The Seminole State College Board of Regents met March 25 to grant tenure to Business and Education Professor Chunfu “Jeff” Cheng, to reaffirm the Board’s commitment to opposing the presence of firearms on campus and to review a bid to replace the heat and air unit for the Raymond Harber Field House.
The meeting opened with the presentation of a plaque to The SSC Belles women’s basketball team in recognition of their 50th season. Belles head coach Rita Story-Schell and sophomore guard Kryslyn Jones of Edmond were present at the meeting to accept the recognition.
The plaque read, “Presented in recognition of providing trail-blazing opportunities for women in sports, bringing pride to the institution with a National Championship victory and an ongoing commitment to excellence on and off the court.”
SSC President Lana Reynolds then presented her President’s Report, which included an update on the College’s personnel changes, campus activities, snowstorm damages and repairs, reports on the decrease in the number of COVID-19 cases and vaccination efforts. She also discussed plans for the 2021 Commencement exercises. At present, the College will limit attendance at graduation to students, faculty and staff in an effort to meet social distancing guidelines. The event will be livestreamed for family and friends of the graduates.
The first action item was the recommendation to grant tenure to Business and Education Professor Chunfu “Jeff” Cheng. Cheng has been employed by SSC since 2011. In that time, he has served as an instructor, the Business and Education Division Chair, Faculty Senate President and as the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society Advisor. He is currently pursuing a Doctor of Education at Northeastern University in Boston, Mass. Following the review of his application materials, the Board approved his tenure status.
The second action item was the reaffirmation of the College’s ban on firearms on campus. The reaffirmation was a response to the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education’s request to a commitment against allowing firearms on campus to help counter any proposed legislation that amends current law. The resolution was also recently passed by SSC’s Student Government Association, the Classified Staff Association and the Professional Staff Association. An earlier resolution was passed by the SSC Faculty Senate. These resolutions along with the Board’s resolution have been shared with OSRHE.
With the third action item, the Board approved the removal of Policy III-4-2 regarding Financial Disclosure statements. The policy, adopted in 2000, required Board members and administrators to complete financial disclosure documents and make them available to the Oklahoma Ethics Commission. The Commission’s rules changed in 2016. The College’s legal counsel in the Oklahoma Attorney General’s Office informed the Board that financial disclosures are no longer required except for elected officials and judiciary subject to retention. The Board then tabled the fourth action item, a bid to replace the heat and air unit for the Raymond Harber Field House. The College will seek additional bids, and the Board will make a decision at a later meeting.
Next the Board approved the process to seek $875,000 in financing through the State of Oklahoma’s Master Lease Program to address other major maintenance projects on campus. The projects to be addressed with this funding include parking lot repairs, replacement of the Raymond Harber Field House roof and renovation of the natatorium area where the pool was located.
Bids were considered and awarded to A-Tech Paving for $448,695 for parking lot repairs and Silver Star for $93,684 for renovation of the natatorium. An item to consider bids for roof replacement in the Raymond Harber Field House was tabled.
Board members present at the meeting were: Chair Curtis Morgan, Bryan Cain, Marci Donaho and Kim Hyden.
The next SSC Board of Regents meeting is set for Thursday, May 20, 2021.