Suggestion Box

Comment/Suggestion

This looks like some fun NCLEX practice: https://www.mometrix.com/blog/nclex-review-crossword-puzzles/

It has lots of free NCLEX exam review puzzles. You may want to post it because everyone needs a little stress relief when studying for this test

Response

Comment from Marcie Kemnitz

Thank for the suggestion, we will forward the link to our nursing department for their review.

Comment/Suggestion

The Walking Tacos was a wonderful meal for the Spring Picnic but not very student friendly when students and visitors are told 1 bag of chips and you have to put the topping in the bag before you can dump it on a plate. Really? For some students this might be their only meal for the day. Why are we limiting them to 1 bag of chips and they are the small bags at that.

If you are going to offer a free meal to students don't put a limit on what they can have. Like I said earlier this might be the only meal they get for the day. 

Response

Comment from Marcie Kemnitz and Nick Freelend

The Student Activities group helped plan the event. They determined walking tacos sounded good to them. (student input!) In the past, we have been directed to try to do less volume on food events. The solution to that was to go with more of a light snack rather than a full meal. In trying to be ecologically focused, Chartwells did not include plates and immediately reduced waste produced from the event. Historically, the Spring Picnic has had slightly lower numbers than the Fall Picnic, Christmas Party or Thanksgiving Buffet. With our student numbers reportedly down again this term, we anticipated 125 attendees. We had 176 go through the line. The request was made to go with one bag so that each attendee got an opportunity to have a taco before we offered seconds. Had the floodgates been opened immediately, we would have run out of food by 12:15. Many would miss out on the food completely in that scenario.

As it was, we ran out of chips twice and had to heat another (5^th) pan of meat/sauce. The concept was to have something quick to serve, that did not interfere with a student schedule, and also allow them a chance to get a wire sculpture at the same time. The location of both activities was done to enhance awareness and participation. The intent was not to make the taco the day’s meal for anyone, but to use the budget dollars responsibly to provide a snack for many. The memo that was sent out from Marcie’s desk noted a “snack” for the picnic, as well. The price of the taco was cut to $2 for staff and free for students. That felt really quite student-friendly, in my opinion. 

Comment/Suggestion

Please install a projector in this room. It has been very hard to see the other board from where I am sitting. Thank you 

Response

Comment from Bill Hitesman

Thank you for letting us know there is a projector issue in Webster 121. In general, if a projector exists currently but not working, please submit a work order to address and correct the issue. The staff may be working on a fix already. If this has been completed but still not fixed, I would suggest talking to your supervisor to find out more specifics that can be worked out, or possibly look at alternative rooms that have working projectors.

Thanks and hopefully this matter can be corrected quickly. 

Comment/Suggestion

I just found out Northeast Community College has no school and faculty and staff do not work on Friday and Monday of Easter Weekend. They also call it "Spring Break".....I know we try to keep in alignment with other community colleges.

It would be so great if CCC could have Friday off in observance of "Spring Break" or Easter.....it would be so nice for Staff who have family in town, etc. And just taking a vacation day doesn't always work for those of us who don't have much vacation because we have to use our vacation for young children's activities or when they are sick. Thanks!!!

Response

Comment From Dr. Matt Gotschall

In consideration of the addition of the Martin Luther King Day paid vacation, the Board reviewed the number of vacation days offered by our peer community colleges and some regional and state colleges/universities.  We now have the same number of vacation days as our peers – even one more day than one college reviewed – so these additional days would mean a shift in time taken including the current Spring Break week or perhaps the days off in late December. The revised Academic Calendar (due to MLK holiday added) was just approved by Educational Services committee last week and will be an action item for Cabinet this week.  We will take this suggestion into consideration realizing employees celebrate different holidays throughout the year.  

Comment/Suggestion

Recently it was decided to stop sending RAVE alerts to students in non-credit classes. I have very serious concerns about the negative consequences this could potentially have for literally thousands of students. For example, in Grand Island alone, Adult Education averages 600 students annually. These students are in class at College Park 4 days a week for 1-3 hours a day. If there is a weather or other emergency closing, yes they could look at other sources to find that information, but when they are on campus as much if not more than credit students it seems wrong to me to exclude them from RAVE alerts. I would also hate to learn that a student wasn't aware campus was closed and something bad happened to them while they were trying to get to class. Isn't it better to not need an alert and still get it than to need one and not get it? I can't imagine the minor annoyance of some non-credit student receiving an alert they don't need being more important than the health and safety of the literal thousands of students college-wide that do need it.

