Mid-South Board Sends Draft Agreement For Merger With ASU System

Mid-South Community College president Dr. Glen Fenter said Wednesday that a decision whether or not to merge with the Arkansas State University System may be “one of the biggest decisions ever in the life of this college.”

The college’s board voted by voice vote to send a draft agreement on the merger to officials at Arkansas State University for review.

The merger, if approved by both MSCC and ASU, would be a win-win situation for both, Fenter told the college’s board of trustees during the meeting in West Memphis.

Supporters of the plan have said a merger would help the ASU System expand its brand further into eastern Arkansas and Memphis, while MSCC would benefit from possible expanded funding for its workforce training and other programs.

The 19-page draft agreement, a copy of which was obtained Wednesday by Talk Business & Politics, provides some of the details for a possible merger.

According to the agreement, MSCC would be a member campus of the ASU System and would be called ASU Mid-South.

The college is now run by a nine-member board of trustees that are appointed by the governor. Under the draft agreement, a board of visitors would be created.

“A board of visitors for ASU Mid-South will be constituted and the persons serving at the effective date as members of the MSCC Board of Trustees will be appointed to the ASU Mid-South Board of Visitors by the ASU Board of Trustees. Each appointee will be named for a term equal to the unexpired portion of his or her term as a member of the MSCC Board of Trustees, with the one-time exception that the three members whose terms are due to expire as of June 30 (2015) will have their terms renewed to ensure continuity in Mid-South’s transition to the ASU system,” the agreement read.

The college would be run by a chancellor, who would report to ASU System President Dr. Charles Welch, according to the draft agreement. Fenter, who is leaving his post as MSCC president on July 1 to head the Greater Memphis Alliance for a Competitive Workforce, would serve as president emeritus for the college for life.

The college would also have to pay a $25,000 annual membership fee for joining the ASU System. Ed Franklin, a consultant helping MSCC with the merger, said the membership fee is typical for colleges in Arkansas that are part of a larger university system.

DISCUSSIONS
Fenter told the board that while negotiations for the merger have gone well between ASU and MSCC, there has been some discussion as to when the merger would take effect – Jan. 1 versus July 1.

ASU officials have stressed a possible Jan. 1 start date for the new college, Fenter said, noting a Jan. 1 start is doable.

Board member Richard Willford said he believed the January start date could create some problems meeting the demands of the agreement, including doing environmental assessments of property as well as updating property titles.

However, Fenter said there would be no major impact on a January versus July start date.

In an emailed statement to reporters late Wednesday, ASU System Vice President for Strategic Communications and Economic Development Jeff Hankins said the university is prepared.

“When we receive the agreement, Dr. Welch will distribute it to the ASU Board of Trustees for review and feedback. Once Dr. Welch and Dr. Fenter are comfortable with a final agreement, then it will be submitted to both boards for consideration of authorization,” Hankins said. “Dr. Welch and Dr. Fenter have had very positive discussions and good feedback from their constituencies. The process has been smooth because they both realize how mutually beneficial the partnership would be.”

Hankins said he anticipates both boards will call a special meeting to consider the issue. The ASU board meets Friday, but the merger is not on the agenda for discussion, Hankins said.

At the meeting Wednesday, board member Alex Coulter suggested that ASU officials, including Welch, meet again with the MSCC Board to discuss the pros and cons of the Jan. 1 start date.

However, Hankins also said if the merger is approved, both sides will proceed with the transition based on terms detailed in the agreement.

“We agree that it is possible the merger could be completed by Jan. 1. I do not anticipate a collaborative meeting between the boards since Dr. Welch and Dr. Fenter have the authority to negotiate the agreement,” Hankins said in the statement.