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Co-Lin adds officer for night duties
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| By: THERESE APEL, DAILY LEADER Staff Writer |
November 06, 2009 |
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Copiah-Lincoln Community College will soon have a new face on campus, and he or she will be there to make the usually quiet night a little safer.
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The college's board of trustees Thursday approved the hiring of a second full-time law enforcement officer to work the 11 p.m. to 7 a.m. shift at the Wesson Campus. Currently the campus has one, College President Ronnie Nettles said.
"This is a new position," he said, explaining that officials will be looking for a certified full-time officer.
In response to one board member's question about turnover at the campus police department, Nettles responded that sometimes it's hard to find qualified full-time officers.
"It's difficult to get people with the qualifications and certifications we're looking for," he said. "We need sworn officers and if they can find a more competitive salary, they'll go somewhere else."
Officials did not comment on whether the hiring was as a result of an early October alleged attack on a female student in a men's dormitory, but they did also mention that dorm safety had been addressed with students.
Student services spokesperson Barry Tyson said administrators met with students to discuss the issues.
"It was a mandatory meeting for male and female students in the dormitories," he said, adding that they were given advice on how to raise awareness of their own personal safety.
The board also heard from an economic development official on options for completing the science lab and buying health care equipment for the Natchez campus Tuesday afternoon. Officials said an application for a zero percent loan for $740,000 had been put in to assist with the construction and equipment.
Electric Power Associations of Mississippi Economic Development President Tom Mood spoke to the board about the possibilities of the United States Department of Agriculture's loan program and how it works through Southwest Mississippi EPA. He said many community colleges and hospitals have used the program to fund numerous projects, and that there are only certain entities that can access those funds.
"It's the next best thing to a grant," Mood said. "It's zero percent money."
Mood told the group that simply because a grant had been obtained for the Natchez campus, it was not necessarily an indication that further loans could not be obtained in the future for Simpson County or Wesson through the same program.
In other action, the board discussed their yearly self-evaluation, which grades their involvement, participation, understanding of the budgeting process and other general assessments of their performance.
The board also discussed the revenues from the seven counties in the district, noting that Lincoln, Lawrence and Simpson county are giving more this year than they had in the past, while Adams and Franklin stayed the same. Copiah and Jefferson are both giving less money this year than they did last year.
Finally, the Co-Lin Marching Band will march in the Mendenhall parade on Dec. 1, the Brookhaven parade on Dec. 3, the Wesson parade on Dec. 4, and New Hebron and Monticello on Dec. 5.
One board member took issue with the fact that the band has marched in the Wesson and Brookhaven parades consistently, saying regard should be given to other places instead of those two every year.
"Historically, we have always marched in the Brookhaven parade, and always in Wesson," Nettles said. "But that's probably because there are so many of our students from there."
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©The Daily Leader 2009
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