If it is not possible to auto-enroll them in RAVE, can we at a MINIMUM give them the choice to opt-in to RAVE alerts? They are issued CCC ID's and were previously allowed to opt-in to RAVE alerts before it was changed to an opt-out instead of an opt-in system.

Response

Comment from Matt Gotschall

Thank you for the suggestion, and we realize that non-credit students will not get all of the emergency alerts.  They will get the most immediate life threatening ones as required by the Clery Act (for example, active shooter), but not the less immediate life threatening ones like snow closings.   We do have thousands of non-credit students college-wide who only participate in shorter term workshops (one – evening or one day events) that would not want to be bothered for the next year with possible snow closing calls that could come early in the morning or later at night.   We hope that what has been set up it is an acceptable balance to be alerted to immediate threats, but not every emergency.  We appreciate what you do for our adult education students and understand a variety of communication strategies may be needed to reach adult students, so ask for your continued support in having them reach out to our website, social media, college phone numbers, local media, instructors or peers if they have questions regarding attending classes.

Comment/Suggestion

It was faculty's understanding that rooms 524 and 554 were designed to be a high tech learn labs that would be used to facilitate participation.  The rooms were designed without a "front" of the room to support a flipped classroom and encourage student led education.  However, right from the beginning a "mobile" podium was placed which creates a clear front of the room.  This mobile podium is actually not mobile either, it can be moved in about a 12 inch radius anchors the instructor one place with the instructors back against the window.  Last year the room lost even more purpose when a huge computer was placed ON TOP of the "mobile" podium.  Even with instructors of an array of sizes or shapes I have not seen even one that can see over the screens.  This podium and computer screen completely block off the instructor from view of the class.  I have a hearing impaired student that has to watch my mouth in order to understand what I am saying.  I am careful to never turn my back on her when I am speaking no matter where I am in the room, but if I go to the podium (where my notes, handouts, power point controls, volume controls, and computer controls are) she can not longer see my face and can no longer hear what I am saying.  Please realize that we aren't all over six foot tall and able to see over such a tall screen. The projectors in the room are also fuzzy and fail quite often.

Please decrease the podium height by at least 12 inches so that instructors aren't hidden behind it.  Please advise what to do for student with hearing impairment so she can participate with the class (not having to record and listen at a later time).  Please update projectors.  

Response

Comment from Marcie Kemnitz

Thank you for your suggestion. While we can appreciate the podium needs in those rooms, the larger concern is the possibility of having a student who needs accommodations.  Disability Services does not have any registered students using this classroom and has placed disability services brochures in the classroom twice since March 13th.  Students are required to register to receive accommodations and we do not have anyone registered that is a lip reader or states they have a need to face their professors face at all times.  All CCC syllabi have a statement regarding disabilities and accommodations.  If a student has disclosed to faculty that they have a disability and are not receiving accommodations, faculty should direct them to the Disability Services office. 

Comment/Suggestion

Are the new toilets in Dawson "low flow"?  Well that is correct, they are super sub low flow!  A person has to flush them 6-7 times to just get the toilet paper to flush out!  It is disgusting to walk into a previously used toilet when the toilet s is to be an automatic flush.  

Also in the one stall you can see into the other stall quite clearly with that two piece panel design-double disgusting!!! So technically there are only two stall you can use to have some sort of privacy.

Response

Comment from Bill Hitesman and Brad Dobesh

This is the first we were made aware of the flushing issues so thank you for letting us know. We did check the toilets “performance” yesterday morning and couldn’t find any substantial issues but we adjusted the water pressure (not high enough so that water splashes out of the bowl or on the “occupant”) on the units in an attempt to alleviate future sub-par flushing issues.

The gap in the bathroom stall wall has been noted and is being addressed. The project General Contractor has been informed and is in the process of making/ordering a “filler” piece to minimize the potential for further discomfort/privacy concerns.

Thank you very much for your comments and please be aware that the Maintenance/Custodial Departments are very concerned about problematic issues and address student, Faculty, staff and community concerns ASAP.

Comment/Suggestion

I am wondering why in some areas when there is an opening the administrative assistant gets to sit in or be on the interview committees and other administrative assistants don't.  The administrative assistant in an area where there is an opening should be included because that person will have to work with the new high.

