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BOARD OF CONTROL
OCTOBER 8, 2001
REGULAR FORMAL SESSION
INDEX OF ACTIONS
RES-1469 RESOLUTION TO RECEIVE AND ACCEPT
THE ANNUAL FINANCIAL AUDIT AND THE
FEDERAL AWARDS AUDIT FOR FISCAL YEAR
2000-2001
APPROVED 2
RES-1470 RESOLUTION TO APPROVE APPOINTMENTS OF
ERNEST E. PAULICK AND CHRISTOPHER FREDERICKS
TO THE MARSHALL M. FREDERICKS SCULPTURE
MUSEUM BOARD
APPROVED 3
RES-1471 RESOLUTION TO GRANT EMERITUS STATUS TO
DR. WILLIAM K. BARNETT
APPROVED 4
RES-1472 RESOLUTION TO GRANT EMERITA STATUS TO
DR. PATRICIA ANN RAE
APPROVED 5
BM-961 MOTION TO MOVE TO INFORMAL SESSION TO
DISCUSS LABOR RELATIONS
APPROVED 8
BM-962 MOTION TO RECONVENE IN FORMAL SESSION
APPROVED 8
RES-1473 RESOLUTION TO APPROVE SVSU SUPPORT STAFF
ASSOCIATION, MEA/NEA, COLLECTIVE BARGAINING
AGREEMENT 8
APPROVED
RES-1474 RESOLUTION TO APPROVE CONSTRUCTION AND
FINANCING OF STUDENT CENTER AND RYDER
CENTER FITNESS FACILITY ADDITION
APPROVED 9
BM-963 MOTION TO ADJOURN
APPROVED 12
MINUTES
BOARD OF CONTROL
Regular Formal Session
October 8, 2001
2:00 p.m.
Board of Control Room - Wickes Hall Third Floor
Present: Braun
Gilbertson
Kelly
Law
Sims
Vitito
Yantz
Absent: Escobedo
Walpole
Others
Present: D. Boehm
D. Combs
D. Dawson
L. Farynk
J. Geistman
G. Hamilton
M. Harmon
R. Hock
S. Hocquard
J. Houghton
D. Hunt
C. Jerome
S. Johnson
J. Kiernan
S. Leonard
C. Looney
R. Maurovich
J. Muladore
B. Payne
R. Payne
E. Rich
C. Schilling
J. Stanley
S. Strobel
R. Thompson
R. Yien
G. Zimmerman
Press (1)
Hearing no objection, Chairman Vitito declared the agenda approved as revised.
The minutes were unanimously APPROVED as written.
He also stated: "Last week we seemed to reach impasse on our proposal for intellectual property rights. We're quite disappointed. It's now probably going to be another year before we can get together on an intellectual property rights package. . . . I would encourage us to reopen and look at that package again. . . .We really haven't moved forward on something that I think is a pretty vital area. . . ."
WHEREAS, Both University financial statements and the audit of federal awards in accordance with provisions of the Single Audit Act of 1984 for the 2000-2001 fiscal year, as audited by Andrews Hooper & Pavlik, P.L.C., were reviewed by the Finance and Audit Committee of the Board; and
WHEREAS, The Administration recommends that they be submitted to the Board of Control for receipt and acceptance;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, That the Board of Control receive and
accept the audits as submitted.
James Muladore, Vice President for Administration and Business Affairs, noted that the Board had two separate audit documents before it; the General Audit for the University, and the Federal Awards Audit. This year the audit for the University was completed under the newest governmental accounting standards, and received an unqualified opinion.
The Federal Awards Audit, which is based upon major federal grants and contracts, also received an unqualified opinion from the auditors. This represents the good work of many people and offices across the campus.
Chairman Vitito added that the audits had been gone over in great detail by the Finance and Audit Committee of the Board, and that they were comfortable with the data in the reports.
The motion was APPROVED unanimously.
WHEREAS, The Marshall M. Fredericks Sculpture Museum Board has the responsibility to advise the President and the University Board of Control regarding major decisions of the Museum; and
WHEREAS, The Museum Board recommends that Christopher Fredericks and Ernest E. Paulick be appointed to the Museum Board for three-year terms which expire June 2004;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, That the appointed members serve on the
Marshall M. Fredericks Sculpture Museum Board as stipulated in the
organization's bylaws.
President Gilbertson noted that the Museum Board has been enormously helpful over the life of the Museum and in the development of a successful fund-raising campaign. A small groundbreaking ceremony was held three weeks ago with the Fredericks family for the planned addition to the Sculpture Museum.
There are two vacancies on the Museum Board, and upon the recommendation of the members of the Museum Board and Dr. Donald Bachand (Dean of the College of Arts and Behavioral Sciences), Ernest Paulick, a long-time friend of Saginaw Valley State University and a member of the SVSU Foundation Board and the Board of Fellows; and Christopher Fredericks, a son of Marshall Fredericks and Professor of Medicine, are being proposed for membership on the Board.
