GCCC BOT Approves Medical Assistant Certificate, Cybersecurity Certificate & Degree

Garden City, Kan (WesternKansasNews.Com) – The Garden City Community College Board of Trustees
approved a Cybersecurity Associate of Applied Science (AAS), Cybersecurity Certificate B, and
Medical Assistant Certificate C program options during the regularly scheduled meeting on
Tuesday, June 14, 2022.

The Board approved a Certificate B and an AAS option in Cybersecurity. Currently, GCCC has a
Certificate A in Computer Support Specialist and Associate of Science transfer pathways in
Cybersecurity as well as general Computer Science. With the goal of expanding to better meet
the needs of the Kansas workforce with additional shorter-term exit points, the following is
planned:

• The Certificate B is a 31-credit, two-semester sequence of courses that builds in part on
the Computer Support Specialist option, providing students basic information about
information security.
• The AAS option is a full, 64-credit, two-year sequence of courses that builds on the
Certificate B option.

Students within these programs would be prepared for multiple industry-recognized
certifications including CompTIA A+, CompTIA Network+, CompTIA Security+, CompTIA
Project+, CompTIA ITF+, and CompTIA Data+. Some courses in this program are already being
offered, and the ability to package them within this institutional credential is proposed to be
available to students starting Fall 2022. GCCC will submit a formal application for program
approval to the Kansas Board of Regents in July.

The Board approved the creation of a Medical Assistant program. GCCC has been contacted by
area healthcare providers to consider providing a Medical Assistant program, as the medical
field’s reliance on Medical Assistants, particularly in rural Southwest Kansas, has increased. The
Board approved the Medical Assistant Certificate C program option:

• This program would provide a three-semester, 48-credit sequence, combining college-
level English and Math courses with additional courses such as Nurse Aide, Medical

Professional Issues, Laboratory Diagnostics and Phlebotomy, and Clinical Medical
Assisting and Minor Procedures, among others.

Students who complete this program would be prepared to seek industry recognition as a
Registered Medical Assistant through an examination by the American Medical Technologists organization. Some courses in this program are already being offered, and the ability to
package them within this institutional credential is proposed to be available to students starting
Spring of 2023. GCCC will submit a formal application for program approval to the Kansas Board
of Regents in July.

The Board approved the migration from on-premises servers to cloud hosting servers for all
software and data across campus. Currently, GCCC has 17 on-premises servers to host
software, and the 18-month timeframe to transition to Ellucian cloud-hosted servers will bring
many benefits, such as enhanced security, decreased staff time for maintenance, and increased
data analytics tools. The Board approved a five-year contract for $2,752,460 utilizing allocated
grant dollars secured and general fund dollars for professional services and software.

The Board approved joining a group contract with the State of Kansas to offer KPERS 457, a
state-sponsored deferred compensation plan, to GCCC employees. The KPERS 457 plan is a
voluntary savings plan for state employees where employees can determine how much to
save and can start with as little as $12 per pay period. There is not a match contribution for
employees with this plan, so there is no fiscal note with this action.

Additionally, the Board approved Resolution 2022-05, declaring the intention to make an
annual tax levy of not to exceed one and a half mills, for a period of not to exceed five years, for
a capital outlay fund.

The next meeting of the Board of Trustees is scheduled for Tuesday, July 19, 2022, at 6 p.m. in
the Endowment Room at the Beth Tedrow Student Center. Please note the meetings will now
be held on the third Tuesday of each month (unless announced otherwise).