Monday, August 19, 2019
Olde Stone House
Winthrop University, Rock Hill, SC
Members present: Glenn McCall, Jane LaRoche, Tim Hopkins, Ed Driggers, Isaiah Venning, Randy Imler, Donna Glenn Holley, Sandra Stroman, Ashlye Wilkerson, Robby Sisco, Gary Williams, Janet Smalley, Kathy Bigham, and Dan Mahony (ex officio).
Members absent: Tim Sease, Julie Fowler
Representatives present: Imani Belton, Student Representative; Dr. Adolphus Belk, Jr., Faculty Representative
Representatives absent: None
Others present: Dr. Adrienne McCormick, Shelia Burkhalter, Judy Longshaw, Tammie Phillips, Justin Oates, Karen Jones, Dr. Ken Halpin, Dr. Jennie Rakestraw, Caroline Overcash, Lisa Cowart, Dr. Jack DeRochi, Amanda Maghsoud, Dr. Takita Sumter, Kirk McSwain, Dr. Kimberly Faust, all of Winthrop University, Matthew Thrift of The Johnsonian student newspaper.
The Board of Trustees met on Monday, August 19, 2019 at the Olde Stone House on the campus of Winthrop University, Rock Hill, SC.
Call to Order
Chair McCall called the meeting to order at 1:00 p.m. He welcomed all present and delivered an invocation.
Approval of Consent Agenda
Sandra Stroman with a second from Isaiah Venning, moved to accept the consent agenda. The vote was unanimous in favor of the motion.
Included on the consent agenda were the Board meeting minutes from June 28, 2019 and July 24, 2019. Also included was a revision of the previously adopted (June 28, 2019) Faculty Emeritus Resolution. The previously adopted ‘Resolution to Confer Emeritus Status’ was passed without recognition of Dr. Keith Benson, a departing faculty member who had been deemed worthy of receiving this honor alongside those conferred Emeritus Status on June 28th, 2019. This amendment will place his name and title, Dr. Keith Benson, Professor of Healthcare Management, alphabetically within the names of honorees in the previously adopted resolution.
The final item included on the consent agenda was the adoption of President Mahony’s Agency Head Planning Document 2019-20.
After receiving input from Trustees and feedback from University vice presidents, the Executive Committee prepared a list of goals as required by the Agency Head Planning Document for Board approval containing objectives for the 2019-20 Academic Year for President Mahony. The key strategic priorities of academic year 2019-20 are:
Adoption of the operating budget for 2019-20
The FY2019 Operating Budget is projected to end the year $2.4M favorable to the revised budget. Although there was a slight reduction in tuition & fee revenue associated with Spring enrollment decline, there was an increase of $983K in Auxiliary interest income related to investments held with the State Treasurer. It is important to note that only $520,000 of that is in cash. Additionally, most departments were able to lower costs and restrict spending via vacancy savings, planned reductions, and auxiliary scholarship support.
The FY2019 Net Position is projected to the end the year at $21.8M or $1.6M higher than FY2018 balance. This was driven by operating results detailed above. It does include a $1.2M reduction in the Athletics fund balance to support scholarships as well as an increase in the Institutional Capital Project Fund (ICPF) fund balance associated with debt funds in excess of amount needed for annual debt payments.
The FY2020 Operating Budget is projected to increase $1.6M compared to FY2019 preliminary year-end actuals. Total Tuition and Fee revenue is projected to be down $200K or 0.2% compared to FY2019 results and $2.1M or 2.5% down from FY2018 results. These declines are driven by the undergraduate enrollment decline and the increase in the number on‐line graduate students enrolled in programs in the Wiley cost-share which, based on the current model, Winthrop only receives 45% of the revenue for those particular programs.
Total State Appropriations are projected to increase $2.7M with Total Other Revenue projected to decline by $191,000 driven by decline in both the Courtyard surplus funds and the administrative fee collected from CERRA (Center for Educator Recruitment, Retention, and Advancement.) Furthermore, given the FY2019 interest earnings are unlikely to be recognized at the same level, Housing Auxiliary
Revenue is projected to decline compared to the FY2019 results.
The FY2020 allocation decisions were, and will continue to be, made taking the following into consideration--Winthrop’s spending history between Academics, Athletics, & Non‐Academics with a focus on zero‐base funding, industry best practices in terms of allocation funding models, activity based identifiers such as credit hours, sections, labs, etc., Athletics support in balancing all‐funds funding gap in short‐term, while coming up with a long‐term plan, balancing non‐permanent compensation expenses with operating expenses, and reworking the way Winthrop categorizes non-permanent compensation related to adjuncts, temporary employees, students, and summer/extra teaching.
Gary Williams moved with a second from Robby Sisco to accept the operating budget for FY2020 as presented. The vote was unanimous in favor of the motion.
Executive Session
Tim Hopkins moved with a second from Sandra Stroman to move into executive session pursuant to South Carolina Ann. §30-4-70(a)(1) and (2) for the purposes of discussion of employment matters involving certain current and former university employees and for a discussion of proposed contractual arrangements. The vote was unanimous in favor of the motion. Dan Mahony, Caroline Overcash, Ken Halpin, Justin Oates, and Kimberly Faust were invited to remain for portions of the executive session.
Janet Smalley moved with a second from Gary Williams to end the executive session and return to public session. The vote was unanimous in favor of the motion.
Adjournment
Hearing no objections, Chair McCall adjourned the meeting at 2:30 p.m.
Minutes submitted by Kimberly A. Faust, Secretary to the Board
