TORRINGTON – The Eastern Wyoming College (EWC) Board of Trustees met on Tuesday, November 11, for a work session followed by the regular monthly board meeting. In attendance were chairman Jackie Van Mark and board members Rick Vonburg, Katherine Patrick, Randy Adams, Robert Baumgartner, Doug Mercer, Kurt Sittner, and Jim Willox. Chairman Van Mark called the meeting to order, and the board approved the meeting agenda.

EWC President Dr. Jeffry Hawes introduced Jordyn Surber, partner at Coal Creek Law, who would be working with the college. Surber stated that she has extensive experience working in education and with educational facilities and was excited to work with EWC moving forward.

During his president’s report, Dr. Hawes recognized Tami Afdahl, Executive Dean of Student Services, for her 25 years of service to EWC. He stated that Afdahl has been a significant asset to the college and has helped it navigate many challenges. Afdahl will be moving to Kennon Products in Sheridan, Wyoming, as its Director of People.

Dr. Hawes also recognized the Esports team for its fourth-place finish in the National Junior College Athletic Association Esports National Tournament. This is the team’s first season since being founded earlier this year. Ryder Tillard and Alan Woodard had lost only one match going into the semifinals. Coach Caleb Spitzer told the board that four more students would be joining Tillard and Woodard next semester to compete in Mario Kart and Madden. Spitzer identified Esports as a potential recruitment tool for the college and a benefit for students preparing for advancement in both education and Esports.

Dr. Hawes concluded his remarks with an update on the financial aid audit from the Department of Education. The finance department has changed the way it prepares for the random sampling of student files. The Department of Education has 30 days to notify the college of the results of the audit, and Dr. Hawes is optimistic that the changes will result in higher scores on the audit. Financial files have been a weakness for the college in the past due to issues with a significant cyber attack and the lack of backup files for electronic records.

CFO Kwin Wilkes then gave a financial report, noting that EWC has higher-than-usual cash balances and budget balances due to the timing of some large expenses at the end of the month. By January, the balances should align with budgeted estimates.

The board then passed the consent agenda, which included approval of the November Expenditure Report, the previous meeting minutes, ratification of the Converse County Board of Commissioners’ decision that Jim Willox would serve as the Converse County Advisory member of the EWC Board of Trustees, ratification of Wilkes as Treasurer of the Board of Trustees, and ratification of Afdahl’s resignation.

Next, the board considered approved individuals to serve in positions required for compliance. First, Auke Daane, CEO of Dutch Solutions, was approved to serve as Interim Chief Information Officer through June 30, 2025, after a motion from Baumgartner and a second from Vonburg. There was concern raised about a potential conflict of interest, as EWC has an ongoing relationship with Dutch Solutions. However, VP Korell informed the board that legal counsel had assured them that anyone could serve in the CIO role. The board then approved Darryl Spitzer, Dean of CTE and Workforce Development, to serve as the Title IX Coordinator through June 30, 2025. Finally, Sergio Mendez, Student Success/Testing Center Director, and Jim Rorabaugh, Director of Residence Life, were approved to serve as co-coordinators for Campus Safety and Clery Act reporting through June 30, 2025.

Additional annual requirements were considered, including approving the Designation of Depositories with financial institutions permitted to be used to deposit funds throughout the year and approving the Torrington Telegram as the college district’s official newspaper.

The last action item involved approving EWC to coordinate with the EWC Foundation to pledge $500,000 of the State matching funds for the Douglas Campus Construction Trades Expansion project. The approval of this item included a letter of commitment to the grant agency. The project involves the construction of a large facility at the Douglas campus where classes can be conducted on all processes involved in construction, including a large open area for construction work and classrooms for formal academic instruction. With the letter of commitment, Willox informed the board that the architects would begin moving toward finalized plans for the building.

As board officers and appointments are one-year terms expiring at the end of the year, the board decided to keep all officers and appointments the same for another term, including Van Mark as chairman, Vonburg as vice chairman, Patrick as treasurer, and Adams as secretary. Van Mark, Sittner, and Vonburg were retained as representatives to the EWC Foundation Board. Patrick was voted to an additional term as Trustee to the Board of Cooperative Education Services. Finally, Patrick and Mercer were elected to continue as trustees to the Wyoming Association of Community College Trustees.

A department report from the Math and Sciences Department was reviewed, and trustees praised the department for its successes, noting that there may be opportunities in the future to tailor a program for students interested in engineering, an in-demand job in Wyoming. Finally, Mercer requested that the college consider opening a purchasing department or creating a position for a procurement officer, which could assist in the acquisition of equipment and other large purchases. He expressed concern regarding recent purchases that exceeded estimated costs.

The board then adjourned. The next EWC Board of Trustees meeting will be January 14, 2025.