ACC trustees are trying to get their ducks in a row before making a decision on whether to sell the college farm. ALLEN and Friends University have constructed a transfer agreement for the Adult and Professional Studies program. An Allen student who completes an associate’s degree from ACC will be accepted with junior standing at Friends University in the College of Adult and Professional Studies. A student must meet the requirement of a minimum of 37 credit hours of general education. — The 2014-15 budget was approved in a unanimous vote.
Appraisals for the property and its buildings were discussed at Tuesday night’s meeting of the Allen Community College board meeting.
David Engelman, Benedict, did the appraisals. The farmland was valued at $578,000. The Zahn house, where Allen scholarship students live, was listed at $117,248. The farm manager’s home was listed at $48,015. Jeff Nemecek, the farm manager, and his family live in the home.
John Masterson, ACC president, said he had contacted area Realtors as for the best method to sell the properties, if trustees indeed decide to sell the college farm.
Jenny Spillman, trustee member, was not pleased with the update.
“It sounds like we’re selling the farm,” Spillman said. “I’m getting frustrated, every month this keeps coming back.”
Chairman Larry Manes, who made the motion in July to pursue appraisals, said this is not the case.
“Before I consider selling it I want to know what it’s worth,” Manes said. “It’s going to take at least six months of preliminary work to know what it’s worth.”
Spillman, who was the lone vote against the motion, said she didn’t understand why the college was so determined to talk about the farm.
“Why are we moving forward on this when the public is so against it,” Spillman asked. “We’re shooting ourselves in the foot. We want to grow the ag program but we can’t recruit people.”
Manes pointed out that no decision to sell the farm has been made.
“I won’t know until we get those questions answered,” Manes said. “It’s outside my area, I admit that. Get me the data so I know what we’re considering.”
In the agreement it states Friends University CAPS “has the right to determine admission standards to various majors within the college.” It also states, transferring Allen students who have not completed an associate’s degree “will be given general education credit for any articulated general education course completed,” at ACC.
It will also be easier to transfer to Washburn University’s School of Business. Students with an associate of science with an emphasis in business administration to a bachelor of business administration degree is now available.
— A lawn mower purchase was approved from Triple K Parts and Service for $12,000 with a three-year warranty.
— Trustees agreed to continue with phase 2 on the technology plan with Peak Uptime. The one-time cost with the technology service is $110,817.42.
— Student living complexes are at 109 percent occupancy for the fall semester. Students will move in on Sunday and classes begin Monday.
College reviews farm appraisals
