Dateline: March 31, 2005

CC Regents increase tuition, fees for '05

By Roger Estlack, Clarendon Enterprise

Clarendon College Regents voted to increase tuition and fees for the coming academic year when they met in regular session March 24.

The board raised tuition by $3 per semester hour, the building-use fee by $4 per hour, and the out of district rate by $2 per hour.

CC President Myles Shelton said the action was necessary based on the level of funding the college is receiving from the state.

“It is apparently the intent of the Legislature to not put any new or additional money into community colleges, and they expect us to raise money locally,” Shelton said.

Legislation now before the House of Representatives maintains CC’s current appropriation of $2.086 million per year. That’s better than an earlier proposal which would have dropped CC’s funding to $1.643 million per year, but it does nothing to correct the cuts the state made two years ago.

“It is absolutely true that we’ve gone from being state supported to being state assisted,” Shelton said.

The president also said CC’s new rates put it at exactly the same level as Frank Phillips College in Borger and at a rate comparable to South Plains College in Levelland.

“We’re still affordable, and we’re still going to offer quality programs,” he said. “We’ll still be competitive.”

In other college business, regents approved a resolution authorizing revenue refunding bonds to refinance Regents Hall. The move will save $12,000 to $18,000 annually or $254,000 over the life of the bonds, which will be paid off in 2022.

The board considered the repair of faulty showers in the west wing of Regents Hall and accepted bids from Quality Ceramic Tile of Amarillo and Shadle Construction of Clarendon.

The Livestock & Equine Advisory Committee presented a list of short- and long-term goals associated with the CC Livestock & Equine Center. On the short-term list were items pertaining to pens, feed storage, a watering system, road and parking issues, and security lighting. Long-term goals included class, office, and meeting rooms.

The scholarship allocation planning for next year was adjusted to reflect increases in tuition and fees.

The board received an update on its ongoing litigation with Reynosa Construction. A remediation has been scheduled in the case for this Friday.

Regents approved hiring Jeff Rhodes as the new Dean of Students. He was previously the registrar at Odessa College. The employment of Betty Baldwin as a custodian was ratified, and the board accepted the resignation of Wanda Smith, who has been appointed as the new Donley County Treasurer.

The board also granted a one year extension to Shelton’s contract and voted to renew the contracts of Pampa Academic Advisor / Recruiter Lindsey Been, Financial Aid Director Tami Brown, Dean of Instruction Tex Buckhaults, Comptroller Annette Ferguson, Registrar Sharon Hannon, Library Director Jewell Houston, Assistant to the President Darlene Spier, Library Assistant Annis Stavenhagen, Information Systems and Computer Operations Director Will Thompson, and Academic Advisor / Recruiter Jaylene Watkins.