January 23, 2008 Report
RE: Board of Governors Report
DT: January 31, 2008
The most recent BOG meeting took place on January 23, 2008 at the Marshall University Graduate College. The 1/23 agenda is available online in PDF format: http://www.marshall.edu/ill/07-BOG/Jan-23-08-AGENDA-MUBOG.pdf
The following items were presented to the Board:
1) Dr. Jan Fox, Sr. VP for Information Technology, presented a report regarding the university’s response to RIAA complaints. We have a system in place to react to legal notices and provide students with notifications. While we do not provide student information to the RIAA without a subpoena, we are also required to maintain proper records to comply with copyright law. Dr. Fox also provided a report on the growth of the online course program at Marshall. Currently, e-course enrollments and additions to the offerings grow at a rate of 20-30% each year. In spring 2008, online enrollment was over 5,300 students.
2) The Academic Committee brought an action item to the full board for a vote. The Department of Modern Languages within the College of Liberal Arts proposed new majors in French, German, Japanese, and Spanish. For French, German, and Spanish, the designation was formerly an “area of emphasis.” The board approved this recommendation.
3) The Finance Committee provided several reports:
a. A report of the recent audit conducted by Deloitte & Touche was provided; they recommended that this firm be retained next year to provide continuity.
b. The status report for the lottery bond project was discussed along with the 9-06 to 9-07 quarterly financial budget report prepared by Sr. Vice President of Finance and Administration, Anita Lockridge. This is a detailed and informative report that provides our current assets, income/revenues from all areas such as tuition, research, services etc., debts, liabilities, bonds and more. Please review this document in the agenda PDF that shows a modest increase in our assets and income.
c. Ms. Lockridge also provided an investment earnings update in which we have seen consistent increases in the investment income due to the University Foundation’s ability to invest with CommonFund. All actions demonstrate that with our autonomy granted by the HEPC, the Foundation is able to improve revenues from investments for the university.
d. The BOG approved several financial action items such as the transfer of remaining balances to the Smith Hall lottery bond project; the five-year facility/master plan; the forensic science construction project; and the quarterly financial/budget report for 9/30/07-9/30/06. All of these reports are included in the agenda PDF file.
4) Mr. Ron Area, CEO of the Foundation, provided a report on the new Bridge Campaign designed to promote academic, athletic, and alumni giving.
a. The project requires about 16 million to be successful.
b. They have already raised about 8 million of this already and encourage 100% participation among BOG members.
5) Dr. Keith Cotroneo presented his report on the status of the MCTC:
a. His administrative staff is currently tracking enrollment patterns to determine if the new “EZ-Start” program will yield results. There are currently about 51 individuals participating in this program.
b. He is concerned about the non-payment drops and will work with financial aid to determine a new strategy for MCTC students.
c. He has already embarked on planning initiatives in which his board, administrators, and faculty have assisted in compiling a planning document in which 4 major themes were identified:
i. Identity
ii. Accessibility
iii. Communication
iv. Leadership – also includes preparation of policies geared toward MCTC student needs.
d. Dr. Cotroneo is implementing a Quality Improvement Process (QUEST), a continuous improvement program; QUEST was used in Scott County, KY as an integrated K-12 training program that emphasizes student success in an effort to increases test scores and college preparation. MCTC faculty staff and some IBOA members went through the training to facilitate continuous improvement of our systems to increase MCTC student success.
e. The MCTC North Central Accreditation (NCA) site visit will be held March 10-12, 2008 and will include a BOG meeting with the NCA team.
f. He is investigating several HEPC policies in regard to many issues such as MCTC needs and student residency. The MCTC advisory board/committee may need support for revising policies. The changes will come from the deans, presidents, advisory board, and then BOG.
6) Dr. Stephen J. Kopp provided the University President’s Report:
a. Dr. Kopp provided updates on the current construction projects on campus:
i. Capstone project bonds closed in October; the current housing construction project is on schedule (projected opening in August 2008); the recreation center’s final schedule would be available within the following week and is still scheduled to be completed on time (February 2009); the engineering complex is also on schedule (projected August opening); the woman’s softball program is on schedule for a March 2008 opening to coincide with the spring season; however, the clubhouse is scheduled to be completed in the summer; the Memorial Student Center renovation is underway providing new meeting spaces for large groups; the Bertoia sculpture will be removed for a complete renovation of the fountain pool (completion March 2008); the Registrar’s office renovation is almost complete; the forensic science addition is underway; and a five-year plan to renovate all public restrooms on campus has been initiated.
