COLLEGE OF CHARLESTON
BOARD OF TRUSTEES
President’s Board Room
College of Charleston
Charleston, South Carolina
October 24, 2003
8:30 a.m.
| Presiding: | Members of the Board in attendance: |
| Robert S. Small, Jr., Chairman | Mr. Donald H. Belk |
| Mr. J. Philip Bell | |
| Mrs. Charlotte L. Berry | |
| Dr. L. Cherry Daniel | |
| Mr. James F. Hightower | |
| Mr. William D. Johnson | |
| Mrs. Marie Land | |
| Mr. Robert W. Marlowe | |
|
Mrs. Annaliza Oehmig Moorhead |
|
| Mr. Y. W. Scarborough, III | |
| Mr. Joel H. Smith | |
| Dr. Sam Stafford III | |
| Mr. Joseph F. Thompson, Jr. | |
| Absent: | |
| Mr. F. C. McMaster | |
| Mr. Lawrence R. Miller | |
| Mr. J. Vincent Price, Jr. |
(In accordance with requirements of the S. C. Freedom of Information Act, news media was notified of the time, location, and agenda for this meeting).
The regular meeting of the College of Charleston Board of Trustees was called to order at 8:30 a.m. by Chairman Small.
Chairman Small welcomed Dr. Sam Stafford III, the newest member (Governor’s Designee) of the College of Charleston’s Board of Trustees. Dr. Stafford has had an interest in the College for many years and has participated in many aspects of the College.
Chairman Small introduced Ms. Caroletta Felder who is establishing a Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority Chapter on campus and Ms. Corrida Greene, State Secretary, NCAAP Youth and College Division.
Chairman Small called for approval of the minutes. It was moved (Land) and seconded (Johnson) that the minutes of the July 25, 2003, Board of Trustees meeting be approved. All approved.
President Higdon thanked everyone for coming to the Tri-County Legislative Dinner last evening.
He reported that Virginia Friedman has won an award for the documentary “For Every Person There is a Name” at the Berkeley Video and Film Festival. Ms. Friedman is an accomplished writer and producer.
President Higdon highlighted some enrollment issues that the College faced this past year and noted some items that need attention next year. In-state students have increased by 2% so that now 71% of our students come from South Carolina – this is a big swing for one year. The number of applications was up last year, but the charge is to increase the applicant pool for next year. We have slightly more provisional students than in the past. The most important issue is scholarships. What can we do to help students retain their scholarships, especially the LIFE Scholarship? We must focus on having as many students as possible maintain their GPA.
President Higdon called attention to some recent faculty publications on display on the table behind them.
President Higdon asked Dr. Norine Noonan to talk about the Genomics Proposal. Dr. Noonan reported that the South Carolina Lottery Center of Economic Excellence Oversight Committee established a rigorous competition to create research centers at the three research universities (Clemson, USC-Columbia, and MUSC) that would focus on key areas of future economic growth. MUSC partnered with the College of Charleston in a winning proposal for a Center for Marine Environmental Genomics (CMEG). The College was the only four-year institution in the state to participate in the Research Centers program. The State Lottery provided $4 million that must be matched 1:1 with private funds to create an endowment to support the Center. MUSC and the College will jointly recruit a scientist/entrepreneur of national renown as the director of the CMEG. A junior faculty member also will be recruited and appointed to the faculty of MUSC and the College. The program will focus on developing shrimp species, and the partners at Fort Johnson will be involved in the research.
Dr. Noonan also talked about the Informatics Proposal. The South Carolina Lottery Center of Economic Excellence Oversight Committee is conducting a second competition to create research centers at the three research universities (Clemson, USC-Columbia, and MUSC) that would focus on key areas of future economic growth. MUSC has again partnered with the College of Charleston, and now also with USC-Columbia, in a proposal for a Center for Integrative Bioinformatics. This proposal was submitted on October 14, 2003, and a decision is expected early in 2004. The Center focuses on the availability of large databases of genetic information that will help enable scientists and physicians to achieve the goal of understanding the relationship between genes, health and disease. Accomplishing this will require new computational tools, new mathematical methods and a deeper understanding of the relationship between genes and physiology (how the body actually works) at the molecular and cellular levels. The College is leading the way nationally with the development of a new undergraduate program in informatics that will be applied to many disciplines as well as biology, mathematics and computer science. MUSC brings its recognized excellence in research in bioinformatics and medical informatics and provides doctoral programs in these areas. USC-Columbia brings facilities for its expertise in high performance computing research. The Center will be housed at MUSC. The program will support two endowed chairs, along with a third senior position jointly appointed by MUSC and the College.
