NTCC receives $148,000 grant for health sciences

The Northeast Texas Community College Board of Trustees met Tuesday night for its regular January meeting. All members were present except Senator Bill Ratliff. The meeting kicked off with a new feature called Focus on Faculty. Dr. Ron Clinton, Executive Vice President for Instruction, stated that a member of the NTCC faculty will be highlighted at each monthly meeting in order to keep the board informed about instructional activities. Dr. Drew Murphy, Assistant Professor of Chemistry, was introduced Tuesday night. Murphy has a Ph.D. from UCLA and worked as a post-doctoral fellow at Yale University School of Medicine. While at Yale, he conducted genetics and bioengineering research. Murphy joined the NTCC faculty in 2013.

NTCC President Dr. Brad Johnson offered insight into proposed educational changes that President Obama highlighted during last week’s State of the Union Address. He indicated that while NTCC’s strategic plan addresses the same challenges the President outlines (affordable access to higher education, student success and alignment to high demand jobs), it does not necessarily align with his proposed methods. Under Obama’s plan, the Federal Government would pick up three-quarters of the cost for students to attend college, while the remaining quarter would be the responsibility of the state. This, he said, would marginalize local community control of the college. “We know that nothing is free – this is simply shifting who picks up the bill. Our board recognized these challenges a while back and has already been implementing solutions locally,” Johnson said. “Our pilot work scholarship program is moving us in a direction that encourages students to invest in their own education.” He speculated that Obama’s educational plans are not likely to be implemented in Texas. “There may be some states that are interested in joining, but I would be surprised if Texas is one of them,” Johnson said.

 

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