Attendees: Brandon Ballentine, Mary Bledsoe, Debi Bolton, Susan Breeding, Mark Cotter, Les Fout, Li Gao, Judy Gosch, Spencer Joy, Nancy Rasnake, Lois Williams
Attendees By Adobe Connect: J. Dean Copple
Thank you, Brandon, for the donuts.
Minutes
It was decided that minutes would be mailed to the Administrative Council in addition to being posted on the blog to give everyone a chance to read them.
Treasurer Report
The original budget was $500 and there is a balance of $370.65 which must be spent by June 30th. There was discussion about spending the money to cover a speaker – perhaps one about retirement or long term long term health care. A question was raised if a speaker’s approval had to go through the Professional Development Committee.
20/20 TRiO
Mark Cotter, the Director of TRiO Student Support Services, informed the council about the purpose of TRiO here at Pellissippi.
The history of TRIO is progressive. It began with Upward Bound, which emerged out of the Economic Opportunity Act of 1964 in response to the President Lyndon B. Johnson’s War on Poverty. In 1965, Talent Search, the second outreach program, was created as part of the Higher Education Act. In 1968, Student Support Services, which was originally known as Special Services for Disadvantaged Students, was authorized by the Higher Education Amendments and became the third in a series of educational opportunity programs. By the late 1960’s, the term “TRIO” was coined to describe these federal programs. Over the years, the TRIO Programs have been expanded and improved to provide a wider range of services and to reach more students who need assistance.
Currently Pellissippi’s TRiO Student Support Services program supports 160 students who are 1st generation, low income, or disability with low income while they are in college. First generation student are defined as neither parent graduated from a 4 year college. A lot of these students are the first to graduate from high school. To become a TRiO student, there is an application process followed by an interview. The program is NOT a remedial program but a support program with a 28% graduation rate – a rate which is double that of the college. The program works so well that it pays for itself.
Services offered are:
Peer tutoring – semester-long, one-on-one tutoring
Academic counseling and assistance in course selection through graduation
Financial Aid via grants to qualifying students and assistance in completing applications for aid
Workshops in Financial Planning, Time Management, Study Skills, Life Skills, Transfer Tips, Stress Reduction, Writing Skills
Cultural Events – trips to plays, dance and musical performances, and international events
Student file a plan to graduate and learn to go see their professors. They are able to participate in college tours across Tennessee – UT, Maryville College. Tusculum College, ETSU, MTSU, UTC, etc.
Financial aid is provided for study abroad students. In 2013 sixteen students studied abroad, and nine will go this year.
Les Fout praised Mark on being a grant management expert.
Thank you, Mark, for a very informative session.
A bit of trivia about the makeup of the meeting – 82% of those present today are 1st generation.
Auction
Nancy Rasnake gave an update on the auction. She and Fonda are organizing the items to sell. Many more items are needed for the 2 day event scheduled for:
April 7, 2014 Beginning at 3:00 PM
April 9, 2014 Ending at 3:00 PM
The deadline for items is March 26, 2014, so there will be time to photograph and get the items online before the auction. Past auctions have had much success with quilts and gift cards. Debi Bolton agreed to contact Gay Bryant for a donation. There will be competition this year as the Faculty book sale is at the same time.
There was discussion about thanking those who donate items with a phone call, an email, a letter, even a letter from a student who gets a scholarship, or all of the above. Les Fout emphasized the importance of thanking those who give as many as 7 times and include how much money was raised and how it was used.
Another email will go out to the Administrative Council about the auction. So far donations this year include an autographed football from UT (Butch Jones), an autographed basketball from UT (Holly Warwick), an 8 inch “tree of life” copper sculpture, quilt, gift cards, and other items.
Door Prize Winners $5.00 gift certificates to the cafeteria
Brandon Ballantine
Mary Bledsoe
Mark Cotter
Nancy Rasnake
The meeting was adjourned at 10:00 AM.
Recorder: Susan D. Breeding
