SSCC discusses insurance, board appointments

The Southern State Community College Board of Trustees discussed a health insurance agreement for non-faculty employees during their June board meeting, held June 11, just hours before the college's graduation ceremonies. 

SSCC President Dr. Kevin Boys noted that most likely everyone was "thinking a few hours from now. Our minds are on commencement. Commencement is a celebration of what we do, and it's something we all look forward to."

According to the president's report, "We have been spoiled by relatively low insurance rate increases in previous years. Claims this year were up 30.6 percent so we were anticipating a large increase. Anthem's calculated rate change was an increase of 16.22 percent but finalized a rate increase of 13.5 percent. As you recall, the current SSEA (Southern State Education Association) contract calls for the college to absorb the first 15 percent of any increase, so the net cost of this increase to the college would be approximately $250,000 barring any changes to the current contract, or changes in the plan."

Contract negotiations for faculty members this year are pending.

"Anticipating the need to reduce the financial impact, we have implemented an optional high deductible Anthem plan with an accompanying health savings account (HSA) for all full-time staff and administration who are not subject to collective bargaining," Boys said. "Our basic premise has been that people can keep the traditional Anthem plan, but they would bear a much more significant portion of the increase themselves. That was the bad news. The good news, however, is that non-teaching employees can elect to enroll in the high deductible plan with a $2,500 deductible for single, $5,000 deductible for family. Their monthly insurance contribution will not go up. With the savings achieved by the college in the premium discount for this plan, the college will fund the $2,500/$5,000 deductible with a health savings account. Additionally, people electing this plan can also put more money into their HSA to pay for other medical services not covered by the Anthem plan, (such as) dental, orthodontics, etc."

Monthly contributions for employees who do not elect the HSA plan will have monthly contributions of $82.58 for single and $297.49 for family. Those on the HSA plan will have monthly contributions of $38.66 single, and $188.72 for family.

"We can say with confidence that the 13.5-percent increase will be partially offset by increased employee share of the current plan premiums and the implementation of the new plan this year," Boys said. "This will lower the costs in future years simply due to the lowering of the base cost of this high deductible plan. Even with these changes, the college continues to offer its employees an exceptional health care benefit." 

During the report of vice president of business and finance Jim Buck, he said he did not have anything to add to the written report. 

"The current year budget remains on target," he said in the report. "Early enrollment numbers for summer term appear to be strong. Summer term has not always proven to be a reliable indicator for the rest of the academic year, but what we are seeing at this point suggests that enrollment projection shortfalls should not be an immediate concern."

The board voted 5-0 to accept both reports. Board member Rory Ryan was not in attendance. 

Board members Patty Griffiths and Jim Ward were in attendance during the meeting. Their terms on the board, along with Ralph Shell, had ended in May. Board president Kay Ayres noted that since appointments have not yet been made to the board by Gov. Ted Strickland, the outgoing members were permitted to serve for 60 days following their terms. They can no longer serve after July 12.

In addition to losing Griffiths, Shell and Ward, board member Don Gephart resigned from the board earlier this year. 

Board member Paul Hall asked Boys where the new appointments stood. Boys said that every two to three weeks he is in contact with liaisons from the governor's office and he has been told that names have been recommended and looked at but the appointments have not been made, and that an appointment should be coming soon. 

Ayres said there may be an additional issue with the board appointments as, "The Senate will go out of session soon and they have to ratify the appointments."

Hall asked Boys if there had been a clarification regarding whether or not the board must have a quorum of the five remaining members of the board, or the full nine-member board, to pass legislation and approve motions. 

Boys said he believed that is was a quorum of the nine-member board, and if that is true, all five members would have to be in attendance to have a quorum. Hall asked him to speak to the college's attorney to clarify or to contact the Ohio Attorney General's Office. 

"If I drop dead you can't have a meeting," Hall said. 

The next regular meeting of the board is scheduled for Sept. 8.

In other business:

• The board voted 5-0 to approve the 2011-2012 academic calendar. 

• The board heard reports from Boys, Ayres and board member Vicki Wilson on the meeting of the Ohio Association of Community Colleges.

• The college is investigating "the option of multi-term registration for students" as part of the preparation for the semester conversion, according to the president's report. The benefits of allowing a student to register for an entire year include: Allowing working students to better plan their work schedules, allow for the better advising of students, academic schedule additions and deletions could be done more efficiently, scheduling of full-time and adjunct faculty would be more efficient, reduces the number of students needed to register each term, allows for better enrollment projections. The tentative plan is to implement multi-term registration during the 2011-2012 academic year. 

• Dr. Ryan McCall, SSCC vice president of academic affairs, has been asked to head a higher education subcommittee of the Masco Workforce Committee to provide training and education opportunities. According to the president's report, "Masco, a cabinet manufacturer in Waverly, Ohio, has announced it will be closing within the next year. As a result of this closing, approximately 1,200-1,400 jobs will be lost, with almost 100 employees residing in Southern State's direct service area."

• The college will be advertising for three new faculty positions in the areas of business, agriculture and corrections/law enforcement, in anticipation of having the positions filled by fall quarter.

• According to the president's report: "SSCC's partnership with the Highland County Chamber of Commerce in applying for some USDA funds for small business development appears to be bearing fruit. A packet was received in response to the grant application indicating funds would be received. The funds will be used specifically for the training (via the Sirolli model) of an enterprise facilitator, who will focus on 'grass roots' level entrepreneurship development in Highland County."

• Enrollment for summer registration shows 701 students have registered online, which is more than half of last year's final summer enrollment, according to the president's report. Summer quarter enrollment was 1,527 as of May 28, a 24 percent increase over last year at this time. "At the end of the first week of registration, fall quarter enrollment was 1,305 which is approximately 40 percent of last year's final fall quarter enrollment," according to the president's report. Additionally, "As of the first week of May, more than $4 million in spring disbursements went out within the five-week deadline. The financial aid office has received more than 3,400 FAFSAs for 2010-2011. This represents a 26-percent increase over the same time last year."

• A new athletic director, Adam Holbrook, has been hired and will begin June 21.