Minutes of the Board of Governors
Missouri State University
June 18 & 19, 2020, 2:00 p.m.
https://missouristate.zoom.us/j/93215171205
Roll Call
Present – Mr. Craig Frazier, Chair
Ms. Amelia “Amy” Counts, Governor
Mr. Gabriel Gore, Governor
Ms. Beverly Miller Keltner, Governor
Ms. Lynn Parman, Governor
Ms. Carol Silvey, Governor
Ms. Carrie Tergin, Governor
Mr. Jay Wasson, Governor
Mr. Chris Waters, Governor
Mr. William Miller, Student Governor
Also present – Clifton M. Smart III, President
Jim Baker, Vice President for Research and Economic Development & International Programs
Donna Christian, Director of Internal Audit and Risk Management
Jeff Coiner, Chief Information Officer
Ryan DeBoef, Chief of Staff and Assistant to the President for Governmental Relations
Rachael Dockery, General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer
Brent Dunn, Vice President for University Advancement
Frank Einhellig, Provost
Steve Foucart, Chief Financial Officer
David Hough, Dean of the College of Education
Shirley Lawler, Chancellor of the West Plains Campus
Kyle Moats, Director of Athletics
Matt Morris, Vice President for Administrative Services
Wes Pratt, Chief Diversity Officer and Assistant to the President
Suzanne Shaw, Vice President for Marketing and Communications
Dee Siscoe, Vice President for Student Affairs
Rowena Stone, Secretary to the Board of Governors
Presiding – The presiding officer for the meeting was Mr. Craig Frazier, Chair of the Board of Governors. He called the meeting to order at 2:08 p.m. via Zoom webinar.
Approval of Minutes – Mr. Frazier mentioned that the first order of business was the approval of minutes for the open and closed meetings that took place on May 14 and 15, 2020. Ms. Carrie Tergin so moved, receiving a second from Ms. Beverly Miller Keltner.
Motion passed 9-0.
Consent Agenda – Mr. Frazier noted that the next item of business was the approval of the Consent Agenda with corrections to page 98 of the Human Resources report concerning academic employees. Corrections approved were the deletion of two names from the report. Items included in the Consent Agenda:
President
Approval of FY2020-2021 Employment Agreements for Athletics Administrators (Human
Resources No. 1647-20)
Approval of FY2020-2021 Employment Agreements for Athletics Head Coaches (Human Resources No. 1648-20)
Approval of FY2020-2021 Employment Agreements for Assistant Coaches (Human Resources No. 1649-20)
West Plains Campus
Approval of Actions Concerning Academic Employees (West Plains Campus Personnel No.
450-20)
Approval of Actions Concerning Non-Academic Employees (West Plains Campus Personnel No. 451-20)
Approval of New Program for Associate of Applied Science in Business – Human Resources Option (West Plains Campus Curriculum No. 101-20)
Approval of New Program for Associate of Applied Science in Technology – Advanced Fabrication Technology Option (West Plains Campus Curriculum No. 102-20)
Approval of New Program for Associate of Science in Computer Science (West Plains Campus Curriculum No. 103-20)
Human Resources
Approval of Actions Concerning Academic Employees (Human Resources No. 1650-20)
Approval of Actions Concerning Non-Academic Employees (Human Resources No. 1651-20)
Approval of Employees placed on 2/3 Pay (Human Resources No. 1652-20)
Approval of FY21 Additional Fringe Benefits to be Funded by Missouri State University
or the Missouri State University Foundation (Human Resources No. 1653-20)
Ms. Carol Silvey made a motion to approve the Consent Agenda, receiving a second from
Ms. Amy Counts.
Motion passed 9-0.
Report on Coronavirus-related events, issues, and decisions
President Smart provided an update on the Phase IV: Recovery and Reopening Plans for
the Springfield campus. Last month he announced that seated and virtual SOAR sessions
would begin on July 6 and that for the fall semester, seated classes would occur,
and students would be living in the residence halls. He shared that on May 5, employees
were notified that faculty and staff would gradually return to work beginning May
18, with the plan of most staff being back on campus by the start of SOAR. President
Smart also reported on a return-to-campus and travel policy that sets the framework
for employees to safely return to campus. The policy instructs employees to take appropriate
health precautions when returning to campus for work, prohibits employees from coming
to campus if they have tested positive for coronavirus, have unexplained coronavirus
symptoms, or have been in close contact with someone who has coronavirus, and allows
domestic travel but requires testing protocols before returning to campus after international
travel.
