The University of West Alabama
Board of Trustees
Continuance of June 4, 2001, Recessed Meeting
Student Union Building, June 18, 2001, 10:00 a.m.
Approved Minutes

 
1. CALL TO ORDER
 Mr. Preston Minus, Chairman pro tem, reconvened the meeting and asked Mr. Noland to call the roll.
2. ROLL CALL
Mr. Raiford Noland, Assistant Secretary, called the roll and the following trustees were present:

Mr. Terry Bunn, Mrs. Lena Hardaway, Mr. Robert Keahey, Mr. Preston Minus, Dr. Doris Oliveira, Mr. Alex Saad, Mr. John Smith, Mr. Thed Spree, Dr. Tom Umphrey, Mr. Nat Watkins

Members absent were: Mr. Dwight Duke, Dr. Louise Nolen, and Mr. Paul Hamrick.
 Mr. Minus requested Mr. Nat Watkins to give the invocation.                  
3. REVISION OF BY-LAWS
Mr. Minus distributed a revised copy of the UWA Board of Trustees By-laws and asked for any changes other than the ones noted inn RED on the copy. Mr. Saad requested that the Board consider changing the "five days' notice" on Page 2, Line 4, to at least "seven days' notice" in order to give the Trustees who live out of town enough time to get their schedules changed. There was a consensus to make this change, and Mr. Mike Kendrick (University's Attorney) so noted.

Mr. Bunn asked Mr. Kendrick if this conflicts with the Sunshine Law, and He said it would not.

President Roach requested the Board to consider changing the terminology on the Page 4, Line 12, pertaining to Public Admission to Meetings, to "good name and character" instead of "personalities". Mr. Kendrick also noted this change.

Dr. Umphrey requested that a statement be added on Page 4, third paragraph, pertaining to Executive Committee, as follows: "The Executive Committee will notify all other members of the Board on the day any action is taken by said Committee". Mr. Kendrick so noted this change.

Several Board committee names were changed, i.e. Public Affairs to Institutional Advancement, Student Life to Student Affairs, and Academic Programs to Academic Affairs.

Mr. Nat Watkins moved to amend the By-laws with the changes noted, and Dr. Doris Oliveira seconded the motion. The motion passed, with one opposing.

A motion was made by Mr. Watkins, and seconded by Mr. Keahey, to go into an executive session at 10:40 a.m. Mr. Minus invited President Roach to stay for the session. Motion passed.
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Mr. Minus called the meeting back to order at 10:50 a.m.

Mr. Watkins made a motion to adopt as a policy of the Board the following statement regarding the proration lawsuit: "The Universities' position in this case has nothing to do with segregation. What we are saying is that Judge Reese' Order in the equity funding case was legally wrong and contrary to the decisions of the Alabama Supreme Court. We are not relying on any provision in Amendment 111 relating to segregation. What we are relying on is the Amendment's provision that there is not a constitutional right to a public education. That is exactly what the Alabama Supreme Court has ruled in interpreting the United States Constitution. Judge Reese' Order was legally wrong and has the effect of guaranteeing perpetual second-class treatment for higher education." The motion was seconded by Mr. Saad, and the motion passed.
4. LAND USE AND FACILITIES COMMITTEE
Mr. Minus reported for this Committee, in the absence of its Chair, Dwight Duke. He said it was the recommendation of the Committee that the rodeo arena be covered if all funds for this project can be raised by the Rodeo Booster Club from outside sources and no university funds or resources would be used. Mr. Spree made a motion that the Arena be covered if the funds can be raised from outside sources; Mr. Keahey seconded the motion; and it passed. Mr. Minus said that President Roach had expressed his concerns about this project and asked for his written position to become a part of these official minutes. This would be done, according to Mr. Minus. (See attached.)

Mr. Spree made a motion to proceed with attempting to obtain funding for a multi-purpose building from outside sources and asked that any and all help secure funds for this purpose. Plans for this facility will be reviewed by the Land Use and Facilities Committee at the appropriate time. Mr. Saad seconded the motion, and the motion passed.
5. TUITION PROPOSAL
Dr. Roach presented his rationale for a new tuition method and/or increase proposal for the Fall Semester 2001. He said that the Registrar's Office needs to go ahead and have brochures printed and bills mailed (with July 9 deadline) to the prospective students, which outlines tuition costs, and he asked for the Board to consider approval of the new tuition plan with a maximum increase of 9.11% for undergraduate students and a maximum increase of 9.17% for graduate students. He said the University had been working on this plan since 1999.

Dr. Roach reported that as of this date, UWA was the only four-year school that had not already approved a tuition increase for this Fall. He said if the Board would approve this concept with the maximum percentages, as previously stated, final approval of the exact percentage would be made when the Budget and Finance Committee meets to consider the FY 2001-2001 Budget which would be presented to the full Board.

Mr. Saad moved to accept this proposal, as presented by Dr. Roach, with the percentage of tuition increase being no more than 9.11% increase for undergraduate students per credit hour and 9.17% for graduate students per credit hour. Mr. Watkins seconded the motion. Dr. Umphrey asked Dr. Roach if the proposed increase had anything to do with the Governor's proration on the University. Dr. Roach replied that the tuition study had been in the process since 1999 and would reduce tuition for some students, especially in summer school, and was part of the overall process of obtaining revenue to operate the University. The motion passed.
6. BOARD COMMITTEE ANNOUNCEMENTS
Mr. Minus announced his committee appointments, as follows:

7. Mr. Minus said the meeting would be recessed until the 2nd Monday in September, or subject to the call of the Chair.