https://digitalcollections.eku.edu/files/original/ea9593a1b241aad34a6b9a8888cb1d37.pdf c7acdfd6831768f853844a069ce689f3 PDF Text Text Minutes of a Regularly Scheduled Meeting Eastern Kentucky University Board of Regents April 6, 2018 Main Stage Center for the Arts Eastern Kentucky University I. Call to Order A regular quarterly meeting of the Eastern Kentucky University Board of Regents convened at I0:34 a.m. on the Main Stage of the Center for the Arts at Eastern Kentucky University, Richmond, Kentucky. Mr. Craig Turner, Chair of the Board, presided. Chair Turner requested a roll call and noted the presence of a quorum. The following members were present: Present: Mr. Craig Turner Mr. Juan Castro Ms. Nancy Collins Or. Richard Day Mr. Lewis Diaz Laura Jac.kson Mr. Alan Long Mr. Bryan Makinen Mr. Vasu Vasudevan Ms. Holly Wiedemann Absent: Laura Babbage Chair Turner stated that Regent Babbage had a prior commitment that was scheduled prior to being appointed to the Board and is out of state but is watching via livestream. Other persons present at the meeting were: Dr. Michael Benson, President Dr. Deborah Whitehouse, Interim Senior Vice President for Academics and Provost Ms. Dana Fohl, University Counsel and Secretary to the Board of Regents Mr. Dan McBride, Interim Vice President for Development and Alumni Relations Dr. David McFaddin; Vice President for Engagement and Regional Stewardship Dr. Gene Palka, Vice President for Student Success Mr. Barry Poynter, Vice President for Finance and Administration Members of the faculty and staff Regularly Scheduled Board of Regents Meeting Minutes Page I of20 �Members of the media Members of the community II. Presentation of Resolution in Recognition of Omar Salinas Chacon Chair Turner introduced Mr. Chacon, stated the Board passed a resolution in his honor at the February meeting, and on behalf of the Board, and presented the following resolution: WHEREAS, Eastern Kentucky University student Omar Salinas Chacon was recently named the "Student of Lhe Year" by the National Collegiate Honors Council; WHEREAS, the Student of the Year is the top achievement in the nation honors students can earn; WHEREAS, Salinas is a legal resident under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program and is a proud and vocal advocate for the continuation of the DACA program, Eastern Kentucky University has advocated for the continuation of the DACA program due to the impact on students Iike Chacon; BE IT THEREFORE RESOLVED that the Eastern Kentucky University Board of Regents hereby formally recognizes Omar Salinas Chacon for achieving this highest honor and further recognizes and values his contributions to the debate on the DACA program, his contributions to Eastern Kentucky University's honors program and his contribution to the overall student body of Eastern Kentucky University, done this 26th day of February 2018, by the Board of Regents of Eastern Kentucky University. III. Resolutions honoring commitment and service of former Board of Regents members David Tandy, Ernie House and Janet Craig Chair Turner noted that there were three former Regents who were quite engaged and contributed significantly to the University, making a tremendous impact on the Board. They were introduced as Regent David Tandy, from Louisville, who is an attorney; Ernie House, from London, Kentucky, who graduated from Eastern and played football, is an entrepreneur; and Janet Craig, from Lexington, Kentucky, who is an attorney as well. Chair Turner stated there were certificates and resolutions for all three individuals for their service, and those would be presented at a later date. IV. A. Information Items Committee Reports 1. Student Life, Discipline and Athletics Committee Committee Chair Lewis Diaz reported that the Student Life, Discipline and Athletics Committee met this morning to approve the minutes from the November 15, 2017 meeting. Regularly Scheduled Board of Regents Meeting Minutes Page 2 of20 �2. Institutional Advancement and Honors Committee Committee Chair Richard Day reported that the Institutional Advancement and Honors Committee met this morning to approve the minutes form the November 15, 2017 meeting. 3. Audit and Compliance Committee Committee Chair Alan Long repo1ted that the Audit and Compliance Committee met this morning. The Committee received a presentation for the upcoming fiscal year-end annual financial audit from Mr. Pete Ugo of Crowe Horwath and approved the minutes from the November I 5, 2017 meeting. 4. Finance and Planning Committee Committee Chair Alan Diaz repo1ted that the Finance and Planning Committee met this morning. The Committee received a financial update from Barry Poynter. The minutes from the November 15, 2017 meeting were approved. The proposed graduate and on line tuition rates for 2018-2019 were approved. The Proposed Model Laboratory School Tuition and Fees for 2018-19 were approved. 5. Executive and Academic Affairs Committee Committee Chair Craig Turner reported that the Executive and Academic Affairs Committee met this morning1 with six items on the action agenda, including the approval of the February 26, 2018 minutes. The remaining five, including Personnel Actions, Program Revisions and Suspensions, recommended Sabbatical Program Participants for 2018-2019, Faculty Emeritus nominations for 2018-20 I 9, and recommendations for Promotion and Tenure were approved by the Committee and will be addressed in the action items later in this meeting. B. Additional Reports to the Board 1. Mr. Craig Turner, Chair The Chairman gave the following report: I have observed how some of our sister institutions are dealing with their budget reductions. The approach varies from one institution to another. One hired a consultant to provide recommendations for their budget reductions, the administration at several other institutions determined their budgetary path, and another has strictly relied upon the increased revenue model. Our President implemented a process that has involved twelve stakeholders representing the President's Council, Academic Affairs, Institutional Research, Faculty Senate, the Dean ' s Council, the Chairs Association, the Provost's Office, Staff Council, the Office of University Counsel, Finance and Administration, Student Success, Paculty~at-large, and Human Resources. This initiative began almost six months ago, and they provided a draft recommendation to the Board approximately 30 days ago. I want to thank the Budget Advisory Committee, the College Deans, the Vice-Presidents, the Faculty Senate, the Council on Academic Affairs, and Regularly Scheduled Board of Regents Meeting Minutes Page 3 of20 �everyone else who contributed to preparing a comprehensive set of recommendations. Their work included campus-wide surveys, face to face planning meetings, flexible refinements, and respect for University policy and procedure. These recommendations are intended to create a fair and strategic approach that captures the savings while preserving those areas critical to growth and sustainability. To achieve $25 million in savings requires consensus. There is no way, in my mind, that these recommendations could be crafted without it. The fact that there was unanimous approval by the members of the Budget Advisory Committee reaffirms my belief that