The Odessa College Board of Trustees heard a report on a change in the structure of the schools.
Last year, five schools were created. Tuesday night, it was announced they would be reduced to four.
Vice President for Instruction Aimee Callahan said the new schools would be the School of Liberal Arts Education with the additions of child development, education, psychology, sociology and substance abuse counseling; the School of Health Sciences with the additions of EMS technology and fire technology; the School of Science, Technology, Engineering and Math with the Learning Resources Center added.
And the School of Business and Industry with criminal justice and the law enforcement academy added.
The previous schools are the School of Public Service and Education; the School of Science, Engineering, Technology and Math; the School of Health Sciences; the School of Business and Industry; and the School of Arts and Humanities.
“What we did was we reviewed faculty and dean feedback in regard to certain programs being in certain areas and we found that by consolidating the schools it was more fiscally responsible …,” Callahan said.
She added that it was actually a better fit for the schools.
“So for example in health sciences, to have EMS in health sciences just makes sense and Dr. (Jennifer) Meyers started the criminal justice program. She’s so much a part of the history of CJ here — criminal justice — so to have CJ back underneath her. It just makes so much sense. It’s such a good fit. When we first announced it to the faculty at the end of the year, they cheered,” Callahan said. “They were really excited.”
After making the change a year ago, Callahan added that they realized if they made small changes, things would fit together better and it would be fiscally responsible.
In other business:
- Bids for cardio equipment for the Odessa College Sports Center were approved including one from Marathon Fitness for $144,518.60 and one from Fitness Specialist for $49,010.
Vice President for Business Affairs Virginia Chisum said these are on a four-year lease-purchase agreement of $50,943 for four years.
- A bid from CS Advantage USAA for $1,109,000 was accepted for roofing repairs from the 2017 hail storm. Three additional buildings were approved — the Spur, Saulsbury Campus Center and Williams Hall.
- A bid for automotive lifts for the new Sewell Auto Tech Center funded by the Odessa Development Corp. were approved.
They include 10 lifts with installation and warranty. The bid was from Snap-On Industrial for $137,572.68.
- A bid from Wellborn Sign Co. for signage for the automotive center also was approved for $140,700. The signage will be funded through Vision 2015 funds.
- Place 3 board member Royce Bodiford and Place 6 trustee Neil Grape were sworn in by Gene Agnew, administrative assistant to the president.
Tommy Clark, board president, was not at the meeting.
The board also was reorganized with Clark, Place 9, staying as president; Gary Johnson, place 7, staying as vice president; Larry Johnson, place 5, staying as secretary; and Bruce Shearer, place 1, becoming assistant secretary.
Grape had been assistant secretary.