Response

Comment from Chris Waddle

Thank you for your interest in serving.  When a position becomes open, employees who are interested in serving on the committee should express that interest to the supervisor who is ultimately responsible for selection of the interview committee.  The Hiring Manager guides the supervisor to ensure gender diversity on the committee in accordance with OCR and HLC recommendations, while ensuring a variety of areas/divisions/campuses are represented.  Additionally, a rotation to avoid unnecessary repetitive members is in place to provide the opportunity for more CCC employees to participate in a search at any level.  For some positions, administrative assistants can and have requested to assist with other roles including giving tours or helping with written or oral presentations for the candidate to allow for input in the process.  

Comment/Suggestion

I feel it would be beneficial to have a computer tutor on campus to assist some of the students who are struggling with some of the computer classes and who also don't have access to a computer except on campus and are not able to work on projects over the weekends because of this.

Having a tutor come in a few nights a week with a group of students needing extra help that way we can get the extra help we need and can help each other.

Response

Comment from Kelly Christensen

Thank you for the suggestion to provide expanded tutoring at the Kearney Center.  We have hired Jaime Loza and he is currently available to students in the Computer Lab on Monday and Wednesday from 1 pm to 4:30 pm.  He will also be available on Monday and Wednesday nights from 5 pm to 10 pm.  To contact Jaime please visit the Learning Center office located in the Academic Success Center.  Students are also welcome to use the CCC Online Tutoring service and this can be found in the Moodle Orientation course found under “MyCourses” in WebCentral.  Once there, select the Online Tutoring link to learn more.  We have also attempted to hire for weekend coverage at other locations with little student usage, but can explore that option again if demand grows for weekend hours.  Feel free to contact the Kearney administrator, Kelly Christensen at 308-338-4002, if you have other tutoring needs to be explored. 

Comment/Suggestion

The birds are back and they are pooping on my car.

Can we put up solar panels around the parking lots to prevent the poop on my car and to help create electricity? 

Response

Comment from Dr. Matt Gotschall

"Great idea. We have actually had some science classes look at this parking lot solar panel option and may be an opportunity in our future, but not this migratory season. So in the meantime, enjoy nature, in all its glory." 

Comment/Suggestion

The podium in 525 is not adjustable. (Room 525, & 530 for example are) It is challenging for instructors that are short to see over the computer screens.

Suggestion: A different podium, or shorten the podium in the room.

Response

Comment from Marcie Kemnitz

We appreciate your suggestion.  Some of our podiums are adjustable and if you reach out to media services, they can show you how to adjust them. Please know that some rooms are designed for more active learning methods so podiums are lighter and more mobile than the more stationary adjustable desks in other rooms. You may also want to consider utilizing a different classroom if you feel the podium does not work for your needs. 

Comment/Suggestion

Please provide closed captioning for the following video.  Link  is attached.  This will be beneficial for those who show the video to their students.

Shots Fired Video Student Version:

http://www.cccneb.edu/programs/training/safety/shotsfired_student.html

Provide closed captioning.  Thank you.

Response

Comment from Joel King/Lenore Koliha

Thank you for your suggestion.  Our safety manager is researching a resolution and is currently in contact with publishing companies that have proper captioning.  Thank you for bringing this to our attention as we work through these changes in accessibility. 

Comment/Suggestion

If there is a model of the four-day workweek in higher education, it may be Brevard Community College in Florida. The four-campus institution, located midway between Miami and Jacksonville, made headlines last week when it adopted a year-round four-day workweek, after successfully implementing the schedule for two summers and a four-and-one-half-day workweek last fall and spring semester. The college says it saved almost $268,000 on energy costs this summer -- while seeing online enrollments rise 24.5 percent.

According to Brevard, it has consumed almost 1.7 million fewer kilowatt-hours this year than last, and it spent $474,000 less than was budgeted for energy costs. The benefits, however, do not stop at the college’s bottom line. It reported a 50 percent reduction in the number of sick hours used by its employees and noted a 44 percent reduction in annual staff turnover, when comparing this fiscal year to last. Also -- there must be something in the water at Brevard -- its job applicant pool grew by 51 percent in the six months after the college’s initial pilot program of the shortened workweek last summer as compared to the six months before it. Though Brevard’s state support has been cut by $2.3 million this year, it has managed to increase the number of full-time faculty members and double the number of tutors and learning lab assistants with the energy savings.

