Northern Oklahoma College President Dr. Clark Harris’ contract was extended Wednesday at the June Board of Regents’ meeting in Tonkawa.
Dr. Harris came to NOC in July 2021.“My first year at Northern has been a tremendous experience,” Dr. Harris said. “The faculty and staff at Northern have a strong commitment for helping our students achieve success. Northern Oklahoma College has a bright future and it is wonderful as we work together as we build a better NOC.”
The regents also elected officers for the 2022-23 fiscal year. Jami Groendyke, Enid, will be the chairperson while Brad Fox, Ponca City, will be the Vice-Chair. Jason Turnbow, Enid, will be the secretary while Jodi Cline, Ponca City, and Michael Martin, Stillwater, are members on the board.
In administrator updates, Vice President for Community Relations & Development reported $274,000 in recent donations to the Northern Oklahoma College Foundation. Those donations include a $200,000 donation to the Vineyard Library project.
Vice President for Enid Jeremy Hise reported a $146,000 NASA grant on the Enid campus for astronomy research.
Dr. Rick Edgington, Vice President for Enrollment Management, reported that Summer 2022 enrollment increased from Summer 2021. Dr. Edgington also said he is cautiously optimistic for Fall 2022 enrollment due to targeted enrollment ongoing this summer at NOC.
Vice President for Academic Affairs Diana Watkins reported that NOC Global Education has completed overseas trips to New Zealand and Cuba and is currently on a third trip in Bali.
Vice President for Financial Affairs Anita Simpson provided the monthly financial report as well as information on residential housing rates, rental property, facility rental, and campus master plan information.
Jason Johnson, Vice President for Student Affairs, reported that NOC had no COVID-19 cases at the present time.
The regents approved tenure for three faculty members, Mary Gard (Agriculture/Biological Science), Karri Morrill (Mathematics), and Stephanie Spurlock (Mathematics). Diana Watkins said the tenure request was recommended by the Division Chair from their teaching area.
The regents also approved Cheer as a competitive sport at NOC Tonkawa and NOC Enid. Both campuses currently have a cheer program, the new distinction allows them to participate in NJCAA sanctioned events starting in Jan. 2023.
Regents approved a food service contract with Aladdin Food Services. Aladdin started the food service with NOC in August 2022.
The regents also approved the declaration of numerous books from the Tonkawa library as surplus property. The books will be sold at auction at a later date. The books were moved from the library as part of the library’s transformation into a contemporary NOC Student Learning Commons.
NOC’s regents also approved the rates for residential properties, facility rentals and facility usage fees.
The room and board rates for residential housing were approved for the 2022-23 school year. Rates did not change from this past year.
Regents also approved the Master Plan, a requirement from the Oklahoma State Regents that lays out potential capital projects. Those projects include campus renovations, transportation, and facility upgrades.
Regents also approved the meeting schedule for 2022-23.
The next regents’ meeting is set for July 20 in Tonkawa at 1 p.m.
Northern Oklahoma College, the state’s first public two-year community college, is a multi-campus, land-grant institution that provides high quality, accessible, and affordable educational opportunities and services.
NOC serves nearly 4,000 students through the home campus in Tonkawa, branch in Enid, and NOC/OSU Gateway Program in Stillwater. Of these students about 80% receive financial aid and/or scholarships. 75% of NOC students complete their degree with zero debt.
The college is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission and offers associate degrees in three general areas: Arts, Science and Applied Science; the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs; and the Accreditation Commission for Education and Nursing.
For more information about Northern Oklahoma College please call (580) 628-6208 or visit the NOC website at www.noc.edu.\
-30-