Galm named vice president of academic affairs
Dr. Brandon Galm had his interim tag lifted by the Cloud County Community College (CCCC) board of trustees during its regular meeting on Monday night.
The board voted unanimously to hire Galm as the vice president of academic affairs, effective May 1.
Galm had been serving as the interim vice president of academic affairs since June 23, 2023. He was appointed to the position following the resignation of Dr. Kim Zane.
Prior to stepping in to the administrative role, Galm was an English /speech instructor at CCCC. He served as the department chair and was an academic advisor.
Galm earned a bachelor of arts degree in English from Muskingum College, a master of arts degree in English and his Ph.D. in literature and criticism from the Indiana University of Pennsylvania.
Other personnel hires that were included in the consent agenda, that the board approved during the meeting, were Dr. William McGuire, Concordia, as an animal science instructor and Dr. Jamal Talla, Melbourne, Fla., as a physics instructor.
McGuire is currently a science instructor teaching classes in biology and microbiology at CCCC. From August 2021 to May 2022 he was an instructor of equine science at Cazenovia College. He previously worked at CCCC from 1999-2013 as the department head and instructor.
A graduate of Kansas State University with a bachelor of science degree in animal sciences, McGuire received his master of science degree in reproductive physiology from Kansas State and his Ph.D. in physiology from Colorado State University.
Talla has been physics professor at Al al-Bayt University in AL-Mafraq, Jordan, from February 2021 until the present. He received a bachelor of science degree in physics and a master of science degree in physics from Yarmouth University, Irbid, a master of science degree in physics and a Ph.D. in physics from New Mexico State University.
The renewal of faculty contracts for 2024-2025 were approved by the board.
Also approved was the renewal of the contracts for head men’s basketball coach Devin Kastrup and assistant women’s basketball coach Tiffany Dorris.
Kastrup has been the men’s coach for three years and Dorris has been the assistant women’s coach for two years.
The purchase of laptop computers and accessories for the office and classrooms in the new Technical Education and Innovation Center that is under construction was approved by the board.
CCCC will purchase computers, monitors, keyboards and accessories from Dell at a cost of $138,486.84 and a laptop cart and charging station from CD-W at a cost of $13,530.24.
The board was informed by Caesar Wood, vice president for administrative services, that there are 19 faculty and staff offices, including 10 classroom areas, that will need to be furnished with equipment.
Also approved by the board was the bid for athletic insurance for 2024-2025 from Dissinger Reed.
The bid includes $68,000 for basic coverage and $5,866 for catastrophic. The cost represents a 0.7 percent decrease from 2023-2024.
The board met in three separate executive sessions during the meeting
Two executive sessions for negotiations, totaling 50 minutes, included Wood, Galm, president Amber Knoettgen, vice president for student services Brandt Hutchinson, humans resources director Chris Wilson and attorney Justin Ferrell.
The same participants met with the board in executive session for 15 minutes for the purpose of discussing non-elected personnel. No action was taken following the sessions.
The board scheduled the annual evaluation of the president for the regular meeting on May 20.
Also scheduled was the board’s annual retreat and budget study session for June 13 at 9 a.m. at the Geary County campus.