Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education
KUTZTOWN UNIVERSITY
MINUTES OF THE COUNCIL OF TRUSTEES
June 11, 2015
The Council of Trustees met on Thursday, June 11, 2015 at 3:00 p.m. in Stratton Administration Center,
room 301.
PRESENT:
Dr. Charles Blocksidge ................................................................................. McKees Rocks
Mr. Thomas H. Heck, Secretary .................. …………………………………Wyomissing
Mr. James Ludlow ............................................................................................. Fogelsville
Mr. Guido Pichini ………………...…………………………………….Wyomissing Hills
Mr. Roger Schmidt ................ …………………………………………………….Leesport
Mr. John Wabby, Chairperson .............................................................................. Pottsville
ABSENT:
Mr. Dennis Giorno .................................................................................... New Cumberland
Mr. Mr. Anthony Iannelli………………………………………………………... Macungie
Ms. Dianne Lutz ..............................................................................................Wernersville
ALSO PRESENT:
Mr. Terry Brown, Director of Facilities Project Services
Mr. Matt Delaney, Senior Director of Budget and Business Services
Mr. Ron Devlin, Reading Eagle Reporter
Mr. John Green, Associate Vice President, Communication, Marketing and External Affairs
Mr. David Johnson, University Relations
Dr. Deryl Johnson, University Senate President
Mr. Matt Santos, Director of University Relations
Mr. Joseph Scoboria, President, Student Government Board
Mr. Jerry Silberman, Vice President for Administration and Finance
Mr. Ken Steward, Associate Vice President, Provost Office
Ms. Tracey Thompson, Executive Director, KU Foundation
Dr. Carlos Vargas-Aburto, Acting President
Dr. Anne Zayaitz, Acting Provost
1.
Call to Order
At 3:05p.m., Chairperson Wabby called the meeting to order; a quorum being present.
2.
Remarks by the Student Government Board President
Mr. Scoboria welcomed the members of the Council of Trustees. He noted that he will start his
senior year in Fall 2015. The Student Government Board is looking forward to the arrival of the
new University President, Dr. Kenneth Hawkinson. The Student Government Board is excited to
celebrate KU’s 150th year. Mr. Scoboria informed the Council that he was reelected for another
term as Student Government Board President. The Student Government Board Committee will
be working with incoming accepted students to help get new students involved in clubs, groups
and organizations. Mr. Scoboria will be working in Government Relations with Mr. Matt Santos
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in an effort to coordinate meetings with legislators and school superintendents for the new
university President. The Student Government Board is also working on Welcome Week and
Homecoming festivities for the 2015-16 academic year..
3.
Remarks by Dr. Carlos Vargas-Aburto, Acting President
Dr. Vargas reported that Kutztown University celebrated the recipients of its annual Chambliss
Student Achievement Awards in a ceremony on April 24 when we presented two gold medals,
four silver medals and six copper medals. Faculty members nominate students after they have
met one or more of the six areas of achievement, including: successfully completed research
projects, original artwork of high quality, artistic performances of high quality, original writing in
literature or meritorious writing in other fields, noteworthy athletic accomplishments and
outstanding service to the KU community.
On May 9, Kutztown University graduated nearly 1,400 students in two ceremonies. The weather
cooperated very nicely and our students and their families had a wonderful commencement
experience. Thank you to all of the faculty and staff who worked very hard to make the day a
success.
Our College of Business received accreditation on May 11 from the Association to Advance
Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB). KU began the accreditation process almost 10 years
ago and completed the extensive review last year. AACSB accreditation is considered to be the
hallmark of excellence in business education. Less than 5% of all the schools in the world are
accredited by AACSB.
Dr. Martha Geaney has been named the new Dean of the College of Business. Dr. Geaney has
served as our Associate Dean since 2013 and succeeds Dr. Bill Dempsey. Dr. Geaney was
selected after a National search that brought to the campus a number of highly qualified
individuals.
Three new programs have been submitted to the State System and will be presented to the Board
of Governors for approval. These programs include a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree in Applied
Digital Arts, Master of Arts Degree in Arts Administration, and Master of Education in Music
Education.
More than 1,700 students were named to the spring 2015 dean’s list at KU. The list has grown by
more than 100 students over the last year.
Over the weekend of May 29-31 both Kutztown women’s and men’s rugby competed for the
National Sevens Championship in Philadelphia. The women finished with three wins and three
losses and took seventh place. The men finished with four wins and two losses and played in the
National Championship Game against the University of California, Berkeley, for the second
consecutive year. The match was broadcast live on NBC in front of a nationwide audience.
On June 4 Kutztown University signed a collaborative procurement agreement with East
Stroudsburg University. Dr. Marcia Welsh and I signed the agreement at ESU’s Bethlehem
Center creating the State System Northeast Regional Procurement Collaborative.
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A shared procurement services division will enable both universities to create efficiencies,
economy of operations and cost savings opportunities to benefit each institution as well as the
students they represent. He thanked Jack Wabby for attending and representing the Council of
Trustees at the ceremony. He also thanked & congratulated Jerry Silberman and his staff for their
hard work on this initiative.