President Smart then highlighted plans for the summer semester. Plans included the creation of a matrix to be used to determine when to reopen buildings throughout campus, the installation or plexiglass shields throughout campus where there is close, frequent contact between individuals, and the development of cleaning and sanitizing guidelines with an increased focus on public, high-touch spaces to be cleaned more frequently and with hospital grade disinfectants and for classrooms to be cleaned three times a day. President Smart shared that recruitment activities would resume with campus tours occurring in small groups with social distancing precautions in place. He shared that SOAR sessions would be one day instead of the traditional two, allowing four sessions each week. In total, there will be 14 on-campus and 8 online sessions with 110 students at each session. The on-campus sessions were filled within 72 hours of open registration. SOAR cohorts will be divided into two groups, allowing for social distancing, and masks and hand sanitizer will be provided. He shared that SOAR leaders will move into Hammons House on June 26 for training through July 2. Each leader will have their own room for the summer. Lastly, he shared that the campus bookstore will also open on July 6.
President Smart then shared plans for academics during the summer. All summer classes were moved online, and the university is up in both credit hours and number of students. Research labs and campus clinics have opened with limitations. He reported that some field studies have been authorized based on their location, conditions, and number of participants.
He then highlighted summer plans for athletics. Student athletes began their return to campus on June 1 for training. He previously approved a policy that sets out the safety precautions that student athletes and staff will take throughout the summer to mitigate the spread of the virus. Student athletes will be tested as they return to campus and there have been zero positive results to date.
President Smart shared information on the events guidelines he approved on June 1. The guidelines state that all events have been canceled for June and implements social distancing, size and space restrictions for university events beginning in July. The guidelines require all events to be centrally approved after assessing risks through a standardized matrix.
He concluded his report on summer reopening plans by sharing information about the
virtual town hall meeting held on May 20 for faculty and staff. More than 1,100 members
of the university community participated in the meeting, asking more than 300 questions.
During the event, the participants were polled with several questions.
Employees were asked if they were concerned for their safety as they return to work.
One-third of respondents indicated that they were very concerned, and two-thirds indicated
that they were slightly concerned, not concerned, or neutral.
Employees were asked for input on the university’s pace for reopening campus. More
than 80% of respondents indicated that they thought the university was maintaining
a reasonable pace for reopening campus.
Employees were asked how helpful the university’s communications about the coronavirus
had been. Around 80% of respondents indicated that the correct amount of information
had been provided.
Employees were asked for feedback on support for particular health precautions when
campus reopens. Responses demonstrated support for social distancing, masks in designated
locations, safety training, and random testing.
Employees were asked whether they preferred a furlough or layoff option. Over 87%
of respondents indicated they preferred a furlough option.
He stated that another town hall meeting is scheduled for Thursday, July 9, with the primary focus being on budget and personnel decisions.
President Smart then highlighted plans for the fall semester. He shared that in May, a communication was sent to students to let them know what to expect in the fall. The communication informed students that 3,500 sections of classes would be seated and 920 would be online and that social distancing will be encouraged by holding more classes in large classrooms, increasing the use of blended classes, and spreading out classes more evenly throughout the day. President Smart reported that since sending out the communication, the university has received a lot of feedback from students. Feedback ranged from concerns about particular classes being moved online to questions about what the campus experience will be like in the fall.
He highlighted that it has become apparent that students want to be on campus with a traditional college experience in the fall. As a result, the university will implement appropriate safety precautions to protect the entire campus community. He shared that he thinks it is important that the university works to make the campus experience be as close to normal as possible. He recognizes that this is a challenge, but the university wants to provide a good college experience for students while taking precautions to keep its employees safe and prevent the spread of the virus.
President Smart shared that the fall will begin with residence hall move in with a staged, centralized check in process for students. To facilitate social distancing, students will have choices for move in dates and times to allow approximately 400 students to move in per day with the goal of moving 10 residents in each hall each hour. He added that students will have the option to select a private room and no students will be assigned to Kentwood Hall which will be reserved for isolation or quarantine as needed throughout the semester. With students moving in as early as Sunday, August 9, the campus is planning small, frequent activities before classes start on August 17 to create a sense of belonging for students both on and off campus. Some traditional welcome weekend activities will still be held but in a modified format.
He commented that dining halls will be opening August 9 and that Chartwells is still developing protocols for capacity limits and best practices for serving food and beverages. He shared that dining options in Plaster Student Union will be modified with increased efforts to help with line queues and social distancing precautions.
