Kansas City Kansas Community College: Board of Trustees (July 21, 2026)

By Connye Griffin, Kansas City Documenter

Summary

• Administrators updated Kansas City Kansas Community College (KCKCC) trustees about planning for a February site visit by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC) regarding accreditation and about the 2021 academic master plan, set to expire in June 2027. Supporting documentation is in the meeting packet.
• Patrick Schulte, KCKCC’s acting president and vice president of finance and operations, gave reports about various matters he oversees, including incoming Interim President Jacqueline Vietti. Vietti, who is leading the search for a new president, outlined the selection process.
• Schulte updated the board on the progress of the new Health and Wellness Center under construction at 1101 N. Seventh St. Trafficway.

Notes 

Remembrances:

• Board Chair Linda Hoskins Sutton called for a moment of silence to remember Patricia Caruthers. She retired in 1994 and died on June 11. Caruthers served in many roles at KCKCC, finally as vice president of instructional and student services. 
• Shawn Derritt spoke of his late wife, Gloria Jean Derritt, who died on July 6. He thanked the KCKCC community for their support and compassion. Shawn Derritt is dean of student services at the college. Gloria Derritt was a student at the college during their marriage. Shawn Derritt said his wife was a guest speaker as a licensed professional counselor.

Recognitions and presentations:

• Schulte introduced Michael Crouch, the new executive director of the KCKCC Foundation. Crouch brings 20 years of experience in fundraising and community engagement. He worked in the same role at Flint Hills Community College and significantly increased its endowment.
• Vice President of Academic Affairs Jerry Pope and Dean of Health Professions and Public Safety Tiffany Bohm gave updates on strategic planning affecting all departments and populations at KCKCC.
  • Pope addressed the data and evidence being collected to prove that KCKCC was in compliance with federal requirements and met standards set by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC) and that the college qualified for reaccreditation. The commission placed KCKCC on probation in 2020 but removed it from that status in 2022. Pope stressed the importance of HLC’s upcoming site visit.
  • Bohm and Pope are partnering to collect evidence. Next month, Pope will start monthly meetings with 15 people representing “every major operational area” of the college. 
  • Administrators expect to collect what is likely to be more than 1,000 pieces of evidence and will meet monthly to ensure “we have everything covered to tell our story and demonstrate the amazing work that is being done across the institution,” Bohm said.
  • Pope provided an update on the academic master plan. He said that each of the seven strategic priorities identified for the 2021 master plan had been “substantially advanced.” The advancements include enrollment increases, enhanced teaching and learning support and facility investments.
  • Peter Gabriel, director of information technology, updated the board on technological accomplishments. Gabriel’s update included the successful migration of digital data to Software as a Service (SaaS) and the enhancement of cybersecurity for all users including students. The report, written by Eché Okoye, chief information officer, cites efforts to improve student access and protect institutional data as ongoing priorities.

Communications:

• Sutton reminded trustees of the retreat set for Aug. 1. Vietti described what trustees could expect from the meeting and distributed a document from the Association of Community College Trustees (ACCT) for their review. At the retreat, the board will learn about recently passed legislation affecting community college policies and practices.

Committee reports (all accepted without opposition):

• Finance:. Trustee Don Ash, the finance committee’s chair, summarized the committee’s work. The committee oversees and recommends to the full board matters related to finances, budgets and audits.
  • The committee recommended that KCKCC establish a line of credit for emergencies after the college’s recent experience with flooding, which necessitated quick responses. During new-business discussions, Schulte said such a line of credit cost the college nothing and was secured through normal KCKCC financial checks and balances.
  • Ash told trustees about a study commissioned by the Kansas Association of Community Colleges (KACC). The study will gather data showing the economic impact of community colleges and programs. Ash said the study’s results would help with strategic planning.
    • The college remains on solid financial ground, Ash said.
    •  Schulte clarified Ash’s report about the Sept. 20 budget deadline for revenue-neutral decisions.
• Board policy:
  • Sutton said the committee is reviewing and revising policies in light of HLC recommendations.
• KACC

• Ash spoke about the Aug. 2 quarterly KACC meeting. It will include a legislative panel, a presentation by U.S. Sen. Roger Marshall (R-Kan.) and a discussion about performance-based metrics.
• Two-year technical colleges have requested admission to KACC, Ash said. The state organization agreed and added two such colleges. Admission requires revisions in the bylaws and updates to the code of conduct and conflict of interest agreements. That work is underway.
• Ash delayed an ACCT report until the August board meeting.
• The ACCT offers a board certification process, Sutton said. She had completed it and recommended it to other board members. 