This morning at Penn State Berks campus KU accepted a grant from the Pennsylvania Liquor
Control Board Bureau of Alcohol Education. The grant totals $40,000 over two years to continue
our university’s efforts in educating students about the responsible use of alcohol.
Finally, Dr. Vargas shared that one of his last actions was identifying new tenured faculty for the
university. There were 15 faculty members that were granted tenure. He is currently in the
process of working through the promotion process. We have 20 faculty applying to be promoted
from Assistant Professor to Associate Professor. We also have 13 faculty applying to be
promoted from Associate Professor to Full Professor. This process should be completed before
his departure from Kutztown University.
4.
Public Comments
None
5.
Approval of Minutes, April 23, 2015
Upon motion duly made by Mr. Heck seconded by Mr. Schmidt the minutes of the April 23, 2015
meeting were approved with a correction in the attendance as Mr. Iannelli was not in attendance.
6.
Summary of Discussions-Council Committee on University Relations and Advancement
Mr. Schmidt reported on committee discussions.
There was strong media coverage for Commencement and the Boy Scout JAMBO camping event
on campus. There were record setting viewership numbers for television. With commencement
coverage in addition to “live” we had 3,194 viewers on a closed circuit type of webcam. We
reached 185,000 on Facebook through commencement. With the announcement of the Dean’s
List; we reached 50,000 viewers on Facebook.
Conference Services hosted Eastern Spring Special Olympics. We had 1,000 athletes and 2,500
guests on campus. With the Minsi Trails Boy Scouts JAMBO; we had 4,000 guests on campus.
KU Presents! has (7) performances scheduled for the 2015-16 season.
KU German Heritage Center planted the heirloom garden. KU biology students assisted with the
planting. The german heritage center is one of the few places where some of the heirloom
vegetables are grown in the United States. Seed companies contact the heritage center to
purchase seeds to grow on their own.
Mr. Schmidt distributed a KU Marketing handout to the council members.
KU Foundation’s annual campaign goal was $2.8 million. Through June 10; they have raised
$3,135,000 and gifts are still coming in. The number of faculty, staff and emeriti donors is up
from 128 last year to 224. KU faculty and staff have contributed more than $200,000. Among
this years donors; 58% are alumni. Our alumni participation rate is 4.5% which places us right in
the middle of our PASSHE peers. Our average gift size is significantly larger this year and total
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alumni giving stands at $937,000 which is 15% more than last year. There have been a lot of
alumni events. The Just In Time Student Emergency Assistance Fund currently has received gifts
totaling $66,000. We have received a $35,000 sponsorship from PSECU for the Sesquicentennial
celebration. A member from the 50th alumni class will be establishing a $25,000 endowed
scholarship. Another alumni will be establishing a new $25,000 endowed scholarship in Art
Education. Mr. Kevin Beebe, class of ’81, has pledged $150,000to support the College of
Business and the AIM Program. We received an unrestricted request of $280,000 from the estate
of Ellen Krause Taylor, class of ’44.
7.
Summary of Discussions-Council Committee on Academic and Student Affairs
Dr. Blocksidge reported on committee discussions.
Dr. Bill Mowder, Dean, College of Visual and Performing Arts reported that they have been busy
preparing accreditation reports. He spoke about the strong reputation of the College of Visual
and Performing Arts throughout the state with respect to the number of art teachers that graduated
from the program and the number of students who refer back to the college. This has become a
strong feature in terms of recruiting students. He also indicated that a number of the graduates
maintain contact and interaction on an ongoing basis with individual faculty members, keeping
them apprised of what they they are doing in their professional areas as well as their personal
lives. He specifically reported on two students. One, was a visually impaired student that came
to Kutztown to study visual art. Went on to get an internship in NYC with Nickolodeon and
eventually became employed by Nickolodeon Digital. Most recently, this student received an
EMMY for her work and development in interactive applications for Nickolodeon. Another
student that he mentioned had an internship at National Geographic with a world renowned
photographer for the publication. This student was then employed in one of the galleries and
today this student works in galleries throughout the world.
8.
Internship Agreements with various Institutions and Kutztown University
Dr. Blocksidge presented the list of Internship Agreements which establish a relationship
whereby students may participate in practical experience outside the traditional classroom setting.
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Asociaciôn Puertorriqueños en Marcha (APM), Philadelphia, PA - new
Bethany Children's Home, Womelsdorf, PA - new
California University of Pennsylvania, California, PA - new
Chester County Drug & Alcohol Services, West Chester, PA - new
Habitat for Humanity of the Lehigh Valley, Allentown, PA - new
Lehigh & Northampton Transportation Authority (LANta) - new
Luzerne County Children & Youth Services, Wilkes Barre, PA - new
Montgomery County Probation & Parole, Norristown, PA - new
Project Transitions, Chalfont, PA - new
Township of Spring, Berks County, Sinking Spring, PA - new
Dr. Blocksidge moved to approve the Internship Agreements as presented. Mr. Ludlow seconded
the motion and it carried. (Exhibit A)
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9.