our University's leadership is willing to collaborate and compromise. EKU is a diverse collection of priorities, values, and missions. We may disagree on the methods to reach our goal, but we can and should come together in the best interests of the University as a whole. Today we deal with serious decisions. These are the decisions that will have lasting implications on the University. The institution's viability must be supported above any one individual or specific groups' needs or agenda. We all know that that's what makes Eastern better. and makes us better is our students. That means doing what is necessary to share EKU 's story with as many prospective students as possible. President Benson mentions to me often that we have to be recruiters for Eastern when at work and in our communities. The Board and Administration have received feedback emphasiz ing the importance of applying the strategic plan to these budget decisions. In the University's first strategic goal for academic excellence, we are charged to strengthen academic programs through the following strategies: ensure relevance of all academic programs through ongoing curriculum development and program review; financially invest in and promote nationally-recognized programs that attract students to EKU; identify, pursue and promote opportunities for new highquality, distinct and compelling programs with capacity to grow enrollments; increase capacity in existing programs identified as having high demand. Our decisions must hold true to these strategies to meet our goals. These choices are not easy and they are not always popular, but they will ultimately strengthen our University as a whole. There is no way to reach the University's financial obligations without a reduction in force. It is by far the most painful part of this process. Considering the magnitude of our financial shortfall, unfo1tunately there is no other choice but to reduce the number of employees at the University. It is by no fault of theirs that these positions must be eliminated, but it is a brutal reality of the budgetary times currently in higher education. The athletic department was challenged to benchmark the operation of its programs with other OYC universities. Athletics, at this point, is offering the largest percent of cost savings to support the University's budgetary goals. With the recommended budget reductions, we unfo1tunately cannot continue to support all of the current athletic teams. The University intends to honor scholarships offered to those students who want to continue their education at EKU . It is difficult to see the potential elimination of these successful teams. Athletics continues to suppo11 this diverse student population that enriches our campus and community. Regularly Scheduled Board of Regents Meeting Minutes Page 4 of20 �Meeting the demands of our students and creating an academic environment that helps Eastern excel is critical to this process. Program suspension and academic program restructuring unfortunately must occur to align the University for this future success. The Provost and the Deans Counci I used the 2016 program to review data on the basis for reviewing its cunsent programs, degree production, and enrollment. The programs recommended for suspension have a 3 year or an 8 year average degree of less than IO students, with the exception of the associate degree program in nursing. It is important to remember that these programs that could be approved for suspension will have a transition plan with teach-out options for currently enrolled students. EKU must continue to meet students wherever they are. The prevalence of EKU's on line course offerings has been met with great acceptance and accolades. It is logical that we continue to offer revenue-generating programs that are in demand by our students on and off campus. The recommendation to create new online offerings of high demand programs is currently repositioning the University. There is a recommendation to close the Danville campus due to significant market changes in our economic landscape. This recommendation comes, candidly, with great sadness and trepidation. It is critical that we focus on our main campus population and increase our online enrollment. If approved, EKU advisors and suppo1t staff will assist students affected by the closure to continue their education at another EKU facility or online. Since the very beginning of this process, I maintain that we will have to deal with very tough decisions and issues to meet our obligation. But the tough things must be done right. No plan is perfect and we can only attempt to do our best. Unfortunately, we cannot cut our way out of the current situation. The ultimate answer is we must increase enrollment and optimize our most successful programs. Eastern Kentucky University is a great institution. It is our collective obligation to see that it remains that way. Thank you. 2. Laura Jackson, SGA President Laura Jackson, the current SOA President, delivered the following report: The Student Activities Council has held several events this semester, including movie showings and cultural dinners, one of which, and Irish cultural dinner, President Benson got to enjoy. They have a few more events coming up, including a community service event that will involve donating clothing items, as well as one of its more well-known events, Midnight Breakfast, which will take place during dead week or the week before finals. The Student Senate has passed multiple pieces of legislation regarding the budgeting process with the state legislature. They have also been engaged in providing funding to registered student organizations for multiple purposes, including promoting diversity. As Chair Turner just mentioned, the Budget Advisory Committee met with multiple groups on campus. The Student Senate was one of those groups and I want to thank the committee for doing that. Regularly Scheduled Board of Regents Meeting Minutes Page S of20 �The SGA elections were held a few weeks ago. Ryan Wiggins was elected as the student body President, along with his running mate, Madi son Lipscomb, for Executive Vice President. Those results are pending due to SGA bylaw violation allegations. The Vice President of the Student Activities Council will be Samantha Josselyn. All ten Senate candidates on the ballot were elected and so were five write-in candidates. The new executive slate will be sworn in at the annual SGA banquet on April 23 in Keen Johnson. All of you should be receiving an invitation today for that and I hope that you are able to join us. I plan on bringing the new executive slate with me to my last board meeting this summer to introduce them to you. 3. Dr. Matthew Winslow, Faculty Senate Chair Dr. Matthew Winslow, Chair of the Faculty Senate, delivered the fo llowing report: Good morning, Chair Turner and the rest of the members of the Board. I have three items to bring to your attention. The first relates to the administrative review of the President by the faculty. I submitted the Executive Committee' s summary report to President Benson and the Board on March 30. I want to thank and commend the members of the Executive Committee for producing an objective and professional report in accordance with policy. The second item relates to the program