MU BOG Faculty Rep Blog

On Friday afternoon there will be an emergency BOG meeting via conference call to review the attached draft of capital projects that were requested by the HEPC with a very short lead time.

The 2009-2014 list includes many “wish list” items that have no location or funding to date. In order for any of these to become a reality in future years, the university needed to make the HEPC aware they are on our long-range plan. (They are not presented in a priority order in spite of the header).  The 2009 list was compiled by the HEPC and sent to us last week for comment. The MU Administration will work with them to make corrective action since the Legislature is the entity that establishes the project priorities.

I will be participating in this meting via conference phone on Friday at 4 p.m.. Dr. Cam Brammer, Senate President, is joining us. If you would like to provide comments prior to Friday, please do. Meanwhile, as always, I will provide a report via the MU BOG Blog and at our next senate meeting.

Sincerely, Monica

BOG Meeting, April 23, 2008

The agenda will be uploaded shortly

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 27^th) 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.

The next MU BOG board meeting will be held on January 23 in South Charleston to coincide with the annual Chesapeake Energy Capital Classic basketball game at the Civic Center.

Marshall vs West Virginia

Wednesday, January 23, 2008 at 8:00 PM

Governor Manchin appointed Mr. Michael G. Sellards of Huntington on January 4 to replace Menis E. Ketchum who recently submitted his resignation from the MU BOG to pursue his candidacy for the WV Supreme Court. Mr. Sellards is currently the Executive Director St. Mary’s Hospital and will serve on the MU BOG until June 30, 2010.

The last meeting of the Marshall University Board of Governors took place on October 16, 2007 in the MSC.  Over-all there were no major faculty issues presented at this meeting; however, several informational items are of keen interest to everyone in the university community:

·         Dr. Keith Cotroneo, MCTC President, indicated that he is doing in-depth research on the various aspects of his student population and potential for meeting adult and technical educational needs in the area but is already aware that Culinary Arts is growing fast and requires immediate attention.

·         The HEPC sets the salary levels for all of the presidents in the WV system. This year, they approved a 3% raise for each, which in-turn, was approved by the board for President Kopp for the 2007-08 FY.

·         HR-14, Background Checks; and GA-14, (Interim) Business Record Retention Policy: The interim policy on document retention was approved by the board with changes. The personnel background check policy was also approved with changes provided by respondents during the comment period.

·         President Kopp provided comments in which he stressed the importance of reversing the enrollment down-turn over the next three years and beyond.  Improved enrollment and retention will ensure steady income that will aid in meeting university program, facility, and personnel needs.

 

Several committees provided reports for information purposes:

·         Academic committee report: There will be 9 program reviews and 2 follow-up reviews this year; the One Book program was a huge success with the freshman class this year; the committee is reconvening soon with plans to review 5-6 new books over the Xmas break.

·         Enrollment and retention are going well ahead of projections but require an ongoing and steady commitment to reverse the down-ward trend of the last 3-5 years.

·         Medical School budget

·         MU representation for the HEPC committee to select university system auditing firm

·         2008 Capital projects

·         Status of lottery bond earnings: FYI the university cannot access the earnings on these bonds (over 1.7 million) until all the funds are completely spent down.

·         Annual audit status: the results of the annual audit will be provided to the board when the report is complete.

·         The Common Fund annual report: our annual earnings did well in 2006-07 (earned 12% over-all); as a result, the current investment strategy that retains the majority of the principle will be continued for 2007-08.

The agenda can be found online in PDF format:  http://www.marshall.edu/president/board/101607_agenda.pdf   

Access these budgets and reports:

• http://www.marshall.edu/ill/07-BOG/MUSOM-Budget-2007-08.pdf
• http://www.marshall.edu/ill/07-BOG/MUSOM-Budget-2-2007-08.pdf
• http://www.marshall.edu/ill/07-BOG/MCTC-Students-Data.pdf
• http://www.marshall.edu/ill/07-BOG/MCTC-Self-Study.pdf 

Next BOG Meeting Dates:
·         December 5, 2007
·         January ?, 2008 (Date of MU/WVU Basketball game in Charleston TBA)
·         March 26, 2008
·         June 25, 2008

Approved policies and minutes are listed here: 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 at brooks@marshall.edu or 696-6613.

The next BOG meeting will take place on Tuesday, October 16, at 10:30 a.m. in the Shawkey Dining room of the Memorial Student Center.

• The agenda can be found online in PDF format:  http://www.marshall.edu/president/board/101607_agenda.pdf 
•  The July 2007 minutes are also posted on the BOG webpage:  http://www.marshall.edu/president/board/ 

The majority of the issues scheduled for discussion on Oct. 16 pertain to our financial and capital improvements; however, take a close look at the proposed policies and comments for campus document retention and new personnel background checks included in the agenda.  If you have questions or concerns re: the minutes or agenda presented, please let me know. 

Reminder — this weblog is open to all faculty. Please ience ( http://mu-bog-faculty.blog.com/ ) and feel free to use it to discuss faculty issues.

Presented to members of the Senate on Sept 27:

Since the new term started in July, I attended two Board of Governors meetings that took place on August 22 and July 20, 2007.

• http://www.marshall.edu/ill/07-BOG/AGENDA-BOG-Aug-22-2007.pdf
• http://www.marshall.edu/ill/07-BOG/AGENDA-Special-BOG-Meeting-July-20-2007.pdf
• http://www.marshall.edu/ill/07-BOG/July-20-SB-Field-Estimate.pdf

Agendas were distributed to the general faculty prior to the meetings and comments were listed on the BOG faculty blog created to discuss faculty concerns, questions, and issues.

At the 8/22 meeting, there were a few items that pertained to faculty policies:

Wording change to the notification of probationary faculty policy: When probationary faculty receive a notification of non-retention in the spring, their employment at the university ends at the close of that same academic year.

Wording change re: revision timeline of BOG AA-22 for faculty annual reports: The other wording change now allows faculty to revise their annual report roles that are presented in December of each year. This lets everyone modify weights if responsibilities change dramatically or unexpectedly (i.e. they receive a grant, fall ill, assume new duties, or a program changes mid-year etc.).

These policy revisions are included in the original agenda I sent prior to the meeting and are linked to the faculty blog.

If you want agendas to be re-sent by email or campus mail, just contact me.

The other noteworthy issues presented to the BOG on 8/22 included:

Projections for increased enrollment for this AY were double the initial assumptions.

Since 3/1/2006, our investments have realized a higher return now that we have more control.

The MCTC agreement was accepted – this is a lengthy agreement that calculates the overhead for the MCTC administrative and academic functions that MU provides to the MCTC.

The Academic committee presented the annual tuition waiver report in which numbers stayed relatively constant for waivers at both the UG and GD levels.

Senator Plymale presented several innovative programs that he is spearheading through the Rayhall Transportation Center on campus. Each involves educational programming that promotes economic and workforce development in our region’s transportation venues (rail, river, & roadway).

The 7/20 meeting was very brief and consisted of the following:

Status of the MCTC presidential search and recommendation from the search committee

Softball field/facilities construction and subsequent fundraising campaign

Acquisition of property at 2124 5^th Avenue

Between BOG meetings, I addressed a few questions that faculty asked me to research for them in re: to faculty appointment verbiage in the Faculty Greenbook and the status of funding for construction projects on campus.  I posted an update to both inquiries on the blog. 

Next BOG Meeting Dates:

October 16, 2007

December 5, 2007

 January ?, 2008 (Date of MU/WVU Basketball game in Charleston TBA)

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.