The Times West Virginian

Local News

August 21, 2008

Information focus for Pierpont C&TC board

No election held to select chairman or executive panel

By Katie Wilson

FAIRMONT — It was information, not organization, that took center stage at Pierpont Community & Technical College’s inaugural meeting of its board of governors.

On July 1, the college officially became its own entity separate from Fairmont State University. Last spring, the Legislature passed HB3215, which made the separation possible. The bill also separated five other community & technical colleges (CTCs) from their sponsoring four-year universities.

In response to the bill, Gov. Joe Manchin appointed a board of governors to take care of Pierpont, just as the university board of governors sets policies and makes decisions for FSU.

The board was just appointed on Aug. 1 and met for the first time Wednesday.

The new board received large amounts of information about Pierpont C&TC;, including a board members’ manual. They also watched a multimedia presentation on the various aspects of Pierpont and a walk-through of different applications on the college’s Web site.

They did not elect a chairman or an executive board. HB3215 mandates they hold the election in June. Since the board wasn’t appointed until August, Pierpont President Blair Montgomery said he would prefer the board “get to know one another first.”

Board member Jim Griffin, who has served on the university’s board of governors, argued the point. He explained the board might be in violation of the law if an election didn’t take place.

Montgomery said he would take responsibility for holding an election off until the next meeting.

The board also endured an exhaustive report on finances and information on how financial reports may be handed out.

According to a statement from Rick Porto, vice president of financial affairs, who works for both Fairmont State and Pierpont, the community college will end Fiscal Year 2008 with a balance of $2,805,655.

Porto also explained an additional report he would like to issue the Pierpont board. At the departmental level, Porto said, budgets are kept for different things. For example, one department may keep extra funds from class fees and save them over several years for new computers or expensive software. Porto would like to give the Pierpont board a budget reflecting those numbers instead of the “bottom-line” budget the university’s board of governors prefers.

The board also learned the basics of its budget for Fiscal Year 2009, which was approved by the university’s board of governors with the approval of Montgomery in June.

Among the items listed in the budget is Pierpont’s share of two new positions: an assistant vice president for enrollment services and a director of marketing.

Porto and Montgomery said both of those positions were approved by the university’s board of governors in June.

Since the positions will serve both institutions, Pierpont will pay a share of the salaries to the university. At this time, Porto said, Pierpont pays 33 percent of shared salaries, with the university picking up the tab for the rest, 67 percent.

Neither position has been posted and no one has been hired, Porto and Montgomery said.

The Pierpont Board of Governors will hold its next meeting at 2 p.m. September 9.

E-mail Katie Wilson at kwilson@timeswv.com.

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