Southeast Arkansas College board members will consider cost-of-living increases for all faculty and staff members before their next regular meeting in May.
President Steven Bloomberg advised the trustees during their retreat inside the Pine Bluff/Jefferson County Main Library on Friday it's been about 10 years since a cost-of-living increase across the board has been awarded at the two-year college. Bloomberg said a workshop to address the salaries will be scheduled before May.
"The cost of living is going up," Bloomberg said. "We've got to find a way to help equalize, as best we can, our salaries."
SEARK's budget will be enhanced from recent years as a result of revenue coming in from housing fees in addition to tuition, Bloomberg said. The college recently bought a former nursing home near its Seabrook Activity Center on South Hazel Street and is converting that into housing mostly for student-athletes starting next school year, with some nonathletes able to rent from there as well.
Students at SEARK are paying a $5 activities fee per credit hour, and Bloomberg recommended the board consider increasing that to $15 per credit hour to support the newly established athletic department. SEARK will begin competition in baseball, softball and e-sports in the 2023-24 school year, with men's and women's basketball coming in 2024-25.
The college is also considering adding a cross country program.
"There are several other schools in Region II [of the National Junior College Athletic Association] that we are in, so that would be really easy for us to put together a cross country meet schedule, whether it's people coming here to southeast Arkansas or us traveling," Bloomberg said. "The nice thing is, that can add 10 to 15 new students. It's a sport where you don't need a full-time coach. You can use a part-time coach. Even though we're just integrating athletics this fall, we're already talking about next fall because there are some real opportunities to compete next fall in sports like cross country."
Chad Kline, hired in late February as SEARK's inaugural athletic director and men's basketball head coach, said he's been meeting with architects and contractors about potential upgrades to the athletic facilities at Seabrook, where home sporting events will take place. His next mission is to conduct interviews with finalists for the baseball and softball head coaching positions next week.
"Hopefully we have someone hired by early May," Kline said. "Before we do anything with construction for baseball and softball, I'd like to have a coach in place so they can keep the field up."
Also Friday, the board conducted Bloomberg's annual evaluation, with any potential decisions or changes to his contract to be made by the May 10 meeting. Board trustees and Bloomberg's cabinet leaders also gathered in small groups to discuss potential changes to SEARK's 2022-25 strategic plan.
Barbara Dunn, the college's executive director of institutional advancement and community relations, suggested reaching out to students in more creative ways and seeking grant opportunities to better assist students and faculty members.
"We have the Fall Festival, and that's involving the community as well as the college," she said. "We work with high school students, grades 10, 11 and 12, but I would like to see us reach out to middle schools and getting them involved and onto our campus to see all that we have involved."
Barbara Dunn, executive director of institutional advancement and community relations at Southeast Arkansas College, listens to instructor Lynette Bloomberg during group discussions Friday at a board retreat at the Main Library. (Pine Bluff Commercial/I.C. Murrell)