Atlantic Cape Trustees OK $40.6-million Budget, Award Contract for Student Success Center

ATLANTIC CITY — Atlantic Cape Community College’s Board of Trustees adopted a $40.6-million FY’17 revenue budget and voted to increase tuition and some fees to support the fiscal plan when the group met March 22 at the Worthington Atlantic City Campus.
The FY’17 budget, a decrease of nearly $500,000 over the previous year’s, includes $8.4 million in county appropriations contingent upon approval by the Atlantic Cape Community College Board of School Estimate, a group composed of college and Atlantic and Cape May county officials.
The state will contribute a projected $5.58 million in operating aid. Support from the counties for the college’s fiscal year and projected state operating aid increased by .28 percent and .54 percent respectively.
General tuition will rise to $120 a credit from $116, a 3.45 percent increase.
The new tuition and fee schedule begins with the 2016 summer session. A student taking 24 general credits a year – the college’s typical student, – will see a $112.80 a year increase in tuition and general fees for a total of $3,525.60, up from $3,412.80 in FY’16.
The college has also implemented a $20 Campus Safety Fee per semester.
The budget approved is down 1.2 percent from last year’s fiscal plan and includes a $1.125 million fund balance transfer.
It projects a 23-percent increase in nursing credits and a 5 percent decline in credit enrollments due to changing demographics in the college’s service district.
Board OKs Student Success Center
The board awarded a $13.2-million contract to Arthur J. Ogren, Inc., of Vineland to build the Student Success and Career Planning Center. The project includes construction of a 20,000-square-foot building on the Mays Landing Campus, reconfiguration of the former Student Life Center to house the Testing Center, relocation of the president’s office, and renovations to the cafeteria and dance studio.
The two-story facility will house a student center on the first floor and the Student Success and Career Planning Center on the second floor.
The Student Success Center will offer guidance and resources to assist students in making informed decisions about career choices, including career counseling and access to computers for job searches.
The building was designed by Spiezle Architectural Group of Trenton and is funded through general obligation bonds and Chapter 12 funds.
The contractor will break ground this spring and the estimated completion is fall 2017.
“This project is moving forward with a very strong commitment from Atlantic County. The board and staff should take pride in the amount that has been accomplished in the past years,” stated Trustee Helen Walsh.
Personnel Activity
The board accepted the retirement of Patricia Gandy of Mays Landing, effective March 16. Gandy served for more than 17 years, most recently as office coordinator for Cape May County Campus Support Services.
Approved the appointment of Richard Luderitz of Mays Landing, assistant director, Paramedic and EMT Training, effective April 4.
Approved the grant-funded promotion of Barbara Kozek of Galloway to assistant director, Adult Basic Education/ESL/HSE, effective April 4.
Approved the grant-funded promotion of Robert Kusmiesz of Egg Harbor City to assistant director, Gear UP, effective April 4.
Contracts and Purchases:
Unmanned aircraft system, Precision Hawk USA, Inc., Raleigh, N.C., $25,750. 
Other Business
Approved offering the Unmanned Aircraft Systems Specialist Professional Series, effective fall 2016. The program will provide students the skills and knowledge needed to safely operate and collect imagery and data using a small multi-rotor unmanned aircraft system.
The need for the program is driven by the integration of UAS into the national airspace system, which impacts law enforcement, emergency management, environmental protection and management, and geospatial data collection.
The trustees’ next meeting will be 7 p.m., April 26, at the Mays Landing Campus. All are welcome to attend.