The Board of Trustees conducted its annual fall meeting on September 15, 2021. The meeting was held in the new Sinegal Center for Science and Innovation. The following is a summary of the business conducted by the Board in general session.
University Representatives: The Board welcomed Vice-Chair of the Board of Regents Hugh Bangasser; Alumni Board of Governors President D.J. Weidner, Academic Assembly President Frank Shih; Staff Council President Kit Morse; SGSU President Marrakech Maxwell, and GSC Chair Daniel Tamayo.
Welcome of New Trustees: The Board recognized new trustees Hon. Anita Crawford-Willis, Mr. Melvin Flowers, Ms. Mary Kipp, Mr. Tod Leiweke, and Fr. Fernando Alvarez Lara, S.J.
Service Acknowledgement: The Board expressed their appreciation to Michelle Clements, VP for Human Resources and Michael Podlin, VP for University Advancement who will be retiring this year. The Board welcomed Matt Philip, former Associate VP for Human Resources, who has come out of retirement to serve as Interim VP for Human Resources.
University Academic Leaders: The Board welcomed Dean Annette Clark, School of Law; Dean Rick Fehrenbacher, New and Continuing Studies; Interim Dean Paulette Kidder, College of Education; Executive Director Erica Martin, School of Theology and Ministry; Dean Joseph Phillips, Albers School of Business and Economics; Dean David Powers, College of Arts and Sciences; Dean Michael Quinn, College of Science and Engineering; Dean Kristen Swanson, College of Nursing and Dean Sarah Watstein, Lemieux Library.
Presidential Inauguration: The Board discussed the upcoming inauguration of Eduardo Peñalver as SU’s 22nd president.
Fall Happenings Video: The Board viewed a video of fall events on campus.
Strategic Directions: President Peñalver led a discussion of the work underway to reignite SU’s Strategic Directions process and to update the Strategic Directions document. He discussed the Strategic Directions Working Group and its charge, as well as the plan to integrate the strategic directions process with the LIFT SU process.
Fall 2021 Opening: The Board heard updates from Provost Shane Martin and Executive Vice President Tim Leary on fall reopening and steps taken to ensure a safe and smooth transition to in-person classes.
FY21 Results: The Board heard a report from CFO Wilson Garone on the FY21 preliminary budget results.
FY22 Enrollment and Budget: The Board heard reports from CFO Wilson Garone and Melore Nielsen, VP for Enrollment Management, on the FY22 enrollment and budget.
Faculty Presentation: The Board heard a presentation from Albers faculty Dr. Matt Isaac and Dr. Carl Obermiller on their paper, “The Downside of Divinity? Reputation Harm to Sectarian Universities from Overtly Religious Advertising.”
The next meeting of the Board of Trustees is on November 18th, 2021.