Additional highlights of his report included creating a manual that will outline all
of the plans which will be available online when SOAR begins, updates to Blackboard,
adjustments to information technology staffing, and implementing new equipment, software,
and information security tools to support remote study and work. He shared that the
university will continue to work on the structure for commencement ceremonies in October
and December.
President Smart then discussed masking and testing. He shared that David Hall, Director
of University Safety, and his team are working on safety trainings and a work group
has been formed to develop the university’s testing policy. Based on the recommendations
from the work group, President Smart shared that he approved the purchase of $126,000
for COVID-19 tests. This will provide the university with enough supply to test members
of the campus community who have the highest risk of exposing others to the virus.
He shared that the plan is to test all student athletes and international travelers
with random samples for band and choir students and students living in the residence
halls. President Smart commented that the hope is to be reimbursed for the tests through
the county, state, or federal government. If additional funding becomes available,
more testing could be done and random testing for faculty, staff, and students could
be implemented.
President Smart then called upon Mr. Hall who shared information on how the work group has used statistical data to identify individuals who may be in a higher risk group for carrying the virus and what measures can be taken to mitigate the spread of the virus.
President Smart shared that Mr. Hall is also leading a work group to develop a mask policy for the fall. The work group is taking several factors into account that includes research verifying that masks help prevent the spread of the coronavirus, requests from faculty and staff for students and others to wear masks in classrooms and offices, comments from students and the public who do not want to be required to wear a masks everywhere on campus, and various other factors. The goal of the work group is to create a balanced policy that welcomes people to campus that is still enforceable. The university is collaborating with other higher education institutions in the Springfield area to develop consistent policies. President Smart shared that the goal is to present the Board with a testing policy and masking policy in August for approval.
President Smart then discussed personnel decisions. He explained that the budget to be voted on later in the meeting anticipates a $16.4 million in lost revenue between state funding cuts and an enrollment decline. He shared that the university was able to budget for these revenue losses without additional layoffs or pay cuts. The exact state funding cut is anticipated to be released on July 1, but the university will not have a number on enrollment until August 1.
He explained that if more expenses must be cut early in the fiscal year, payroll may need to be reduced. President Smart shared that during the town hall meeting many employees had questions as to how a furlough would work. To answer these questions, a work group was created to begin developing a furlough policy that could be implemented if it became necessary. He called upon Ryan DeBoef, Chief of Staff, who is leading the group to share their progress.
Mr. DeBoef shared that the work group included representatives from administration, faculty senate, staff senate, and various offices throughout campus. The group developed a creative approach that is supported by the executive budget committee and administrative council. The concept is to combine temporary pay cuts with a series of days in which the university would be closed. Benefits of this setup are that employees would more likely be able to use their time off. It also spreads the pay cuts out evenly over all pay periods and fits better within the university’s payroll system. Mr. DeBoef then provided highlights of the proposed policy. If approved, the policy would only be implemented if necessary after more is known about the FY2021 revenue losses. The policy also has the flexibility to be terminated if revenue rebounds. He then outlined the section regarding temporary pay cuts which had three options. Under the first option, employees making between $40,000 and $100,000 would have their pay reduced by 2.5%. Employees making over $100,000 would have their pay reduced by 5%. This option would save the university $3.1 million. The second and third options were also reviewed. These options are similar with differences to the bottom threshold for the 2.5% pay cut by $5,000 and $10,000, resulting in less cost savings for the university. The policy also modifies the staff holiday calendar by giving staff days off during Fall Break, the Monday and Tuesday before Thanksgiving, and the first two days after winter break. Mr. DeBoef shared that feedback received, particularly from faculty, indicating that there is a preference to take a temporary pay cut without losing days of instruction during the semester. The reasoning behind this is that adjusting the curriculum to eliminate certain topics or to cover more topics in a shorter period of time proves to be difficult. Mr. DeBoef shared that faculty and staff will be asked for additional feedback at the next town hall meeting as to whether they prefer the calendar adjustments or to take the pay cuts without calendar adjustments.
President Smart then asked the Board for their feedback on the policy, explaining that there is additional work to be done before it is finalized. He also stated that no pay reduction or furlough option would be implemented without Board approval. Board members were complimentary of the work completed and in favor of the approach taken by the work group.
Dr. Shirley Lawler, Chancellor of the West Plains Campus, provided a report on the recovery and reopening plans for West Plains campus. She shared that many of the guidelines for West Plains has mirrored those set by the Springfield campus. The West Plains campus began to return to work on May 18 with frontline supervisors returning on May 26. A town hall meeting was held on May 20 and checklists were provided to faculty and staff so that all employees were informed of changes and policies in place for the return of most staff on June 1.
