Atlantic Cape Trustees Approve $41.2 Million Budget

COURT HOUSE – Atlantic Cape Community College’s Board of Trustees adopted a $41,185,000 FY’15 revenue budget and voted to increase tuition and some fees to support the fiscal plan when the group met at the Charles D. Worthington Atlantic City Campus March 25.
The FY’15 budget, a decrease of $100,000 over the previous year’s budget, includes $8,407,171 in county appropriations approved by the Board of School Estimate, a group composed of college and Atlantic and Cape May County officials. The state will contribute a projected $5.5 million. Support from the counties decreased 1.9 percent for the college’s fiscal year and state operating aid is projected to decrease less than.5 percent.
Tuition will rise to $113 a credit from $108, a 4.63 percent increase. Increases averaging 5 percent were also put in place for culinary arts and online tuition. The new tuition and fee schedule begins with the 2014 summer session.
Mandatory fees (general, information services, activity and facilities) will increase an average of 4.97 percent, bringing the total per credit cost to $138.40 from $131.85 in FY’14. A student taking 24 credits a year–Atlantic Cape’s typical student–will see a $157.20 a year increase for a total of $3,321.60, up from $3,164.40 in FY’14.
Treasurer Maria Mento said the new tuition and fee schedule provides the college the necessary revenue to meet its budgetary requirements “and still allows us to be in the lower third for tuition price within community colleges in the state.”
The budget approved is down slightly from last year’s fiscal plan and includes a $435,111 fund balance transfer. It projects a 3 percent decline in credit enrollments due to changing demographics in the college’s service district.
New Aviation Degree, Certificate Programs Approved
The Board approved offering two new aviation-related programs, including Professional Helicopter Pilot Option, Aviation Studies, Associate in Science. The program will prepare students for entry-level employment as commercial pilots with a rotorcraft category and a helicopter class rating or transfer to a baccalaureate-level program. The program will be effective beginning this fall.
A new Airplane Flight Instructor Certificate program will offer short-term training for students beginning in spring 2015. Students who earn their commercial pilot rating must accrue 1,500 hours of commercial flight time before they can work as an airline pilot, and the most common method for gaining this experience is to become a certified flight instructor. The certificate program will provide students the skills and knowledge to earn a commercial rating and flight instructor certificate with an airplane category rating and a single-engine land class rating.
In Personnel Activity, the Board:
– Approved Amanda McCullough of Brigantine, public relations/social media specialist, college relations, effective March 26.
– Approved Robyn McCullough of Absecon, office assistant, admissions, effective March 26.
– Approved Edwin Nieves of Egg Harbor City, grounds, labor, maintenance worker, facilities management, effective March 26.
– Approved Ramona Smith of Atlantic City, student support services specialist, effective March 31.
– Approved Michele Previti of Ocean View, assistant director, TAACCCT Northeast Resiliency Grant, effective June 2.
– Approved the promotion of Kristin Jackson of North Cape May, from assistant director of admissions, to director of admissions and recruitment, effective March 26.
– Approved the promotion of Dr. Otto Hernandez of Hammonton, from dean, career, technical and STEM education, to vice president, academic affairs, effective July 1.
Contracts and Purchases:
– Advertising agreement, Comcast Spotlight, Philadelphia, not to exceed $22,024.
– A three-year contract with Hannah G’s of Atlantic City to provide food service operations at the Charles D. Worthington Atlantic City Campus.
– East campus roof repairs, Boardwalk Construction, Atlantic City, for $109,900.
In Other Business, the Board:
– Approved the February 2014 financial statement.
– Approved a settlement agreement with a former employee.
– Approved the submitted list of renovations and upgrades for funding from the Chapter 12 FY’15 allocation at a sum not to exceed $3.2 million. Projects include converting space in J-Building for math labs and offices, upgrading the exterior of the Atlantic City Campus, an upgrade to the Entech Facilities Audit Report system, air conditioning in the IT computer room, renovating K-Building and upgrading fire suppression and plumbing systems.
– Heard from Sandi Greco, president of the Atlantic Cape Community College Education Association umbrella group, who stated the collective bargaining process is at an impasse. The current contract ends June 30, 2014.
The next meeting of the Board of Trustees will be held at 7 p.m., April 22, at the Mays Landing Campus. All are welcome to attend.