Minutes

Blinn College District
Brenham Campus Advisory Committee Meeting

Tuesday, September 24, 2024
11:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.

The Brenham Campus Advisory Committee met on September 24, 2024, in the Banquet Room of the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Innovations (STEI) Building, located at 900 Prairie Lea Street, Blinn-Brenham Campus.

Committee Members Present: The Honorable John Durrenberger, Mr. Clay Gillentine, Ms. Micah Goebel, Mr. Jon Hill, Dr. William Loesch, Ms. Jamie Rankin, and Mr. Brandon Roznovsky.

Committee Members Absent: None.

Representing Blinn College: Mr. Leighton Schubert, Dr. Becky McBride, Dr. Marcelo Bussiki, Dr. Clen Burton, Mr. Jay Anderson, Mr. Myron Dippel, Mr. Chris Marrs, Dr. Bennie Graves, Mr. Mark Feldhake, Mr. Marshall Rich, Mr. Anthony Garcia, Ms. Leigha Schubert, Ms. Tiffany Jenkins, and Ms. Sissi Wellmann.

The meeting was called to order by Ms. Micah Goebel at 12:02 p.m.

Election of Officers

After a proper motion from Mr. Jon Hill, seconded by Ms. Micah Goebel, the Committee unanimously approved the following officers:

Chair: Ms. Micah Goebel
Vice Chair: Mr. Jon Hill
Secretary: Dr. William Loesch

Approval of Minutes

The minutes from the April 16, 2024, meeting were approved with a motion by Mr. Jon Hill, seconded by Dr. William Loesch.

Facilities Update by Mark Feldhake, Assistant Vice Chancellor, Facilities, Planning, and Construction

Mr. Feldhake began his presentation by reviewing these recently completed facilities projects on the Brenham Campus:

Academic Building interior finish upgrades
Blinn College Park Apartments flooring replacement and other minor repairs
Wheeler Hall fire alarm replacement
Master Plan Project: Demolition of residence halls (Katherine Atkinson, Spencer, Lockett, and Buccaneer)
Texas Department of Public Safety temporary offices in the Student Center

Mr. Feldhake reviewed these current Restoration & Renovation facilities projects on the Brenham Campus:

Mechanical upgrades in various buildings
Roof replacements at the Band Hall and Buildings 5 and 6 at Blinn College Park Apartments
Hallstein Hall flooring replacement

Mr. Feldhake reviewed these current Master Plan Projects:

Nearing completion of the Bryan Administration Building
Purchase of land for the Greater Waller-Harris County Area Campus

Perkins Grant Update by Anthony Garcia, Perkins Coordinator

Mr. Garcia described the purpose of the Carl D. Perkins Grant and how it is used to support Blinn College Applied Sciences students with textbooks and supplies, skills development workshops, and certification and licensure exams. He explained the eligibility requirements for Perkins assistance and reviewed special populations such as disabled, economically disadvantaged, and English as a second language, among others.

Mr. Garcia then reviewed the goals for the current academic year:

Provide additional resources and support to Associates of Applied Science (AAS) students
Increase awareness of Career and Technical Education opportunities within Blinn service area
Increase academic support services for AAS students

Mr. Garcia concluded by discussing the Perkins areas of focus, which are student performance, earned recognized credentials, and nontraditional gender.

Applied Technology Update by Jay Anderson, Vice Chancellor, Applied Sciences, Workforce and Economic Development

Mr. Anderson provided an update on the Hodde Technical Center by reviewing the current student enrollment (137), which is an increase from Fall 2023. He then reviewed the High School Certified Medical Assistant enrollment from area school districts totaling 41 students.

Mr. Anderson then discussed new programs around the division and the Duddlesten scholarship. He concluded his presentation with general updates about machining classes and new hires.

Enrollment Update by Dr. Becky McBride, Vice Chancellor, Student Services

Dr. McBride shared the preliminary enrollment headcount comparisons by campus for the Fall 2024 semester. The current districtwide enrollment headcount (as of 9/10/24) is 17,744, which is higher than the final certified headcount for the Fall 2021 and Fall 2022 semesters.

Dr. McBride discussed the increase in High School enrollment due to the new Financial Aid for Swift Transfer (FAST) program. She then reviewed the parts of term and the percentage of students in each term. Dr. McBride shared the attendance from the summer New Student Registration (NSR) events.

Dr. McBride also shared a summary of residential housing for the Brenham Campus, stating that they have maintained an 82% occupancy rate, leasing a total of 1,440 beds in Fall 2024.

With no other business, the meeting was adjourned by Jon Hill at 12:50 p.m.