President Higdon noted that all of these programs are a conveyance of life sciences. The College has begun programming for the new science center, as well as the renovation of the Rita Liddy Hollings Science Center, with the firm of Ballinger from Philadelphia. The first discipline to be looked at is chemistry/biochemistry. We want to consider the chemistry/biochemistry building as the first phase of an expanded science center. Ballinger and the Science Building Committee have met several times, and hopefully by the end of this calendar year, a report will be ready showing the cost of chemistry/biochemistry in the first phase. This will be discussed in more detail at the Board meeting in January.
President Higdon informed the Board that the Board of Architectural Review approved the School of the Arts building on October 8. Individuals from the neighborhoods were very laudatory about the approach to design input.
We are in the process of putting together a Strategic Plan for our Alumni Services Department. In anticipation of that, a phone survey was conducted, and a high percentage of alumni was very satisfied with their overall experience at the College. However, there were issues that need to be addressed. For example, reconnecting the alumni to the institution in ways that are valuable to them. The survey was extremely helpful in addressing issues for the Strategic Plan.
President Higdon and Greg Evans went to Columbia and the Greenville area to meet business leaders. They plan to return to Columbia and the upstate. After the meetings, the participants seemed to have a greater appreciation of the College and its accomplishments and future goals.
President Higdon gave an update on Fall Sports. All teams are performing very well. He reported that the volleyball team was undefeated in the Southern Conference. Men’s soccer is having an exceptional season.
The Kauffman Conference will be held on November 13-15. National leaders will present papers on liberal arts and entrepreneurship which will give the College an opportunity to interface with Kauffman officials.
President Higdon reported on new activities designed to engage more students in campus activities. Food Services has been giving out French fries, burgers, and ice cream. A boat ride is coming up for seniors. All these activities are creating higher rates of involvement by the students. “Up All Night” is a new activity for the student organizations all night long with different events every hour. He applauded Student Affairs and Elizabeth Kassebaum for the organization of these new student activities.
New coordinators for the School of the Arts, School of Business and Economics, and School of Humanities and Social Sciences are working to expand internships on campus during this school year and the summer. Chris Schlosser has been working on this for the past several months. It is very helpful for students to include internships on their resumés when they graduate.
New admissions counselors have been hired to assist in the upstate. They will work with Velda Hughes & Associates, a public relations firm in Greenville. This should generate more interest and applications from the upstate. They will also work in North Carolina and Georgia. One of the new counselors will deal with out-of-state applications. We want to bring the best out-of-state students to the campus. A counselor will go to high quality schools. Ms. Hughes will keep the College informed of her progress.
Chris Starr will chair the IT Strategic Plan Committee. In addition, Andy Abrams and Chris Schlosser are actively involved in the effort to review our Legacy System replacement requirements. Consultants will be involved in this effort to continue the review of our technological capabilities. We need to begin providing funds for this. You will be hearing more about this issue at the January and April Board Committee meetings.
At the July meeting, President Higdon talked about the Senior Staff Retreat. There will be another get together at the end of the year to discuss goals by area. We know what we have to do. Now we have to focus on the issues.
The Senior Staff held a retreat in early September to discuss the establishment of a set of institutional values. There was an extensive discussion about the pursuit of excellence and our public mission. There will be a campus and community-wide discussion about these values over the next year.
President Higdon noted that his article entitled, “Building Endowments: The Basics,” appeared in the Fall 2003 issue of The Presidency magazine. Also, another article entitled, “Making the Team,” will appear in the December 5, 2003, issue of The Chronicle of Higher Education.
Other articles will be published in the Greenville News on November 9, 2003, and the State newspaper on November 28, 2003. Virginia Friedman talked to the editor of the Post and Courier, and they are interested in similar stories.
In Larry Miller’s absence, Joe Thompson presented the committee’s report. Annaliza Moorhead, Bill Scarborough and Joe Thompson, as well as President Higdon, also attended the meeting. They were joined by members of the Business Affairs Staff -- Gary McCombs, Priscilla Burbage and Sam Jones. Others included Anne Brownyard, Jan Brewton, Daniel Dukes, Eric Forsberg, Elise Jorgens, Peter McCandless, and Hugh Wilder. Allison Bruce of the Post and Courier also was present.
