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WINTHROP UNIVERSITY BOARD OF TRUSTEES
November
2, 2001
Dunlap-Roddey Room, Johnson Hall
Winthrop University, Rock Hill, SC
Minutes of Meeting of the Board of Trustees
Members
present:
Skip Tuttle (Chair), E. Thomas Crowson, Larry Durham,
Bob Gahagan, , Anne K. Hall, A. Watts Huckabee, Glenda Owens,
Jane Shuler, Bob Thompson, and Anthony J. DiGiorgio (ex
officio).
Members absent:
Sanita Savage Frazier, Mary Jean Martin, David White.
Staff present:
Brien Lewis, Secretary to the Board.
Guests present:
Students, faculty, staff, and media representatives.
The Board of Trustees met on Friday,
November 2, 2001 at 1:00 p.m. in the Dunlap-Roddey Room of
Johnson Hall on the campus of Winthrop University, Rock Hill,
SC.
Call to Order
Skip Tuttle called the meeting to order at
1:00 p.m.
Approval of Board Minutes of June 7 and June 8, 2001
There were no revisions suggested so the
Board unanimously approved the draft minutes as presented.
Report of the Executive Committee
Chairman
Tuttle reported that the Executive Committee of the Board of
Trustees met in Rock Hill during the afternoon of October 10,
2001. He stated that the Executive Committee reviewed and
discussed several matters and took action to approve a
Resolution Authorizing the Issuance of State Institution Bonds
and a related Resolution to Reimburse Certain Expenditures from
a Portion of the Proceeds of State Institution Bonds for
Winthrop University. These actions allow the University to
apply to the Budget and Control Board for the issuance of the
remaining bonds for the completion of the renovation of the Sims
Building. The Committee also brought several items to the
Board for its consideration in the form of resolutions.
Resolution to
Honor Bill Culp for Meritorious Service to Winthrop University
Bob Thompson moved
and Jane Shuler seconded the adoption of this Resolution and it
was adopted unanimously by voice vote. Chairman Tuttle
read the Resolution and made a presentation to Bill Culp, noting
his personal appreciation for Mr. Culp as a mentor and a man who
had given so much of his life to the University. Mr. Culp
expressed his thanks to the University community. President
DiGiorgio stated that Mr. Culp had truly earned the name of
“Mr. Winthrop”.
Resolution to
Honor Rodney Brown for Service to the Winthrop University
Student Government Association and the Winthrop University Board
of Trustees
Jane Shuler moved
and Bob Thompson seconded the adoption of this Resolution
and it was approved unanimously by voice vote. Chairman
Tuttle read the Resolution and made a presentation to Rodney
Brown, who expressed his thanks to the Board.
Resolution to Approve Implementation of Futuresteps 2002
Chairman Tuttle
offered the Resolution in the form of a Motion from the
Executive Committee and it was approved unanimously by voice
vote.
Resolution to Adopt Revisions to Strategic Directions
Chairman Tuttle
offered the Resolution in the form of a Motion from the
Executive Committee and it was approved unanimously by voice
vote.
Resolution in Support of the Old Town Renaissance Master
Plan
Chairman Tuttle
offered the Resolution in the form of a Motion from the
Executive Committee and it was approved unanimously by voice
vote.
Chairman Tuttle noted that other highlights
of the Committee’s meeting included a series of updates from
the President on a number if items that would be covered during
the course of the meeting.
Report of the Academic Affairs Committee
Resolution to
Offer Master of Education in Curriculum and Instruction
Bob Thompson
offered the Resolution in the form of a Motion from the Academic
Affairs Committee and it was approved unanimously by voice vote.
Bob Thompson reported that Vice President
Wilson had reviewed the year’s twenty-nine academic Goals and
Objectives as set out in the Vision of Distinction. He
noted that accreditation issues played a major role in many of
these items.
Bob Thompson reported that Dean Andrew
Svedlow had conducted the committee on a tour of the College of
Visual and Performing Arts that included a marvelous series or
presentations by dancers and artists.
Bob Thompson reported that the committee
had a good discussion on General Education and that the group
working on these issues was seeking feedback and moving toward a
resolution. He noted that there would never be a
“finished” product as General Education is by its nature a
work in progress. He suggested placing General Education
and larger issues of faculty compensation, teaching loads,
training and professional development on the agenda for the
Board’s Retreat in February.
Report of the Finance Committee
Larry Durham and President DiGiorgio each
provided background information on the history and status of the
University’s budget given state rescissions announced earlier
in the week.
Resolution to Approve 2001-2002 Operating Budget
Larry Durham offered the Resolution
in the form of a Motion from the Finance Committee. The
Resolution passed unanimously by voice vote.
