University Executive Committee Meeting Notes

May 17, 2007

Rollin Richmond

Rick Vrem

Rob Gunsalus

Anna Kircher

Denice Helwig

Carol Terry

Mike Reilly (for Steve Butler)

Mark Larson

Patty Lindley, Staff Support

Guests:

Kevin O’Brien

Jane Rogers

President’s Report

President Richmond welcomed Mark Larson, Chair of the Academic Senate, to the University Executive Committee.

President Richmond reported:

  • that he, accompanied by Janna Sheridan, Development Officer, visited with Steve Brown, President and CEO of Nexgen Pharma in Irvine on May 14.
  • that he attended the May 15-16 CSU Board of Trustees meeting where some of the topics discussed included:
    • Richard Barnes, labor relations consultant who assisted with the CFA negotiations, will continue to serve the CSU. Jackie McClain will be leaving the Chancellor’s Office on August 1; Gail Brooks will serve as interim vice chancellor.
    • the CSU has hired an individual to provide campuses with training in an effort to deal more effectively with grievances.
    • Professor Varkey and two students, Vona Britz and Jonathan Gent, made an impressive presentation to the Board of Trustees meeting, as did representatives from CSU Los Angeles.
    • Professor Cunha, recipient of a Wang Family Excellence Award, was honored. HSU faculty member, Eugene Novotney, received this recognition last year.
    • Trustee Esparza recently resigned from his Trustee position due to a potential conflict of interest. Two new trustees will be appointed pending legislative approval; Glen Toney and Kenneth Fong.
    • Emergency preparedness continues to be a CSU concern. Anna Kircher will update the University Executive Committee in an upcoming meeting regarding HSU’s progress toward implementing a notification procedure which would alert faculty, staff and students of emergency situations. James Lee Witt and Associates have been contracted by the CSU to assist during emergencies; they would respond to affected campuses within four hours of an emergency crisis.
    • the emergency preparedness audit will be discussed at the July Board of Trustees meeting – HSU needs to be prepared to respond to outstanding findings.
    • Review of the Governor’s budget (May revision) was provided by Patrick Lenz.
  • following the Board of Trustees meeting, President Richmond attended a meeting of the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) where they discussed increased community engagement.

Other Reports

Provost Vrem reported:

  • that summer term beings on May 29 with FTE down approximately 60-70 from last year as a result of reduced class offerings.
  • FIG (Freshman Interest Groups) training is taking place as part of HSU’s retention efforts.

Vice President Gunsalus reported:

  • that the Advancement Foundation finance committee recently met; the endowment is close to $22 million as of March 31. Four new members will be joining the board.
  • that the marketing team has received a publication award for the “eight things to know about HSU” brochure.

Carol Terry reported:

  • the new CSU revenue management plan became effective in May.

Mike Reilly reported:

  • that issues relating to the CMS implementation project are being addressed.
  • that incoming (confirmed) freshmen and sophomore students for fall continue to be significantly higher than last year.

Anna Kircher reported:

  • the company managing the pay phones located on campus are planning to remove nine of them due to lack of funds being generated. If these phones are to be retained on campus, HSU would need to pay $35 per month, per phone. President Richmond asked that data relating to their usage be obtained prior to making a decision. This will be placed on a subsequent agenda.

Commencement Review

Jane Rogers provided a summary of suggestions which have been received following the 2007 commencement event. She noted that she will meet with the University Executive Committee in the fall where she will propose an increased graduation fee which will more accurately reflect the costs involved.

ATI Status Update and First Year Report

Anna Kircher and Kevin O’Brien reviewed the Accessible Technology Initiative (ATI), outlining the required tasks, progress and challenges, including timelines through 2012. They noted that it will be important to identify who will be responsible to address compliance and enforcement issues. They will work with Public Affairs to develop a campus communication plan. The estimated costs are $200,000 annually which would diminish over time. President Richmond will discuss funding needs with Chancellor Reed and Mary Cheng.