Iowa Lakes Trustees Discuss a Variety of Topics at Tuesday’s Board Meeting
(Estherville, Iowa) The Iowa Lakes Board of Trustees met Tuesday afternoon for their regularly scheduled board meeting. During Tuesday’s meeting, Janice K. Lund, Board President, conducted the annual process of appointing Trustees to serve on various committees for the 2020-2021 Board.
Jeff Soper, Chief Financial Officer, provided the Treasurer’s Report and received approval to pay monthly bills. The Board received and approved the FY20 Audit as presented by Daniel Dekker, Williams and Company, P.C. The Public Hearing date for the FY22 Published Budget was set for February 16, 2021.
Jeff Soper, Chief Financial Officer, and Julie Williams, Executive Dean of Students, provided the Board with an update on Accounts Receivables, Allowance for Doubtful Accounts, and Student Loan Default Rates.
“Over the past 24 months, the college has refined our processes for assisting Iowa Lakes’ students to complete their financial aid packages and pay their balances in a timelier fashion. Additionally, Future Ready Iowa and the Last Dollar Scholarship Program have helped to eliminate or greatly reduce balances for qualifying students,” shared Soper.
When discussing Student Loan Default Rates, Williams shared, “Iowa Lakes practices various procedures to help maintain a lower Cohort Default Rate (CDR); some of these procedures include texting programs for students who have loans coming due, presenting financial literacy, and encouraging students to only borrow what is needed.”
The Iowa Lakes Report presented by Beth Elman, Executive Director of Marketing included an in-depth look at the Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software used by the Iowa Lakes Marketing and Admissions teams to support communications with students seeking enrollment at Iowa Lakes.
“Using a CRM is very important when managing the enrollment journey. Our system allows our Admissions and Marketing teams to communicate with students more effectively and to provide key information to students at just the right time. Additionally, our system helps Iowa Lakes to maintain excellent customer service by providing a roadmap of communication with each prospective student,” said Elman.
A Public Hearing was held and Delaine Hiney, Executive Director of Facilities Management, received approval to move forward with the replacement of HVAC system #5 on the Estherville Campus by accepting the low bid of $161,702 by Christians Sheet Metal, Spencer, Iowa.
Hiney also provided an update to the Board on the construction progress with the College Farm Building Project and the Cosmetology Lab, both located on the Emmetsburg Campus.
Jolene Rogers, Executive Director of Community and Business Relations, received approval to accept a $100,000 pledge from Dana (Coffie) Rheinschmidt and Tim Coffie to establish a scholarship honoring their parents, Harry and Gladys Coffie, and a check for $10,000 to provide the first year’s funding for the 2021-22 academic year to assist four students enrolled full-time the Aviation & Airport Management and Nursing programs. Funds can be used to cover tuition, books, fees, dorm, or flight expenses.
The Trustees’ next meeting will be on Tuesday, February 16, 2021, at 4:30 pm, at the SERT Facility, Snap-On Conference Room, 2421 7th Ave. South Estherville, Iowa, and via Zoom.
For More Information:
Iowa Lakes Marketing Department at 712-362-7947