Response

Comment from Dr. Matt Gotschall

Thank you for sharing. Sounds like a wonderful place.

Thanks for the Suggestion Box

Comment/Suggestion

went to look at a job description for a person looking for information about a position and could not find the job description of the person currently hold the job.

Response

Comment from Chris Waddle

The job descriptions have now moved to PeopleAdmin.  To learn how to access them, please go to the following link: https://webcentral.cccneb.edu/infosites/Admin/hr/Lists/Site%20Announcements/Attachments/16/Locating%20Job%20Descriptions%20in%20People%20Admin.docx

Thanks for the Suggestion Box

Comment/Suggestion

I attended a basketball game on February 3, 2018. I had the pleasure of sitting next to some of of your students. 

They were a pleasure to speak with and very respectful. I am hoping to come to a game in the near future.

Response

Comment from Dr. Matt Gotschall, college president

Thank you for your attendance and for sharing your positive interaction with our students! Go Raiders!

Matt 

Comment/Suggestion

I was just in the restrooms and notice that the toilet paper is so thin that it also has holes in it, can't the college buy a little bit better quality of toilet paper.  Its so sad when you go to the restroom and see such a cheap product be out there for people to use.

Buy a better quality of toilet paper.

Response

Comment from Dr. Matt Gotschall & Marcie Kemnitz

Thank you for your suggestion, we will continue to look at paper options that balance funds with function.

Thanks for the Suggestion Box

Comment/Suggestion

I wish to send in a complaint about the food that is being served at the college for the students in the dorms.  

My son has been at the school for one semester and has been complaining about the food ever since the 17-18 year started.  I placed him on the 19 meal plan and have since dropped it to the 14 meal plan.  He complains of food being undercooked (pink chicken), only a few different main courses for meals, fruit and vegetables that are not fresh, and food from lunch being served for dinner the same day.  

I am very disappointed in this! I feel that if you require the students that live in the dorms to eat the food provided by the school then it should be monitored by the college.  My son is eating out on the economy, spending his money on food while we are paying for his meals on campus that are not being eaten.  This means that the college is getting money from many families for food that students are not eating.

I would like to know what, if anything is being done to improve the quality of the food being served.   

This is unacceptable and needs to be addressed now, or there needs to be a provision for students to only pay for room instead of both room and board.

If the food can not be changed to better serve the campus then there should be a provision to allow students to stay in dorms and not have to have the meal plan.  That money is being wasted by the service of meals that the students will not eat.

Response

Comment from Dr. Kathy Fuchser and Dr. Elizabeth Przymus:

Thank you for bringing your concern about Columbus food service to our attention.  Central Community College contracts with Chartwells, an independent provider, for food service across the college.  Recent adjustments to this service include extended hours and expanded options for students who request sack lunches.  Please view the following link to Dine on Campus (Columbus Campus Menu): https://dineoncampus.com/wwwcccnebedu

We appreciate knowing of your concerns and will follow-up to specifically address questions of food quality and choices. 

Comment/Suggestion

Anyway we can turn up the heat in dawson classrooms, it's freezing and very hard to keep focused on the lecture when it's so cold in the classroom.

Turn up the Heat please!

Response

Comment from Bill Hitesman

Right now the instructors have the classrooms set at 69 degrees and the classrooms run about 71 degrees when there are people in it, these are controlled by each room.  This morning we raised the set points for the heat to 70 degrees, but last time we did that complaints came in that it was too hot. It would be helpful if we knew the specific time and room number to help address this in a manor to monitor the area and look at the highs and lows to determine the appropriate measures we can take to resolve the matter. 

Comment/Suggestion

I need to know around how many students got to CCC per year, because I couldn't find it on the website.

Please put that info on your website

Response

Comment from Brian McDermott (Director of Research and College Effectiveness)

The numbers of students attending CCC is posted on the college’s web pages under Institutional Effectiveness Measures.  The document that gives the most information regarding student enrollment is the yearly Enrollment Report.  You can find it at the following hyperlink. 

 http://www.cccneb.edu/uploadedFiles/Web_Assets/About/Enrollment_Report.pdf

On page seven of the report, you will find the unduplicated enrollment by year (past six years) for both students enrolled in credit generating courses and or non-credit generating courses.  Other pages of the report provides information on multiple sub-populations of students enrolled at Central Community College. 

