President’s Advisory Team
Minutes
March 13, 2008
President’s Advisory Team Members in attendance:
Lili Afkhami, President, Student Government Association
Alice Bahr, Dean, Libraries and Instructional Resources
Edwin Cowell, Dean of Students
Richard Culver, Director, Media Relations
Elizabeth Curtin, President, Faculty Senate
Jason Curtin, Director, Alumni Relations & Annual Giving
Laura Thorpe for Jane Dané, Dean, Enrollment Management
Janet Dudley-Eshbach, President
Michael Folkoff, Interim Dean, Henson School of Science and Technology
Lisa Gray, President, Staff Senate
Amy Hasson, Assistant to the President
Steven Hetzler, Chair, University Forum
Debbie Easterling for Richard Hoffman, Interim Dean, Perdue School of Business
Robert Tardiff, Associate Provost
Paul Land, Director, Auxiliary Services
Ed Lashley, Chief, Salisbury University Police
Betty Crockett for Greig Mitchell, Vice President, Administration and Finance
Ellen Neufeldt, Vice President, Student Affairs
Dennis Pataniczek, Dean, Seidel School of Education and Professional Studies
Marvin Pyles, Director, Human Resources
Connie Richards, Interim Dean, Fulton School of Liberal Arts
Kara Siegert, Director, University Analysis, Reporting and Assessment
Brian Stiegler, Director, Center for International Education
Rosemary Thomas, Vice President, University Advancement
Bill Pennewell for Jerry Waldron, Chief Information Officer
1.
Campus Safety Initiative - Ellen Neufeldt, Chief Ed Lashley, Lili Afkhami
o
The Emergency Alert System will be tested at 12:15 this afternoon. This consists of
testing the outdoor siren, sending text messages and calling office phones. There are
over 4500 cell phones registered to receive text messages, 46% of the campus
community and 95% of freshman. Local landlords have been invited to participate by
receiving text messages.
o
An e-mail was sent to the campus community on Tuesday, March 11 advising the of an
individual who posed a potential threat. While there was no threat of imminent danger,
it was decided that that informing the campus community was the safest option.
o
Chief Ed Lashley presented spreadsheets and maps of the City of Salisbury crime
statistics. SU Police are working with local police agencies to improve patrols at
University Park and other perimeters. They will increase the number of security officers
on campus and in surrounding areas.
PAT Meeting
March 13, 2008
Page 2
o
Ellen Neufeldt provided an update on initiatives the Safety Committee has developed:
i. Increase police presence in perimeter locations, to include University Park.
ii. Increase pedestrian lighting in areas close to student housing.
iii. Increase visibility of SU Public Safety escort service and expand SafeRide.
 The current policy of “escort(ing) students off campus in nearby locations
during hours of darkness” is being examined to better define “nearby
locations” and “darkness.”
iv. Create education programs that would inform students moving to areas off campus
of safety precautions.
o
Lili Afkhami provided an update on the Students for a Safer Community, a new student
organization that is part of the SGA.
i. Education initiatives - the SGA is providing off campus student rentals with door
hangers that provide tips on how to secure their residences during school breaks.
ii. As part of Safety Awareness Day on March 12, the SGA conducted a survey with
approximately 200 students to determine how safe they feel. The results are as
follows:




125 students (65%) do not feel safe in the city at night
109 students (54.5%) would not feel comfortable walking home from
campus at night
107 students (53.5%) did not feel protected by local police
83 students have had some sort of interaction with city police: of those
students, 20% had solely positive experiences, 57% had solely negative
experiences, and 23% had a combination of both.
iii. On March 31 the SGA will hold a Safety Forum. Student initiatives that have been
developed as part of the Forum are as follows:


Student Input Night (SIN) - students are given an opportunity to provide
personal experiences concerning safety.
An e-mail address has been created where students can provide
information. The address is sendyoursin@gmail.com.
iv. It was noted that while students feel safe on campus, they feel less safe the further
away from campus they go.
v. Special mention was noted that the Fruitland police agency makes a concerted
effort to communicate with students. Their concern for student safety is one of
their top priorities.
2.
