The University of West Alabama
Board of Trustees
December 3, 2001, 10:30 a.m.
Student Union Building
Approved Minutes

 1. CALL TO ORDER
Mr. Preston Minus, Chairman pro tem, called the meeting to order.
  2. ROLL CALL
Mr. Minus asked Mr. Noland to call the roll. Members present were as follows:
Mr. Terry Bunn, Mr. Dwight Duke, Mrs. Lena Hardaway, Mr. Robert Keahey, Mr. Preston Minus, Mrs. Louise Nolen, Dr. Doris Oliveira, Mr. Alex Saad, Mr. John Smith, Mr. Thed Spree, Dr. Tom Umphrey, Mr. Nat Watkins
Mr. Paul Hamrick was absent.
  3. APPROVAL OF MINUTES
There were no changes to the minutes from the meetings held on June 18 and September 10, which had previously been sent to the Trustees. Mr. Spree moved to approve the minutes, with Mr. Smith seconding, and the motion passed unanimously.
4. MCILWAIN BELL AWARDS
President Roach presented the McIlwain Bell Awards that were endowed by Mr. and Mrs. L. G. Cunningham several years ago. Dr. Roach reported that the McIlwain Bell Awards Committee recommended the following: Dr. Louis Smith for the Trustee Professorship Award, Mrs. Nancy Taylor for the Professional Staff Award, and Mrs. Kaye Bryan for the Support Staff Award. Mr. Nat Watkins moved to accept this slate of recipients; Mr. Dwight Duke seconded the motion and the motion passed unanimously. Dr. Roach presented each recipient with a plaque and a check.
5. LAND USE AND FACILITIES COMMITTEE REPORT
Mr. Dwight Duke, Chair, reported that the Land Use and Facilities Committee makes the following motions:

Motion #1 - to approve plans for construction of the Waste Water Treatment Center from private funds. Motion passed.

Motion #2 - to approve the sewer easement on University property for the Crawford/Patrenos property. Motion passed

Motion #3 - to allocate $100,000 of PSCA funds to the construction of the Library addition and the Bell Conference Center projects, which will replace $100,000 of 1999 Bond Funds to be transferred to the UWA Foundation and designated for Baseball Dressing Rooms in the amount of $75,000 and the Rodeo Complex in the amount of $25,000.

Motion #4 - to allocate two grants in the amount of $50,000 each (total $100,000) from the Department of Agriculture and Industries given for the furtherance and promotion of agriculture for the benefit of the citizens of Alabama to the Rodeo Complex; and, further, these funds are to be transferred to the UWA Foundation for use with other funds for the Rodeo complex.

Mr. Smith seconded these motions, and they passed, with Mr. Saad voting against Motion #4.
6. SGA Report
Ms. Erin Ekhart, President of UWA SGA, reported on the SGA and student activities. She said that the SGA attend the Higher Education Partnership meetings on a regular basis.
7. PRESIDENT'S REPORT
Dr. Roach requested that his remarks become a part of the official minutes of this meeting and that he had provided the Assistant Secretary a copy for this purpose.

He congratulated John Crawford on being hired at the University of Montevallo, and explained that this position is similar to Clemit Spruiell's at UWA.

Dr. Roach reported that even after 6.2% proration the University faced this past year, there was an increase in the ending fund balance in the amount of $80,000. He credited this increase to realized savings across campus, as mandated by the Governor's declaration of proration, and also an increase in overall revenues.

The Wastewater Training Center received a $150,000 grant from ALFA and a $17,000 grant from ADEM.

The College of Business received full accreditation from the Association of Collegiate Business Schools and Programs.

Dr. Roach said the student enrollment is the highest it has been since 1998, with the highest number of transfer students and graduate students.

Dr. Roach reported on the campus building projects -- Bell Conference Center, addition to the Julia Tutwiler Library, and the baseball clubhouse. He also said that the Greenways/Tiger Trails Project, which will enhance the overall appearance of the campus, is in the planning stage.

He said the Annual Fund Campaign exceeded its goal by 31% and the Technology Capital Campaign has reached the half million-dollar mark in pledges, making it the largest fundraising campaign in the institution's history.

Dr. Roach reported on the success of Homecoming and the unveiling and dedication of the UWA Gallery of Presidential Portraits.

He stressed the importance of the upcoming visit by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools on April 14-17, 2002.
8. CONSIDERATION OF EXTENSION OF PRESIDENT'S CONTRACT
Mr. Watkins made a motion to consider the extension of President Roach's contract, which is scheduled to expire on February 28, 2002. The motion was seconded by Mr. Bunn. Mr. Saad and Dr. Umphrey expressed their support for President Roach.

The Chairman pro tem requested that Mr. Noland have a roll call vote. Voting was as follows:

Terry Bunn - Aye
Dwight Duke - Nay
Lena Hardaway - Abstained
Robert Keahey - Nay
Preston Minus - Nay
Louise Nolen - Aye
Doris Oliveira - Nay
Alex Saad - Aye
John Smith - Nay
Thed Spree - Nay
Tom Umphrey - Aye
Nat Watkins - Nay

Mr. Minus said the motion to extend President Roach's contract failed. He then appointed a committee to search for an interim president, as follows: Clemit Spruiell (Chair), Bob Holycross, Richard Holland, Micky Smith, Gary Stone, Lawson Edmonds, Danny Buckalew, Raiford Noland, and Janis Beaird. He requested that a slate of at least three names, but not more than five, be presented to the Board for consideration. He said he would call Mr. Spruiell to advise him when the committee should meet to begin this process.