suspensions. The Faculty Senate voted on potential program suspensions proposed by the Budget Advisory Committee. The Senate voted to suspend six programs and voted to not suspend 14 programs. I would like to read the list of each to you in turn. The program suspensions that were voted to support: B.S. Risk Management and Insurance; B.S. Business and Marketing Education Teaching; M.S.N. Nursing Administration Concentration; B.S. Physical Education P- I 2 Teaching PE and Health Concentration; B.A. Chemistry; and B.S. Mathematics Teaching. The programs that were not supported for suspension include: B.A. Deaf Studies; M.A. American Sign Language Studies; A.S.N. Nursing; B.S. Family and Consumer Sciences Education Teaching; B.F.A. Art/Design Studio Sculpture Concentration; Certificate in Theatre Performance; Certificate in Theatre Design and Technology; Minor in Theatre Arts; Minor in Theatre Arts (Teaching); B.A. Economics; Minor in Economics; Minor in Religion; Psy.S. School Psychology; M.S. Mathematical Sciences. Near the end of the Senate meeting on April 2 there was a motion from the floor of the Senate and a series of friendly amendments to that motion. I would like to read you the text of that motion and the friendly amendments. The original motion was that the EKU Board of Regents should make budget cuts based on the EKU Strategic Plan. The first friendly amendment says every other university area should be cut before academics is cut and then if financial exigency is declared. The second friendly amendment said that further, any academic cuts should be preceded by the university moving football and men's basketball to Division II and also requested that the Faculty Senate Budget Committee Report be included. The third friendly amendment said that additionally, some of the infonnation being presented to the committees may not be accurate given Regularly Scheduled Board of Regents Meeting Minutes Page 6 of20 �the vague nature of some responses during the EKU Council on Academic Affairs meeting. The fou11h friendly amendment said the Board should make decisions that are not only usefu I for today, but for the future. The fifth and final friendly amendment said that I should include the Coalition of Senate and Faculty Leadership for Higher Education lotter. I have attached both the Budget Committee and the COSFL letter to my report to this Committee as well as my comments this morning. [The Faculty Senate Budget Report and the Coalition of Senate and Faculty Leadership for Higher Education letter have been incorporated herein and will be included with the official copy of the minutes.] Regent Day commended the Executive Committee on its work on the administrative review of the President. Regent Diaz thanked Dr. Winslow for providing the report by April to ensure timely consideration before the year end. He also thanked Dr. Winslow for serving on the Budget Advisory Committee and representing the Faculty Senate. 4. Ms. Jennifer Newman, Stnff Council Vice Chair Ms. Jennifer Newman, Vice Chair of Staff Council, delivered the following repo11: Board of Regents, President Benson and distinguished guests. Thank you for the opportunity that Staff Council has to present to you today. My name is Jennifer Newman and I currently serve as Vice Chair of Staff Council. These are stressful times for our Eastern community and family for which there are no adequate words to express what staff are experiencing. The staff play a vital role in the successful and efficient operation of the university and work alongside our faculty peers to produce high-caliber students. We know that the end result will create lasting, but productive changes which will ensure we are positioned for success and will set a foundation by which the university will grow and flourish. We understand that the entire university community is having to grapple with a decade of continually decreasing state funding, operate in the new performance-based funding environment, and make up for pension shor1falls that are not of our making. These factors are out of our control. What is in our control is ensuring that we treat each other fa irly, have compassion for any aspect of our operation that is impacted, and ensure that we place students above ourselves as we serve in our various roles. To this end, Staff Council has been working on various initiatives to recognize the contribution that all Eastern employees make in their daily walk on campus. More information about these initiatives will be made available as details are finalized. Regu larly Scheduled Board of Regents Meeting Minutes Page 7 of20 �The Staff Council members have been actively participating in university standing committees to ensure the staff have a voice in ongoing work and in pol icy development. These include Parking Advisory, Benefits Advisory, Employee Recognition where staff council is assisting for the yearly dinner for Retirees May 8th and other ad hoc committees such as the Budget Advisory Committee in which our Chair Stephanie King recently served. It's impo1tant to reiterate what she shared during her report to the Regents on in February, in her 23 years here at EKU it was the most challenging process she's ever been involved in as they reviewed proposals submitted from the Deans and VP' s. She regrets not being able to give our report today but I'm happy to say she's taking some much needed time off with her family during Madison County's spring break this week. Continuing on with Staff Council initiatives, our subcommittee work includes the Elections and Credentials committee chaired by Ann Cotton and they are currently working on the Staff Regent Election which will be held in May and then we' ll proceed to schedule forums as needed - Bryan if you don' t have your calendar marked already, please note that your form needs to be submitted by April 30°1• This committee will also be working on the representation tables to make sure we have everyone tied to their appropriate staff council representative. In the Communications committee which is chaired by Kerrie Adkins, they are working on a communication plan as we move forward with the Staff Regent Election, Staff Emeritus nominations and other initiatives. For our Issues and Benefits committee which is chaired by Tim Miesmer, this committee will be looking for additional ways to provide benefits for staff most notably work experience transferring for college credit, and in the Staff Recognition and Professional Development committee in which I chair, we're reviewing the professional development fund as well as putting plans together for Staff Emeritus nominations. Among other activities we're working 01\ we are partnering with the Office of Sustainability to award a five dollar token to be used toward food purchases at any food truck vendor to the first 300 employees who register with their employee ID for the Ea11h Day Festival April 19th • As I said before, the currnnt budget situation is not of our making but we are responsible for how we respond. Recently President Benson wrote an article in which he related the early settler' s experience in the 1880s who endured horrific weather conditions in Utah. After surviving the treacherous conditions and settled, they adopted the motto "We Can Do Hard Things''. And like those early settlers we are embarking on new territory in this political climate which is attacking education on all fronts. Our hope is to set the example here at Eastern not only for the students we serve but to also set the example for our peers we interact with daily and recognize the hard work they are putting in each day and to acknowledge those efforts will have to be ramped up once more to make sure that we as staff are able to continue to provide the same level of service and survive this storm. Again, thank you for your time. Regularly Scheduled Board of Regents Meeting Minutes Page 8 of20 �Regent Day stated it was remarkable and commendable that the staff takes the attitude of placing students above ourselves and speaks a lot about character and the kind of connection to Eastern seen by many of the staff. 