Paris Junior College regents received an update on the Texas Legislative session at their Monday, March 25 meeting, including hopes by the college that TC3 and NETnet will continue to be funded. Progress on those issues will be known soon.
TC3 is a technology consortium for PJC’s financial and student information systems allowing multiple colleges to implement the same software system, receive reduced prices and have the opportunity to bring reduced costs by sharing services. PJC is joined in the consortium by Angelina College, Kilgore College, Texarkana College, Northeast Texas Community College, Hill College, and Midland College.
NETnet is the Northeast Texas Consortium and the Center for Educational Technologies, the collaborative effort of 13 higher education institutions bringing a wide range of instruction to 50 rural Northeast Texas counties containing 46 percent of the rural Texas population. Among many important services, NETnet provides affordable broadband internet to PJC in Paris, Greenville and Sulphur Springs.
“Losing either of these would be a huge fiscal hit to PJC,” said PJC President Dr. Pam Anglin.
In other business, the Regents:
• Approved continuation of local charitable giving through the United Way by opting out of the State Employee Charitable Contribution Campaign, to ensure that local donations are spent locally.
• Increased some course fees, including the art course lab fee from $18 to $24; and several workforce course fees to pass through increased costs to the college. Those included some health occupations drug screening, testing, and miscellaneous fees, and modifications to cosmetology and welding toolkit fees. The changes will go into effect in the 2019-2020 academic year.
• Approved a 3.5 percent increase to Aramark meal price increases for the 2019-2020 academic year.
• Approved a two-year extension to the Depository Contract with Guaranty Bank & Trust, with no changes to contract terms.
• Approved extension of faculty contracts for the 2019-2020 academic year.
