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Board Committees Begin Exploring Strategic Issues |
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Tobin J. Klinger and Joe Brennan |
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Dec 4, 2002 |
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The committees of The University of Toledo’s board of trustees today began formally fulfilling the charges received from Board Chair Joan Uhl Browne at their October meetings. These charges ask the groups to gather information and make recommendations on several strategic issues facing the institution.
The Committee on Strategic Issues and Planning opened its discussion of the role of athletics and its balance with the University’s academic mission.
Mike O’Brien, athletic director, and William Decatur, vice president for finance and administration, spoke about issues facing the Mid-American Conference and NCAA Division 1-A schools, revenue generated by athletics, UT’s athletics budget, and how that budget stacks up compared to other MAC schools.
Trustee Daniel J. Brennan, committee chair, cautioned that these conversations should not be construed as a sign of significant changes in UT athletics, rather that the board of trustees will begin to approach athletic issues with a “clear and heightened sense of athletics balance with the mission of the institution.”
The Committee on Student Affairs has been charged with answering the question, “What experience does the University desire its students to have?” As a first step, the group plans to hold a series of focus groups next month with faculty and students, said Dr. Tyrone Bledsoe, vice president for student affairs. Bledsoe also spoke briefly about the University’s response to a Nov. 16 fire in a privately owned off-campus apartment complex housing some 250 students.
The committee also heard a presentation from Norine Wasielewski, senior director of health and wellness, who is heading a team to develop procedures for implementing a mandatory student health insurance program. In June, the board voted to require students to carry health insurance beginning next fall. The committee asked Wasielewski to discuss the team’s recommendations with the full board when it meets on Dec. 11.
The Academic Affairs Committee began to address the question of selective and open admissions by examining data about the academic preparation of incoming students.
Following up on questions raised during the committee’s Oct. 23 meeting, Dr. Rob Sheehan, vice provost for planning and assessment, presented an overview of direct-from-high-school students, revealing that 40 percent of students tracked required remedial English or math. Sheehan told the committee the University spent nearly $1.5 million on remediation in 2001. Additionally, the data suggests that no individual school district is the primary feeder of under-prepared students. Rather it appears under-prepared students come from all Ohio school districts.
Sheehan also concluded that the problem of under-prepared students is associated with families having a low income, and it is not associated with a student’s minority status.
The Committee on Finance, Administration and Facilities reviewed the University’s financial statements for the year ending June 30, 2002, with representatives of accounting firm Ernst and Young. The independent auditors issued an “unqualified” opinion, meaning that they believe the statements present an accurate picture of the University’s financial condition.
The committee discussed a proposal to save energy by extending steam and chilled water lines across the Ottawa River to the south end of campus. The lines, which now terminate at Carlson Library, would bring heating and cooling services to Parks Tower, Academic House, International House, the Crossings and a new residence hall slated to open in fall 2005. The project, which would cost some $4.3 million, is expected to generate $5.4 million in savings through lower utility and maintenance costs.
The group also heard a presentation on the work being done to prepare for the transfer of charter schools from the University to a newly formed nonprofit organization, if a bill currently pending in the State Senate becomes law. At its Dec.11 meeting, the board is expected to consider proposed guidelines for how the new organization would carry out its function as the board’s designee and to vote on a resolution providing the new organization with $25,000 in start-up funding.
Administrators also briefed the finance committee on UT’s share of the proposed state capital budget currently pending in the legislature. If approved, the two-year budget will provide University with $16.8 million in capital funding and $4.4 million for basic renovations.
The Committee on Institutional Advancement heard a detailed presentation from Richard Eastop, interim vice president of enrollment management, and staff members on UT’s approach to “enrollment management,” which Eastop defined as “an institution-wide, systematic, comprehensive, research-driven system to locate, attract and retain the students The University of Toledo wishes to serve.”
The Committee on Trusteeship began work on its upcoming presentation to the board on trustee ethics and a code of conduct. The group will fine-tune the presentation and develop a recommendation for the board at the February meeting.
The full board is scheduled to meet on Dec. 11 at 8:15 a.m. in the Student Union Room 2592.
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