El Paso Community College board renews President Dr. William Serrata’s contract

The El Paso Community College board voted unanimously to renew Dr. William Serrata’s contract for three years, Tuesday night. The board also voted to give him a $15,000 raise. His base salary is now at $272,000.

“We are one of the finalists for the aspen award,” said Board Chair Art Fierro. “The very worst case, if we come in last place for the aspen award, we are one of the top ten colleges in the United States. To me that’s pretty good job security.”

Out of 1,200 colleges EPCC was named one of the top ten community colleges in the country. This due to the college’s impact on student success.

EPCC and Serrata had a successful year. The college boasts of some of the nation’s top graduation and retention rates.

“We were selected as one of the top ten of the entire nation,” Serrata said. “With this should we be chosen as the aspen prize winner, that comes along with a million dollar prize, and so we’re certainly excited about that.”

The board has demanded EPCC’s president keep tuition and taxes low, a tough thing to do considering state revenue has decreased from 72 percent in 1984 to 24 percent now.

“We’re funded in 3 appropriate streams, student tuition and fees, state appropriation and local taxes,” Serrata said. “What we’ve seen is that obviously tuition has increased because of that lack of state appropriation, so students are paying a greater share.”

From $972 for residents in 2012 to $1,032 in 2013. UTEP costs $1,812 for the same. The tax rate is bringing in more revenue, but hasn’t had to be raised due to population growth. Right now it’s .114 per $100 of home valuation, or $114 a year for a $100,000 home. That’s down from last year at .124, or $124.

“When you go through all those numbers its really an impressive year that Dr. Serrata and the community college has had,” Fierro said.

Serrata is a graduate from Texas A&M. Before this, he was vice president at South Texas College in McAllen.