Institutional Policy and Planning Committee (IPPC)
Annual Report, 2012-2013
July 15, 2013
The IPPC advises the President with regard to strategic planning, taking a
comprehensive view of significant issues affecting the College. In so doing, it serves
as the central deliberative body for all-college governance. More specifically, IPPC
advises the President on all policy areas, with primary responsibility for those areas
beyond the purview of faculty governance (such as budget and financial planning,
benefits, environmental issues, admissions and financial aid, student affairs, and
advancement).
Over the course of the 2012-13 academic year the IPPC met 13 times. The various
subcommittees of IPPC also met regularly to address their specific agendas and to
prepare items for consideration by the full committee.
At the beginning of the academic year the IPPC reviewed the “Skin in the Game:
Strategic Action Agenda for 2012-13” document that identified three major themes
(diversity and inclusion; science planning; engaged liberal learning). These themes
are expressed in various ways in the Strategic Plan. Sixty-six specific action items
related to the four goals of the Strategic Plan are detailed in the Strategic Action
Agenda.
Full minutes of IPPC meetings are available and may be consulted for additional
details regarding the items summarized below. Bracketed dates after text refer to
the dates that items were discussed at IPPC meetings. To obtain minutes of the IPPC
meetings, visit the IPPC website: http://cms.skidmore.edu/IPPC/index.cfm.
Major Items Addressed in 2012-2013
1. Budget and Financial Issues
Discussion regarding the College’s budget and other financial issues is a
major part of the work of IPPC (and its Subcommittee on Budget and
Finance). Michael West, Vice President for Finance and Administration, has
administrative responsibility for developing budget proposals. IPPC reviews
documents and engages in discussions of the operating and capital budget.
The Committee also discusses policies related to budgets and planning. [2/2]
[2/15] [5/3]
A. FY 2014 Operating Budget
At several meetings the IPPC discussed the FY 2014 operating budget to
be submitted to the Board of Trustees. The Budget proposals included:
 A 3.9% Comprehensive Fee Increase
 A 2.5% Compensation General Salary Increase
 A 0.5% Compensation Market Equity Pool
 A 37.7% Financial Aid Discount Rate (“Internal”)
 A >30% Financial Aid Discount Rate (“External”)
 An $8.2 million Transfer to Capital Budget
 A $1,180, 565.00 New Initiatives Request List
[2/2] [2/15] [5/3]
B. FY 2014 Capital Budget
IPPC endorsed the FY 2014 capital budget of $8.2 million to be submitted
to the Board of Trustees. [5/3]
2. Admissions and Financial Aid
Throughout the year Mary Lou Bates, Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid,
updated IPPC on key statistics and issues regarding the class of 2016. She
reported as well that a cross-divisional administrative group has been
appointed for a trial during the year. The Enrollment Management
Committee will explore, analyze, and propose strategic solutions to address
admissions, retention, and enrollment profiles. Because this group might
replicate the work done by the IPPC subcommittee on Admissions and
Financial Aid, Dean Bates will make a recommendation in the coming year
regarding each group. Enrollment and financial aid were the focus of the
Trustee meeting in late October. At the February 2, 2013 meeting, Dean Bates
informed IPPC that the Admissions Office had received over 8100
applications, the highest in the College’s history. [9/7] [9/21] [2/2]
3. Major Policy Discussions and Motions
A. Whistleblower Policy: Cabinet approved the Whistleblower policy over
the summer that had been previously reviewed by IPPC and other groups.