Mr. Thompson reported that at the committee meeting Sam Jones reviewed the budget adjustments for the quarter ending September 30, 2003. They can be found in the Finance Committee Tab on the fold out sheet. He reminded the Committee that although there are adjustments presented every quarter, it is only when there are items that affect the revenue that there is an actual change to the budget bottom line. Otherwise, it is simply a reallocation of funds between executive divisions. Items reviewed included all adjustments to revenue and the expense items that were of significant dollar amounts. The Finance Committee moved that the budget adjustments to the September 30, 2003, Financial Statements be approved as presented. All approved.
Mrs. Burbage updated the Committee on the status of the 2002-2003 audit. The audit was performed by the accounting firm of Cherry, Bekaert, and Holland. It was noted that the College had received notification from the State last week that the audit and financial statement presentation was approved. There were no material weaknesses noted in the Management Letter, and the College will receive an unqualified opinion.
Mr. Jones apprised the Committee of the College’s submission of the 2004-05 Governor’s Budget. This is an annual process where historically the College requests authorization for additional positions. This year the College requested the last ten classified positions outlined in the 4CI. The notable difference in the submission this year was the College’s request for Capital funding for the Science Center. While this is not a new request, it was made as part of this process to keep this need in front of the Governor and the Legislature. The amount of the request was $30 million. Two addendum items required this year were the top three priorities of the institution, and the fiscal impact of a 3%, 5%, and 7% State-funding cut.
Mrs. Burbage reviewed with the Committee the proposed change in the Drop-Retain Financial Policy in Summer School. Presently, students who enroll in a summer class but fail to attend or drop the class are charged the full tuition and fees for the credit hours enrolled. As a result, students feel unduly penalized. The College is making procedural changes in the registration process and communication with the students in an effort to eliminate as many of these situations as possible. The proposed policy change will reduce the amount charged to $250 per course, rather than the full per credit hour rate. The Finance Committee moved that the Drop-Retain Financial Policy in Summer School be approved as presented. All approved.
Ms. Brownyard and Ms. Brewton presented to the Committee the Real Foods on Campus concept. This new concept in campus dining, which is planned for implementation over the December break, will provide students with more options, more personalized meals, and more sensory stimulation in the way of color, visual graphics, etc. The concept is expected to increase participation in the meal plans and convert the Craig Dining Hall from a “cafeteria” to a “residential restaurant” where students will want to gather.
Mr. McCombs reviewed with the Committee the issue of Tuition and Fees bracketing. Under this structure, students taking more than a determined number of hours would be assessed a surcharge for the additional hours. He pointed out the favorable economic impact such a rate structure would have but noted that this is just a very preliminary discussion and that there are many factors, including many academic issues, that would influence such a move. One of the more important of these is the impact on graduation rates.
Mr. Thompson presented to the Committee, on behalf of Bobby Marlowe, a “Tuition Comparison” which brings to the table the issue of raising in-state and out-of-state tuition and fees at differing rates. This was presented as information only and as such, did not require any action by the Committee.
Facilities Committee:
In Creighton McMaster’s absence, Bobby Marlowe presented the committee’s report. Trustees Jimmy Hightower and Dwight Johnson also attended the committee meeting. Also attending were Monica Scott and Susan Morrison, along with Fred Daniels and the Physical Plant personnel – Jim Shumate, Dennis Foster, and Ken Foreback.
Mr. Marlowe reported that the design of the Simons Center expansion is moving ahead now that the College has received preliminary approval from the Board of Architectural Review.
Construction continues on the nine-court Tennis Center at Patriots Point. The scheduled completion date is November 24, 2003.
The College has begun programming the new science center, as well as the renovation of the existing facility, with the firm of Ballinger from Philadelphia.
Construction has begun on the School of Business. The entire site is cleared, and pile driving has begun. The target completion date is Summer 2004.
Watson, Tate, Savory and Cooper Robertson Architects was selected to design the School of Education. Work will begin the first week in November.
Renovation of the facility at 207 Calhoun Street is underway for use as the College’s Multicultural Center. Completion of the work is scheduled for early December 2003.
Advertising has begun for architectural services for the Stern Center renovation and the renovation of the Lightsey Center as a Student Services Center.
The final draft of the College’s Master Plan was presented to members of the Board of Trustees at a special luncheon yesterday.