If you have any additional questions please contact me or my staff at

(Brian McDermott’ email = bmcdermott@cccneb.edu)

(Francesca Davis’s email = francescadavis@cccneb.edu)

(Rebecca Cook’s email = rebeccacook@cccneb.edu)

Thanks for your suggestion box item.

Comment/Suggestion

Please put some kind of clock back in the main hall, close to where the electronic clock was.  It is needed.

Response

Comment from Marcie Kemnitz, Rob Briseno

Please contact Facilities Director Robert Briseno with additional information on the need for a clock at that particular location in addition to ones already located in the commons area and classrooms.  Many individuals also rely on cell phones and watches for time instead.  Rob and Dr. Marcie Kemnitz can then decide best location if need is warranted in comparison to the cost to reinstall and maintain.

Thanks for the Suggestion Box 

Comment/Suggestion

I just completed the employee engagement survey and didn't have the opportunity to offer my opinion on working with the Human Resources department in the last year.  Why wasn't this an option? I have several criticisms and constructive suggestions for that department and find it interesting that we aren't given the opportunity to evaluate them.  Administration, here is another small example of why faculty feel disenfranchised by the college- no chance to offer opinions. These small things add up to cause the current toxic work environment around this college.

Allow the employees to evaluate the HR department and send those evaluations DIRECTLY to the college president and the board. 

Response

Comment from College Cabinet

Thank you for completing the survey.  Constructive criticism and suggestions for any department or division do not need to wait for the annual employee engagement survey.  If you have this kind of information, you should provide it to the department head or your supervisor so they can act on the suggestion or provide reasons it cannot be implemented.  CCC began evaluating our 19 departments a few years ago.  In order to make time to complete the survey more manageable and to allow departments time to analyze and implement previous year suggestions, we split the number of departments to be evaluated each year.  Nine departments this year, ten departments last year. For example, Human Resources was evaluated last year so will again be surveyed in 2018.  This year, was Extended Learning Services, Training, etc.  Institutional Research department has the rotational list of departments if you would like to see it. 

As for your statement about the toxic environment, these surveys help us to assess levels of employee satisfaction, longitudinal trends, and identify areas for improvement.  We are sorry you feel this way, but overall, past results have indicated an overall positive work environment at CCC.  We are committed to continue to analyze future results to see if or how the environment changes.  

Comment/Suggestion

The bathrooms in Grand Island that still utilize paper towels often are in disarray, with paper towel dispensers not working correctly and paper towels littering the floor, and trash cans often overflowing with paper towels. Is it possible to have hand dryers installed in these bathrooms? Also many times all of our bathrooms smell. While visiting the Hastings campus student union building I was impressed by the cleanliness of the bathrooms and fresh smelling bathrooms.  Is it possible to have similar air fresheners installed in the GI campus bathrooms.  There is often times an abundance of stall stories and other information for reading in the bathroom stalls. If we are going to have this information in the bathrooms it would help to have it fully laminated so it could be sanitized as needed and it would look better than the raggedy sheet protectors that are currently used. I think staff, students and visitors to our campus would appreciate these small changes. Thanks!  

Response

Comment from Marcie Kemnitz and Rob Briseno

Thanks for the information. If you find that the bathrooms are not to your standards please let Facilities know right away and we will be glad to get them freshened up. We know from time to time we have to do this especially during events and busy days. It’s part of the job, and we do check on the bathrooms during the day from time to time. But there are those times where the bathrooms are not up to par, please let us know on those days. The bathrooms are cleaned every evening. As far as the perfume smells we here on the G.I. campus don’t like to use them. We feel that it mask the true cleanliness of the bathroom. We feel and hope that a true sanitized bathroom is a better smelling one than one that is being masked with sprays. So It’s very important to us to tell us if our bathrooms aren’t as clean as we think they are. Hand dryers are being installed when we remodel bathrooms. The main 300 bathrooms is slated for this year. And the 200 the following year. And the CIT building bathrooms in Phase two.

Thanks 

Comment/Suggestion

With the construction now done in the new area, where are the "picnic" tables at, so when there is nice weather we can eat outside if we want.  I thought we were told there would be an area with tables and benches to sit at, so we could enjoy the nice weather when we have it.

More tables and benches so that when the weather is nice we have an area to eat outside at.

Response

Comment from Marcie Kemnitz

The picnic tables were ordered as part of the project and are supposed to be delivered sometime in early December.

Thanks for the Suggestion.