International Study Abroad Agreement between University of Valladolid, Valladolid,
Spain and Kutztown University
Dr. Blocksidge presented the Exchange Agreement between University of Valladolid, Valladolid,
Spain and Kutztown University
Dr. Blocksidge moved to approve the Exchange Agreement as presented. Mr. Heck seconded the
motion and it carried. (Exhibit B)
10.
License Agreement for Use of Real Property: Kerrick Family, Stoddartsville, PA
Dr. Blocksidge presented the License Agreement for Use of Real Property.
Dr. Blocksidge moved to approve the License Agreement for Use of Real Property: Kerrick
Family, Stoddartsville, PA as presented. Mr. Ludlow seconded the motion and it carried.
(Exhibit C)
11.
Bachelor of Fine Arts in Applied Digital Arts
Dr. Blocksidge presented the Bachelor of Fine Arts in Applied Digital Arts program.
Dr. Blocksidge moved to approve the Bachelor of Fine Arts in Applied Digital Arts as presented.
Mr. Heck seconded the motion and it carried. (Exhibit D)
12.
Master of Arts in Arts Administration
Dr. Blocksidge presented the Master of Arts in Arts Administration program.
Dr. Blocksidge moved to approve the Master of Arts in Arts Administration as presented. Mr.
Schmidt seconded the motion and it carried. (Exhibit E)
13.
Master of Education in Music Education
Dr. Blocksidge presented the Master of Education in Music Education program.
Dr. Blocksidge moved to approve the Master of Education in Music Education as presented. Mr.
Schmidt seconded the motion and it carried. (Exhibit F)
14.
Summary of Committee Discussions -- Committee on Finance, Property and Audit
Mr. Ludlow reported on committee discussions.
15.
Consent Agenda Items
Mr. Ludlow reported that the committee thoroughly reviewed the consent agenda items.
Purchases and Contracts under $100,000
Mr. Ludlow moved that the Council approve the Purchases and Contracts under $100,000 as
presented. Mr. Pichini seconded the motion and it carried. (Exhibit G)
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Purchases and Contracts $100,000 and Over
2015-32
Voice Telecommunications Services
2015-33
Annual Maintenance and Tech Support for Avaya Core Network Data Equipment
2015-34
Lease of Former Airport Property
2015-35
Advertising and Marketing Services
2015-36
Technical Support Renewal for Oracle Services Contract
2015-37
Temporary Clerical Services (1 of 2)
2015-38
Temporary Clerical Services (2 of 2)
2015-39
Electricity Transmission and Purchase
2015-40
Water/Sewer Usage
2015-41
Construction Management Services (1 of 4)
2015-42
Construction Management Services (2 of 4)
2015-43
Construction Management Services (3 of 4)
2015-44
Construction Management Services (4 of 4)
Mr. Ludlow moved that the Council approve the Purchases and Contracts over $100,000 as
presented. Mr. Pichini seconded the motion and it carried. (Exhibit H)
16.
Doctorate in Social Work Program Fee
Mr. Ludlow moved that the Council approve the Doctorate in Social Work Program Fee as
presented. Mr. Pichini seconded the motion and it carried. (Exhibit I)
17.
Auxiliary Budget
Mr. Ludlow moved that the Council approve the Auxiliary Budget as presented. Mr. Schmidt
seconded the motion and it carried. (Exhibit J)
18.
E&G Budget Update
Mr. Ludlow moved that the Council approve the E&G Budget as presented. Mr. Pichini
seconded the motion and it carried. (Exhibit K)
19.
2015-2016 Winter Study Abroad Program Fee
Mr. Ludlow moved that the Council approve the Winter Study Abroad Program Fee as presented.
Mr. Schmidt seconded the motion and it carried. (Exhibit L)
20.
Additional Action Items
There were no additional action items presented.
21.
Report from Nominating Committee
Mr. Schmidt presented the Nominating Committee report.
Mr. Schmidt moved that the Council approve that the existing slate of officers remain the same.
Mr. Ludlow seconded the motion and it carried.
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22.
Approval of Meeting Schedule for 2015-2016 Academic Year
Mr. Wabby presented the proposed 2015-2016 Meeting Schedule.
Mr. Wabby moved that the Council approve the 2015-2016 Meeting Schedule as presented. Mr.
Schmidt seconded the motion and it carried.
23.
PACT Update
Mr. Wabby noted that PACT Chairs with the Board of Governors on July 29, 2015.
24.
Remarks by the Council Chairperson
Mr. Wabby noted that this was the last Council meeting for Dr. Carlos Vargas-Aburto, Acting
President and thanked him on behalf of the Council and Kutztown University for his service to
KU. The Council wished him and Pam the very best in his new role as University President at
Southeast Missouri State University.
25.
As May Arise
No items presented.
The meeting was adjourned at 3:35 p.m.
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Secretary
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Chair
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