There were questions about the problems with architects that have caused some delays in the library project. The Physical Plant has done an excellent job in trying to resolve the dispute.
Mr. Hightower suggested we develop new ways to report each facility’s construction/renovation status and noted that a process to do that will be implemented by the January Board meeting.
Student Affairs Committee:
Trustees Marie Land (chair), Don Belk, Cherry Daniel, and Sam Stafford were joined by Jeri Cabot; Willette Burnham, Associate VP for Student Affairs; Denny Ciganovic, Career Services; Lauren Collier, Student Affairs; Greg Liotta, Student Life/Intercultural Programs; Scott Ranger, Residence Life; Nicholas Glover, SGA President; and Sarah McLaughlin, student member of the CHEC Center (Cougars Helping to Enhance the Community).
Jeri Cabot gave the committee a summary of the 2002 Campus Crime Report. The report is now posted on the campus website under Public Safety and Student Affairs.
The committee was briefed on the College Lodge situation. A phone survey determined that the students prefer to remain in the College Lodge during Spring 2004. The Lodge will remain open because of the delays with the School of the Arts.
Lauren Collier informed the committee that the “Make a Difference Day” will be held on Saturday, October 25, 2003. Student organizations have volunteered to devote their Saturday morning to participating in various service projects around Charleston such as school grounds, park and neighborhood clean-ups and the “Race for the Cure.”
Service Learning has been formally integrated into some Fall 2003 courses: sections of Freshman Seminar, Human Sexuality and English. The office arranged the service opportunities for each course and will work with each professor in assessing the contribution of the service learning component to student learning. A faculty training session on service learning was held in August and 32 faculty and staff members participated.
According to Denny Ciganovic, over 80% of our graduates from 2001-2002 were employed full-time after six months. In an effort to connect students and graduates with employers, the following programs are offered to assist students in finding jobs: four Career Fairs are held each year, on-campus recruiting, resumé referral process, and a job posting system.
Willette Burnham briefed the committee on the summer transition program (SPECTRA) for incoming minority, first-generation or low income students. Generally, approximately two thirds of incoming minority students enroll in the program. Freshman to sophomore retention rate for program participants tends to be in the upper 90’s. The retention rate for all minority students was 89% last year.
Greg Liotta gave the committee a report on the Emerging Leaders program. Fourteen freshmen were selected from 600 applicants for the program. Students attend a weekly session of “The Freshman Leadership Academy.” Focus is on personal mastery, emotional intelligence, and group dynamics.
Mr. Liotta is currently working with the men’s and women’s swim teams and the Crew Club on linking team building with individual performance.
Mrs. Land noted that the College is a full service institution. If the students want something, the College has it to offer.
Mr. Belk commended Willette Burnham for the fantastic job she is doing with the minority students.
Institutional Advancement Committee:
Trustees Charlotte Berry (chair) and Philip Bell, along with Foundation Board members Dan Ravenel, Bill Medich and Sallie Pritchard, attended the meeting. They were joined by staff members Sue Sommer-Kresse, Greg Evans; Melissa Emmett, Director of Annual Giving; Meghan Fossum, Director of the 1770 Society; Rebecca Sherman, Director of Stewardship; Cathy Mahon, Director of Major Gifts; Carissa Sutherland, Call Center Director; and Karen Jones, Director of Alumni Services. This was a joint meeting with the Board of Trustees Institutional Advancement Committee and the College of Charleston Foundation Fund Raising and Advancement Committee.
Mrs. Berry welcomed everyone. She expressed the importance of this joint committee to assist and support the College’s Institutional Advancement Office and noted that a collaborative effort will be most effective. She also acknowledged the importance of the Board’s participation in their fundraising efforts.
Greg Evans gave the committee a year-to-date review of the fundraising totals through September 30, 2003. The figures for 2003 are behind 2002 by approximately $700,000. Since that date, the Annual Fund is over $800,000, which is $100,000 more than 2002.
Mr. Evans reviewed with the committee a draft of a timeline for a Capital Campaign. Mrs. Berry passed out the timeline schedule to all Board members and emphasized that the College is not ready to consider a Capital Campaign at this time. There is a lot more work to be done. We must hire and train professional staff members, must have adequate technology for the job, must do prospect research, and must enlist a National Campaign Executive & Steering Committee. It will be at least 2006 or 2007 before all of this is in order, and the kick-off probably won’t begin until 2008.