Dr. Lawler shared that summer school began completely online June 8, and enrollment numbers are down 6%. She highlighted that the Grizz Care call team is continuing to work with students. On June 10 another town hall meeting was held in which President Smart provided updates on the university’s plans in response to COVID-19 and budget issues. Spring Commencement was moved to August 8 and staff has met with the Howell County Health Department to work on details for the event. Lastly, she reported that the first STAR sessions are scheduled to start July 8. West Plains will be offering seated, online, and hybrid classes for students in the fall to meet students needs while remaining safe.
President Smart then presented an overview of policies to be ratified by the Board. He added the Return-to-Campus and Travel Policy and the Intercollegiate Athletics Re-entry Policy were discussed during his initial report and that the additional policies include the Extension of Vacation Accrual Policy and the CARES Act Financial Distribution Process Policy. He shared that the vacation accrual policy was created as a result of the town hall meeting. Under current policies, employees are only allowed to accrue two years’ worth of vacation leave. For those who receive the most leave possible under university policies, they can accrue a maximum of 320 hours of vacation leave. On June 30, all employees who have accrued too much leave lose their extra leave. Because of the pandemic, it became very difficult for many employees to use their vacation leave this spring, so a temporary policy was created to give employees another year to use their leave.
He then summarized the policy for distribution of student funds under the CARES Act. Under Phase 1, the university distributed $250 to all students with an estimated family contribution of $12,000 or less. Under Phase 2, the university distributed $1,000 to Title IV eligible students who applied for funds. After these funds were distributed, there was $1.7 million remaining, and the university is in the final stages of making calculations to distribute these funds. He shared that in Springfield, 2,536 students living in university housing in spring 2020 will each receive $674 which will spend down all $1,715,087 of the remaining funds. The university will contribute $1,377 from the institutional allocation of the CARES funds to round off the award to the $674 amount. He shared that in West Plains, 776 students who received funding under the first two phases will receive $188 each. This will spend down all $145,833 of the remaining funds and the university will contribute $55 from the intuitional allocation of the CARES funds to round off the award to the $188 amount.
Mr. Frazier recommended the ratification of the Temporary COVID-19 Policies (Miscellaneous No. 38-20) that include the Return-to-Campus and Travel Policy, Athletics Re-Entry Policy, COVID-19 Vacation Accrual Policy, and CARES Act Financial Distribution Process Policy. Ms. Lynn Parman made a motion, receiving a second from Ms. Counts.
Motion passed 9-0.
President Smart then presented an overview of the directives implemented as part of the Phase IV. He shared that he discussed the cleaning and disinfecting guidelines and the events guidelines as part of his initial report. He then shared an overview of the Employee Wellness Incentive Program – Flu Shot Option. The employee wellness plan allows employees to take some action each fall to save $30 per month on their health insurance premiums. Most years this has involved completing a biometric screening or a health questionnaire. He stated that this fall, employees will have the option to save the $30 per month by getting a flu shot prior to December 1. The flu shot is free to university employees.
Budget Update
President Smart provided an update on the events since the last Board meeting. He
shared that on June 1, Governor Parson made a second withholding of almost $4.3 million,
bringing the total withhold to almost $12 million dollars for the year. This equated
to over a $3.8 million deduction from the Springfield operating budget and around
a $300,000 hit to the West Plains operating budget along with some other smaller fund
reductions. These withholds further depleted university reserves on both campuses.
The university is now anticipating having between $54-55 million in reserves at the
end of this fiscal year which started at $63 million. President Smart shared that
the university did achieve more savings in expenses than anticipated at the last meeting.
He then called upon Steve Foucart, Chief Financial Officer, to discuss the FY2020
numbers in more detail.
Mr. Foucart discussed the FY2020 year-to-date financial review through April 2020 for both the Springfield and West Plains campuses. He noted that the university is tracking well overall with a strong financial position. Governor Frazier commended the university on preserving assets during the current uncertain times.
President Smart then provided an update on the planning for the FY21 budget. He shared that at the last Board meeting, options were presented on funding reductions at the $10 and $20 million amounts and discussion was held on how much reserves could and should be used to help bridge the gap in this unusual year. He explained that a Springfield budget which reduces funding by almost $16.4 million would be presented later today. President Smart stated that the proposed budget has no pay reductions, furloughs, or layoffs. He added that these measures would only be used as a last resort as he recognizes they would significantly impact morale.
