June 5, 2003
Dunlap-Roddey Room, Johnson Hall
Winthrop University, Rock Hill, SC
Minutes of Meeting of the Board of Trustees
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.
Representatives present: Marilyn Smith, Faculty Representative.
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.
Representatives present: Marilyn Smith, Faculty Representative and Rich Fowler, Student Representative-elect.
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.