Sue Sommer-Kresse updated the committee on the comprehensive alumni survey. Mrs. Berry indicated that we have to find a way to connect with the students so they will want to give their time and money to the College when they graduate. Mrs. Berry discussed the role of a joint committee with the Board of Trustees and the Foundation Board to assist in identifying and evaluating prospects for fundraising.
Meghan Fossum gave the committee an update of the The 1770 Society’s first year. Mrs. Berry noted that the founding members of the Society will be recognized by a plaque placed in a significant place of honor on campus. The deadline for pledges is March 30, 2004. The Young Alumni who have graduated within the past five years may join for $250. Everyone else must pay $1,000 to join. This is a leadership giving circle, and she would like to have 100% participation from the Board. To date, the Board of Trustees has contributed $11,000 to The 1770 Society.
Chairman Small asked the Institutional Advancement Committee to look more intently at naming opportunities around campus. As the Master Plan becomes known in the community, we should know in advance what we want to ask about these naming opportunities.
Academic Affairs Committee:
Trustees Cherry Daniel (chair), Don Belk, and Sam Stafford attended the meeting, along with Dr. Elise Jorgens, Dr. Susan Morrison and Dr. Amy McCandless from Academic Affairs. Others in attendance included Mr. David Goss, Director of the Center for Academic Advising; Dr. Norine Noonan; Dr. Doug Friedman, Professor of Political Science; Ms. Priscilla Burbage; and Dr. Hugh Wilder.
Dr. Daniel reported that Mr. David Goss shared with the committee some of the preliminary results of the 2002-2003 pilot program providing intrusive advising for new students as presented at Tab VIII of the Board Booklet. Dr. Daniel noted that the pilot program is a part of the 4th Century Initiative and has been extremely successful. The program involved the hiring of 14 new advisors. As a result of the program, the average GPA for entering freshmen assigned to the Advising Center rose from 2.745 in Spring 2002 to 2.822 in the Spring 2003. Because of the program’s success, the pilot program will be extended an additional year.
Dr. Doug Friedman presented to the committee a proposal for a new interdisciplinary major in Latin American and Caribbean Studies as presented behind Tab VIII of the Board Booklet. Dr. Daniel noted that the proposal is currently being examined by the various college departments. This pre-proposal will be sent to the Commission on Higher Education for consideration in January. After it goes through the channels for curricular approvals at the College, it will be presented to the Board before being sent back to CHE for final approval.
Dr. Elise Jorgens showed the committee the composite ad placed in the Chronicle of Higher Education advertising College openings for 2004-2005 as presented behind Tab VIII of the Board Booklet. Dr. Daniel reported that 45 faculty positions were listed, including sixteen new lines that were part of the second phase of President Higdon’s 4th Century Initiative.
Dr. Jorgens also distributed copies of the U. S. News and World Report, America’s Best Colleges, and referred to the College’s rankings. (Copy is located behind Tab VIII of the Board Booklet). Dr. Daniel noted that among comprehensive masters granting institutions, the College’s undergraduate programs were ranked 16th in the South; the graduate programs were ranked 5th in the South.
Ms. Priscilla Burbage shared with the committee information she had gathered about tuition pricing that employed differentials based on the number of credit hours students took per semester. (This information can be found on the last two pages behind Tab VIII of the Board Booklet). This information will be discussed at the January Board meeting.
Athletics Committee:
Trustees Philip Bell (chair), Jimmy Hightower, Dwight Johnson, Bobby Marlowe, and Sam Stafford attended the committee meeting, along with Athletics staff Jerry Baker; and Kevin Dempsey, Women’s Soccer Coach.
Mr. Kevin Dempsey gave the committee an update on women’s soccer. Mr. Bell noted that Kevin is in his third year as Soccer Coach. The team finished 9-9 and played in the finals of the conference tournament last season and is 8-2 this year. They are looking for 11 wins this year and have 11 games remaining. The average GPA last year was 3.49, but five players had a 4.0 GPA. Kevin took the team to Europe (England, Holland, Belgium and Germany). They play Georgia Southern this evening.
Mr. Jerry Baker gave the committee an update on the Tennis Center. Mr. Bell reported that the batting cages are scheduled to have some work done on them. In July, the Athletics Department got new logos, with the College of Charleston as part of the logo.
Mr. Bell reported that the Basketball team has started practicing for this season.
The 2003 Cougar volleyball season has already been a record year. The team is currently riding a Southern Conference record 27-match conference winning streak. They are currently 18-4 this season.