President Smart shared that the budget assumes a $9.25 million reduction in state appropriations and a reduction of 1,500 students. The budget comes with the unanimous recommendation of the executive budget committee which is composed of faculty representatives from each college, the leadership of all constituencies, and key administrators. He shared that the university’s summer school numbers are better than last year in both enrollment and credit hours, graduate student numbers for the fall are up by 318 students, and while housing, continuing and new undergraduate numbers are down from last year, they continue to improve each week. He stated that the expected enrollment decline is smaller than what many other universities are expecting as fewer students are planning to attend college.
President Smart shared that he believes there is a need to keep reserves in reserve if the state appropriations decrease is greater than the amount predicted. He recommends no more than $4 million dollars of reserves be incorporated into the budget at this time. He then called upon Mr. Foucart to go through the FY21 budgets in more detail.
Mr. Foucart reviewed the Springfield and West Plains campus summary sheets and provided an in-depth review of the FY2021 internal operating budget. Mr. Frazier recommended approval of the resolution for the FY2021 Internal Operating Budget (Finance No.1088-20). Ms. Parman made a motion, Mr. Chris Waters provided a second.
Motion passed 9-0.
Human Resources – Mr. Matt Morris, Vice President for Administrative Services, provided an update on the university’s medical plan. Mr. Morris shared that during calendar year 2019, a new plan benefit design was implemented, and contracts were modified. Missouri State University has a self-insured medical plan and medical expenses increased more than 36% from FY14 to FY18 causing a $4 million shortfall. The university subsidize the shortfall with $1.5 million in central funds and found savings with $1.5 million in changes to the medical plan and/or employee premiums, and $1 million in contract negotiations with healthcare providers. Changes to the medical plan included providing employees with base plan and buy-up plan options, covering 100% of preventative benefits, and adding a co-pay model. He shared that input was received from Staff Senate, Faculty Senate, and from the campus community via a town hall meeting. Suggestions were incorporated into the plan. Mr. Morris reviewed utilization numbers of the medical plan that shows 48% of employees selected the base plan, 52% selected the buy-up plan, and 85% of employees participated in biometric screens as part of the wellness incentive program. He shared that the university saved $2,751,462 in 2019 with the changes implemented. He concluded his report by sharing information for the medical plan in 2020 that includes no premium increases, the average number of employees on the plan, and the wellness incentive program options.
Mr. Frazier called for a recess of the meeting at 4:56 p.m. with the plan to reconvene the following morning at 9:30 a.m. Mr. Gabriel Gore so moved to recess the meeting, receiving a second of Ms. Counts and the unanimous approval of the Board.
Mr. Frazier reconvened the meeting at 9:32 a.m. on June 19, 2020, via Zoom webinar on the motion of Ms. Silvey and second of Ms. Counts. Governors present included Mr. Frazier, Ms. Counts, Ms. Miller Keltner, Ms. Parman, Ms. Silvey, Mr. Wasson, and Mr. Waters.
Motion passed 7-0.
Mr. Frazier made a modification to the order of items on the agenda at this time, calling upon Dr. Frank Einhellig, Provost, to provide a report on Academic Affairs.
Academic Affairs
Dr. Einhellig discussed recommended revisions to the Springfield faculty handbook
sections 8.2 Disability Accommodation and Accessibility, 4.5.1.1. Teaching Loads,
Glossary, and Appendix A. He shared that the he, President Smart, and Faculty Senate,
are all in agreement of these revisions. Mr. Frazier asked for a motion to approve
the proposed revisions to the Faculty Handbook (Faculty Policy No. 140-20). Ms. Miller
Keltner so moved, receiving a second from Ms. Parman.
Motion passed 7-0.
Dr. Einhellig then provided an update on summer school enrollment. He shared that summer enrollment is up 5% in credit hours and 2% in headcount with 95% of courses being online. He highlighted that graduate programs are up over 7% in both credit hours and headcount, and the university is up in new transfer, non-degree seeking, and pre-college students.
Dr. Einhellig shared information on adjustments made to fall 2020 classes, technology enhancements, and professional development opportunities for faculty. He commented that the university was successful in transitioning spring classes to online formats in a short amount of time. He stated that efforts are being made to help prepare faculty for the fall semester through trainings and peer mentoring. Other changes to classes include additional online sections of courses and an increase in the number of blended courses offered. He reported that 80 additional classrooms with Zoom capabilities with 23 of these rooms utilizing tracking cameras to follow faculty to the whiteboards. Trainings will be available to faculty to learn how they can better utilize these technologies in the classroom.