Comment/Suggestion

Have English 1010 on only Monday and Wednesday from 12-1:30, instead of Monday, Wednesday, Friday from 12-12:50.  The teacher has even agreed that we don't need Friday classes.

It would help save money on gas so we don't have to come here for an extra class and I feel that we could get more done in a longer class, 2 days a week, rather than a short class, 3 times a week. Remove Friday noon classes.

Response

Comment from College Cabinet

Courses are offered in a variety of formats and at various times to attempt to best accommodate multiple student, faculty, program, and room schedules while following guidelines set by program and higher learning commission/accreditation requirements.  Your suggestion will be shared with Associate Deans for future scheduling considerations.

Thanks for the suggestion. 

Comment/Suggestion

I am currently taking Intermediate Algebra online.  The grading process for exams is extremely slow.  It has taken almost two weeks to find out the grade for my last math exam. In fact, I have received an e-mail from my instructor without any indication of when I will receive the grade.  My next text is in six days.  This is extremely frustrating.  I am paying for this class.  I expect much better and quicker grading results.  

Do not make students wait two weeks to find out an exam grade.  Especially when the tests are every other week! 

Response

Comment from Dr. Kathy Fuchser 

Thank you for reaching out to apprise us of this situation.  We are working to address your concern.  The Associate Dean will follow-up to resolve the situation.

Thanks for the suggestion. 

Comment/Suggestion

The computer in [an instructor's] classroom never works at the beguinning of class in English Comp.

It would help if someone was in here to fix it.

Response

Comment from Tom Peters

The IT Client Services Team A Service Center Team could not recreate the problem. The rooms mentioned function well for all other classes and during the College In Service . A second round of additional training was provided to the individual having issues and to my knowledge once that happened the technical problem has not reoccurred.

Thanks for the suggestion 

Comment/Suggestion

Staff and Faculty are not being treated professionally.  When they ask questions they are seen as being insubordinate.  Why are we not being treated like professionals? Instead, if we disagree with a supervisor we are threatened to do as they say, sign such paperwork that is against our wishes before we are granted answers or else.  “Or else” leads to threats of insubordination and/or being told it is the college’s management right –to not answer questions and instead threaten reprimands or actually provide a written reprimand if staff and faculty disagree.  This leads to a very hostile work environment.

This lack of professionalism and the college’s lack of answering questions that staff and faculty have on the colleges policies or personal predilections is not a management right, rather a means of management abuse.

Answer questions that staff and faculty have before threatening or giving reprimands.

Don’t use threats of insubordination and reprimands to get your way.

Provide training for supervisors or have them follow a code of ethics like K-12 administrators have to uphold.  Yes, there are policies in place, at the college but they are often times only upheld when it comes to staff and faculty, not supervisors.

Response

Comment from Chris Waddle:

The college expects a professional attitude to be maintained by all employees.  If an employee feels they are not being treated professionally, they should address the issue with that individual, their supervisor or, in limited situations where the treatment is particularly excessive, contact the Human Resources office.

Thanks for the suggestion 

Comment/Suggestion

Please allow trashcans to be placed in classrooms.  By not allowing trashcans to be in classrooms maintenance has more of a mess to clean up.  Many instructors and students beg for trashcans to be placed in classrooms.  

There are times when students have gotten sick and a trashcan is nowhere to be found and they get sick before making it to a restroom.  

Some instructors have placed trashcans in rooms and those rooms are have less trash on the floors or tables.  

Reconsider trashcans being placed in classrooms they are terribly needed.

Response

Comment from William Hitesman and Brad Dobesh (Hastings Campus)

In an attempt to maintain sustainability and operate ‘green’, the College utilizes trash receptacles that incorporate separate “Landfill and Recycle” bins. If single cans were placed in each of the classrooms, we would need 53 new cans. Also, when candy wrappers/debris (Landfill) and water bottles/Etc. (Recycle) are placed in the new classroom can, all of the items will be taken to the landfill (nothing recycled).

As per EH&S Director policy, staff will not sort through trash because of safety concerns. This would also be time consuming and increase the custodial expenses due to replacing 53 additional trash bags daily.

This would certainly increase the workload and have a budget impact on their department. We have over 80 landfill and recycle bins located on campus and several in each location in every building which are easily accessible. We would prefer to encourage people to utilize existing trash cans but the campus could look and will look at rethinking and looking at more strategic placement of our current recycle bins.