Upcoming special events include The John Kresse Invitational which will be held on November 3; the Cougar Club Auction, and Cow Bingo on Saturday, April 10, 2004.
The First Cougar Classic was televised live for six hours. The Cougars finished 6th. The tournament was initiated by the efforts of John Rivers (member of the Foundation Board). This women’s golf event could go on and achieve Family Circle status.
The Athletics Committee moved that the College of Charleston Board of Trustees thank Mr. John Rivers in a letter for his gracious contributions to the Women’s Golf Team and the College in general. All approved.
Mr. Sam Stafford reported that the Rotary Club will sponsor the Southern Conference Soccer Tournament in November. He noted that this is the first time the Rotary Club has sponsored a NCAA Tournament. He invited everyone to attend the game and indicated that Ralph Lundy, Soccer Coach, is a member of the Rotary Club.
Chairman Small asked Bobby Marlowe to chair an Ad Hoc Committee on Intramural Field Locations. Mr. Marlowe will put together members of all stakeholders and will report to the President.
Governmental Affairs Committee:
Trustees Joe Thompson (chair), Charlotte Berry, and Bill Scarborough attended the meeting, along with Daniel Dukes.
Mr. Thompson reported that, due to a prolonged downturn in the state’s economy, projected revenues available to the General Assembly to fund state government for FY 2003-04 were not adequate to meet recurring expenses. In light of this situation, state agency general fund budgets were reduced by the General Assembly in order to have a balanced budget for FY 2003-04. He noted that, given the State’s budget, the College will probably be okay, but next year may be a problem so we must be conservative this year.
State general fund appropriations and lottery proceeds fully funded the LIFE, HOPE, and Palmetto Fellows Scholarships for FY 2003-04. The LIFE Scholarship award is $4,700 for tuition plus $300 for books. The HOPE Scholarship award is $2,500 for tuition plus $150 for books. The Palmetto Fellows award is $6,700 for tuition and other college fees. In addition, the Teaching Fellows Scholarship was fully funded with an award of $6,000 and the Need-Based Scholarship was funded at the same level as FY 2002-03.
Mr. Marlowe stated that the College received some funding from the Federal Government to renovate the existing Science Center, but that can’t be done until the Science Center is built. The federal money must be spent in five years.
No major legislation affecting higher education was passed by the General Assembly in 2003. Mr. Marlowe asked where we stand with Higher Education Restructuring. Mr. Daniel Dukes responded that the legislation to restructure higher education governance failed due to the inability of the state’s research universities and the four-year teaching universities to reach an agreement. This legislation will remain intact for the 2004 legislative session where debate will begin again.
Mr. Dan Ravenel informed the Board about the CHE Conference for Trustees to be held in Columbia, South Carolina on November 12, 2003.
Strategic Planning Committee:
Trustees Marie Land and Annaliza Moorhead attended the meeting, along with Andy Abrams and Chris Schlosser.
In Joel Smith’s absence, Mrs. Moorhead presented the committee’s report. She noted that there were no action items for the Board, but there are a few items of interest. The committee meeting began with a presentation of the Strategic Planning Report Card by Mr. Abrams. The general discussion of the report card was followed up by a discussion about key initiatives already underway, such as the internship program, the first year experience program, and the faculty studies on compensation and workload.
Mr. Abrams presented the committee with an executive summary of legislation that was recently presented in Congress entitled the “Affordability in Higher Education Act of 2003.” This legislation was introduced by Buck McKeon of California. The most significant piece of the legislation is an attempt to restrict tuition and fee increases to the Consumer Price Index. The Administration will continue to look at this bill. This puts a cap on tuition increases at the national level.
The committee meeting concluded with a brief update from Mr. Abrams about other planning initiatives currently underway – the Facilities Master Plan that was presented earlier in the day and the Strategic Technology Planning initiative chaired by Dr. Chris Starr. The College anticipates concluding this work by the end of the spring and will report the results to the Board at either its July or October meeting.
Chairman Small requested that the Board be sent copies of the Master Plan draft report for careful review well before the January Board meeting.
New Business:
Elizabeth Kassebaum informed the Board about a press release from the Committee to Screen Candidates for Board of Trustees of State Colleges and Universities regarding vacancies for university trustees. The deadline for Letters of Intent is 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday, November 12, 2003.