Chairman Vitito asked for questions or comments. Hearing none, he called for the vote.
The motion was APPROVED unanimously.
WHEREAS, Dr. William K. Barnett served Saginaw Valley State University with distinction and dedication for twenty-one years, the first eleven as Dean of the College of Arts and Behavioral Sciences; and
WHEREAS, During Dr. Barnett's tenure and under his leadership, growth and program development were the most significant advancements in the College of Arts and Behavioral Sciences; and
WHEREAS, in 1991, Dr. Barnett began teaching full-time as a senior member of the Sociology Department and was highly regarded by students and colleagues for teaching courses in anthropology and cross-cultural relations;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, That the Board of Control of Saginaw Valley State University gratefully acknowledges Dr. Barnett's exemplary service and dedication to the University and bestows upon him the title of "Professor Emeritus of Sociology/Anthropology."
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That a copy of this resolution be framed and
presented to Dr. Barnett as a permanent expression of the University's
appreciation.
President Gilbertson told the Board Dr. Barnett served Saginaw Valley State University for more than 20 years. For eleven years, he was Dean of the College of Arts and Behavioral Sciences, during a very formative time in its history. Subsequent to his service as Dean, he served as Professor of Anthropology, receiving outstanding teaching reviews. He has been a strong citizen of SVSU who will remain active with the University after his retirement.
The motion was APPROVED unanimously.
WHEREAS, Patricia Ann Rae joined the faculty of Saginaw Valley State University in 1980 and was Professor of Social Work until her retirement in December of 2000; and
WHEREAS, Dr. Rae served as Coordinator of the Field Placement Program, Department Chair, Coordinator of the Interdisciplinary Program in Gerontology and has been an active scholar in her discipline; and
WHEREAS, Dr. Rae has been an outstanding classroom teacher and mentor to Social Work students and played a central role in the accreditation of the undergraduate program with the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE); and
WHEREAS, During Dr. Rae's distinguished teaching career at SVSU she has contributed significantly to the development of the Social Work Program.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, That the Board of Control of Saginaw Valley State University gratefully acknowledges Dr. Rae's exemplary service and dedication to the University and bestows upon her the title of "Professor Emerita of Social Work."
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That a copy of this resolution be framed and
presented to Dr. Rae as a permanent expression of the University's
appreciation.
President Gilbertson stated: " Dr. Rae served for nearly 21 years as Professor of Social Work on this campus. She was here at the very beginning of the Social Work Program and was one of a very few people who founded a new program at SVSU and saw it fully through to its maturity. She was instrumental in the development of the field placement component of that program and also in its initial and continuing accreditation."
The motion was APPROVED unanimously.
Dr. Harmon noted that when the Committee started meeting last winter there were over 40 sections of English 111, sometimes taught by as many as 27 different people. The Committee's goal was to pull all of these classes and approaches together into a more consistent and coherent program than in the past. They did this partly by producing an expanded framework that provides for common outcomes, common texts, common practices and syllabus components, sequenced assignments, a common rubric to set more uniform standards, mentoring, norming sessions, course and program assessment, a Resources and Faculty Coordinator, and English 111 Writing Awards.
The Committee felt that students who successfully complete English 111 should be able to use writing processes that develop exploratory drafts into revised prose for specific audiences, make informed rhetorical choices for specific purposes and audiences, read critically and analyze material written for university audiences, and engage in interactive/collaborative reading and writing activities. They should also be able to employ a repertoire of writing strategies, conduct introductory library and other research, integrate facts and opinion from multiple sources, document research appropriately, and edit writing to conform to the general conventions of academic prose.
Diane Boehm, Director of the University Writing Program, reviewed the services provided by the Writing Center and how they had changed to accommodate the needs of the English 111 students. She noted that all of the sections of the class had been brought into the Writing Center for tutoring.
Jim Geistman, English Lecturer, discussed the utilization of the Blackboard Program in the English 111 classrooms.
Elizabeth Rich, Assistant Professor of English, discussed the benefits the English 111 Program had for both students and new faculty.
President Gilbertson noted: "To illustrate the importance of this Program, English 111 is a foundation course, upon which so many others are built. This semester approximately one tenth of our student body is enrolled in English 111. About one out of eight of our undergraduates is enrolled in English 111 this semester. The problem we faced is what institutions face when they have multiple sections of a single course taught by several different people, many of whom have been teaching it their way for a long time. So we thought we had a chance to make some sense of all this in ways that few institutions have. It took the kind of boundless energy and leadership of Mary Harmon, the judgment of people like Diane Boehm and Jim Geistman, who have been doing this for a while, and the creative thinking of someone coming fresh to our institution like Elizabeth Rich, to make this happen. It really is a massive job on an enormously complex matter, but this is a very important foundation course that's vitally important to all of our students."
Trustee Yantz asked when the University would know whether the Program is making a difference.
Dr. Harmon answered she thought they would be able to judge that by the end of this year.
Chairman Vitito congratulated the Committee on a good job well done.
The motion was APPROVED unanimously.