Other reports

President

• Schulte highlighted the following:
  • The steps they are taking facilitate a seamless transition between the acting and interim presidents.
  • Described progress regarding budget and faculty salary negotiations.
  • Addressed the Health and Wellness Center, 1101 N. Seventh St. Trafficway. It is scheduled to open in the fall and is progressing as expected. He touched on security and other shared responsibilities among partners.
  • Updated the board on availability of childcare services for students and staff in light of information about closures of two operators. Plans for the facilities and programs are being considered.
  • Notified the board that performance tools were moving online.
  • Advised that the search process for the next president will begin with board decisions presented later by Vietti.
  • Sutton expressed her gratitude for Schulte’s willingness to work as acting president and vice president of finance and operations. Schulte credited the team.

Vice president of finance and operations

• Schulte highlighted:
  • The transition to cloud-based SaaS was made possible by a collaborative effort from all the college’s units.
  • Preparations for facility upgrades, inventory reports and human relations matters.

Vice president of academic affairs

• Pope highlighted:
  • Teacher use of multiple platforms and communication tools.
  • Apprentice and employer partnerships.
  • Student achievements in art and music.
  • State and federal reports completed.

Vice president of enrollment management and student services

• Devin Stroman, vice president of enrollment management and student services, said:
  • Unduplicated head counts for summer and fall enrollment were down.
    • Schulte said the count methodology had shifted and recommended that better comparisons could come from counts taken on the 20th day of a semester, when students are officially enrolled.
    • Fall session unduplicated head count is down 10.7% compared to 2025.
    • Eighteen campus tours have been completed, and KCKCC has participated in seven enrollment events. He did not specify the time period.
    • In June, student success advisers provided in-person and online services in 700 advising appointments. An online student orientation is ready for the fall.
    • International students from Brazil, Mexico and Vietnam are being recruited. However, new Department of Homeland Security directives will restrict international students’ abilities to change majors or career paths and will introduce other challenges. The college will review the restrictions to protect students and support their success.
  • Athletes performed well in the classroom and on the field.

Vice president for marketing and institutional image

• Randy Royer, director of media services, presented the report prepared by Kris Green, vice president for marketing and institutional image. The report includes information about brand marketing and revenue generated from it.
  • Spring digital marketing exceeded a 500% return on investment. Digital advertising yielded a 1,870% ROI. Estimated revenue from 1,149 students who clicked the ad and enrolled, 261 of whom came from external advertising searches, is $958,900. The 1,870% ROI equates to nearly 20 times the investment amount of $48,672.
  • The department spent a budgeted $91,000 to raise awareness about the Health and Wellness Center. The money paid for bus wraps, digital and radio ads, billboard leases and direct-mail messaging.

Unfinished Business:

• Sutton said that Trustee Jammie A. Johnson had been appointed to the Community Engagement Committee and to the KCKCC Foundation’s board.
• The committee overseeing finances will be renamed Finance and Operations after discussions about a committee needed to address facility upgrades, renovations and repairs.

New Business: 

• Interim president
  • The board approved a contract for Vietti to become the acting president, a matter settled in executive session before the regular meeting.
  • Vietti reviewed the process to choose a third-party search firm for KCKCC’s new president.
    • Vietti said that if the board approves the process she outlined, then the public would be notified the following day, with an anticipated start date of Oct. 1.
    • The firm will be expected to develop detailed search criteria or a presidential profile through stakeholder engagement. The firm will also be responsible for managing its own database of applicants and to rank applicants as highly qualified, qualified or minimally qualified. The board will determine whether to consider candidates from all categories or only those deemed highly qualified.
    • The firm will be expected to prepare an orientation for a search committee and for the transition from interim president to president.
    • The board approved Vietti’s search firm criteria and process.
  • Vietti outlined the selection process, including the composition of the search committee. She stressed that the board would decide about the presidential profile, committee composition and steps in the process.
    • Trustee Brenda Scruggs Andrieu recommended a $250,000 ceiling for an incoming president’s salary. She also asked that her name be considered for the search committee.
    • Johnson advocated for student participation in interviews of presidential applicants. Other trustees concurred.

Observations & Follow-Up Questions

• How will the college handle the closure of the childcare centers?
• What criteria will stakeholder engagement produce for the presidential profile?
• Will KCKCC be reaccredited by HLC in 2027?
• Will international students continue to enroll in KCKCC programs or in U. S. colleges nationwide? 

If you believe anything in these notes is inaccurate, please email us at documenters@thebeacon.media with “Correction Request” in the subject line. Learn more about Documenters on our website.