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WINTHROP UNIVERSITY BOARD OF TRUSTEES
June 5, 2003
Dunlap-Roddey Room, Johnson Hall
Winthrop University, Rock Hill, SC
Members present:
Bob Gahagan (Chair),
Larry Durham, A. Watts Huckabee, Mary Jean Martin, Glenda
Owens, Polly Ford, , Bob Thompson, Skip Tuttle, Anthony J.
DiGiorgio (ex officio).
Members absent:
Karl
Folkens, Hugh Hadsock, Sanita Savage.
Staff
present: Brien Lewis, Secretary to
the Board
The Board of Trustees met on Thursday,
June 5, 2003 at 4:00 p.m. in the Dunlap-Roddey Room, Winthrop
University, Rock Hill, SC.
Call to Order
Bob Gahagan called the meeting to order at 4:00 p.m.
Executive Session
Skip Tuttle moved that the Board go into Executive Session for
discussion of personnel matters and that the Faculty
Representative be invited to participate. Mary Jean Martin
seconded the motion, which was approved unanimously by voice
vote. The Board convened in Executive Session. Bob Thompson
then moved, seconded by Mary Jean Martin, that the Board
conclude the Executive Session and return to Open Session.
Open Session
Chairman Gahagan announced that the Board had met in Executive
Session for the purpose of discussing personnel matters and
considering possible personnel action but stated that no
action had been taken.
Adjournment
The Board adjourned at 5:15 p.m.
Minutes submitted by Brien Lewis,
Secretary to the Board.
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WINTHROP UNIVERSITY BOARD
OF TRUSTEES
June 6, 2003
Dunlap-Roddey Room, Johnson Hall
Winthrop University, Rock Hill, SC
Minutes of Meeting of the Board of Trustees
Members present:
Bob Gahagan (Chair), Karl
Folkens, Hugh Hadsock, A. Watts Huckabee, Mary Jean Martin,
Glenda Owens, Polly Ford, Sanita Savage, Bob Thompson, Skip
Tuttle, Anthony J. DiGiorgio (ex officio).
Members absent:
Larry Durham.
Staff
present: Brien Lewis, Secretary to
the Board.
Guests
present:
Students, faculty, staff, and media
representatives.
The Board of Trustees met on Friday,
June 6, 2003 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
Chairman Gahagan called the meeting to order at 1:00 p.m.
Approval of Board Minutes of April 11, 2003
Watts Huckabee moved, seconded by Karl Folkens, that the Board
approve the minutes as presented. This motion was approved
unanimously by voice vote.
Report of the Executive Committee
Resolutions Honoring Departing
Academic Vice President and Trustees
The following Resolutions were presented
as Motions from the Executive Committee and required no
second. Each was approved unanimously by voice vote.
Resolution
Honoring Dr. Melford Wilson for Meritorious Service to
Winthrop
University.
Resolution to
Honor Reginald I. Lloyd for Service on the Winthrop University
Board of Trustees.
Resolution to
Honor Hugh Hadsock, Jr. for Service on the Winthrop University
Board of Trustees.
Mr. Hadsock was
present to accept the Resolution. He expressed his
appreciation to the Board and the University.
Faculty-Staff Campaign
The Executive Committee presented the
following Resolution was presented as a Motion from the
Committee requiring no second. It was approved unanimously by
voice vote.
Resolution to Honor the Faculty and
Staff for Meritorious Service to Winthrop University.
Chairman Gahagan
recognized the leadership of the Faculty-Staff Campaign and
presented the Resolution to campaign co-chairs Rosanne Wallace
and Charles Alvis, along with Vice President for University
Advancement Kathryn Holten.
Compact with City of Rock Hill
President DiGiorgio reported that the
proposed Compact had been discussed for a long time with the
City of Rock Hill as a means of enhancing the symbiotic
relationship between the University and the City. He noted
that both entities recognize the value of long-term planning
as being in their collective best interests, especially in the
context of the City’s work on the Old Town Renaissance and the
Textile Corridor and the University’s “Seeding the Future”
plan for campus development. He also reported that the Rock
Hill City Council had recently approved the Compact as an
expression of the City’s good faith in continuing to make
progress jointly with Winthrop.
Resolution to
endorse Compact regarding various properties of interest to
Winthrop University and the City of Rock Hill.
Bob Thompson
moved, seconded by Mary Jean Martin, that the Board approve
this Resolution. It was approved unanimously by voice vote.
Agency Head
Evaluation
Chairman Gahagan reported that the
Executive Committee had reviewed the President in its
Executive Session in May in accordance with the Agency Head
Salary Commission’s process and the Board bylaws and had
discussed their review with the full Board during the
Executive Session on June 5.
Resolution Regarding
2002-2003 Performance Evaluation of President Anthony J.
