At its meeting Thursday at 5 p.m., the Cape Fear Community College Board of Trustees may well take up the matter of a severance package for Ted Spring, who last week resigned his position as the college’s president. Trustees did not address any financial settlement with the departing president at that time, college officials have said.

Trustees did appoint Amanda Lee, the college’s vice president for instructional services, as interim president before concluding last Thursday’s meeting.

“It’s certainly possible that the trustees will go into closed session to discuss personnel matters,” said college spokesman David Hardin on Thursday.

Hardin said he expected that trustees would pick up agenda items where they left off last Thursday after ending the meeting with a closed session at which Spring offered his resignation and the trustees accepted it.

If the board resumes unfinished business from a week ago, Thursday evening’s agenda would include a chairman’s report as well as several committee reports, and discussion of two proposed new programs: a baking and pastry arts program that would be separate from CFCC’s  current culinary technology curriculum program, and an interpreter education program that prepares students to present sign language translations of the spoken word. There is great demand for both, Hardin said.

Any new programs approved by the CFCC trustees would have to be subsequently approved by the N.C. Community College System.

The trustees also are expected to discuss what classes and programs to offer at CFCC’s new Surf City campus, which is scheduled to open this summer, according to Hardin. They will also hear an overview of the new Humanities and Fine Arts Building from director Shane Fernando.

Leadership issues cannot be permitted to interfere with CFCC’s focus on its mission, Hardin said Thursday.

“We realize that when you have a transition, that transition can create a sense of uncertainty,” he said. “However, Cape Fear Community College remains committed to its mission to provide the highest quality education, job training and resources for the residents and businesses of our local area.

“Thanks to the county commissioners, we will continue progress on our Advanced and Emerging Technologies facility,” he continued, referring to last week’s vote by the New Hanover County Board of Commissioners to issue $40 million in general obligation bonds to pay for new vo-tech buildings on the North Campus and to renovate aging ones downtown. “We are making the college the best it can be. That’s where our focus is.”