March 11, 2015: Board of Trustees Regular Meeting Minutes

Abstract

Presented are the minutes of the 336th meeting of the Youngstown State University Board of Trustees. This was a regular meeting. In his report, President Tressel provided an overview of the 2015 spring semester and informed the Board of YSU’s ranking 10th in a recent list of best colleges and universities, the extension of accreditation of the Williamson College of Business Administration, and other institutional accolades. He also reported on a donation by Mr. & Mrs. Morris Friedman of $2.5 million to establish a chair in engineering. The Board resolved to confer honorary degrees upon Eric A. Spiegel and Randall Craig Fleischer; to approve a bachelor degree program in biochemistry; to modify the naming of facilities, colleges, and programs policy; to modify the endowment funds policy; to rescind a policy on fund raising and the acceptance of gifts; to modify the policy on the deposit of university funds; to modify the policy on business-related and entertainment expenses; to modify the policy on surplus property; to modify the policy on university parking and transportation fees; to approve the Summer 2015 Jump Start Enrollment Initiative; to approve interfund transfers; to revise guidelines on asset allocation; to approve the recommendation to rebalance the Non-Endowment Long-Term Investment Pool; to approve room rates for the University Courtyard Apartments for Fall 2015; to approve the selection of an internal auditor; to approve the policy on sexual misconduct; to modify the policy on military (uniformed services) leave; to modify the policy on bereavement leave for exempt professional and administrative staff and department chairpersons; to modify the policy on multiple year contract for executive level officers, administrative officers, etc.; to approve the creation and recruitment of a Dean of the Honors College; to approve the recruitment of a new Dean of the College of Creative Arts and Communication; to approve the creation and recruitment of an Associate Vice President for Student Success; to approve the creation and recruitment of an Associate Vice President for Student Experience; and to ratify personnel actions. The Board further resolved to extend its appreciation to Dr. Sudershan K. Garg for his years of service on the Board. An additional resolution was passed in appreciation for departing student trustee Eric A. Shehadi. Finally, it was reported that Mr. Miner, along with President Tressel and four YSU students, traveled to Columbus for meetings with Ohio state legislators to emphasize the importance of adequate funding for higher education.