DiGiorgio
Bob Thompson
moved, seconded by Mary Jean Martin, that the Board approve
this Resolution. It was approved unanimously by voice vote.
Resolution
Regarding Contract for President Anthony J. DiGiorgio
Bob Thompson
moved, seconded by Watts Huckabee, that the Board approve this
Resolution. The motion was approved unanimously by voice
vote.
Watts Huckabee reported that this will
probably be the fourth year the President will not get a
salary increase from the state. The state has not give raises
to agency heads for three years. President DiGiorgio
expressed his thanks to the Board.
Report of the Finance Committee
Mary Jean Martin reported that the Committee had reviewed
the Allocation Status Report and had received an update on
summer construction projects including the tennis complex,
window replacements, residence hall refurbishments, and
realignment of the campus loop road.
Resolution
regarding the Operating Budget and Student Fees for fiscal
year 2003-2004.
This Resolution
was presented for consideration without recommendation from
the Finance Committee. Chairman Gahagan noted that the Budget
Workshop held earlier in the day had provided a lot of
information and an opportunity for all trustees to engage in a
detailed discussion that had been very helpful. President
DiGiorgio reported that it is highly unlikely that legislative
activity will occur because the General Assembly has decided
not to reconvene, so unless the Governor vetoes the higher
education elements of the state budget, further action by the
Board will not be necessary. The President provided a brief
recap of items discussed in the Budget Workshop, noting that
the proposed budget calls for continuation of the Quality
Enhancement Initiative by providing a 2% salary increase for
faculty /staff that may not begin until January but would keep
salaries ahead of the 1.6% rise in the Consumer Price Index
and maintain Winthrop’s position of leadership among peer
institutions. In addition, the tuition and fee increase in
the proposed budget would have a $150 fee per semester
dedicated to the construction of the Lois Rhame West Complex.
It is anticipated that construction could begin in the spring
of 2004 and take eighteen months to complete. The budget
proposal would also restore operating budgets to the levels
they had in July 2002 but the University would have to absorb
the two million dollar loss in purchasing power calculated by
the Higher Education Price Index. The total proposed increase
in tuition and fees is $18.79% or $526 per semester.
Karl Folkens
stated that the Finance Committee spent much of its time
discussing the proposal. He stated that endorsing the
proposal was a tough decision but the consensus was that the
decision must be made to maintain the university’s position.
Bob Thompson stated that it is important to maintain both
quality and progress on improving facilities, technology, and
personnel. He stated that it is imperative to do this to keep
momentum and to place the proposal in the context of peer
institutions also announcing increases in the range of
15-22%. He noted that institutions in many states are taking
similar steps as many state legislatures are shifting the
funding of higher education to scholarship programs for
students and families rather than direct funding of
institutions.
Karl Folkens
moved that the Resolution be approved, seconded by Bob
Thompson. The motion was unanimously approved by voice vote.
Report of the Academic Affairs
Committee
Resolution to Confer Emeritus
Faculty Status.
Bob Thompson
offered this Resolution in the form of a Motion from the
Academic Affairs Committee. The Resolution passed unanimously
by voice vote.
Bob Thompson reported that the Committee
had received a report on implementation of the new General
Education program and asked Faculty Representative Marilyn
Smith to review the key points of that report for the full
Board. Dr. Smith stated that training had been completed for
the fall and had received outstanding responses. She also
noted that the General Education Committee has begun review
and approval of courses and that work is underway with the
Office of Assessment to devise appropriate assessment
instruments for the new curriculum.
Resolution
Endorsing the Revised General Education Program.
Bob Thompson
offered this Resolution in the form of a Motion from the
Academic Affairs Committee. The Resolution passed unanimously
by voice vote.
Bob Thompson reported that the Committee
had reviewed the proposed revisions to the Intellectual
Property policy. He noted that the policy had been updated
extensively through extensive research to accommodate issues
generated by new technologies and develop protocols for
determining ownership of intellectual property.
Resolution
Endorsing Intellectual Property Rights Policy..
Bob Thompson offered this Resolution in
the form of a Motion from the Academic Affairs Committee.
The Resolution passed unanimously by voice vote
Bob Thompson reported that the Committee
had received a very good report from Teresa Justice on the
work of Sponsored Programs and Research (SPAR) including
initiatives to recoup indirect costs, to make the grants
office “customer-friendly”, and to alert faculty to grant
opportunities in their disciplines. He also noted that
university support for faculty research is now up to $125,000
annually and that many projects involve students as
co-researchers, including the presentation of papers at
national conferences.
Bob Thompson reported that the Committee
had reviewed the lists of faculty members awarded tenure and
promotion. He also reported that the Committee had been
briefed on legislative action that encouraged Boards of
Trustees to formalize arrangements for international student
exchanges.
Resolution to
Approve International Exchange Agreements.