University Governance:
o
Student Government Association - Lili Afkhami
i. The Big Event will be held on Saturday, April 19. This year job requests will be
surveyed beforehand to insure that they meet the threshold of community service.
PAT Meeting
March 13, 2008
Page 3
ii. Earth Day is April 24.
iii. Several Renters’ Fairs were held this semester and were considered a great
success. Only those landlords who are viewed positively are invited.
o
Faculty Senate - Elizabeth Curtin
i. The last Faculty Senate meeting centered on Safety issues.
ii. Several bylaw changes have taken effect. Two new committees have been created:
the Assessment Committee and Faculty Senate Finance Committee.
iii. The next meeting of the Faculty Senate, scheduled for March 25 at 3:30 pm, will
concern faculty promotions.
o
Staff Senate - Lisa Gray
i. Amy Waters visited the last Staff Senate meeting and discussed Healthy U.
ii. The exempt position vacancy of the Staff Senate has been filled by Kerrie Bunting,
the Program Coordinator in Alumni Relations and Annual Giving. However, due
to the resignation of Janine Vienna, the exempt position for CUSS now has an
opening.
iii. The next Staff Senate open meeting will be on April 23 at pm in the Montgomery
Room.
o
University Forum - Steven Hetzler
i. The next meeting of the Forum will be held in April and will discuss safety
initiatives. An e-mail will be sent to the campus community soon with details.
3.
Admissions - Series Of Events Promoting Student Yield - Laura Thorpe
o
Decisions for the freshman class of 2008 have been made. The yield rate for students
who are accepted and decide to attend has increased by 5% over last year. To
encourage an even larger acceptance rate the following initiatives have been
implemented:
i. Saturday, April 5 will be the first Admitted Student Day. This will be part of
the Admissions Open House program, but will take place on the other side of
campus. Students will be able to participate in “mock” classes, and there will
be a Student Activities Fair. Parents and potential students will be able to see
what the local community has to offer.
ii. SU students have been recruited to visit their local high schools to speak about
Salisbury University. Students and faculty members are also placing calls to
potential students to encourage them to come to SU.
iii. On April 1 and April 8 SU admissions counselors will venture out and host
luncheons for guidance counselors in Montgomery County and in counties
located in middle and lower New Jersey.
iv. A luncheon held for local high school guidance counselors will be held on April
25.
PAT Meeting
March 13, 2008
Page 4
4.
5.
6.
7.
Legislative Update - President Dudley-Eshbach
o
The General Assembly continues to debate and compromise on the upcoming budget.
o
President Dudley-Eshbach, Provost Jones, and VP Greig Mitchell met with
Chancellor Kirwan and Vice Chancellor Vivona to discuss Salisbury University’s
need for more resources. The discussion was productive in that SU had a chance to
present their case for financial relief. While Salisbury University has been able to
achieve exceptional statistics with limited funding, the strain of surviving on a
shoestring budget is taking its toll. Limited funds prohibit hiring required staff and
faculty, which creates heavy workloads and little reward. Low faculty and staff
salaries have caused several failed searches and limit the ability to draw exceptional
employees. The physical infrastructure continues to age, and is not receiving ongoing
repair and renewal as needed. Chancellor Kirwan and Vice Chancellor Vivona both
expressed a desire the help SU and will look at creative ways to increase funding.
International Education - Brian Stiegler
o
The first semester-embedded international trip for SU students take place this spring,
when a group of English Honor students go to London. In the spring of 2009 a faculty
member has expressed interest in taking a group of students to Ghana.
o
Over spring break, Dr. Caviglia-Harris will be escorting a group of students to a South
American country to participate in a global service project. This project does not offer
university credits. Students who participate are doing so for the sheer gratification of
helping.
Announcements
o
Four members of the SU community have won the prestigious Maryland 100 Top
Women award. They are Rosemary Thomas, Vice President for Advancement; Marie
Cavallaro, faculty member in the Art Department; Stephanie Willey, a member of the
Town Gown Council; and Paula Morris, faculty member in the Management and
Marketing Department.
o
Diversity Award nominations are due in the Diversity Office by 5 pm on March 24.
The next meeting will be held on Thursday, April 17 at 10 am.
Recorder: Tracy Hajir