GCCC Board of Trustees Meeting Recap March 17, 2026
[Garden City, KS] March 18, 2026 -- The Garden City Community College Board of Trustees met for a regularly scheduled meeting on Tuesday, March 17, 2026, in the Omar D. Angeles Endowment Room at GCCC.
The Board reviewed a five-year non-academic report from the Student Accessibility Services department, highlighting a program overview, key achievements, and opportunities for future growth. The Board also heard a presentation from C&C Group detailing HVAC system optimization improvements. Additionally, the Board received an update from the Broncbuster Athletic Association covering financial metrics, goals, and areas for future growth.
The Board approved the addition of a 19-credit Certificate A in Unmanned Aircraft Systems Technology, effective Fall 2026, in response to growing industry demand for entry-level drone training across fields such as agriculture, real estate, photography, GIS mapping, and emergency response. The program is designed to equip students with foundational skills to strengthen the workforce pipeline and prepare them for the FAA Part 107 licensing exam. The certificate includes general education requirements alongside four new UAS-specific courses focused on introduction, aviation, safety and crew resource management, and applications. Following Board approval, the program will be submitted to the Technical Education Authority and the Kansas Board of Regents.
The Board approved tuition and fee adjustments for the 2026–2027 academic year, following a review of statewide trends, peer-institution data, and ongoing budget uncertainties at the state level. The approved plan includes modest tuition increases of $1 per credit hour for Finney County and in-state students, $2 per credit hour for border and out-of-state students, and $3 per credit hour for international students, along with a $5 per credit hour increase in student fees across all residency categories. Online tuition will also increase by $10 per credit hour, bringing the total to $160 per hour—marking the first online rate adjustment in more than a decade to help offset rising technology and software costs.
Funds generated from the fee increase will support student scholarships, expand new scholarship opportunities, enhance student activities, and address increasing technology and facility-related expenses. Additionally, the Board approved a 4% increase in housing/room rates and a 6% increase in meal/board to keep pace with inflationary pressures. These adjustments aim to maintain affordability and accessibility while ensuring the college can continue to provide high-quality programs, student support services, and campus resources amid evolving financial conditions.
Two executive sessions were held consecutively with no action taken.
The next regular Board of Trustees meeting will be held on Tuesday, April 21, 2026, at 6:00 p.m. in the Omar D. Angeles Endowment Room of the Beth Tedrow Student Center on the GCCC campus.
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Garden City Community College exists to produce positive contributors to the economic and social well-being of society.
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