By Jeff Murphy,
October 20, 2016
WARRENSBURG, MO – Construction of a new indoor golf training facility, renewal of
two charter school agreements and a web strategy and redesign consulting contract
were approved by the University of Central Missouri Board of Governors during its
October plenary session on campus.
During the meeting Oct. 14, the board approved construction of an indoor golf training
facility to be located at Mules National Golf Club in Pertle Springs. Total of $354,000
will be covered by a gift to the university, according to Jerry Hughes, athletic director.
He said the anonymous donor was interested in improving practice facilities for the
men’s and women’s golf teams, and approached the university about building this new
facility. A structure that is 112 feet long by 35 feet wide, it will allow teams to
practice during inclement weather conditions in a facility that includes four heated,
enclosed hitting bays as well as an indoor chipping and putting green made of synthetic
turf. An additional benefit of this facility will include the ability to recruit next-level
talent to the UCM golf teams.
The total cost of indoor golf training facility includes $211,895 to Reasbeck Construction,
Inc., Warrensburg, for construction; $79,485 to Turf Etc., doing business as Summit
Flooring & Turf, Lee’s Summit, for materials and installation of SynLawn Golf Grass;
$4,000 for soil borings testing by Kruger Technology, Inc., Overland Park, Kan.; approximately
$23,000 for work by UCM’s Facilities Planning and Operations to build out of tree
lines; and a 10 percent contingency in the amount of $35,000.
In discussion about charter schools sponsored by UCM in Kansas City, the board approved
the renewal of a charter agreement between UCM and Guadalupe Educational Systems,
Inc. (GES), a longtime partner of Guadalupe Centers, Inc. (GCI), for a five-year period,
July 1, 2017 to June 30, 2022. The school system, Guadalupe Centers Schools, Inc.
(GCS), was established in 1999 and was then known as Alta Vista Charter School. It
is guided by a mission to provide quality education for high-risk urban students,
particularly those of Latino descent, from kindergarten through high school graduation.
A total of 949 elementary, middle school and high school students are currently served.
After an extensive branding initiative, the school system’s Board of Directors voted
to change the name of the school to Guadalupe Centers Schools, Inc. (GCS) to reflect
expansion of the schools and the combined mission of GES and GSI. According to Vici
Hughes, director of the Office of Charter Schools at UCM, this name change also was
part of the charter renewal agreement approved by the board.
The board also approved a name change and charter renewal for Crossroads Charter Schools,
Inc. (CCS), formerly known as Crossroads Academy of Kansas City, for a five-year term,
effective July 1, 2017 to June 30, 2022. CCS opened Crossroads Academy – Central Street
at 1015 Central in 2012, serving students in grades K-8. This year, a second school,
Crossroads Academy – Quality Hill, opened for students in kindergarten through third
grade at 1080 Washington Street, replicating the original Central Street school model.
For 2016-2017 school year, CCS enrollment in grades K-8 totals 570 students, which
includes enrollment at Crossroads Academy – Central Street, with 390 students, and
Crossroads Academy – Quality Hill, 180 students. The goal for CCS is to open a comprehensive
educational facility known as Crossroads Academy High School in August 2018. It will
be located in a temporary building and will move to different facility the following
year. After an extensive branding process, the CCS Board of Directors voted to change
the name of the school system’s charter to Crossroads Charter Schools, Inc., to reflect
the expansion of the schools. This name change also was approved by the UCM board.
A project that has significant implications in areas that include student retention
and recruitment and in communicating and marketing UCM in a competitive landscape,
the board awarded a $270,000 contract to Converge Consulting, Cedar Rapids, Iowa,
for web strategy and design consulting services. Kelly Waldram Cramer, director of
marketing and promotions, said the consultant will deliver a comprehensive, multi-faceted
web strategy and redesign, which will enhance UCM’s web presence. This is necessary
to provide further support to build and elevate the UCM brand and positively promote
and position the university. The professional services consultant will guide the university
through new processes, policies and practices that are in line with current web standards
and technology and will be adaptable and flexible to respond to shifts in technology
and user behavior. This involves implementing new campus-wide business processes for
creating, editing, approving and managing website content that will maximize opportunities
to connect with the UCM audience, branding, and voice.
In other business, the board approved a two-year contract with Technolutions, Inc.,
New Haven, Conn., to provide a Constituent Relations Management System (CRM), known
as Slate, to be primarily utilized by Graduate and International Admissions, Extended
Studies, and Undergraduate Admissions. To be purchased at a cost of $220,000, this
is a highly configurable system that will enable automation of activities across all
stages of the student lifecycle – from prospect, inquiry, application, admitted applicant,
newly enrolled student and current student, and for multiple student types – dual
credit, dual admission, undergraduate, transfer, graduate, and others. CRM will allow
comprehensive integration of marketing, recruitment, forms and application, admissions,
event management, communications, and marketing and analysis needed throughout the
student life cycle at UCM.
The board also approved the award of a contract for a Continuing Education Management
System to CampusCE, Seattle, Wash. The total cost is $162,000 for the initial two-year
contract period, Nov. 1, 2016 to Oct. 31, 2018, but there will be optional opportunities
for renewal. This system will provide an online one-stop registration and payment
portal for short-term programs, replacing a manual process that currently requires
multiple staff and software solutions. It will impact areas such as Extended Studies,
the Missouri Safety Center, English Language Center and Department of Aviation which
currently register more than 1,000 non-degree-seeking, short-term students annually.
