GCCC Board of Trustees Meeting Recap May 20, 2025
[Garden City, KS] May 22, 2025 -- The Garden City Community College Board of Trustees met for a regularly scheduled meeting on Tuesday, May 20, 2025, in the Omar D. Angeles Endowment Room at GCCC.
The Board heard a five-year academic program review from the English department, covering a program overview, enrollment statistics, achievements over the past five years, and opportunities for future advancement.
The Board approved naming the fire science classroom the “Larry Pander Fire Science Classroom” to honor the late Larry Pander for his outstanding service to Garden City Community College. Pander was the college’s first Fire Science faculty member, serving from 2006 to 2021. During his tenure, he developed the program’s curriculum and built key training partnerships with rural fire departments throughout Western Kansas. The naming recommendation followed the college’s policy and received unanimous support from the Fire Science Advisory Committee, as well as endorsement from regional fire chiefs. A commemorative plaque will be placed outside the classroom during a ceremony later this fall.
The Board approved a three-year renewal contract with Cengage to continue providing digital textbooks and academic resources through the Canvas Learning Management System. This agreement, which builds on a successful partnership since 2018, has saved students over $5 million to date, including an estimated $2.03 million during the most recent three-year term. The renewed contract secures an annual rate of $225,000 for the first two years and $235,000 for the third year, figures significantly lower than those offered to new institutions, thanks to GCCC's long-standing collaboration with Cengage. The cost increase will be covered through student fees, ensuring continued access to affordable course materials as part of enrollment.
The Board approved course fees for the 2025–2026 academic year. While student fees have traditionally been approved annually, this decision reflects a return to the previous practice of also seeking Board approval for course fees. Going forward, recommendations for course fees will be presented earlier in the academic year, alongside proposals for tuition and board.
One executive session was held during the meeting; no action was taken.
The next regularly scheduled Board of Trustees meeting will be held on Tuesday, June 17, 2025, at 6 p.m. in the Omar D. Angeles Endowment Room of the Beth Tedrow Student Center on the GCCC campus.
--
Garden City Community College exists to produce positive contributors to the economic and social well-being of society.