CCC trustees approve staff raise

Beginning July 1, professional staff at Clovis Community College will receive an 11% raise, the CCC Board of Trustees decided unanimously on Wednesday.

The added cost of professional staff raises is expected to be $96,966 over the next 12 months, according to a document attached to the board’s agenda.

A budget planning document presented at a workshop on Tuesday states that CCC has 45 professional employees with current total salaries of about $2.1 million a year. CCC Interim President Robin Jones said professional staff includes department directors and “mid-level” management of the college, separate from faculty and support personnel.

Support staff raises were decided in October, Jones said, and faculty raises will receive action at a later board meeting.

At Wednesday’s board meeting, trustees also approved a 12% raise for part-time adjunct faculty members, raising their pay to $700 from $625 per credit-hour taught.

Jones said the raise was designed to make CCC’s adjunct pay competitive with Eastern New Mexico University and other nearby colleges.

The adjunct faculty raises will take effect in fall of this year.

The board on Wednesday also approved an operating budget for CCC that covers the fiscal year 2024, which begins on July 1 and ends June 30, 2024.

The budget calls for $18.1 million in unrestricted revenues and $20.1 million in unrestricted expenses. Including a carryover balance of $6.6 million from the current fiscal year, CCC is expected to end the 2024 fiscal year with a balance of $1.3 million in unrestricted funds. That’s equivalent to 7.1% of expenses, which compares favorably with the 3% to 5% standard of the New Mexico Higher Education Commission, according to Heather Lovato, CCC’s chief financial officer.

Unrestricted funds are those not designated for specific purposes through grants and other special-purpose allocations, according to budget documents.

In her interim president’s report to the board, Jones listed capital outlay allocations for CCC that include

• $280,000 for bathroom renovations.

• $750,00 for improving heating, ventilation and air conditions systems and other infrsatructdure in cosmetology and south building classrooms.

• $180,000 to establish a Student Resource Center veterans, student organizations and study rooms.

• $351,000 for welding building renovations, including adding more welding booths and a restroom.

Following the meeting, Board President Lora Harlan said the board began very preliminary discussions about the process of hiring the next CCC president.

The board plans to hold a retreat in June to hold more discussions on the hiring process.

The new president will replace Charles Nwankwo, who resigned as president on Feb. 6 after being placed on administrative leave on Aug. 3. He had served for about three years. His salary was $185,000 a year.