ii. The university’s facility and land-use master plan in which the projected cost for each of these projects is listed can also be found in the BOG’s agenda PDF.
b. Dr. Kopp provided an update on admissions in which our applications increased over-all; current enrollment trends demonstrate a change in the freshman class. He also said he is pleased that the processing time and response time of the admissions office staff has improved dramatically. They were open for three days over the holidays in which they experienced 1,300 points of contact from prospective students and parents. This high level of interest demonstrates that we do need to continue providing service over extended holiday breaks.
c. He reported that Governor Manchin expressed his pleasure with the level of cooperation between MU-WVU and success of SB603.
d. Exciting technology developments include a $3.4 million dollar FCC grant secured by Dr. Fox that will provide Marshall with Internet2 connectivity; Dr. Kopp stressed the importance of providing our researchers with Internet2 access to support computational science and the sharing of large data files. This effort should help the university attract researchers and cultivate innovative projects.
7) Dr. Sarah Denman provided remarks regarding her decision to retire at the end of the 2007-08 academic year; the BOG voted to provide appropriate resolution enumerating her many accomplishments that have had such a wide-reaching positive impact on the students, faculty, and community at Marshall University.
Former chairman of the BOG, Menis Ketchum, resigned to pursue his political career; the BOG voted to recognize his contributions and dedication to the university.
9) The Athletic committee report was provided in which the scheduling of WVU-MU game (Sept 27th) was finalized. Other informational items:
a. There is a renovation proposal for the Shewey building in which the funds are already in place to provide support.
b. The NCAA provides an academic progress report; all MU teams meet NCAA requirements for academic achievement:
i. 22 athletes earned a grade point average of 4.0
ii. 74 earned 3.5 to 3.9
iii. 101 earned 3.0 to 3.49
iv. Seven athletic teams earned 3.0 or higher
v. Among the women’s teams, all but one team earned a 3.0 or higher
Next BOG Meeting Dates:
· March 26, 2008
· June 25, 2008
BOG meeting dates, times, locations, and agendas will be sent to all faculty prior to each meeting when the information becomes available. Pre and post comments will be provided on the blog. Approved policies and minutes are listed on the BOG webpage: http://www.marshall.edu/president/board/
Questions, comments, or requests for information in any format will always be welcomed so do not hesitate to contact me at your convenience.
DT: January 31, 2008
The most recent BOG meeting took place on January 23, 2008 at the Marshall University Graduate College. The 1/23 agenda is available online in PDF format: http://www.marshall.edu/ill/07-BOG/Jan-23-08-AGENDA-MUBOG.pdf
The following items were presented to the Board:
1) Dr. Jan Fox, Sr. VP for Information Technology, presented a report regarding the university’s response to RIAA complaints. We have a system in place to react to legal notices and provide students with notifications. While we do not provide student information to the RIAA without a subpoena, we are also required to maintain proper records to comply with copyright law. Dr. Fox also provided a report on the growth of the online course program at Marshall. Currently, e-course enrollments and additions to the offerings grow at a rate of 20-30% each year. In spring 2008, online enrollment was over 5,300 students.
2) The Academic Committee brought an action item to the full board for a vote. The Department of Modern Languages within the College of Liberal Arts proposed new majors in French, German, Japanese, and Spanish. For French, German, and Spanish, the designation was formerly an “area of emphasis.” The board approved this recommendation.
3) The Finance Committee provided several reports:
a. A report of the recent audit conducted by Deloitte & Touche was provided; they recommended that this firm be retained next year to provide continuity.
b. The status report for the lottery bond project was discussed along with the 9-06 to 9-07 quarterly financial budget report prepared by Sr. Vice President of Finance and Administration, Anita Lockridge. This is a detailed and informative report that provides our current assets, income/revenues from all areas such as tuition, research, services etc., debts, liabilities, bonds and more. Please review this document in the agenda PDF that shows a modest increase in our assets and income.
c. Ms. Lockridge also provided an investment earnings update in which we have seen consistent increases in the investment income due to the University Foundation’s ability to invest with CommonFund. All actions demonstrate that with our autonomy granted by the HEPC, the Foundation is able to improve revenues from investments for the university.
d. The BOG approved several financial action items such as the transfer of remaining balances to the Smith Hall lottery bond project; the five-year facility/master plan; the forensic science construction project; and the quarterly financial/budget report for 9/30/07-9/30/06. All of these reports are included in the agenda PDF file.
