Butler Community College's Community Connections: Spring 2024

COMMUNITY CONNECTION

New Study Details Butler’s $754.4M Regional Economic Impact

Dr. Kimberly Krull President

Bill Rinkenbaugh Vice President of Student Services

Tom Borrego Vice President of Advancement/ Special Asst. to the President

Kent Williams Vice President of Finance

Bill Young Vice President of Digital Transformation / CIO

Dr. Jessica Ohman

Associate Vice President of Student Services

Dr. Esam Mohammad Associate Vice President of Research & Institutional Effectiveness

Shelley Stultz

Associate Vice President of Human Resources

Dr. Terry Sader

Professor and President, Butler Community College Education Association

Kelly Snedden

Director of College Relations & Marketing

OUR MISSION

Butler Community College inspires and prepares students for lifetime success through inclusive, innovative, affordable, quality education while advancing community vitality.

An economic impact study released by Butler Community College last month reveals the college has a $754.4 million annual impact—equivalent to supporting 10,792 jobs—in Butler’s 10-county primary market of south central Kansas. In addition, the study found that one out of every 40 jobs within the same area is supported by the activities of Butler and its students.

The study, conducted by labor market analytics firm Lightcast, found other areas of high return on investment in Butler, highlighting its value as not just a traditional educational institution but a regional workforce development and economic powerhouse.

According to Lightcast, Butler students can expect to receive higher future earnings that will continue to grow as a return on their investment. For example, Butler graduates from fiscal year 2021-22 will see a cumulative present value of $386.2 million in increased earnings over their working lives. For every $1 students invest in Butler in the form of outof-pocket expenses and forgone time and money, they can expect to receive $10 in future lifetime earnings.

“This study validates Butler’s mission to change students’ lives and advance our communities’ vitality,” said Butler President Dr. Kim Krull. “As the largest employer in Butler County and a higher education institution of excellence, we contribute to the county by helping students meet their educational goals, supporting workforce needs and impacting economic growth.”

For every dollar of public money invested in Butler, taxpayers receive $4 in return over the course of the students’ working lives, with a 9.7% average annual rate of return, according to the Lightcast study.

“Butler values the support provided by local taxpayers, student tuition and fees, and state funding, and we are proud it creates significant returns on those investments overall,” Krull continued. “Butler’s economic impact and job support points to the importance of students enrolling from and staying in the region to contribute to the economic prosperity of the region and state.”

Butler Signs Groundbreaking Nursing Agreement with Fort Hays State University

Butler Community College and several other Kansas community colleges have signed an agreement with Fort Hays State University which will allow nursing graduates guaranteed admission to Fort Hays State’s bachelor’s program in nursing.

Presidents of 11 Kansas community colleges signed the agreement last month at the State Capitol in Topeka. The foundation of the agreement began with conversations between Fort Hays State and Colby Community College and grew to include each Kansas community college with a nursing program.

“This is the first agreement of its kind for community college nursing programs in Kansas with a four-year institution. This creates another great pathway for Butler students to continue their education in Nursing,” said Butler President Dr. Kimberly Krull.

The new agreement adds to the growing number of transfer agreements Butler holds with four-year institutions, including the University of Kansas, Wichita State and Emporia State—a sign of the widely-recognized quality of Butler’s nursing program.

Dr. Peter Linden Named Butler’s New Career and Technical Education Dean

Dr. Peter Linden is the new Dean of Butler’s Career and Technical Education (CTE) Division. Linden’s Butler began with the start of the Spring 2024 semester.

Dr. Linden previously served as Provost at Kalamazoo Valley Community College in Kalamazoo, MI, and Campus President/Chancellor at Ivy Tech Community College in Michigan City, IN. He has extensive experience in Career and Technical Education and workforce development, and Culinary and Hospitality Management, having taught Food & Beverage classes and launched the student-run Inspiration Cafe at Chicago State University.

“Dr. Linden brings a 25-year career in higher education to Butler with a student-centered focus on innovative curricula, collaborative partnerships and strong support for faculty in his division,” said Butler President Dr. Kim Krull.

Augusta’s Troy Nordman Has Interim Dean Tag Removed

Butler Community College has announced Dr. Troy Nordman as the new Dean of its Humanities, Social and Behavioral Sciences (HSBS) Division. Nordman had been serving as Interim Dean of the division since December 2022.

Hired in 1991 to teach English, Nordman was named Interim Associate Dean of HSBS in 2012, and the interim tag was removed one year later. He then became Interim Dean of the division in December 2022.

“It’s always been my goal as an educator to help students find their educational passion, engage with them in their learning, and help them on their road to success,” Nordman said. “As dean I want to continue offering our students the highest quality general education opportunities with our highly qualified and innovative faculty.”

