The Three Rivers College board heard several favorable updates during its monthly meeting Tuesday.
TRC recently hosted the Division I Women’s Basketball Rgion 16 semifinals and championship, with the Lady Raiders powering through the competition and earning their spot in the national tournamen in Lubbock, Texas. Subscribers to NCAA can stream their first game live at 2 p.m. March 17 at njcaa.org.
If all goes well, the Lady Raiders will not return to Poplar Bluff until next week.
“And then as we win, we’ll be off Friday, play Saturday, play Sunday, with the national championship on Monday, and then they will return to us on Tuesday,” said Dr. Wesley Payne, TRC President. He then joked, “And we’re not going to talk about anything different, because that’s the way that’s going to be.”
Payne and Dean of Instruction Sherry Phelan shared reports on other recent events. Phelan attended the SEMO Superintendent conference held recently at the Tinnin Center. Between 40-50 other school officials joined the conference.
“There were discussions on current issues facing school districts and development of the K-12 budgets... legislation in the House and Senate and also discuss some legal matters,” Phelan recapped.
She also reported Instructor of Teacher Education Dr. Faye Sanders updated the assembly on TRC’s participation in the Grow Your Own program, a statewide initiative to combat teacher shortages.
After being forced to postpone twice due to weather, TRC finally hosted the Future Business Leaders of America conference and academic competition.
“We get to host their intermediate competition and then them move off into other state levels of national competition. But we’ve been partners with them for a number of years. It’s a great relationship, and it really gives us great exposure to a group of kids that we really would like to successfully recruit,” Payne said.
Two Trivia Nights to benefit students were also a success. The Feb. 17 competition in Dexter raised money for specific student scholarships, and the March 10 event in Poplar Bluff supported the Black and Gold Scholarship.
The Black and Gold Scholarship serves students’ emergency needs, Payne explained. “This particular scholarship, semester after semester, meets some critical needs with our students in emergency situations that keeps them in school and keeps them moving forward.”
Chief Financial Officer Charlotte Eubank updated those present on the school’s resources. The low trend in enrollment and tuition continues, which Eubank said may be addressed during next month’s budget amendments, but summer should close some of the gap between this year’s tuition and last year’s.
“So that’s probably something we want to address in the next month’s budget amendments. We still have summer to go so that will help close some of that gap,” Eubank noted.
The school is, however, collecting a little more than was budgeted for in revenue, primarily through property taxes, and saving money in other categories. Despite the lower than average enrollment, finances are firmly in the black.
Eubank also reported projects on TRC campuses are progressing as planned.
“The work on the Sikeston roof has begun, and continuations of the upgrades on this building, Westover, as well as some projects that we had funded through CARES such as the keyless entry locks,” she said.
The board also:
• Accepted the employment of Theresa LeGrand, instructor, Nursing (Sikeston); Skylar Travis, part-time paramedic laboratory assistant; and Katelynn Wells, college store associate.
• Accepted the transfers of James Hays, part-time CDL trainer to temporary instructor, CDL Program; and Gregory Watts, temporary instructor, Industrial Technology to instructor, Industrial Technology.
• Accepted the retirements of Julie Becker, professor, Information Systems Technology; Dionne Thompson, professor, Academic Life Strategies (ACAD); and Melissa Allen, coordinator, Workforce Development.
• Accepted the resignation of Verlin Austin, instructor, CDL Program; Emilee Cook, part-time Nursing Secretary (Sikeston); and Elizabeth Hale, college store associate.