Larry Durham reported that the Committee
had received an update on renovations to the Sims Building and
that the project is substantially complete. He also
reported that Information Technology continues to update
computer labs to ensure that there is no computer in a lab that
is more than three years old. He also noted that the
Coliseum has been connected to the campus fiber optic system
through collaboration with the City of Rock Hill and that a
number of internet kiosks have been set up on campus.
Larry Durham reported that billings and
paychecks had been moved to a new automated system that will be
more efficient and save costs. He also noted that the committee
had reviewed the year’s Goals and Objectives for the division
of Business and Finance.
Report of the University Relations Committee
Bob
Gahagan reported that the committee had reviewed the Goals and
Objectives of the Athletic Department, and the divisions of
Student Life and University Advancement.
Bob
Gahagan also reported that the committee had received a report
from Renee Agner on her development of the Achieving Community
Tolerance (ACT) initiative, a disciplinary program conducted by
student leaders for those students who violate university
policy. He noted that of the twenty-one students who have
gone through the program, none have been repeat offenders.
He introduced Renee Agner and commended her for the work done
through the ACT program.
Bob
Gahagan reported that the committee had received an update on
campus crime prevention and he noted that Winthrop University
would host a campus safety conference for the southeast region
of the country in February. He also reported that there
were 945 entering freshmen this year compared to 907 the year
before.
Bob
Gahagan also reviewed the recent events leading to the
dissolution of the Student Government Association (SGA).
He noted that the SGA had prepared a significant revision to its
constitution but that only 142 students had voted on an approval
referendum and that only 4 candidates had expressed interest in
the SGA’s 15 elected positions. Rodney Brown noted that
his concern was to assure that student representatives would
continue carry out the responsibilities and duties of the SGA
and that he was comfortable with the plan designed by Dr. Frank
Ardaiolo, Vice President for Student Life. Dr. Ardaiolo
reviewed the plan to assemble an ad hoc Council of Student
Leaders comprised of individuals already in leadership positions
of major student organizations. He noted that this group
would meet regularly to address student concerns and ensure that
the responsibilities of the SGA would be carried out. In
response to questions from Board members, Dr. Ardaiolo noted
that this situation is in keeping with recent national trends.
There was discussion on the possible need to revise the Board
by-laws reflecting student representation to the Board and there
was consensus that the new organization would need to be allowed
time to find its footing before addressing the issue.
Bob
Gahagan also reported that the Committee had been introduced to
the new Head Volleyball Coach, Joel McCartney. Bob Gahagan
noted that Birmingham Southern is joining the Big South
Conference and that Gardner-Webb will be joining the Conference
as a football member only. He reported that in the fall
sports soccer was second in the Conference, volleyball was in
third place, and that the cross-country team had won the
Conference championship. He also noted that women’s
soccer was searching for its first head coach with competition
scheduled to start in the fall of 2003.
Bob
Gahagan reported that donations to the Annual Fund have
continued to increase significantly despite the economic
downturn but that the Capital Campaign has noticed a negative
impact and it is probable that the Campaign will be extended.
Report from the Chair of Faculty Conference
Faculty Conference
Chair Jim Johnston reported that progress continues to be made
on General Education and that it would be a featured topic of
discussion at the next meeting of the Faculty Conference.
He stated that he was pleased to hear Bob Thompson’s
suggestions for topics for the Retreat agenda, as many faculty
members who oppose General Education do so out of concerns on
staffing issues.
Report from the Student Government Association President
Rodney Brown stated that it had been an
honor to work with the Board and that the trustees upheld high
levels of ethics and achievements. He wished Dr. Ardaiolo
well in working with the new group of student representatives.
Report from the President
President DiGiorgio reported on the
reaction of the campus community to the events of September 11
and the significant efforts by faculty members to address the
issues arising from the situation through a series of fora.
He reviewed the recent improvements to campus facilities and
encouraged Board members to visit the Farm, the Sims building,
and Water Street.
President DiGiorgio reported that about 47%
of entering freshmen received either the LIFE or Palmetto
scholarship and he noted that the lottery could also be a sea
change in the financial aid picture. He also noted the
temporary addition to the campus landscape of sculptures
by art students.
President DiGiorgio also reported on the
recent re-introduction of legislation in the U.S. Senate to
earmark available funds for historic preservation to be used for
facilities at historically women’s state colleges. He
noted that he was cautiously optimistic that the initiative
would pass as there is support for it in several state’s
delegations.
Old Business
There was no Old Business.
New Business
There was no New Business.
Executive Session
Bob Gahagan moved that the Board go into
Executive Session for discussion of personnel and contractual
matters. Bob Thompson seconded the motion, which was
approved unanimously by voice vote. The Board then
convened in Executive Session. No actions were taken in
Executive Session.
Adjournment
Upon returning to public session, Watts
Huckabee moved that the Board adjourn. The Motion was
seconded by Larry Durham and approved unanimously by voice vote.
Minutes submitted by Brien Lewis, Secretary
to the Board
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