5.
Amanda Herwatic and Crissina Kemp presented information about the Starfish program for the board’s instructional report.
Starfish is an electronic tool that serves as an early alert system that allows instructors and staff members to “raise flags” to navigators when there is a concern regarding a student’s progress.
“What Starfish does is it helps students finish what they start,” Kemp said. “It is a bridge from the faculty to the navigators and then the students. That allows the students to receive early notification if an instructor sees a potential problem with a student’s completion.”
The computer program allows a teacher to send a flag, which goes to the student and the student’s navigator when they have a concern such as the student’s academic performance, excessive absences or poor performance in class.
Once the flag is sent, the navigator contacts the student for intervention and can add additional comments to the flag.
The student then meets with their Navigator to discuss the flag and to establish a plan to correct the concern.
The program is accessed through the SFCC mySTAR portal, which all students have access to once they enroll at any SFCC location or online classes.
“The program provides students options to reach out for help,” Kemp added. “Many times they may not know where to go or the options that are available to them, but through the ‘raise your hand’ option they are given resources for help.
“Students can also check on financial aid and scholarship information,” Kemp added. “It really is a great way to start early intervention if a student is struggling and needs some help.”
The program also allows faculty to give students “kudos” whenever the student is showing signs of improvement or is performing well in class.
“We know that we have always emphasized student success here at State Fair,” SFCC President Dr. Joanna Anderson said. “This is just another one of the many tools that we have to help ensure that our students succeed.”
In other actions, the board voted to accept several bids:
• Dan and Kim Welch for the Building Trades House for next year for $8,000. The price for this bid indicates the amount that will be paid to SFCC for their services.
• The purchase of the Fortinet Security firewall from CDW-G of Lincolnshire, Illinois, for $143,000. The price includes maintenance for five years. Additionally, this bid will provide the option to add the residence hall to the college Internet connection. The funding source is the residence hall cash reserve.
• The purchase of the necessary switches and wireless network equipment to connect the residence hall to the college Internet connection for an amount not to exceed $65,000 plus annual maintenance. The funding source is the residence hall operating budget.
No company was awarded the contract to date as the college is seeking the lowest price possible for the necessary equipment.
• Dugan’s Paint & Flooring of Sedalia for $18,157.49 for labor and material for the removal and disposal of existing carpet on walls and installation of carpet and cove base in hallways of the residence hall. The funding source is the residence hall annual operating budget.
• Krueger International/Inside the Lines for $47,241.12, (Krueger International — $10,229.76 and Inside the Lines — $37,011.44) for Boonville Kemper Campus Expansion Computer Classrooms. The source of funding is cash reserves.
• A second bid was accepted from Inside the Lines for $46,969,60 for chairs, panels, desks and component parts for developing a modular office complex for Fielding Room 255.
The room will house offices of the Small Building Development Center and the Learning Force. Five offices and a reception area will be created in the space. The funding source is cash reserves.
• The College Board, ACCUPLACER Dept., London, Kentucky 10,000 ACCUPLACER placement exam assessment units at $2.20 per unit for a total of $22,000.
ACCUPLACER will replace the ACT Compass Exam that is being discontinued. The funding source is the Testing Center budget.
• A proposal from Blue Cross Blue Shield of Kansas City for Fiscal Year 2017, including the HAS, and that the local agency of Insurance & Benefits, Inc. be noted as the agent of record.
The cost to the college for each employee is $560.83.
The rate increase is 4.7 percent higher than rates from last year. Anderson commented that those rates were low and reasonable compared to what other districts were paying for the rates for FY17.
• The proposal from Guardian Life Insurance Company of America for the Group Life and AD&D with no change in rates over the current year. The local agency of Insurance & Benefits Inc. is noted as the agent of record.
• The proposal from Guardian Life of America for vision insurance. The local agency of Insurance & Benefits Group, LLC is noted as the agent of record.
The renewal rates for the vision plan, which is optional and paid for by the employee, did not increase from the current year.
• The proposal from First Agency of Kalamazoo, Michigan, for athletic basic and catastrophic insurance for $21,615.
The rates for athletic insurance for the college are lower this year despite the addition of four sports at SFCC next year.