“Dr. Nordman brings a wealth of experience to his new role as the Dean of Humanities, Social and Behavioral Sciences having served as Associate Dean for nine years,” said Butler President Dr. Kim Krull. “He is an experienced leader with a passion for serving faculty and students, who believes in Butler’s mission to change students’ lives and ensure their success,” she said.

Nordman is heavily involved in his hometown of Augusta, where he has served on the Augusta Arts Council and the Augusta Historical Society. Currently, he serves as Board Treasurer for White Eagle Credit Union and represents Butler as a member of the Rotary Club of Andover.

Butler President Dr. Kimberly Krull (left) and Fort Hays State University President Dr. Tisa Mason (right) at the State Capitol in Topeka, Kansas, on January 18, 2024.

Reality U Event Brings the Trades to Andover Middle Schoolers

On February 9, Butler welcomed nearly 200 Andover Central Middle School students to the Andover campus as part of “Reality U” Day.

Students spoke with program leaders and learned about the many different programs Butler has to offer. They also toured Nursing and EMT rooms, practiced CPR on mannequins and took a peek inside the Butler-branded ambulance.

Legislative Audit Proves Lawful Scholarship Practices at Kansas Community Colleges

A Kansas Legislative Post Audit focusing on community college funding of student athletes released its findings in early February. The audit was requested by Rep. Kristey Williams, R-Augusta, and took eight months to compile. Butler, Garden City and Hutchinson Community Colleges were the three colleges chosen from the Kansas Jayhawk Conference (KJCCC) for a deeper, more comprehensive review, which looked at expenditures of athletic departments, athletic scholarships and residency of student athletes from 2018-2022 in men’s and women’s basketball, football, baseball, softball, volleyball, and men’s and women’s soccer.

By state law community colleges cannot use taxpayer money to support student athletic scholarships, and the audit found all colleges were abiding by state law.

The study, conducted by labor market analytics firm Lightcast, highlighted Butler’s value as a traditional educational institution and a regional workforce development powerhouse. When Lightcast considered the impact of all 19 Kansas community colleges in 2021-22, it found $6.7 billion was added to the Kansas economy.

the audit team. “The audit confirmed that the colleges are following the law by not using public sources of funds to pay for athletic scholarships. The main source of funding for athletic scholarships is student fees, though some colleges may also use revenue from booster clubs, endowments, ticket sales and concessions.”

“Though we award athletic scholarships, Butler gives away very few full-ride awards,” said Dr. Kim Krull, Butler President. “Our athletes are contributing to the revenue stream through credit hours, and the state aid they bring to Butler. They pay for their housing, and on top of it all, perform well in our classrooms.”

Butler’s Head Football Coach Brice Vignery recently signed five Butler County students to play football.

“It isn’t necessarily common that we get to do that, but my coaches know that at Butler it’s the first place we look. And, when we find the talent which can compete at the NJCAA Division I level, we go after them,” said Vignery.

The Feb. 14 issue of the Topeka Capitol Journal quoted Mohri Exline, supervisor of

The audit also reported that in 2021 all 20 public KJCCC colleges received on average 35% of their funding from local appropriations. Specifically, Butler received 22.8% in 2021 from local appropriations, that percent remained constant throughout 2018 – 2022.

Butler students collectively contributed 24.7% from 2018 –2022.

Over the eight months, massive amounts of information was compiled. Butler personnel alone had nearly 300 hours of work spent on the project. This figure does not account for the hours spent by the Legislative Research team.

901 S. Haverhill Road

El Dorado, KS 67042

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FINE ARTS SCHOLARSHIP DAY IS SATURDAY, MARCH 23!

Students can receive funding for college while gaining valuable experience through our scholarships! They are not required to major in the field for which the scholarship is granted. Scan the code to register.

BOARD OF TRUSTEES

Linda Jolly - Chair

District 1, Position 4 linda.jolly@butlercc.edu

Dave Sherrer - Vice Chair

District 3, Position 6 david.sherrer@butlercc.edu

Mary Martha GoodSecretary / Treasurer

At Large mgood2@butlercc.edu

Forrest Rhodes

District 3, Position 3 forrest.rhodes@butlercc.edu

Kim Braungardt

District 2, Position 5 kim.braungardt@butlercc.edu

Shelby Smith

District 2, Position 2 shelby.smith@butlercc.edu

Dr. Aaron Huslig

District 1, Position 1 aaron.huslig@butlercc.edu

Andover’s Dr. Aaron Huslig sworn in as Butler Trustee

Dr. Aaron Huslig of Andover was officially sworn in as a member of the Board of Trustees on Tuesday, January 22, 2024, in the Dankert Trustee Board Room. Recent Board Chair Forrest Rhodes swore in Huslig, a dentist who has served the Andover area for over 25 years. Huslig represents District 1, Position 1 for the Board.

Catch all Board of Trustee meetings on the Butler Youtube channel.