IPPC supported Cabinet’s decision. [9/7]
B. Policy on College Policies: The working group convened by President
Glotzbach in fall of 2011 presented a revised draft of a Policy on College
Policies to IPPC for consideration in September 2012. IPPC confirmed its
support for the revised draft and it went to the faculty for a “sense of the
faculty” discussion at the November 2, 2012 Faculty meeting. Based on
that discussion, the working group made substantive changes to the
Policy, following which IPPC voted unanimously to recommend that
Cabinet approve the Policy on College Policies. [9/21] [10/5] [10/19]
[11/2] [12/14] [3/1]
C. Standards of Business Conduct Policy: This policy has attached to it
three other separate policies: Conflict of Interest, Conflict of Commitment,
and Whistleblower. Cabinet approved the Whistleblower policy in August
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2012. The working group conferred with several constituencies regarding
drafts of the Standards of Business Conduct Policy, presented it to the
faculty for discussion, and held an open forum for the Skidmore
community to comment. The faculty endorsed the policy at the April 26
faculty meeting. [9/7] [12/14] [4/5]
D. Smoking Policy
The subcommittee on Student Affairs presented recommendations for a
new smoking policy at Skidmore. IPPC will revisit this issue next year as
more work is done to finalize a recommendation. [5/3]
4. Science Initiative
The Science Initiative was a significant focus for IPPC this academic year.
Beau Breslin, Dean of Faculty and Vice President for Academic Affairs, and
Karen Kellogg, Associate Dean of Faculty, regularly kept the Committee
apprised of the work being done to move the science initiative forward. Some
of the most important issues included:
 How the new building will change the way science is taught at
Skidmore and the student experience
 The role the new science space can play in faculty development
 The role the new building will play for Admissions
 How the new science facility will increase the visibility of Skidmore’s
science programs
The Board of Trustees heard presentations regarding the science
initiative at their regular meeting in late October, at a special meeting at
the end of November, and at their February meeting. [9/7] [9/21] 10/5]
[11/16] [12/14] [3/1]
5. Option to Purchase two Properties
The Committee discussed the possibility of purchasing two properties that
have been made available to the College. One is 954 N. Broadway, Saratoga
Springs; the other is on West Avenue in Saratoga Springs. The Committee
discussed the effect these purchases might have on other building projects on
campus. President Glotzbach indicated that the Board of Trustees would
make the final decisions. [4/19]
6. IPPC Structure/Function, Subcommittees and Interaction with
Governance
A. Faculty Executive Committee Chair Membership on IPPC
IPPC voted to formalize the decision to add the Chair of the Faculty
Executive Committee (FEC) to IPPC’s membership. IPPC further voted to
amend the “Function” and “Membership” sections of the IPPC Operating
Code to implement the decision. [12/14]
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B. Assessment Steering Committee as a new IPPC subcommittee
Faculty Assessment Coordinator, Sarah Goodwin, brought a proposal to
IPPC to make the Assessment Steering Committee a subcommittee of
IPPC rather than a subcommittee of the Committee on Policies and
Planning. The reasons for the recommendation are largely due to IPPC’s
broad institutional perspective, a factor that is critical to the assessment
and accreditation process. After robust discussion, IPPC voted to approve
establishment of the IPPC Assessment Subcommittee. The IPPC Operating
Code has been revised to reflect this addition. [11/2] [11/16]
C. Space Planning Working Group
The Space Planning Working Group (SPWG) serves as an important
resource for space and facilities planning on campus. IPPC considered the
future of the SPWG, and after significant discussions, the Committee
decided that along with appropriate administrators, the SPWG should
include one student drawn from the student members of IPPC and one
faculty member drawn from the elected faculty on IPPC. The working
group is co-chaired by the Associate Dean of Faculty for Infrastructure,
Sustainability, and Civic Engagement, and the Director of Financial
Planning and Budgeting. Recommendations from the SPWG include
moving the Anthropology Department to Dana Hall, moving
Communications temporarily to the former Faculty Staff Club, and
moving the President’s Office temporarily to the former Special Programs
space while the President’s Office undergoes renovations. [10/19] [11/2]
[11/16] [3/1] [4/19]
D. Committee on Intercultural and Global Understanding Statement on
Diversity and Inclusion (CIGU)
Conversations continued from March 2012, regarding CIGU’s “Statement
on Diversity and Inclusion at Skidmore College.” IPPC voted unanimously
to express support for the statement and to encourage its use in
appropriate ways and venues. [12/14]
E. Campus Sustainability Subcommittee
The Campus Sustainability subcommittee outlined the process for
developing a long-term plan for sustainability at Skidmore and its
connection to the broader institutional strategic planning process. At the
final meeting of the year, Riley Neugebauer, Campus Sustainability
Coordinator, presented a draft proposal for the Strategic Planning
Process for Sustainability. The Committee decided that Cabinet would
review a revised proposal at its June retreat. Discussions regarding this
proposal will be on IPPC’s agenda for 2013-14. [4/19] [5/3]
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7. Next Strategic Plan—Process and Timeline
The next Strategic Plan is to commence in 2015. To this end, IPPC had several
productive conversations regarding process, format, and other ideas for
developing the Plan. Some of the questions President Glotzbach proposed
include: Where have we distinguished ourselves? Where do we want to be
distinctive? How do we position Skidmore? What can we do to articulate our
strengths? Other questions include: How can developing this Plan be a
process for community building? And, what does the world need from a
Skidmore student? The process to develop the next strategic plan will
continue in 2013-14. [2/2] [2/15] [3/1] [4/5] [5/3]
8. IPPC Vice-Chair for 2012-13: Natalie Taylor will be the Vice-Chair of IPPC
for 2013-14.
