HCC board approves raises, insurance hikes [Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier, Iowa]

May 30--WATERLOO, Iowa -- Two Hawkeye Community College employee groups will be paid more during the next academic year and they'll pay more for health insurance.

The Board of Trustees Tuesday ratified a 4.1 percent increase in wages and benefits for the 118 full-time faculty members covered by the Hawkeye Professional Educators' Association 2013-14 contract. The agreement, effective in August, includes a 5.29 percent boost in salaries.

That is higher than the total package increase because Hawkeye is paying nothing additional for health insurance, the main component of employee benefits. John Clopton, executive director of human resource services, said the employees will absorb the increase in insurance premiums.

While wages are going up, the contract does not include an increase in the starting annual salaries on the hiring guide, which range from $36,978 to $48,891.

Trustees also approved a 3.88 percent salary and benefit increase for full-time and part-time nonbargaining staff, effective July 1. The 173 employees include administrative, professional and confidential classified staff. Their salary increase is 4.51 percent, which is also higher than the total package because the college is not paying for increased insurance premiums.

In other business, the board:

--- Approved schematic designs and specifications for improvements to the parking lot north of Butler and Tama halls. College officials will now seek bids for the project, estimated at $475,000, and approve a contract next month. Dan Gillen, vice president of administration and finance, said facilities maintenance levy revenues will pay for the project.

--- Amended the 2012-13 budget to reflect potential expenditure increases for Buchanan Hall remodeling, energy retrofitting and personnel and facilities costs. Budgets were increased for the general funds from $33.64 million to $35.5 million, for the plant funds from $5.75 million to $7 million and for the bond and interest funds from $2.9 million to $3 million.

--- Approved a $230,000 student activities budget for 2013-14. Funding comes from a $2 per credit student activity fee. The largest expenses are the student health clinic, student services, enrichment and staffing.

--- Adopted new director districts based on population shifts in the 2010 census. However, officials said there were no large changes in the nine districts and none of them displaced current trustees serving on the board.

--- Recognized Peg Brown, executive director of the Hawkeye Community College Foundation, who is retiring at the end of the week.

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