He then reported on collaboration efforts with community colleges to offer four-year degrees. He shared that in the state of Missouri, a community college may offer a four-year degree under certain circumstances, but the Missouri Department of Higher Education encourages these community colleges to partner with a four-year institution. The university is currently working with St. Charles Community College Community College and Ozarks Technical Community College in providing degrees that meet the circumstances.
Dr. Einhellig also shared that Missouri Western is dropping a number of degree programs
and contacted Missouri State University to partner with them to teach out their students
in these programs. An agreement was signed yesterday to do so.
Dr. Einhellig shared that since the last Board meeting, the university has been fully
accredited for the next seven years with the Council for the Accreditation of Educator
Preparation (CAEP). As with most accreditations, there are yearly reports that must
be completed and Dr. Einhellig commended his team in working on providing the reports
and earning this designation. He called upon Dr. David Hough, Dean of the College
of Education, Dr. Barri Tinkler, Associate Dean of the College of Education, and Dr.
Chris Craig, Deputy Provost, to discuss future directions
Dr. Hough shared that there are 72 professional education programs across six colleges at Missouri State University. There are approximately 2,300 colleges and universities that offer programs that prepare professional educators that must have their programs approved by their state’s Department of Education. Many of these institutions also seek accreditation for specific programs. He shared that a few of these institutions seek more certification, of the 2,300, 341 seek a national accreditation. Dr. Hough provided a brief history of CAEP and its relationship with the university. He recommended that the university discontinues its affiliation with CAEP due to their constantly changing standards, the amount of resources used to apply for and maintain accreditation, and lack of rigor in the review process and procedures.
Dr. Tinkler added that there is a growing trend of institutions pulling out of CAEP that since 2018, 129 institutions have withdrawn from CAEP. Dr. Tinkler reported that input was solicited across the Educator Preparation Provider (EPP) Council and leadership council of the College of Education which both unanimously voted to withdraw from CAEP. Faculty from across the programs were surveyed about withdrawing from CAEP. Of the 26 responses received, 23 selected to withdraw and 3 selected to maybe withdraw. She shared that the university is not required to have accreditation with CAEP and that withdrawing does not impact state reciprocity for teacher certification. She added that Missouri State University is accredited by the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE).
Dr. Tinkler added that withdrawing from CAEP would save resources as CAEP process is a huge scope of work. She shared ideas on what could be done in lieu of CAEP accreditation which included assessing programs internally in addition to meeting state requirements, supporting faculty in research, and redirecting time and resources to work being done to better support schools and the community to support initiatives around equity and inclusion.
President Smart commented that the university did not want to withdraw from a national accreditation without Board input. He also thought it was important to achieve the latest accreditation rather than withdrawing from the organization prior to the decision being made.
Dr. Craig shared he is in complete support of Dr. Hough’s recommendation and the efforts mentioned by Dr. Tinkler. He commented that as head of the EPP, he thought it was very important to solicit input from across of the academic colleges that are part of the education program and all agreed that now is the right time to make this decision due to the current environment.
Mr. Frazier solicited feedback from the Board. Board members were in support the recommendation to withdraw from CAEP. President Smart added that the university is still accredited with the Higher Learning Commission and the College of Education will remain accredited by DESE. He added that by withdrawing from CAEP, the university will save a tremendous amount of resources.
Governors Gore and Tergin joined the meeting at this time.
President’s Report – President Smart provided a university climate update as part of his report. He stated that there has been significant turmoil across America and the world due to recent national and local events. He shared that the issues came to the university shortly after the death of George Floyd. Many students of color shared examples of racism and mistreatment they experienced at the university on social media. He commented that while many do not want to believe that these types of things happen on our campus, these experiences are true. President Smart stated that while we are not the only university hearing these stories and even though Missouri State does better on average on inclusivity when compared to the other universities surveyed, there is still more to do to ensure that all of our students have a positive experience on campus.
He added that the recent events have significantly impacted many faculty and staff, particularly those of color. Their experiences are not universally positive either and they continue to work on behalf of the students who experience acts of prejudice on campus and in the community. The university officially responded to both the national and local events in two statements, condemning racism in all its forms. President Smart stated that black students should not have a worse experience than white students in college and that concrete actions are necessary if the university is to continue to make progress in defeating racism on campus and in the community.