Mr. Bunn said the University's Attorney, Mike Kendrick, advised him that it would take eight votes to terminate the President. Mr. Minus then stated that the vote to renew the President's contract did not pass, the contract expires February 28, 2002, and the President's employment is terminated as of that date.
9. RECESS
There was no further business, and Mr. Minus recessed the meeting at 11:20 a.m. 
Copy of remarks for inclusion as attachment to minutes of 12-03-01
President’s Report to the UWA Board of Trustees: 12-03-01
Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
I appreciate the opportunity to present this report to the Board.
My remarks will be brief, and with the Chairman’s permission, I’d like to ask that they be made a part of the record of this meeting.
I have taken the liberty of presenting the text of my remarks to Mr. Noland, the Assistant Secretary of the Board for attaching to the minutes of this meeting when they are finalized.
In addition to my remarks, there are other reports submitted to you by the Provost and The Vice President for Student Affairs.
These are at your place to take with you for review at your discretion.
I know that my staff will be happy to answer any questions that you might have regarding these handouts.
People are the heart of any organization.
This is especially so for UWA.
We are about to lose a person who has been most valuable to our University: and one who is a graduate of this institution and truly loves it.
I speak of John Crawford who will join the University of Montevallo at the first of the year in a role similar to the one Clemit Spruiell plays for UWA.
John, this speaks highly of you at such a young age.
We congratulate you, but please know that this University will miss you.
I know that I speak for Clemit and others on our staff who say “thank you” for the great job you have done for UWA.
In spite of the bad economy and the resulting proration, we have made tremendous progress at the University.
Faced with the 6.2% proration last fiscal year, the University community responded by tightening its belt and working together in a very positive team effort to try to minimize the damage of proration.
Vice President Noland recently reported to me on the annual closing of the University’s books.
He noted that in spite of proration, the unified efforts across campus resulted in an increase in the University’s fund balance of approximately $80,000 over the previous fiscal year.
This increase is due both to realized savings across the campus, in accordance with the Governor’s declaration of proration, and increased revenues.
I would also like to share with you some of the University's other accomplishments from the past year.
The Alabama On-Site Wastewater Training Center continued to grow and expand in its service to the region.
Additionally, the center received a $150,000 grant from ALFA and a $17,000 grant from the Alabama Department of Environmental Management.
UWA Nursing students once again scored above the national pass average on six content-specific achievement examinations.
In 1996, the College of Business received conditional accreditation from the Association of Collegiate Business Schools and Programs.
I am pleased to report that the conditional status has been removed, and our College of Business is now fully accredited.
I am delighted to be able to give you a very positive report on fall enrollment.
The Registrar’s Office tells me that at 1,974 students we have our highest enrollment since 1998.
We also have our highest number of transfer students since 1997 and the highest number of graduate students since 1994. 
Further, the University, with the support and approval of this Board, has a number of construction projects underway that, combined, represent the largest building project in the history of the University.
These projects include the 6,000 square foot Bell Conference Center, which we believe will become the focal point of the campus and will be an asset not only to the University, but to the local business community as well.
The second building project is a 5,000 square foot addition to the Julia Tutwiler Library.
This expansion is a long needed improvement for our campus.
Once the addition is completed, our students will have more study and research space, and our staff will have more room to operate effectively.
Third, construction is now well along on our baseball clubhouse, which will be a state of the art facility that will not only meet the dressing room needs of our team, but will also provide a great recruiting tool for our baseball coaches.
The fourth project, in the planning stage, is one about which both the campus and the Board have shown great enthusiasm--the Greenways/Tiger Trails project, the goal of which is to enhance the overall appearance of the campus, provide greater access for walking and biking throughout campus, and remove pedestrian barriers.
The project also entails restoring the Webb Hall/Bibb Graves area (the central core of our campus) to the original Olmstead Brothers plan of 1930.
Incorporating the Bell Conference Center into these plans will ensure a smooth flow of pedestrian traffic to this area of campus.
Our Annual Fund Campaign exceeded its goal by 31% and raised some $39,000 more than last year’s annual fund campaign.
Our Technology 2000 Capital Campaign has reached the half million dollar mark in pledges, already making it the largest fundraising campaign in the institution’s history, but there is much work to be done before we reach our goal of two million dollars.
The recent Homecoming was the best I have ever experienced in my academic and administrative career.
We had a large number of returning alumni on campus, and they exuded a tremendously optimistic spirit about the direction of the University.
Long-time staff members have told me that attendance at all of the Homecoming events was the largest in many years.
Perhaps the most special part of the entire weekend was the unveiling and dedication of The University of West Alabama Gallery of Presidential Portraits in Webb Hall Parlor.
Several family members of our former presidents were in attendance at the unveiling.
In addition, former Presidents Deloney, Green, and Hines were present for the ceremony.
Of special importance to this University is the upcoming accreditation visit by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS).
The accreditation team, or reaffirmation team as it is often referred to, will visit our campus on April 14-17, 2002.
The University community is looking forward to hosting the reaffirmation team and presenting its case for reaccredidation for the next ten years.
During my administration, I have worked with both groups and individuals to improve the economy of this region.
A few months ago, members of my staff and I worked with trustee Tom Umphrey and Senator Charles Steele to bring Dr. Marvin Grant onto our staff to assist in outreach.
Pursuant to this effort, Dr. Grant and I recently went to Georgia on a trip arranged by Senator Charles Steel to pursue a model for rural economic development, one that has been successful there and which shows much promise for our region.
Members of the Board, there is a good spirit of excitement and cooperation among our students, faculty, staff, and alumni as we move onward to the opportunities and challenges ahead.
I believe that the University Community looks forward to working with the members of this Board to move The University of West Alabama to new heights.
Mr. Chairman, this concludes my remarks, and I will be happy to answer any questions should you have them.
Again, I thank you for this opportunity to report to the Board.