Ms. Kassebaum noted that as we get into the Bylaws, it might be helpful to add the years of service and “four-year terms” to the Board of Trustees information on the Trustees Web Page.
Chairman Small noted that everyone was sent a copy of the newly revised Board of Trustees Bylaws. He thanked Bobby Marlowe, Joel Smith and Marie Land for serving on the Bylaws Committee.
He suggested the following changes to the Bylaws:
(1) Remove the “enrolling 8,000-9,000 students” in paragraph one.
(2) In “A” after governance, academic programs was added.
(3) In “G” add a Student Affairs Committee, an Athletic Committee and a Strategic Planning Committee.
(4) Delete all references to Recording Secretary and leave Secretary to the Board.
It was moved (Marlowe) and seconded (Thompson) that the Bylaws be approved as amended. All approved. The Bylaws will be added to the Trustees Web Page.
Ms. Kassebaum talked about Emeritus Status. For a Board member to be appointed “Trustee Emeritus” upon leaving the Board, he/she must have been elected to the Board for four consecutive terms. She handed out a listing which shows which Board members qualify for emeritus status – Joe E. Berry, Jr., Timothy N. Dangerfield, Marie Land, J. David Watson, and Thomas W. Weeks. No vote is needed for emeritus status. Chairman Small asked Ms. Kassebaum to draft a letter to each trustee no longer on the Board notifying them of their Trustee Emeritus status.
Chairman Small presented information about the Lowcountry Graduate Center. “The Ad Hoc University Study Committee, appointed by the Charleston County Legislative Delegation, completed the ‘University Study Report’ and presented this document to the Charleston Legislative Delegation in December 1999. Subsequently, the Legislative Delegation appointed General Alex Grimsley, Dr. Harry Lightsey, and Dr. Jim Edwards as a committee to develop a plan to ‘bring the Lowcountry Graduate Center in the Charleston area to fruition.’ They met several times during the year 2000 and proposed that a Governing Board of the Center be designated, consisting of the University Presidents and two members of the Board of Trustees from each institution. The Governing Board consisted of the following:
College of Charleston:
President Alex Sanders
Dr. Cherry Daniel
Mr. Laurie Thompson
MUSC:
Dr. Ray Greenberg
Dr. Melvyn Berlinsky
Mrs. Margaret Addison
The Citadel:
General John Grinalds
Colonel Leonard Fulghum
Mr. Dennis Rhoad
General Alex Grimsley
The Governing Board’s first action would be to appoint a joint planning committee composed of the Provost, the Graduate Dean and a faculty representative from each of the three institutions. At the initial meeting of the Governing Board in November 2000, President Sanders was elected chairman and the College of Charleston North was designated the ‘home’ of the Lowcountry Graduate Center. The Governing Board met in early 2001 and expressed a number of concerns, including start-up funding and course work proposals.
The three institutions have funded the Lowcountry Graduate Center at a cost of $28,000 per institution annually. The College of Charleston has requested $435,000 from the General Assembly during the next legislative session to be able to upgrade the Lowcountry Graduate Center and offer additional graduate programs. The Commission on Higher Education has approved this funding request ‘contingent upon the Center submitting a comprehensive operating plan, including bylaws and a detailed budget’.”
Senator Arthur Ravenel has been very involved with the development of the Lowcountry Graduate Center and has asked that the Board of Trustees appoint Bill Scarborough to the Lowcountry Graduate Center Board to fill a seat vacated by Mr. Laurie Thompson.
With that request, Bill Scarborough is appointed to fill the seat vacated by Mr. Laurie Thompson.
Chairman Small announced that the dedication ceremony of the existing science center for Rita Liddy Hollings will be held on October 31 and asked that everyone try to attend.
Andy Abrams added that the Charleston Law School has requested assistance in the area of Information Technology, and the Board agreed to the request.
Chairman Small made the motion to take a break at 10:50 a.m. before going into Executive Session. All approved.
Meeting resumed, and Chairman Small made the motion, and (Smith) seconded, to go into Executive Session at 11:05 a.m. All approved.
Executive Session ended at 1:00 p.m.
Meeting resumed, and it was moved (Land) and seconded (Thompson) that Dr. Vartan Gregorian be awarded an honorary degree at the May 2004 Commencement. All approved.
There being no further business, it was moved (Johnson) and seconded (Thompson) that this meeting of the Board of Trustees be adjourned. All approved.
Meeting adjourned at 1:00 p.m.