College Publisher Test Site

It just another meeting for Daytona State College's Board of Trustees this April, following the controversial sunset of the Digital Media program at their March meeting.

In his presentation of financial highlights, Executive Vice President Rand Spiwak said March revenues are down from last year because registration for summer and fall classes occurred later this year than the year before.

"We are way off … when in the prior year you saw us increase," Spiwak said.

But enrollment figures show some promise for next month. Post-secondary headcount is up 5.5 percent for summer 2009 and up 60.6 percent for fall 2009. This could provide some much-needed good financial news in a time where reductions in state funding are forcing the college to make cutbacks and sacrifices.

Among those sacrifices could be a four-year nursing program, which the college was planning to offer in the near future but challenges by the state legislature may put those plans in jeopardy.

Trustees criticized the proposal, agreeing that decisions on adding new degree programs should be up to the college, not the government.

The Board approved the selection of an architectural firm to begin the process of designing the Mike Curb College of Arts, Music and Sciences. The final fee amount for the first phase is $910,000, plus an added contingency of $75,000.

DSC President Dr. Kent Sharples believes as long as funding is sufficient, the college will be able to build the building under its current agreement with Curb to have it finished in three years.

"We need to start digging in the ground in three years if we want to keep that gift," said Sharples.

The Board also reviewed the first reading of an update to its policy manual. The only change that impacts the Board is that a trustee's membership can be terminated if he or she fails to attend three consecutive regular meetings.

Article Tools