Scott Turner
In Motion Staff Writer
Photo by: Lisa Silversmith/ In Motion
The October Board of Trustees meeting covered many topics, but three topics in particular stood out. A report on the review by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools that required the full attention of the administration was presented. The approval of the salary increase that is to come into effect soon was also deliberated, and a proviso discussed. A report on student loans and how the college is handling them was also presented.
The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools is tasked with investigating collegiate educational institutions and certifying their re-accreditation. The process demanded from the administration, and was a very in depth look at the college and the programs it offers. Daytona State College successfully met 89 of the 90 criterion that the SACS investigates. Praise was offered by Carol Eaton, President of Daytona State College.
“The effort was headed by Nancy Morgan and hundreds of people worked on the project. We passed on all standards, meeting 89 out of 90. A huge congratulations to everyone involved is an understatement, this was an incredible undertaking.”
A salary increase for Daytona State employees had been in the works and was put to final approval during this meeting. The proposed raise would be a 3% tiered increase and an average $1000 non-recurring payment to employees. This initially passed with one dissenting vote, though an addendum was discussed. This would withhold the raise from anyone under disciplinary measure until they rectified the problems that brought them under it in the first place. The pay increase would be effective immediately upon meeting the qualifications to remove the disciplinary hold, but would not be retroactive.
Student loans have been a concern for the college for some years. For the past several years, the number of students defaulting on loans has been increasing. Last year Daytona State had 29.6 percent of students defaulting on their loans out of a maximum 30 percent allowed by the state. One of the factors in this number being so high was that due to some paperwork problems, some students qualified for more loans than they needed. Problems of this nature have been identified and fixed. This year, that number is down to 26.5 percent and Daytona State is the only college this year to have decreased their loan default rate.