5. Dr. Michael Benson, President Dr. Michael Benson, President, delivered the following remarks: Good morning. I' m going to divide this into two parts; first, is a very brief repo1t because I will have more to say when we do the Budget Advisory Committee recommendations. Next week is Scholar's Week. It's one of my favorite times of year. Lt's a chance for us to showcase the remarkable work of our faculty and students and the support of our staff. Speaking of scholars, just two weeks ago today 1 was in Boston to support a remarkable student here on our campus, Nate Bartosch, and his academic accomplishment. He received from the Fonnn on Education Abroad the Academic Achievement Abroad Award. It takes a truly extraordinary student to spend eight weeks in Madagascar, eight to ten hours a day, observing the indigenous lemur population, which he did, chronicling the movements ofthese lemurs. For his work, together with Professor Benjamin Freed, Nate was recognized. He is the first student to be recognized from a regional comprehensive university. He was one of two students that addressed a ballroom packed with 1,400 pmticipants at this conference. The other student was Casey Wanna from Middlebury College on the east coast. A wonderful recognition of Nate, and to be in that company and to celebrate EKU was a wonderful accomplishment for him and a great day for EKU. l would Iike to extrapolate, I hope, some good news from summer enrollment numbers. We get these on a weekly basis, but our summer enrollment numbers look very promising. Overall, we are up 12% but Tanlee says the most important number to keep an eye on is the full-time undergraduate number, and that's 2 l .5% up. Again, we think the fact that we have kept our tuition flat for the fall semester, that message is getting out. I was at a CPE meeting on Wednesday and other institutions we think are following suit. They will set the tuition rates at other schools here in the next few days. We hope that the fall numbers will continue to remain strong but if summer numbers are any indication, I think that bodes very well for us. Regent Collins made a motion that Nate Bartosch should be rec,:ognized formally by adopting a resolution for his accomplishments. The motion was seconded by Regent Diaz, The motion passed by voice vote. V. Action Items A. Budget Advisory Committee Recommendations Dr. Michael Benson, delivered the following remarks: Regularly Scheduled Board of Regents Meeting Minutes Page 9 of20 �I want to first thank the Board for the chance to address you this morning and my sincere appreciation to the Budget Advisory Committee for its efforts these past several months in performing a task which, frankly, none of the members probably ever wanted or envisioned themselves doing when they came to Eastern. But these are the times in which we find ourselves. The members of this committee have dutifully and faithfully completed the task that we set before them to identify $25 million in recurring cost-savings and to set EKU on a path toward financial stability and sustained excellence. This brings to mind a quote sent to me last week by a friend on campus. She quoted a hero of mine who made this statement several decades ago, "Men" - and I would add parenthetically "women ' as well - ''make history and not the other way around. fn periods where there is no leadership, society stands still. Progress occurs when courageous, skillful leaders seize the opportunity to change things for the better." Now, of course, my favorite President said that, Harry S. Truman. Our task is to demonstrate that leadership that Harry S. Truman talked about in the face of incredibly daunting challenges. I have read and studied the complete report of the Budget Advisory Committee. I have met with its members. I have been in discussions with the Presidenes Council and I have had conversations with a number of faculty and staff impacted by the proposed recommendations. I also understand the gravity of the financial situation in which the University finds itself, 111uch of which is not of its own doing. The sad reality is that state funding for higher education generally, and for Eastern Kentucky University specifically, has been on a downward trajectory for the past decade, if not more. This decline in suppo11 is compounded by our increased obligation as it relates to pension liabilities. It truly is a perfect storm in financial reckoning, the likes of which EKU has never seen in its long and storied history. What I would like to do now is review the work of the Budget Review Committee and the areas where they recommend reductions as part of the 505 strategies developed. At the conclusion of my recommendation to the Board, Dr. Deborah Whitehouse will present the program suspension list as ratified by the Council on Academic Affairs. At that point, I will invite David McFaddin and Tan lee Wasson to join Deb and me at the podium and we will be happy to entertain questions. [END REMARKS] President Benson presented the Budget Advisory Committee Recommendations, a copy of which is incorporated herein, and will be included with the official copy of the minutes. President Benson made the following final comments to the Board: Of the 505 strategies that the Budget Advisory Committee recommends, I concur with 502 of those strategies. News from Frankfo11 in the past few days may very well mitigate somewhat the financial impact on our biannual budget. We have yet to see certainly what will happen. If indeed there is some relief in sight, I would advocate that the reductions to the Regularly Scheduled Board of Regents Meeting Minutes Page 10 of20 �academ ic side of EKU be the first area where these cuts are minimized, specifically in three areas. J can speak specifically and personally to two of these areas, and then will make general comments about the third. rn my role as President of EKU, I strike to remain as objective and impa11ial as I possibly can. Every discipline and field of study has merit. One of the benefits of my position is being surrounded by capable and committed facu lty who are experts in their respective fields and who have dedicated years to mastering their subject matter and perfecting their craft. I am I00 percent committed to the academic mission of Eastern and the students we serve as our top priorities. But in this age of not being able to be everything to everyone, we have to make difficult choices, and that is why I recommend the Board's suppo11 of the proposed reductions