We will have this item put on the campus cabinet for discussion and to look at how we can improve locations of trash cans if needed. Certainly can address this and see if we can improve the process.

Comment/Suggestion

During August new faculty Days all Faculty were told that we CANNOT put voice recordings/lecture recordings --often times accompanied by a PowerPoint or teaching demonstration-- in Moodle without a transcript/closed captioning that accompanies it.   

Faculty were told that if we have voice recordings/lecture recordings in our Moodle shells that we need to remove them or provide a transcript with them.   

It is exasperating that the college holds faculty to different standards then they hold themselves.  There are several items that we are told to share with students on the college website that do not provide a transcript/closed captioning.   For example: faculty are encouraged to show “Shot’s Fired” to students at the beginning of the semester, yet there is not transcript/closed captioning provided.  

By mandating that transcripts/closed captioning are needed before faculty can upload or keep voice recordings/lecture recordings in Moodle is beyond troublesome.  We are told we can upload a plain old PowerPoint, but no voice recording due to students that may be hard of hearing.  What about those who are blind etcetera –voice recording would be beneficial-?   While faculty are willing to provide accommodations that is what voice recordings, typed notes, provided PowerPoint’s, enlarged print, and transcripts should be…accommodations, which are granted through Disability Services. 

Please address this as soon as possible by a response.  Many Suggestion Boxes are submitted, yet never addressed with a response via Suggestion Box.

When Deans and College Administration mandate faculty to provide transcripts then the college should do so as well.  

OR

Do not require faculty to provide transcripts in Moodle of their recorded lectures.  This is tedious and it is not being done throughout the college.  Students who need such accommodations (transcripts is one of many) should register through Disability Services and provide instructors said proof of accommodation requests.    

Please reconsider this mandate and inform Deans that faculty can provide voice recordings/teaching demonstrations without a transcript/closed captioning.

Response

Comment from College Cabinet

We acknowledge being in compliance with the ADA’s requirements requires extra considerations by all our employees, but the outcome of providing equal access to education is worthy of our employees’ time and efforts

“The ADA requires that title II entities (State and local governments) and title III entities (businesses and nonprofit organizations that serve the public) communicate effectively with people who have communication disabilities. The goal is to ensure that communication with people with these disabilities is equally effective as communication with people without disabilities” (Effective Communication, 2014).  

The above requirement extends to all materials. The college utilizes a vast number of videos and audio productions. We appreciate the author of the email alerting us to the concern of lack of captioning on the video in question and encourage you to assist your colleagues by bringing non-compliant materials to your supervisor’s attention and making sure we are using compliant materials in all Central Community College activities including our classrooms. 

Reference:

Effective Communication, (2014). ADA. U.S. Department of Justice. Retrieved from https://www.ada.gov/effective-comm.htm

Since January 2017, 56 Suggestion Box postings have been made. Of those, 5 are currently not answered.  CCC administration is in the process of answering those posts.   

Comment/Suggestion

Please change the name of  Week of Welcome to just Welcome Week. More student friendly. 

Response

Comment from Dr. Gotschall, Beth Przymus, and Heidi Action

The original name was used to play off the word, WoW – to hopefully draw attention to the numerous events to promote student interaction and engagement.  Your idea will be shared with the planning committee as we are more than open to any suggestions or feedback as we want it to be a week (or longer) that all students find fun, interactive and engaging!  If you have other specific suggestions feel free to contact Dr. Beth Przymus or Heidi Acton directly.   

Thank you for the Suggestion. 

Comment/Suggestion

In some of the classrooms, the boards are still chalkboards. They are unpleasant when people write on them and they do not erase well - this affects our learning process because the board becomes cluttered and confusing. It also takes away from class time when the instructor has to take 5-8 minutes washing and cleaning the board.

Replace the chalkboards with whiteboards

Response

Comment from Matt Gotschall

We will look at the classrooms left with chalkboards and consult instructors using these rooms as most should be replaced. 

Thanks for the suggestions. 

Comment/Suggestion

The couches and chairs found in the lobby upstairs and the lounge downstairs are falling apart and are gross to sit on - they leave your clothes black when you sit in them. 

Please consider replacing these seats with new ones as these are popular common areas. 

Response

Comment from Matt Gotschall

We have been working with the furniture manufacturer on the warranty of this newer furniture because we are not satisfied with how they have not lasted either.  We will continue to investigate that warranty resolution or look at replacing. 

Thanks for the suggestion.