ACCC Trustees Prepare for New School Year

MAYS LANDING — Atlantic Cape Community College’s Board of Trustees met July 28 and acted on personnel matters, contracts and purchases and grants.
In Personnel Matters:
The board approved these appointments:
• Lynda Kamnansone of Egg Harbor Township, office coordinator, geographic information systems, Technology Studies Institute, effective July 29.
• Luis Olivieri of Browns Mills, senior manager, geographic information systems, Technology Studies Institute, effective Aug. 3.
• James Taggart of Egg Harbor Township, chairperson, computer information systems department, effective Aug. 31.
• Bo Zilovic of Ventnor, assistant professor, computer information systems, effective Aug. 31.
The board accepted the retirement of Grace Adams of Weymouth, office assistant, testing, effective Jan. 1, 2010. The board thanked her for more than 25 years of service, citing her consistently meritorious, conscientious and pleasant performance.
“We’d like to wish Grace well in her retirement,” said Dr. Elizabeth Dworsky, vice chairperson.
Trustees approved a remuneration guide recommended by the president’s evaluation committee. Under the guide the board would follow a series of steps to develop a final recommendation on any increase in the president’s salary. The evaluation will be based on such factors as the financial condition of the college, inflation and comparisons to compensation levels for community college presidents in the southern part of the state. The percentage of increase will be tied to performance level.
Board Approves Contracts and Purchases:
• IBM software maintenance, IBM, Pittsburgh, Pa., $164,369.
• FY’10 assessment, New Jersey Council of County Colleges, Trenton, N.J., $49,896.
• Fuel oil and gasoline for Mays Landing and Atlantic City campuses, state contract, Pedroni Fuel Oil, Vineland, not to exceed $111,000.
• Library books and publications for the Mays Landing, Cape May County and Worthington Atlantic City campus libraries, Baker and Taylor, Bridgewater, not to exceed $55,000.
• Software maintenance, Datatel, Fairfax, Va., $234,102.
• Wall repair, J building, M.B. Markland, Atlantic City, $85,756.
In Grant Action, the Board:
• Approved a revised resolution endorsing application for and acceptance of funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act/WIA to operate an accelerated short-term college preparation component within the Summer Youth Program, to service approximately 500 low-income youths between the ages 16-21 in Atlantic County and 200 youths in Cape May County. The $93,500 grant runs from July 15, 2009-Sept. 30, 2009. The resolution approved in June included a grant amount of up to $80,000.
• Approved application for the National Endowment for the Humanities Enduring Questions Grant, to support a faculty member’s development of a new course to foster intellectual community through study of an enduring question addressed by the humanities. The $25,000 grant would run from June 1, 2010-May 31, 2011.
• Approved acceptance of a mini-grant from the New Jersey Council for the Humanities for a series of four lectures by local scholars to celebrate the revitalization of the William Spangler Library into an Information Commons. The $3,000 grant will run from Sept. 1, 2009-Aug. 31, 2010.
In Other Business:
• The board accepted the June 30, 2009, financial statement.
• Adopted revised human resources and security policies.
• Welcomed Sheyla Ayala-Mantilla of Marmora, new alumni representative, to the board of trustees. She was elected by the student body to serve a one-year term on the board.
Dr. Dworsky thanked the finance area for preparing the grant directory included in the board packet.
In the President’s Report:
Dr. Art Wexler, vice president, academic affairs, announced that the hospitality management program received accreditation from the Accreditation Commission for Programs in Hospitality Management. This signifies that the college’s degree program meets or exceeds stated standards of educational quality, he said. Dr. Wexler credited several faculty members for their work in securing the accreditation and introduced them to speak about the process.
Recognized were: Dan Thoren, business department chair; Dr. Josette Katz, professor of hospitality management; and Donna Vassallo, assistant professor of hospitality management. Thoren gave credit for the project to Katz and Vassallo.
“I’m proud of the work that Josette and Donna have done,” he said.
Also recognized, but unable to attend the meeting, was Director of Academic Program Effectiveness and Dual Enrollment Dr. Dottie Dunayer.
Bobby Royal, dean of community affairs, security and Worthington Atlantic City Campus operations, gave a Community Affairs Program update, introducing Trustee Lynn Baumgardner to give an overview of the program. Several committee and community members spoke about various projects undertaken by the Community Affairs group.
Lou Paludi, chairperson of community initiatives for CAP, reported on the role of the college in education and training for the community. Rona Kaplan, Esq., of Cooper Levenson, explained the background and progress of the Champions of Youth Program, which supports Atlantic City High School students to attend ACCC while still in school.
Stephen Bruner, executive director, Atlantic Cape May Workforce Investment Board, talked about the college’s role in facilitating a local conference that brought faith-based groups together to talk about the needs of and services for ex-offenders.
Pamela Fields, executive director, Main Street Atlantic City, explained the revitalization goals of the organization, for which Royal serves as president. Lennox Warner, chairman, Atlantic City Arts Commission, talked about a recent art competition for Atlantic City High School students sponsored by his organization. The winning art works, on display at the meeting, will hang at the Worthington Center. Janet Brenner, director of community and cultural affairs, was unable to attend and was praised by Royal and Baumgardner for her work in support of the projects outlined.
Dr. Pat Gentile, dean, continuing education, resource development and Cape May County Campus operations, reported on the $25,000 donation made to the Casino Career Institute by the Association of Gaming Equipment Manufacturers.
The funds will provide scholarships to slot technology students. The check was presented by Mac Seelig, CEO and president of AC Coin & Slot, and Tom McCormick of AGEM. Gentile credited Seelig, now serving as honorary chairperson of the college’s capital campaign, for his longtime support of the college and CCI.
The next meeting of the board of trustees will be held at 7 p.m., Tuesday, Aug. 25, in J-202, Mays Landing Campus. All are invited to attend.