December 17, 2021
Dear Colleagues:
I write to share a few highlights from today’s meeting of the Board of Trustees.
Upon my recommendation, the Board approved the naming of the Thomas E. and Karen Bumb Lauer Distinguished Professorship. This gift will enable our College of Sciences and Humanities to attract and retain outstanding faculty in the natural sciences. The professorship was established with a recent gift from the couple, both of whom are graduates of our University.
Dr. Tom Lauer is a distinguished professor emeritus who taught courses in our Department of Biology. He established our Aquatic Biology and Fisheries Center, and he is a past winner of our Outstanding Researcher Award and Outstanding Faculty Award. Ms. Lauer has enjoyed a life-long relationship with the University, and she is a supporter of the Discovery Women’s Philanthropic Leadership Group.
The Board also received an update about our University’s efforts to promote student success. A taskforce consisting of a small, but representative group of our colleagues continue to meet every week to develop action plans that will improve our data collection and proactive approach to advising, as well as strengthen communication among faculty, staff, and students. We are also creating academic success centers and first-year seminars in each college.
Dr. William Betts, director of Counseling and Health Services, also reported to the Board about how we are supporting students who need additional assistance as a result of the pandemic. The center has increased its use of telehealth services since Spring 2020 and introduced a stepped care model of treatment that can be better customized to a student’s individual needs.
Finally, the Board approved a very important resolution that will enable us to expedite the implementation of several strategic imperatives that, as a result of the pandemic, have become increasingly important and urgent. Specifically, the Board approved a recommendation that we implement a voluntary early retirement incentive plan for full-time faculty.
There are several reasons why the provost and I recommended that we provide an opportunity for senior full-time faculty members to retire earlier than they may have otherwise planned.
In our strategic plan, we articulated several strategies that we need to implement in order to respond to the dynamic changes confronting higher education, including: modifying our core curriculum to incorporate innovative pedagogy and transdisciplinary approaches to learning and problem-solving; constantly modifying our portfolio of graduate programs; developing a robust portfolio of micro-credentials and short-term learning modules specifically tailored for non-traditional learners; and implementing an incentive-based budget model that aligns our resources—including our investment in faculty—in order to achieve these objectives.
Prior to the pandemic, we were effectively implementing these strategies. Indeed, we were making good progress towards our mid-term objectives and our long-term goals.
During the pandemic, however, we had to make some immediate adjustments, including converting all Spring 2020 courses to remote instruction. During the last academic year, we also had to offer more hybrid courses to mitigate the ongoing threat imposed by the novel coronavirus.
Most significantly, the pandemic has accelerated the demand of our current and our future students for new modalities and for additional alternative learning experiences. As a result, our faculty will have to continue to adjust their instructional techniques, and we will also have to recruit new faculty with different experiences and skill sets.
In short, it is readily apparent that we must accelerate the implementation of our strategic plan. That fact is the principal rationale for the recommendation that the provost and I presented to the Board.
There is also a more personal rationale for our recommendation.
Throughout the pandemic, the provost and I have been impressed and inspired by how all of our faculty have responded to these changes and to these challenges. We are profoundly grateful for their creativity and their willingness to adapt and adjust.
But we also appreciate that the pandemic has imposed extraordinary demands on our faculty and staff. That strain has affected people in different ways, depending on their health and their family circumstances.
As a result of all of these factors, some of our experienced full-time faculty members may prefer to retire earlier than they had originally planned. The voluntary plan that the Board approved will allow these colleagues to make that important decision. Because we have managed our institutional resources prudently for many years, including through the pandemic, we can fund this incentive program without adversely impacting our operating budget. Indeed, if this plan is successfully implemented, our operating budget will be more secure.
The Board action authorized us to develop a plan to provide this one-time, voluntary benefit to full-time faculty members who meet the following criteria:
- The full-time faculty member must be employed by the University on January 14, 2022, and be: (a) a tenure or tenure-track faculty member; (b) a full-time, non-tenure line faculty member; or (c) a tenure or tenure-track faculty member with an administrative appointment (except Deans).
- As of May 14, 2022, the full-time faculty member must also (a) be at least 55 years old; and (b) have at least 10 years of service with our University; and (c) the faculty member’s age and years of service with our University must equal or exceed 70; and (d) agree to retire effective May 14, 2022.
The Board action authorized us to provide the following benefits to eligible faculty members who choose to take advantage of this voluntary early retirement plan:
- A single, lump-sum payment equivalent to 125% of the faculty member’s base salary this current academic year;
- The ability to elect to participate in our University’s retiree health and dental plan; and
- The ability to request consideration for emeritus or honoratus status.
In light of the Board’s authorization, we will promptly develop the details of this voluntary early retirement plan. We will share those details in early January 2022.
At the end of the Board meeting, I made a few comments. If you would like to read my remarks, please visit the website.