Bob Thompson offered this Resolution in
the form of a Motion from the Academic Affairs Committee.
Karl Folkens moved that the Resolution as presented be amended
to add the word “ratify” to the last sentence. Bob Thompson
seconded the motion. The Resolution as amended passed
unanimously by voice vote.
Report of the University Relations Committee
Glenda Owens reported that the University Relations Committee
received a briefing from the Advancement division. She noted
that the Capital Campaign ends June 30, and everyone is still
excited about the level of faculty and staff participation,
with contributions nearing $600,000. She also noted that most
contributions had been designated to either the Faculty/Staff
Scholarship or the Tom Webb Scholarship Fund. She also
reported that a new Winthrop ring had been approved by the
Traditions Committee with significant input from the Student
Alumni Council, that the Alumni Reunion weekend had been a
great success, and that a major redesign of the webpage is
nearing completion. She also reported that campus
photographer Joel “Nick” Nichols and his forty years of
service to Winthrop will be celebrated by an exhibit of his
work in Joynes Hall.
Glenda Owens reported that the Committee
received updates from the division of Athletics. She noted
that for the first time, three of Winthrop’s Athletic teams
received automatic NCAA bids. She also reported that Winthrop
had hosted six Big South Conference tournaments, that the
Athletics web page has been redesigned, and that the Women’s
Soccer team will play 19 games this fall, with 8 of them at
home. She also noted that the Committee had been briefed on
new guidelines for athletic eligibility established by the
NCAA.
Glenda Owens reported that the Committee
received updates from the division of Student Life. She
reported that the Committee had been updated on Admissions,
noting that the goal of 1050 freshmen is very close to being
met. She noted that applications are up 10% and that the
admissions website has been enhanced by adding lots of links.
She also reported that Welcome Week programming has been
enhanced with programs to help students transfer into the
academic life of the university. She stated that the
Committee had also been briefed on services for students with
disabilities.
Nominating Committee
Sanita Savage thanked the members of the Nominating
Committee for Board of Trustees. She reported the following
slate of officers for the 2003-2004 Board term in the form of
a recommendation from the Committee on Nominations: Mary Jean
Martin for Chair, Karl Folkens for Vice Chair, and Glenda
Owens for Secretary. Chairman Gahagan asked if there were any
other nominations from the floor. There were none. Skip
Tuttle moved, seconded by Bob Thompson, that the slate
presented by the Committee on Nominations be accepted. The
motion was passed unanimously by voice vote.
Report from Faculty Representative
Marilyn Smith presented a written report highlighting changes
made to the Honors Program, progress made on implementing
General Education, and issues presented by the Faculty
Concerns Committee. She also noted that faculty were
interested in increasing resources for graduate student
stipends and had concerns about recruiting outstanding
graduate students.
Report from the Student Representative
Council of Student Leaders (CSL)
Chair-elect Richard Fowler reported that CSL applications are
up substantially. He noted that there are two positions for
freshmen in the fall. He also noted that plans are underway
for a fall retreat and that the major goals for CSL for the
coming year are to open the organization more to the campus
community, especially various clubs and organizations, and to
highlight the mission of the CSL.
Report from the President
President DiGiorgio reported that this had been an
extraordinary year given the economic and public policy
contexts. He reported that Winthrop University had received
the top rating of “substantially exceeds standards” from the
Performance Funding system, noting that Winthrop is the first
comprehensive institution to attain this rating. He also
stated that the university had maintained its 100%
accreditation distinction, with both Interior Design and Mass
Communications being reaffirmed in the past year. He reported
that the university had enrolled one of its largest, most
academically, talented, and diverse freshmen classes. He also
noted that Winthrop had scored a strong showing in the
assessment by National Survey of Student Engagement compared
to national results. He stated that the average faculty
salaries had moved from8th to 3rd among
state peers as a result of the Quality Enhancement
Initiative. The President noted that The Courtyard was opened
this year and was a major success as a state of the art
facility and as an innovative process for funding and
developing residence halls. He also noted the progress made
on General Education, the ACAD 101 course, the revision of the
Honors program, the discussions led by the Nature and
Character Task Force, and the creation of University College.
The President also noted the new team of academic leaders and
he pointed out that Winthrop had truly “grown its own”,
demonstrating the strength of the institution internally.
The President stated that the university
is going into uncertain times due to the economic landscape
and the unresolved issues on the structure of higher education
governance in the state. At the same time he stated that he
was most sure of the continued progress and direction of the
university and he commended the Board for staying true to its
values and supporting quality education.
Old Business
There was no old
business.
New Business
Chairman Gahagan thanked
the Board members for their time, their effort, and their
support during his term as Chair.
Executive Session
There was no Executive Session.
Adjournment
The Board adjourned at 2:20 p.m.
Minutes submitted by Brien Lewis,
Secretary to the Board
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