listed in the Budget Advisory Committee' s report, along with a list of suspended programs as ratified by the Council on Academic Affairs. The only programs not approved for suspension by the CAA were Economics and Theatre. The basis for my rationale is grounded in the belief that any university, public or private, large or small, is truly not a un iversity without economics or theatre. Some might question why I am making this recommendation and even posit that in doing so, I am imposing my own personal judgments at this juncture in the process. Perhaps 1 am. But 1 also have the obligation as President of the institution to present my own personal and professional perspective. developed over years of experience and study. When I arrived in England to pursue my own graduate work i.n 1991 , many of my fe llow classmates - some of whom were Rhodes Scholars and much smarter than I am, I should add enrolled in a second bachelor's program called PP and E: PoJitics, Philosophy, and Economics. As described in the University' s own literature, "PP & E began at Oxford in 1920, and was known as Modern Greats. It was born of the conviction that study of the great modern works of social, political and ph ilosophical thought could have a transformative effect on students' intellectual lives, and thereby on society at large." My Oxford classmates, graduates of the PP&E program have pursued successful careers in banking and finance, politics, journalism and broadcasting, law, industry, education, social work, accountancy, business management, advertising and many branches of government. Ask any of our own Economics faculty where our graduates have landed and they populate these same fields. Believe me, we have heard from scores of them in the past few weeks, and they are very proud of their EKU degrees and grateful for the training they received as students. That said, I have met with our Economics faculty and have encouraged them to review their curriculum and determine what changes can be made, wholesale, in order to increase enrollments, to improve the success of their program, and to make their graduates even more marketable in today's ever-changing economics and business environment. Regularly Scheduled Board of Regents Meeting Minutes Page 11 of20 �Among the ideas we discussed are to move these faculty to the School of Business in the College of Business & Technology, effective next academic year. These faculty would be housed in the Department of Accounting, Finance & Information Systems. We would transition the current bachelor of arts in economics to a bachelor of business administration in economics the only degree of this type in Kenlllcky. These economics faculty would also assist with teaching courses currently required for 13 of the programs in business and technology. I might add that economics courses are required for other majors, such as education, for those students seeking proficiency in subject areas. I recommend the Board give these faculty over the next several months - together with our academic leadership team - the opportunity to develop an aggressive plan moving forward that will preserve these faculty positions and save our Economics program for the benefit of hundreds of EKU students who count on the University to provide this course content. Former Dean John Wade has agreed to lead this effort and will be prepared to report on progress of the ad hoc working group at the next Board meeting in June. As it relates to Theatre, the great playwright and author of one of my favorite works, Our Town, Thornton Wilder, once said this: "I regard the theatre as the greatest of all art forms, the most immediate way in which a human being can share with another the sense of what it is to be a human being." Again, I hearken back to my time in England and the chance to buy "student rush tickets" on the day of a performance in London's West End for 7 pounds. For less than the price of one ticket to the local Cinemark, I saw some of this generation 's most celebrated actors from the front row like Dame Judy Dench, Peter O'Toole, and Jeremy Irons, to name just a few. If we were to eliminate the two faculty positions and suspend the minor and certificate programs, we could risk that there would be no more productions on our campus, nor would the University have any theatre courses for general education or electives. Further, there would be no avenue for ce1tifying theatre teachers for public schools. And there would also be few, if any, oppo1tunities to bring our campus community together, in what Mr. Wilder described as the "greatest of all art fonns.>' While the educational loss for our students is difficult to calculate, the civic and cultural impact of this action would be devastating. We are only a semester and a half along into the changes to our theatre program developed as a response to the drop in student subscription rates. My recommendation to the board is to give Dean Zeigler and her colleagues a bit more time to continue to develop the Theatre minors and the certificate in pe1formance and allow us to properly support the program so that it can improve in terms of its presence, visibility, and student impact. The minimal expenses EKU makes in these theatre effo1ts more than justifies the return: these investments redound to our community and add to the vitality and richness of our campus. Eastern deserves to have a theatre program. Every great university does. As it relates to the third area, one only need pick up a newspaper or turn on the evening news to see the acute challenges those working in mental health are facing on a daily basis in our Regularly Scheduled Board of Regents Meeting Minutes Page 12 of20 �society - especially those professionals helping students in our elementary and secondary schools. I recommend to the board that the school psychology program be continued for the time being without enrolling any new students - but be thoroughly studied - with a view toward taking it Online with the proper accreditation and staffing. We are in no way diminishing our commitment to training school psychologists and helping those currently enrolled in the program to complete their degrees and gain employment in their areas of expertise. What the Budget Review Committee found with this program was the low face-to-face enrollment in the master's program made it hard to justify its high expense. We remain committed to training those who have made the investment to help our kids - but to do it in a way that is more accessible and more affordable to all those who choose to enter this field of study. This program fulfills a great need in our Commonwealth and beyond. I believe a restructuring of this program and taking it on line - again working to gain the required accreditation -- would support not only our commitment to education, but our instinition's long history of service in support of teachers and schools. I again thank the members of the Budget Advisory Committee. They performed their work with an unwavering commitment to EKU within the parameters and guidance provided them. While we had to adhere to our internal timelines and processes. I recognize we did, however, put the Committee at a bit of a disadvantage, requidng their recommendations be submitted in the middle of the legislative session. I