OC Foundation to welcome new board members
Of the seven new Odessa College Foundation board members approved by the OC board of trustees at their regular meeting Thursday evening, five hold high-ranking positions at banks.
Executive Director of the OC Foundation Kobi Lincoln requested the approval of Senior Vice President of Lone Star Bank Mara Barham, CEO of Southwest Bank Dewey Bryant, Senior Vice President and Trust Officer of American State Bank Marion Bryant, Vice President of Commercial Lending of AimBank David Shipman and Trust Officer of Wells Fargo Bank Randy Wilson, all of whom passed unanimously by the board.
These board member prospects along with CVA Advertising Representative Brittany Mann and Office Manager for Childs, Bishop and White P.C. Lori White will join the OC Foundation in 2012 on three-year terms.
The OC Foundation is a nonprofit organization that raises scholarships funds, university funds and promotes philanthropy for the college.
The board also heard an informational item presented by Dr. Tanya Hughes titled an “Institutional Effectiveness Report.”
As part of the discussion, Hughes said the percentage of white males in the OC graduating classes have decreased since five years ago.
“We had a 25 percent white male population in the graduating class of 2006 to 2007, but only a 17 percent white male population in the graduating class of 2010 to 2011,” she said, although she did not give a comparison between the enrollment numbers of two periods. “This possibly is an alarming fact that we should address.”
OC Board Vice President David Turner asked whether economic factors could be attributed to this decline.
Hughes said she did not know if that was the case at this time, but said she speculates that oilfield jobs might attract potential students because they are lucrative.
Hughes also said enrollment has increased and drop rates decreased since OC President Gregory Williams claimed his office in January 2007, especially with respect to percentage of enrollment drops.
Hughes said the Spring 2011 enrollment drop percentage—meaning number of classes dropped, not students dropping out—was 12 percent, compared to a six percent enrollment drop for Fall 2011.
The board also considered the following:
- Minutes of regular meeting of Oct. 25 and special meetings of Nov. 15 passed unanimously.
- Property committee’s construction delivery and procurement methods passed unanimously.
- Personnel committee’s policy review and revision passed unanimously.
- Renewal of terms of directors of Odessa College Foundation passed unanimously.
- Appointment of new directors for Odessa College Foundation passed unanimously.
- Monthly financial statements and budget amendments passed unanimously.
- Presentation of education report: Service Learning Project.
- Presentation of Institutional Effectiveness Report.
- Presentation of President’s report.