The Board moved to Informal Session at 3:02 p.m.
The motion was APPROVED unanimously.
The Board reconvened in Formal Session at 3:33 p.m.
WHEREAS, Representatives of the administration of Saginaw Valley State University and the SVSU Support Staff Association, MEA/NEA, reached a tentative agreement to replace the 1995-2000 agreement between the University and the Association on September 14, 2001; and
WHEREAS, The SVSU Support Staff Association, MEA/NEA ratified the proposed agreement on September 28, 2001;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, That the Board of Control does hereby
approve the Collective bargaining agreement between Saginaw Valley State
University and the SVSU Support Staff Association, MEA/NEA covering the period
July 1, 2000 through June 30, 2003.
The motion was APPROVED unanimously.
WHEREAS, The Board-approved plan sets forth a goal to create a campus culture which supports the personal growth of students inclusive of extracurricular and volunteer activities; and
WHEREAS, The University has continued to realize enrollment growth and has significantly increased on-campus student housing capacity; and
WHEREAS, Development of a Student Center and an addition of a Fitness Facility to the Ryder Center will accommodate the growth of the University and provide the student body the opportunity to achieve personal growth;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, That the Board hereby authorizes the construction of a Student Center and a Fitness Facility addition to the Ryder Center with a project cost not to exceed $8,200,000; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the General Service Fee be increased by $2.00
per credit hour to $14.25 per credit hour effective for the winter semester 2002
with the resulting fee income allocated to debt service and operating costs for
campus facilities.
President Gilbertson noted there had been long discussions on this matter at previous meetings. From the administration's perspective, these facilities are key to the development of the campus culture as identified in the Board-approved Five-Year Plan. They are essential to the development of a more vibrant, vital campus life and to the competition for good students.
The first piece of the project is a $2 million Fitness Center which would be added to the Ryder Center, where there are already locker rooms and showers.
The $6 million Student Center, with spaces for activities and student organizations, would be next to the current Doan Center.
There has been considerable campus support for this project: the Student Association and the University Resident Association - understanding that it would carry with it a $2 per credit hour fee - voted unanimously to support it. The campus-wide faculty/staff fund-raising campaign now underway has raised approximately $210,000 with 213 people contributing. The vast majority of those funds were dedicated to the Student Center.
Trustee Law told the Board he was going to vote against the project. He noted that he was not trying to influence anyone's vote, and explained his reasons for voting as he was. He concluded: "I would like to summarize and try to bring these points together. . . . I can't support this proposal because of the increase. I can support the proposal, I can support the need for a Student Center facility expansion, but I don't think it's responsive to our economic environment, nor do I think it's responsible to the students who are Michigan taxpayers to be supporting another tuition and fees increase at this point. A 10.75% to 13.5% increase over a 12-month period would be hard to swallow at any time. Under these conditions, with the economy in the tank, it is just beyond me.
"The second reason is that we already have a mechanism in place to generate the kinds of funds necessary to do that - a fee of roughly $4 (or $3.90) a credit hour. If it is not available through that funding, it's because we have chosen to spend that money on something else - not because it wasn't there, and not because the students aren't already paying for it. With the likelihood that State appropriations are going to be flat again next year, we have another $3.5 million to raise just to match the construction that we already have underway. We've got growing enrollments, new faculty positions, new academic programs, a new staff contract to fund, and a new faculty contract to negotiate. We may find ourselves next year with some serious new unfunded priorities.
"I will support the project if we can find another way to pay for it."
Mr. Muladore noted that the current $3.90 charge in the General Service Fee related to debt service essentially covers obligations undertaken as part of the first series of 2001 debt service issued earlier in the year for a series of projects, including Instructional Facility #3 and the Science Building renovations. The total revenue generated by the proposed increase in the General Service Fee, including that previously approved by the Board, would still be less than the total of all general fund debt service, including the Student Center. There is no excess of revenue generated from the additional student fee: It's less than the total amount of debt service the institution would undertake.
President Gilbertson noted that the increase wouldn't be effective until January, and that combined with the previous 6.75% increase, it would come to an annualized rate of roughly 8.75%. This would be on the smallest base tuition in the State, and it would still be one of the smallest rate increases in the State.
President Gilbertson concluded: "We are trying to expand during difficult
times. The alternative is to retrench, and that's not what I recommend. I think
it's important to stay with the Plan. . . . and I think this is a reasonable way
to fund it. The students to whom we have spoken also think it's a reasonable way
to do it. I recommend it to you."
Trustee Braun stated that she was going to support the motion because she believed in the project, but added that she appreciated all the work Trustee Law had done regarding the matter.
Chairman Vitito thanked Trustee Law on behalf of the Board for his very thoughtful comments.
The motion was APPROVED by a 5-1 vote.
The motion was APPROVED unanimously.
The meeting was adjourned at 3:45 p.m.
Respectfully submitted:
________________________
Robert J. Vitito
Chairman
________________________
D. Brian Law
Secretary
________________________
Jo A. Stanley
Recording Secretary
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