remind you, they offered their work for the review of the President's Council exactly four weeks ago, prior to the various versions of pension and budget bills we have witnessed in just the last week. In light of some pension relief, albeit limited, 1 am also required to provide my own recommendation to preserve some of these academic programs if resources allow, and have done so this morning based on my own perspective and experience. These are among the most difficult choices of my tenure as a University President and I am terribly disappointed that we cannot retain all our academic programs. The reality of recoupi.ng $25 million is daunting, and our scarce resources simply cannot support every program we have offered in the past. As dictated by our strategic plan, we are called upon as an institution to support and enhance programs with potential for growth. If this Board accepts my recommendations) you have my commitment that we will develop and execute strategies to strengthen and grow each of these programs, and in the spirit of Harry S. Truman, "change things for the better." Thank you very much for your consideration. Chair Turner announced that Regent Makinen requested the opportunity make remarks to the Board. Regent Makinen delivered the following remarks: Regularly Scheduled Board of Regents Meeting Minutes Page 13 of20 �I greatly appreciate taking a few moments to convey some important thoughts and ideas from the staff. The voting decision today is one of the hardest that 1 have had to navigate in my tenure as a Regent. This is a difficult and troubling time in the history of our great institution. We have the daunting task of yet again being reactive to the budgetary environment in Frankfo1t and a shortfall in enrollment needs and projections. [n particular, this is a difficult time specifically for staff. This includes staff who serve in both the academic support and non-academic support areas of campus. Understandably, J have heard a consistent message that no one and no program wants to be impacted and everyone understands that the budget issues and concerns that the University must face are both serious and significant. After consulting with Chair Turner, I asked the staff to contact me with concerns and ideas prior to the meeting today as a means of capturing our collective voice to present to the Board. No one has asked me to vote no to staff reductions but rather have offered nothing but selfless solutions such as reduced work weeks, modified schedules, volunteering to personally reduce paid hours in lieu of losing a colleague, 4-day work weeks, streamlining processes, and many more. This only showcased to me what l already knew, our staff have tremendous heart and are the soul of the university. They selflessly desire to do whatever it takes to serve one another, our students and our faculty to ensure we provide a successful environment for the betterment of our state and our nation. Another common theme in the emails and communications I received were expressions of deep concern over staff morale and living in "abject fear•· that staff jobs will be the primary focus of cuts. Staff have largely shouldered cuts which began in 2013, happened again in 2015/2016. and will be impacted again by our decisions today. These cuts have been compounded by an increase in healthcare premiums. outsourcing of Custodial Services and Ground Maintenance (and other smaller operations), and various restructurings. Through all of this, the staff have remained vigilant and dedicated to serving our students, supporting our faculty, and making positive differences each and every day in the effective operations of the university. We continually desire to be a part of the success of Eastern for the benefit of our students. What concerns me today, more than ever before, is that 1 do not believe that we are done. Pension obligations will continue to be on the rise and House Bill 362 passed which paves the way for an opt-out provision for KERS which will have another direct impact on staff members. These are very concerning to me. Any savings that we may be able to glean from this process today need to be reinvested in successful programs that our consumers are actively choosing, and in our remaining staff and faculty, so that we will hopefully not have to have another process, such as this, in the future. r know the Budget Advisory Committee, and all who were involved in finding the $25 million dollars, performed admirably, and truly acted with the best intentions and the long~term viability of Eastern and its people in mind. Thank you for your dedicated service and expert recommendations. My thoughts are that if there is any money, or substantial changes that involve money, on the table for discussion, this should go through the established processed of Regularly Scheduled Board of Regents Meeting Minutes Page 14 of20 �the Budget Advisory Committee for fair and equitable consideration, and placed agaLnst the backdrop of the entire campus community. Thank you for allowing me the opportunity to share the emails I received from the staff and for the Regents who reached out to me and expressed concern for the staff and who desired to hear what we have to say. 1t is vitally important that everyone has the opportunity to share their thoughts and ideas for our consideration as decisions are made. I thank you for this opportunity. Thank you for allowing me to be a vocal point for the staff and institution. Thank you to staff who reached out and have talked with me and emailed me. Richard, I greatly appreciate your comments. Thank you. And to the Board members who reached out and expressed suppott and concern, thank you very much. It is deeply meaningful to know that we have a Board that cares so very deeply for all of our employees as we stand united to address the concerns that are in front of us. Thank you. [END REMARKS] Regent Diaz requested confirmation from the President that the Budget Advisory Committee members included tenured faculty. The President confirmed that to be accurate. Regent Diaz request confirmation from the President that the recommendations of the Budget Advisory Committee to the President's Council and to the Board today were unanimous. The President confirmed that to be accurate. President Benson indicated that the President's Council did not take a formal vote. B. Program Review Suspension Recommendations Dr. Deborah Whitehouse presented the Budget Advisory Committee Recommendations, a copy of which is referenced herein. Dr. Whitehouse presented the Budget Advisory Recommendations the College of Business and Technology. A motion was made by Regent Diaz to accept the Budget Advisory Committee recommendations and the recommendations of the Provost with respect to program suspensions of the B.S. in Risk Management and Insurance and the B.S. in Business and Marketing/Teaching. The motion was seconded by Regent Day. The roll was called and the following members voted "aye": Alan Longi Lewis Diazi Holly Wiedemann, Juan Castro, Vasu Vasudevan, Nancy Collins, Bryan Makinen, Laura Jackson, Richard Day, Craig Turner. No member voted "nay". Laura Babbage was absent. The motion passed. Dr. Whitehouse presented the Budget Advisory Recommendations for the College of Education . In response to questions, Dr. Whitehouse