Latest news with #OdessaCollegeBoardofTrustees
Yahoo
18-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
OC board hears about legal insurance for students
Apr. 17—The Odessa College Board of Trustees heard about a three-year pilot project that the college has entered into to provide free legal aid to students. Vice President for Student Services and Enrollment Management Kim McKay said this is a partnership with ARAG and Ascendium. There is no cost to OC or students for three years. After the three years, cost to the students is $15 a year. McKay said that cost could be incorporated into tuition and fees and students can opt out. ARAG USA headquarters are based in Des Moines, Iowa. "In the United States. ARAG USA occupies a leading position in the legal insurance market and helps make dealing with legal matters more affordable — and less stressful," its website said. McKay said the reason it's so important for students to have legal insurance is that they know students are missing class because of increased mental health issues, increased financial stress and increased absence from school and work. "All of these things could be resolved or supported through legal aid and legal support," McKay said. Members benefit from the program because they are able to navigate legal situations and don't have to take time off from work or school. Legal plan membership covers landlord/tenant issues, traffic matters, family law, debt-related matters and consumer protection issues, among other things. It also includes do-it-yourself documents like power of attorney or a living will, also financial education. Having that support makes them feel less stressed out about things they may be experiencing that may cause them to miss tests. "This is something I think our students will take real advantage of. They're learning about this opportunity through communication from the college and through communication from our office about the opportunity," McKay said. She added that this program extends into the family, their children, their spouses if they need legal aid or legal benefits. There is in-person and virtual assistance. "One of the things that's happening right now through the ARAG partnership member services is they're actually looking for local attorneys that would like to opt into this service," McKay said. "They're caught up in these situations and it may cause them to (miss) class. But with our complimentary legal aid and through our office, our students who are experiencing these issues and register for this program can receive legal assistance free of charge," McKay said. The board also approved replacing four digital signs at a cost of $317,550. The signs will be larger than the current ones with full LED displays, Vice President for Administrative Services Ken Zartner said.
Yahoo
13-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
OC board talks land, equipment purchase
Feb. 12—The Odessa College Board of Trustees in a Wednesday workshop agreed to bring the purchase of a small piece of land and of a Festo 3-Phase Separator. The land is at 2809 Halley Ave. and covers .5799 of an acre, Vice President for Administrative Services Ken Zartner said. It will be used for future growth. The Property Committee also approved the purchase of a $196,716 Festo 3-Phase Separator. Gene White, dean of the School of Business and Industry, said the 3-Phase Separator includes all the components and three days of training. It will be funded by funds given to the college by Chevron. White said OC has other Festo equipment on campus and they are always in support with their Festo partners and they provide great support. The separator will be used in three classes — process instrumentation 1, process instrumentation 2 and also in the capstone class at the end where they get a chance to use it. The equipment will be housed in the Electronics Technology Building near the networking lab. They had a separator previously but didn't have all the components, White said. Vice President for Academic Partnerships Jason Meldrum said they have about 400 students in the Wrangler Promise Program from the high school class of 2024. Meldrum said they started off with about 450 in the fall. He added that the total financial investment in that group is just under $600,000. "A lot of them were already reciting other scholarships or receiving the Pell grant," Meldrum said. The Wrangler Promise is "a last-dollar-in scholarship opportunity that will cover the cost of tuition and fees," the OC website said. Meldrum said they are at well over 700 pledges for the class of 2025. The goal is is around 1,700 pledges. "The pledge is simply that students are ... making a commitment to do something with their education beyond high school," Meldrum said. One of the differences between this year and last is that schools are reaching out to them, Meldrum said. On a separate item, at noon Feb. 14, the Odessa College Board of Trustees will meet in Room 202 of the Wood Health Sciences Building to consider and take action on calling a bond election for May 3. Voters defeated a $355 million bond in November which would have raised taxes. Unofficial totals had the proposition getting 20,542 against and 19,137 for. The proposed bond was designed to fund essential projects, including new facilities for programs in welding, automation, technology, and safety, aimed at strengthening the local workforce.
