July Board Meeting Highlights

The Board of Trustees gathered for their July 21st work session at 1:00pm in the President’s Dining Room inside the McAtee Dining Center on the Ark City Main Campus. The Board discussed the Sumner County sales tax election timeline, strategic planning, the trustee handbook, and prioritizing trends in higher education. No action was taken in the work session.

The regular meeting was called to order at 6:00pm.Trustee Phil White provided the invocation, and Chair Bob McGregor recited the College Mission Statement.

Under Awards and Reports, Cowley President Dr. Michelle Schoon shared that Cowley held a  graduation ceremony at Winfield Correctional Facility where 34 students received technical certificates and 13 students were awarded GED diplomas. Schoon also mentioned that the Cowley Sumner Campus hosted a Sumner County Talent Talk session in conjunction with the Workforce Alliance, Sumner Economic Development and Cowley College, and Kansas EMS Association Region 3 Hands-on Workshop using the new Simulation Lab and Anatomage cadaver table.

Schoon noted upcoming fall events including Kansas Association of Community Colleges (KACC) Quarterly meeting (August 1-2), Welcome Back day (August 15), Dorm Storm (August 16), and first day of fall semester (August 19). 

In addition, Schoon informed the Board that summer enrollment numbers are at 816 head count and 300 FTE, and Fall Enrollment is currently open and trending ahead of the last year enrollment numbers.

Under Administrative Reports, Cowley College sponsored the Picnic in the Park, Perplexing Puzzle, Drone Dash and the Kiddie Tractor pull at the Kansas Wheat Festival. The Golden Tigers program fall semester is set, and the newsletter and course catalog is in production. Fall course materials are available to students at the Bookstore as of Monday, July 21.

No Public Comments.

Under Standing Committee Reports, Trustee White provided a recap of the July 15th, 2025 Trustee Academic Subcommittee meeting, where members discussed CIS Course Procedure Changes, Varsity E-Sports Course Procedures, AY 2025 Performance Report to the Kansas Board of Regents, Memorandum of Agreement with the Workforce Development Board, OSHA 10 for Area High Schools, and New Faculty.

Trustee Shriver provided a recap of the July 14th, 2025, Trustee Finance Subcommittee meeting, where members discussed cash on hand, storm insurance updates, future procurement, and the draft State budget review.

Trustee Bazil provided a recap of the July 15th, 2025 electronic review of policy 204.00 – Auditing a Class (Revised). Final review and approval will be requested at the August Board meeting.

Trustee Marcotte provided a recap of the July 14th, 2025, Trustee Sumner County Sales Tax Subcommittee meeting, where members discussed the fall election and the vote on the renewal of the Sumner County ½ cent sales tax as well as its utilization. 

The Board held a 10-minute executive session to discuss faculty professional negotiations, pursuant to the exception related to employer-employee negotiations. No action followed the executive session.

The Board moved to approve the Consent Agenda, including the Minutes from the June 16th, 2025 regular meeting, Financial Reports, Bills and Claims, Personnel Transactions, including the negotiated changes to 25-26 Master Agreement, and Board Policy Approval of 101.00 – Missions and Related Statements (revised), and 135.00 – Campus Visitors (revised) by a vote of 7-0.

The Board held a pair of 15-minute executive sessions to discuss the President’s annual evaluation, pursuant to the exception related to non-elected personnel. Following the last executive session the Board voted to increase Cowley President Dr. Michelle Schoon’s salary from $189,000 to $195,000 by a vote of 6-1.

Under Other business, the Board approved the creation of a  Board of Trustee Handbook Subcommittee, consisting of Jacinda Shaw-Kinzie, Phil White, Tiffany Vollmer, and J.T. Seitz. This action was approved by a vote of 7-0. 

With no additional business to come before the Board,Chair McGregor declared the meeting adjourned at 7:13 p.m.

For more details, see the agenda.

Hunter Ferguson | Integrated Communications Specialist
Cowley College
125 S. 2nd Street
Arkansas City, KS 67005
hunter.ferguson@cowley.edu