clarified that the "teach out" plan, which would apply to all of the suspended programs, considers where the students are in the program and formulates a plan for the student to complete their degree, by determining what courses they Regularly Scheduled Board of Regents Meeting Minutes Page 15 of20 �need and how those courses would be staffed in order to provide the courses to those students so they will not be impacted negatively. Following discussion, a motion was made by Regent Diaz to accept the Budget Advisory Committee recommendations and the recommendations of the Provost with respect to the program suspensions of the B.A. in Deaf Studies and the M.A. in American Sign Language. The motion was seconded by Regent Castro. The roll was called and the following members voted "aye": Alan Long, Lewis Diaz, I-lolly Wiedemann, Juan Castro, Vasu Vasudevan, Nancy Collins, Bryan Makinen, Laura Jackson, Richard Day, Craig Turner. No member voted "nay". Laura Babbage was absent. The motion passed. Dr. Whitehouse presented the Budget Advisory Recommendations for the College of Health Sciences. Following discussion, Regent Collins requested that the recommendations be considered individually. Chair Turner granted the request. A motion was made by Regent Diaz to accept the recommendations of the Budget Advisory Committee, the Provost, and the Council on Academic Affairs with respect to the program suspension of the A.S.N. in Nursing. The motion was seconded by Regent Castro. The roll was called and the following members voted "aye": Alan Long, Lewis Diaz, Holly Wiedemann, Juan Castro, Vasu Vasudevan, Nancy Collins, Bryan Makinen, Richard Day, Craig Turner. The following member voted "nay": Laura Jackson , stating it was due to the number of students affected. Laura Babbage was absent. The motion passed. A motion was made by Regent Diaz to accept the recommendations of the Budget Advisory Committee, the Provost, and the Council on Academic Affairs with respect to the program suspension of the M.S.N. Concentration in Nursing, Nursing Administration. The motion was seconded by Regent Castro. The roll was called and the following members voted ''aye": Alan Long, Lewis Diaz, Holly Wiedemann, Juan Castro, Vasu Vasudevan, Nancy Collins, Bryan Makinen, Laura Jackson, Richard Day, Craig Turner. No member voted "nay". Laura Babbage was absent. The motion passed. A motion was made by Regent Diaz to accept the recommendations of the Budget Advisory Committee, the Provost, and the Council on Academic Affairs with respect to the program suspension of the B.S. Concentration in Exercise and Sports Science (Physical Education), PE and Health/Teaching. The motion was seconded by Regent Castro. The roll was called and the following members voted "aye": Alan Long, Lewis Diaz, Holly Wiedemann, Juan Castro, Vasu Vasudevan, Nancy Collins, Bryan Makinen, Laura Jackson, Richard Day, Craig Turner. No member voted "nay". Laura Babbage was absent. The motion passed. A motion was made by Regent Diaz to accept the recommendations of the Budget Adv isory Committee, the Provost, and the Council on Academic Affairs with respect to the program suspension of the B.S. in Family and Consumer Science/Teaching, with the caveat that students be allowed to return to the program within a year for re-initiation if there is a change in circumstances. The motion was seconded by Regent Castro. The roll was called and the Regularly Scheduled Board of Regents Meeting Minutes Page 16 of20 �following members voted "aye": Alan Long, Lewis Diaz, Holly Wiedemann, Juan Castro, Craig Turner. The following members voted ''nay": Vasu Vasudevan, stating that given the circumstances and the low cost-savings, he is not comfortable in voting in favor of suspension; Nancy Collins, stating suspension of the program will not save an effective amount of money and suspension of the program is against goals that the Board has set forth in its Strategic Plan; Laura Jackson; Richard Day. Bryan Makinen abstained due to a potential conflict of interest. Laura Babbage wns absent. The motion passed. Or. Whitehouse presented the Budget Advisory Recommendations for the College of Letters, Arts, and Social Sciences. President Benson clarified that with regard to the Presidenes Council not taking a formal vote, there was unanimity among the group around the recommendations when it was first transmitted last month. He further stated his view had evolved over the past several weeks, Chair Turner was informed of his change in perspective, and let the Budget Advisory Committee, as we as President's Council know yesterday that he would be making a different recommendation that was divergent from their perspective. A motion was made by Regent Day to suspend the B.F.A. Concentration in Art/Design Studio and Sculpture and the Minor in Religion. The motion was seconded by Regent Collins. The roll was called and the following members voted ·'aye": Alan Long, Lewis Diaz, Holly Wiedemann, Juan Castro, Vasu Vasudevan, Nancy Collins, Bryan Makinen, Laura Jackson, Richard Day, Craig Turner. No member voted ·'nay··. Laura Babbage was absent. The motion passed. In response to discussion and questions regarding the theatre programs, Dr. David Mcfaddin stated that the Budget Advisory Committee had robust discussions about potential solutions that would allow students to have an outlet such club status, partnerships with community theatres, and partnership with other outlets, and would be pursued to enhance the student experience while not offered as an academic credential. He further stated the committee' principles were about students and the student experience, and looking at the enrollment and participation it is obvious that non-majors are participating in theatre production on campus. Dean Sara Zeigler answered questions from the Board regarding the theatre operating budget, possible club status, status of individuals participating in productions. and future theatre productions if the program is suspended. A motion was made by Regent Diaz to support the recommendations of the Budget Advisory Committee with respect to the program suspensions of the Certificate in Theatre Performance, Certificate in Theatre Design and Technology, and Minor in Theatre Arts. The motion was seconded by Regent Long. The roll was called and the following members voted "aye": Alan Long, Lewis Diaz, Holly Wiedemann, Vasu Vasudevan, Bryan Makinen, Craig Regularly Scheduled Board of Regents Meeting Minutes Page 17 of20 �Turner. The following members voted "nay": Nancy Collins, Laura Jackson, Richard Day. Juan Castro abstained. Laura Babbage was absent. The motion passed. Dr. Whitehouse answered questions from the Board regarding the suspension of the B.A. and Minor in Economics. She further stated that the recommendation of the committee was if this major and minor were to be suspended general education and support courses would be retained for other majors that rely on the degree. Following further discussion, a motion was made by Regent Diaz to support the recommendations of the Budget Advisory Committee and the Provost with respect to the program suspension of the B.A. and Minor in Economics. The motion was seconded by Regent Castro. The roll was called and the following members voted ''aye": Alan Long Lewis Diaz, Holly Wiedemann, Juan