Sealy Campus Advisory Committee Meeting
Thursday, April 10, 2025
Time: 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
Location: Classroom 112, Main Building, 3701 Outlet Center Drive, Blinn-Sealy Campus
Meeting Minutes
The Sealy Campus Advisory Committee met on April 10, 2025, in Classroom 112, located in the Main Building at 3701 Outlet Center Drive, Blinn-Sealy Campus.
Committee Members Present
- Mr. Bill Atkinson
- Mr. Rick Kershner
- Mr. Brian McCauley
- Ms. Chelsea Humes
Committee Members Absent
- Ms. Kimbra Hill
- Dr. Bryan Hallmark
Blinn College Representatives
- Dr. Mary Hensley
- Dr. Becky McBride
- Mr. Leighton Schubert
- Ms. Lisa Caton
Others Present
- Mr. Mike Barrow, City Planner for the City of Sealy
The meeting was called to order by Chelsea Humes at 11:37 p.m.
Welcome and Introductions
Chelsea Humes welcomed everyone to the meeting and asked attendees to introduce themselves.
Approval of Minutes
After a proper motion from Bill Atkinson, seconded by Rick Kershner, the Committee unanimously approved the minutes from the September 25, 2024 meeting.
Legislative Update
Mr. Leighton Schubert provided an update on the recent activities during the current legislative session. Specifically, those activities pertaining to higher education. He recapped the significance of House Bill 8 and how colleges and universities are funded.
He stated that last year due to the new funding model, Blinn received an increase of $7.4 million, compared to this year which is estimated to drop to $4.4 million. Mr. Schubert said he has been working closely with the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board to locate the discrepancies in funding. They initially found an additional $1.2 million in reporting errors and $850,000 due to a miscalculation based on Blinn's tax rate. Blinn's rate being below the state average.
There was also a dip in transfer credit, resulting in a 2.3 million decrease in funding. Upon further investigation, a one semester credit hour rule was discovered. This rule states that if a student earned at least one college credit hour from another college this would disqualify the current college from receiving transfer credit funding on that student. Mr. Schubert is currently working with Senator Lois Kolkhorst to redefine the rule from one credit hour to thirty credit hours earned at earlier initial institution.
Mr. Schubert also discussed the Governor's tuition freeze on universities and the one-billion-dollar compensation they received to compensate for the loss from planned tuition increases. He explained Community Colleges have now been included in the tuition freeze; but no compensation has been announced. He stated that this would have an impact on Blinn because Blinn is a tuition heavy institution with 70% of the budget coming from tuition.
Student Services Update
Dr. Becky McBride, Vice Chancellor for Student Services, presented enrollment numbers to the committee including on-campus, online and dual credit students in the Sealy area. She explained that we have already exceeded our certified headcount of Spring 2021, 2022, and 2023 and that enrollment for Spring 2025 is trending in a positive direction.
She explained how the student services office works with the Sealy Campus by supporting Preview Days and participating in local job fairs and other recruiting activities. She stated that they communicated with current and potential students via text messaging and email. This messaging service reminds students of upcoming deadlines and events to assist with admissions and registration.
Mr. Bill Atkinson asked how they could help to increase enrollment and get the word out about the Sealy Campus. Several local activities were mentioned that could help increase Blinn's visibility. Dr. McBride offered to help make sure we had a representative at these events and asked Lisa Caton to provide information as she received it.
ACCSS Grant - Sealy ISD
Sarah Nickel, the ACCSS Student Success Coach, presented information to the committee about the ACCSS Grant. This grant was first awarded to Blinn in 2022 to provide academic and career resources, guidance, and comprehensive support essential for students to attain post-secondary credits or workforce career credentials.
The grant initially served five area school districts and was renewed in 2024 to include three additional ISD's. Sealy ISD is one of the new districts included in the grant. As part of the grant, Sealy students will receive support from the Student Success Coach. They will be encouraged to enroll in dual credit courses or participate in CTE opportunities and will be provided with support from the success coach and others involved with the grant.
With no other business, the meeting was adjourned at 12:08 p.m. by Chelsea Humes.