4) Mr. Ron Area, CEO of the Foundation, provided a report on the new Bridge Campaign designed to promote academic, athletic, and alumni giving.
a. The project requires about 16 million to be successful.
b. They have already raised about 8 million of this already and encourage 100% participation among BOG members.
5) Dr. Keith Cotroneo presented his report on the status of the MCTC:
a. His administrative staff is currently tracking enrollment patterns to determine if the new “EZ-Start” program will yield results. There are currently about 51 individuals participating in this program.
b. He is concerned about the non-payment drops and will work with financial aid to determine a new strategy for MCTC students.
c. He has already embarked on planning initiatives in which his board, administrators, and faculty have assisted in compiling a planning document in which 4 major themes were identified:
i. Identity
ii. Accessibility
iii. Communication
iv. Leadership – also includes preparation of policies geared toward MCTC student needs.
d. Dr. Cotroneo is implementing a Quality Improvement Process (QUEST), a continuous improvement program; QUEST was used in Scott County, KY as an integrated K-12 training program that emphasizes student success in an effort to increases test scores and college preparation. MCTC faculty staff and some IBOA members went through the training to facilitate continuous improvement of our systems to increase MCTC student success.
e. The MCTC North Central Accreditation (NCA) site visit will be held March 10-12, 2008 and will include a BOG meeting with the NCA team.
f. He is investigating several HEPC policies in regard to many issues such as MCTC needs and student residency. The MCTC advisory board/committee may need support for revising policies. The changes will come from the deans, presidents, advisory board, and then BOG.
6) Dr. Stephen J. Kopp provided the University President’s Report:
a. Dr. Kopp provided updates on the current construction projects on campus:
i. Capstone project bonds closed in October; the current housing construction project is on schedule (projected opening in August 2008); the recreation center’s final schedule would be available within the following week and is still scheduled to be completed on time (February 2009); the engineering complex is also on schedule (projected August opening); the woman’s softball program is on schedule for a March 2008 opening to coincide with the spring season; however, the clubhouse is scheduled to be completed in the summer; the Memorial Student Center renovation is underway providing new meeting spaces for large groups; the Bertoia sculpture will be removed for a complete renovation of the fountain pool (completion March 2008); the Registrar’s office renovation is almost complete; the forensic science addition is underway; and a five-year plan to renovate all public restrooms on campus has been initiated.
ii. The university’s facility and land-use master plan in which the projected cost for each of these projects is listed can also be found in the BOG’s agenda PDF.
b. Dr. Kopp provided an update on admissions in which our applications increased over-all; current enrollment trends demonstrate a change in the freshman class. He also said he is pleased that the processing time and response time of the admissions office staff has improved dramatically. They were open for three days over the holidays in which they experienced 1,300 points of contact from prospective students and parents. This high level of interest demonstrates that we do need to continue providing service over extended holiday breaks.
c. He reported that Governor Manchin expressed his pleasure with the level of cooperation between MU-WVU and success of SB603.
d. Exciting technology developments include a $3.4 million dollar FCC grant secured by Dr. Fox that will provide Marshall with Internet2 connectivity; Dr. Kopp stressed the importance of providing our researchers with Internet2 access to support computational science and the sharing of large data files. This effort should help the university attract researchers and cultivate innovative projects.
7) Dr. Sarah Denman provided remarks regarding her decision to retire at the end of the 2007-08 academic year; the BOG voted to provide appropriate resolution enumerating her many accomplishments that have had such a wide-reaching positive impact on the students, faculty, and community at Marshall University.
Former chairman of the BOG, Menis Ketchum, resigned to pursue his political career; the BOG voted to recognize his contributions and dedication to the university.9) The Athletic committee report was provided in which the scheduling of WVU-MU game (Sept 27th) was finalized. Other informational items:
a. There is a renovation proposal for the Shewey building in which the funds are already in place to provide support.
b. The NCAA provides an academic progress report; all MU teams meet NCAA requirements for academic achievement:
i. 22 athletes earned a grade point average of 4.0
ii. 74 earned 3.5 to 3.9
iii. 101 earned 3.0 to 3.49
iv. Seven athletic teams earned 3.0 or higher
v. Among the women’s teams, all but one team earned a 3.0 or higher
Next BOG Meeting Dates:
· March 26, 2008
· June 25, 2008
BOG meeting dates, times, locations, and agendas will be sent to all faculty prior to each meeting when the information becomes available. Pre and post comments will be provided on the blog. Approved policies and minutes are listed on the BOG webpage: http://www.marshall.edu/president/board/
Questions, comments, or requests for information in any format will always be welcomed so do not hesitate to contact me at your convenience.
