December 13, 2019
Dear Colleagues:
I write to share a few highlights from today’s meeting of the Board of Trustees.
The Board supported the implementation of our strategic plan by approving my recommendation to establish the President’s Strategic Imperative Fund—a $5 million investment that will empower our faculty and staff to generate proposals that will make significant contributions to the strategic imperatives outlined in the five goals of Destination 2040: Our Flight Path.
All proposals submitted for consideration will be reviewed by an evaluation team comprising members of our University Strategic Planning Committee. These individuals will provide their recommendations to me, and I will announce my final funding decisions no later than April 30, 2020. The funds will be dispersed over a three-year period, from July 1, 2020 through June 30, 2023. For more information,
visit the webpage.
The Board also approved a one-percent, one-time salary supplement for employees as part of our University’s efforts to invest in our talented faculty and staff. The supplement was made possible as a result of cost savings last Spring that produced a modest surplus in our operating budget for the 2019 fiscal year. This one-time supplement will be distributed based upon existing merit criteria for current employees who were eligible for the one-percent salary increase approved by the Board earlier this year. Supplement payments will be issued in February 2020, after Human Resources has developed the full criteria and process for distribution.
In other business, the Board formally honored the career contributions of one of our colleagues who will conclude her service to the University at the end of this month. In recognition of the exceptional administrative leadership of Dr. Kay Bales, the Board approved the naming of our Excellence in Leadership program as the Dr. Kay Bales Excellence in Leadership program.
This honor is a fitting tribute to Dr. Bales. For more than 30 years, Kay has been a student advocate who has served our University with distinction. Over the course of her career, Kay helped establish a new division of enrollment planning and management, led efforts to increase our retention rates, and created multiple policies and programs that have influenced every student’s experience on our campus. Her professional contributions will have a lasting impact on this institution, and I am grateful for her many years of service.
At the end of the Board meeting, I made a few comments. If you would like to read my remarks, please
visit the website.
It is a privilege to serve with you, and I am grateful for your encouragement and support.