On behalf of the full IPPC, the co-chairs would like to thank Barbara Krause and
Jeanne Sisson for their expert staffing of the committee.
Respectfully submitted,
Philip A. Glotzbach, Chair
Erica Bastress-Dukehart, Vice-chair
IPPC Membership 2012-2013
Chair Philip Glotzbach, President
Vice-chair Erica Bastress-Dukehart, History
Members by Position
Michael Arnush, Classics and Chair, Committee on Educational Policies and
Planning
Mary Lou Bates, Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid
Barbara Black, English and Chair, Faculty Executive Committee
Beau Breslin, Dean of the Faculty & Vice President for Academic Affairs
Michael Casey, Vice President for Advancement
Paul Calhoun, Dean of Special Programs
W. Rochelle Calhoun, Dean of Student Affairs
Donald Duff ’13, SGA Vice President for Financial Affairs
William Duffy, Interim Chief Technology Officer
David Karp, Associate Dean of Student Affairs, and Co-Chair, Subcommittee on
Responsible Citizenship
Jackie Murray, Chair, Committee on Intercultural and Global Understanding
Riley Neugebauer, Campus Sustainability Coordinator, and Chair, Campus
Sustainability Subcommittee
Joseph Stankovich, Director of Institutional Research
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Matthew Walsh, ’13, SGA President
Michael West, Vice President for Finance and Administration
Term positions
Gail Cummings-Danson, Director of Athletics, administrative/professional
representative
Wendy Kercull, Special Programs, support staff representative
Denise Smith, Health and Exercise Sciences, faculty representative
Natalie Taylor, Government, faculty representative
IPPC Committee Membership for 2013-14
Chair Philip A. Glotzbach, President
Vice Chair Natalie Taylor, Government, Faculty Representative
Members by Position
Mary Lou Bates, Vice President and Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid
Benjamin Bechand ’14, SGA for Financial Affairs
Joerg Bibow, Economics, Chair of FEC
Beau Breslin, Dean of the Faculty & Vice President for Academic Affairs
Paul Calhoun, Dean of Special Programs
W. Rochelle Calhoun, Dean of Students and Vice President for Student Affairs
Michael Casey, Vice President for Advancement
Bill Duffy, Interim Chief Technology Officer
Samuel Harris ’14, SGA President
David Karp, Associate Dean of Student Affairs, Chair of SRC
Jackie Murray, Classics, Co-chair of CIGU
Riley Neugebauer, Campus Sustainability Coordinator, Chair of CSS
Joseph Stankovich, Director of Institutional Research
Peter von Allmen, Economics, Chair of CEPP
Michael West, Vice President for Finance & Administration
Term Positions
Christine Kopec, Management & Business, Faculty Representative (Fall 2013)
Erica Bastress-Dukehart, History, Faculty Representative (Spring 2014)
Wendy Kercull, Special Programs, Support Staff Representative
Timothy Harper, Management & Business, Faculty Representative
Kathy Kinnin, Institutional Technology, Admin/Prof Representative
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