He shared that he believes there is an opportunity to make real progress as the university community is concerned over what they have learned has been happening on campus. As a result, the university is working on expanding work for racial equality and cultural competence within academics, student affairs, athletics, and the university as a whole. Dr. Michele Smith, Dean of Students, is leading the charge on the student affairs side. Dr. Chris Craig, Deputy Provost, is leading the work on the academic side. Kyle Moats, Director of Intercollegiate Athletics, has already rolled out a plan for his unit. Wes Pratt, Chief Diversity Office, is coordinating all of the university efforts as well as much of the work going on in the community.
President Smart then shared information on potential initiatives that include:
the creation of a Facing Racism Institute
directing the entire administrative and academic leadership teams to participate in
Facing Racism training
creating an inclusive excellence leadership academy for student leaders and provide
SOAR leaders, resident assistants and other student employees with inclusive excellence
training
creating cultural consciousness educational opportunities for incoming students in
the residence halls, GEP 101 classes, Public Affairs Conference, and other areas of
campus
expanding cultural consciousness training for faculty, staff, and department heads
begin a diverse faculty mentoring program
implementing an athletics department diversity education initiative
reviewing university policies to ensure they align with university values
continuing to emphasize improving retention and graduation rates of underrepresented
students and increasing recruitment and retention of underrepresented faculty and
staff
He then called upon Mr. Pratt to discuss the first two initiatives and invited Dr. Smith, Dr. Craig, and Mr. Moats to join the conversation.
Mr. Pratt shared information on the creation of a Facing Racism Institute at the university and training opportunities being created for faculty, staff, and administrators. He highlighted that the Facing Racism Institute originated from a 2009 trip the Springfield Chamber of Commerce took to Grand Rapids, Michigan who had a similar program. In 2010, the Springfield Chamber established the Facing Racism Institute. In 2016, Missouri State University began sponsoring and facilitating the facing racism sessions. The Springfield Chamber still co-sponsors the program with our division. He added that as part of the annual Collaborative Diversity Conference, a one-day facing racism workshop for attendees is offered and to date, over 300 business leaders from the Springfield area have attended.
Mr. Pratt shared that during this past academic year, the division and the facing racism team engaged in facing racism professional development for every principal, director, and administrator in the Springfield Public School District. Currently, the team is developing a program for all teachers, counselor, and staff.
He discussed how the team will be developing a more fully creative facing racism institute that will not only assist campus stakeholders but will continue to provide professional development for community members and promote cultural consciousness through awareness, knowledge, and the skill development to negotiate the cultural differences in a global society and a global economy. He shared the plans to develop a trainer-to-trainer model to expand and enhance cultural consciousness community wide, to continue efforts to emphasize promoting antiracism by all faculty, staff, and students. These goals are consistent with the university’s Public Affairs Mission as well as one of the core values of inclusive excellence. Inclusive excellence is the recognition that an institution’s or community’s success is dependent on how well it values, engages, and includes the rich diversity of students, staff, faculty, administrator, and alumni constituents as well university stakeholders.
Dr. Craig shared that all hands are on deck by the faculty. He shared efforts that include adding curriculum in GEP 101 courses on antiracism, providing trainings for faculty, incorporating components into the Public Affairs Conference.
Dr. Smith shared information on how the Division of Student Affairs plans to create a welcoming campus climate that is aware, knowledgeable, and culturally conscious with the goal of students becoming culturally competent by acquiring the skills necessary to affectively negotiate and navigate cross cultural differences in the places where we live, learn, and work. Efforts include developing the student diversity leadership program and that will include best practices and trends and utilize peer to peer training. Dr. Smith shared that continual growth through intentional work is the goal for the students in this program. At the end of the program, the students will earn a certificate. Students, faculty, and staff will all be involved to help to change the narrative and how we can resolve issues on campus, in the community, and nationally.
Mr. Moats highlighted efforts being made within Intercollegiate Athletics. On June 4, it was announced about a department wide educational initiative that values inclusion, diversity, tolerance, and social responsibility. The plan called for three initial steps to begin immediately, with the goal to expand in future years after annual evaluation. The initial steps included required annual diversity and sensitivity training for all athletic department employees and student athletes, the development of community engagement programs to increase Missouri State student athlete involvement in local schools and youth sports programs, and the establishment of a formal procedure for student athletes and staff to report discriminatory behavior of any kind while utilizing existing campus resources needed to advise students who experienced discrimination.
President Smart shared that working with an action plan specific for the next year that will include a focus on antiracism issues. He mentioned that there will also be a collaborative, coordinated effort on the West Plains campus as well.