Castro, Vasu Vasudevan, Bryan Makinen, Craig Turner. The following members voted "nay": Nancy Collins, Laura Jackson, Richard Day. Laura Babbage was absent. The motion passed. Professor Andrea Strait, Department of Psychology, was invited to the podium and answered questions from the Board regarding the Psy.S. in School Psychology program. A motion was made by Regent Collins to table the Budget Advisory Committee recommendations with respect to the program suspension of the Psy.S. in School Psychology until the June 2018 Board meeting. The motion was seconded by Regent Diaz. The roll was called and the following members voted "aye'': Alan Long, Lewis Diaz, Holly Wiedemann, Juan Castro, Vasu Vasudevan, Nancy Collins, Bryan Makinen, Laura Jackson, Richard Day, Craig Turner. No member voted "nay". Laura Babbage was absent. The motion passed. Dr. Whitehouse presented the Budget Advisory Recommendations for the College of Science and Academic Affairs. A motion was made by Regent Diaz to accept the recommendations of the Budget Advisory Committee and the Provost with respect to the program suspensions of the B.A. in Chemistry, B.S. in Mathematics Teaching, M.S. in Mathematical Sciences, College of Science; and B.J.S. in Individualized Studies. The motion was seconded by Regent Collins. The roll was called and the following members voted "aye": Alan Long, Lewis Diaz) Juan Castro; Vasu Vasudevan, Nancy Collins, Bryan Makinen, Laura Jackson, Richard Day, Craig Turner. No member voted "nay". Laura Babbage and Holly Wiedemann were absent. The motion passed. Chair Turner noted for the record that Regent Wiedemann had to leave the meeting due to a scheduled medical appointment as a result of a foot injury. Chair Turner thanked Dr. Whitehouse on behalf of the Board for her service Lo the University. Regent Diaz made a motion to approve the remaining Budget Advisory Committee recommendations with respect to Student Success, Regional Stewardship, Athletics, Development and Alumni Relations, Finance and Administration, and University-level Regularly Scheduled Board of Regents Meeting Minutes Page 18 of20 �strategies, with the caveat that the Athletics Department shall initiate a women' s beach volleyball program. The motion was seconded by Regent Long. The roll was called and the fol lowing members voted "aye": Alan Long, Lewis Diaz, Juan Castro, Vasu Vasudevan, Nancy Collins, Laura Jackson, Richard Day, Craig Turner. The following member voted "nay": Bryan Makinen, stating he is voting no due to a desire to have the same level of dialogue and scrutiny with the staff implications as with the academic implications. Laura Babbage and Holly Wiedemann were absent. The motion passed. C. Consent Agenda Chair Turner presented to the full Board the following items on the Consent Agenda for approval: i. ii. 111. iv. v. vi. Approval of the Minutes for the Full Board Meeting on February 26, 2018 Approval of the Minutes for the Special Board Meeting on March 19, 2018 Personnel Actions Report from the Council on Academic Affairs (Program Revisions and Requirements) Recommended Sabbatical Program Participants for 2018-2019 Faculty Emeritus Nominations for 2018-2019 The consent agenda items came before the Board upon motions from their committees by committee vote. The motion was seconded by Regent Long to approve the consent agenda items. The motion passed unanimously by voice vote. D. Proposed Graduate and Online Tuition Rates for 2018-2019 A motion was brought forth by the Finance and Planning Committee to approve the Proposed Residence Hall Rates for 2018-2019. The motion was seconded by Regent Day. The roll was called and the following members vote "aye" : Alan Long, Lewis Diaz, Juan Castro. Vasu Vasudevan, Nancy Collins, Bryan Makinen, Laura Jackson, Richard Day, Craig Turner. No member voted "nay". Laura Babbage and Holly Wiedemann were absent. E. Proposed Model Laboratory School Tuition and Fees for 2018-2019 A motion was brought forth by the Finance and Planning Committee to approve the Proposed Undergraduate Tuition Rates for 2018-2019. The motion was seconded by Regent Day. The roll was called and the following members vote "aye": Alan Long, Lewis Diaz, Juan Castro, Vasu Vasudevan, Nancy Collins, Bryan Makinen, Laura Jackson, Richard Day, Craig Turner. No member voted "nay". Laura Babbage and Holly Wiedemann were absent. F. Recommended Promotion and Tenure for 2018-2019 Regularly Scheduled Board ofRegents Meeting Minutes Page 19 of20 �The roll was called and the following members vote ·'aye": Alan Long, Lewis D.iaz, Juan Castro, Vasu Vasudevan, Nancy Collins, Bryan Makinen, Laura Jackson, Richard Day, Craig Turner. No member voted ·'nay". Laura Babbage and Holly Wiedemann were absent. New Business There was no new business; however Regent Long stated that he recently attended the inaugural Claude K. Smith Endowed Lecture Series on Accounting where Cynthia Cooper, an internationally recognized speaker on ethical leadership, was the speaker. He stated that many people were in attendance, many from off-campus, and this is a great event for EKU. Regent Castro thanked Chair Turner and others for the oppo1tunity to be at the meeting today. He further stated that while he is not in favor of eliminating any programs or positions, and sometimes could even be counterproductive, and cannot be a panacea for all problems, but given the circumstances and the looming budget cloud, we have to do what is necessary to keep going. He stated he is positive better days are ahead for Eastern and its mission. Adjournment There being no further business, Chair Turner requested a motion to adjourn. A motion was made by Regent Makinen to adjourn the meeting. The motion was seconded by Regent Castro. The motion pass by oice vote, and the meeting was thereby adjourned at 2:00 p.m. Date Regularly Scheduled Board of Regents Meeting Mi nutes Page 20 of20 � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource EKU Board of Regents Records Subject The topic of the resource Eastern Kentucky University Description An account of the resource This collection consists of records relating to the Board of Regents and includes minutes, agendas and supporting documents. Only parts of the collection have been digitized at this time, but more will be added until all minutes are available. This collection is invaluable to anyone researching the history of Eastern Kentucky University. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Eastern Kentucky University Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1906-present Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource minutes Language A language of the resource eng Type The nature or genre of the resource text Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context 0001-010 Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Board of Regents Minutes Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Eastern Kentucky University Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Board of Regents Records Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2018-04-06 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource minutes Language A language of the resource eng Type The nature or genre of the resource text Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context bor_minutes-2018-04-06