The Northern Oklahoma College Board of Regents selected three candidates for the NOC president’s position at the April board meeting held in Tonkawa on Wednesday.
The finalists (in alphabetical order) are Dr. Trevor C. Lane, State Specialist and Associate Professor at Washington State University; Ms. Diana Watkins, Interim President and Chief Academic Officer at Northern Oklahoma College; and Dr. Patrick Wilson, Executive Director of Online & Extended Learning at New Mexico Highlands University.
Interviews will be held in an executive session at a special regent’s meeting May 15 and then regents plan to announce a president at the May 22 regular regent’s meeting in Enid.
In other business, the regents approved a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Grand Mental Health, Inc. that will provide mental health services at the Tonkawa campus.
According to Vice President for Student Affairs Jason Johnson, the MOU provides an on-site Certified Peer Recovery Support Specialist (CPRSS) two to three times a week to provide mental health and/or substance use screening services to students. After screening, a Licensed Mental Health Professional or a Mental Health Professional Under Supervision for Licensure shall provide individual therapy services to NOC Tonkawa students participating in this program.
The regents also approved an MOU with Central Tech Truck Driving Training that will provide housing for truck driver training students at the NOC Enid campus in Elliot-Goulter Residence Hall. Those staying would be subject NOC student housing policies. The MOU approval is pending, subject to the attorney general’s office approval.
The regents approved the monthly financial reports presented by Vice President for Financial Affairs Anita Simpson. They approved monthly purchases of $25,000 or more including the purchase of four 15-passenger vans from Stevens Ford in Enid at a cost of $232,560.00. Also, repairs to the NOC Enid Marshall Building Tower were approved at a cost of $246,350.00. Crossfire Construction, LLC of Stillwater had the winning bid for the project.
Governing board members also approved a list of vehicles and equipment for sale as surplus property. Simpson said the items would be sold by on-line auction. Also, a college house located at 206 S. Franz in Tonkawa would be sold with the buyer moving the home from the NOC property.
The regents also discussed the president’s home at the Enid campus. More research will be done considering whether to sell of demolish the home. It has not been used in the previous 20 years. The item was tabled until the May meeting.
The next regularly scheduled regent meeting is at NOC Enid on May 22 at 2 p.m. in the James Room.