West Plains Campus – Dr. Shirley Lawler, Chancellor of the West Plains Campus, shared an update on the West Plains Campus. She shared that it has been a good academic year in which 255 students earned an associate degree on campus and 62 students finished up undergraduate and graduate degrees on campus via the outreach site. She shared that programs continued to flourish, grants were received, and student teams competed at the state events. She commended faculty and staff for working with hospital centers to donate items to help aid during the pandemic. She shared that although summer enrollment is down, numbers for new students is up 10%. Additional highlights of her report included trainings being held for faculty and staff and the addition of more than 40 Zoom cameras to classrooms.
Dr. Lawler then shared with the Board her decision to resign from her position as
Chancellor of the West Plains Campus for personal reasons at the end of the academic
year. She commented that she has enjoyed her time and is confident that a smooth transition
can be made with the leadership on the West Plains campus.
Dr. Lawler then presented a resolution for the approval of an honorary associate of
applied science degree to Mark B. Collins (West Plains Award No. 10-20). Mr. Collins
was selected by the Honorary Degree Selection Committee to recognize his many years
of service and dedication to the university and Howell County making it a better place
to live. Ms. Silvey so moved the approval, receiving a second from Ms. Counts.
Motion passed 9-0.
Facilities – Mr. Morris requested approval of consultant and authority to enter into an agreement for professional services in conjunction with the renovation of the Professional Building (Architects and Engineers No. 721-20). This project will be paid from the Professional Building Renovation budget funded by private donations at a fixed fee of $324,000. Ms. Miller Keltner so moved, Ms. Counts seconded.
Motion passed 9-0.
Financial – Mr. Foucart recommended approval of the Procurement Activity Report (Purchasing Activity Report No. 490-20) with corrections. The report included the approval of a contract for the printing and mailing of the alumni magazine, amendments to the ESPN3 Telecast contract for Intercollegiate Athletics, contract renewals for periodicals for Meyer Library, a contract for upgrades to the telephone system with maintenance support for the university, and approval of payment for the buildings and contents insurance premium and services for all campuses. Corrections to the report included a decrease approval amount paid to ESPN from $385,000 to $335,000 (estimated). Moved and seconded, respectively, by Ms. Parman and Ms. Tergin.
Motion passed 9-0.
Mr. Foucart then shared information on items that had been approved within the authority of the President. Items purchased included electronic databases for university libraries, equipment for the Jordan Valley Innovation Center, National Public Radio program fees, and the purchase of custodial chemicals and equipment.
Mr. Brent Dunn, Vice President for University Advancement, presented a resolution for approval for the naming the Judith Enyeart Reynolds College of Arts and Letters and Judith Enyeart Reynolds Art Park (Gifts No. 174-20). Mr. Dunn shared that the naming is a result of a gift and an agreement with the C.W. Titus Foundation for an eight-figure gift that includes funds for scholarships for students in the College of Arts and Letters and for the Arts Park in conjunction with plans for a new permanent outdoor amphitheater. Ms. Miller Keltner moved to approve the resolution, Ms. Counts seconded the motion.
Motion passed 9-0.
New Business – Mr. Frazier recommended the adoption of the 2021 meeting schedule of the Missouri State University Board of Governors (Administration No. 48-20). Ms. Silvey made a motion, receiving a second from Ms. Parman.
Motion passed 9-0.
Closed Meeting – It was determined that the Board of Governors needed to meet in a closed session to consider items of business provided in the Revised Statutes of Missouri. Mr. Frazier asked if a resolution authorizing a closed meeting of the Board was prepared. Thereupon, the following resolution was presented for consideration:
BE IT RESOLVED by the Board of Governors for Missouri State University that a closed meeting with closed records and closed vote, be held during a recess of this May 15, 2020, meeting of the Board of Governors to consider items of business pursuant to:
R.S.Mo. 610.021(3). “Hiring, firing, disciplining or promoting of particular employees by a public government body…”
R.S.Mo. 610.021(13). “Individually identifiable personnel records, performance ratings or records pertaining to employees or applicants for employment…;”
Mr. Waters moved the approval of the resolution and Ms. Miller Keltner seconded.
A roll call vote on the motion was as followed: those voting in favor – Governors Counts, Frazier, Gore, Miller Keltner, Parman, Silvey, Tergin, Wasson, and Waters; those voting against – none.
Mr. Frazier declared the resolution passed unanimously. The open meeting recessed at 12:03 p.m. to go into closed session.
The open meeting was reconvened at 12:52 p.m.
Adjournment – Mr. Frazier adjourned the meeting at 12:55 p.m., on the motion of Mr. Gore, the second of Mr. Waters, and the unanimous vote of the Board.
Rowena Stone
Secretary to the Board