The University of West Alabama
Board of Trustees
September 12, 2005, 10:00 a.m.
Bell Conference Center

I. CALL TO ORDER
Mr. Alex Saad, Chairman pro tem, called the meeting to order.
II. ROLL CALL
Ms. Earlene Lindsey, Assistant Secretary, called the roll and eleven (7) trustees were in attendance. A quorum was present. [Note: Members attending were: Mr. Robert D. Keahey, Dr. Louise Nolen, Mr. John Northcutt, Dr. Doris Oliveira, Mr. Alex Saad, Mr. Thed Spree, and Dr. Thomas Umphrey. Trustees not attending were: Mr. Tom Ballow, Mr. Terry Bunn, Mrs. Lena Hardaway, Mrs. Margaret Lovett, Mr. Preston C. Minus and Mr. John Smith.]
III. APPROVAL OF AGENDA
Mr. Saad asked for a motion to approve today's Agenda. Dr. Umphrey moved to approve the Agenda; Mr. Northcutt seconded the motion; and the motion passed.
IV. APPROVAL OF MINUTES FROM JUNE 6, 2005, MEETING
Mr. Saad asked if there were any changes to the minutes from the last meeting. Mr. Keahey made a motion to approve the minutes from the Board meeting held on June 6, 2005; Mr. Northcutt seconded the motion; and the motion passed.
V. REPORT OF THE CHAIR
Mr. Saad thanked everyone for the kind wishes, flowers and cards he received when he lost his mother in June. He said he has been able to attend a few events on campus this Fall, such as the Kickoff Dinner, the Fall General Meeting in August, and the pre-game cookout hosted by Thed and Judy Spree for the parents of the football players. Mr. Saad said he and his son assisted in the cooking of the food for the cookout and also had attended the game. He thanked the Sprees for hosting the cookout.
Mr. Saad noted the next quarterly meeting would be on December 12, due to the annual meeting of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools being held the first week in December. He also mentioned that the Finance Committee would meet prior to the Board meeting on that date.
Mr. Saad said the Board approved an ethics policy at the last meeting and he asked each Trustee to sign the ethics form in the informational packet today before leaving and give it to Ms. Lindsey.
Mr. Saad reported that the Honorary Degree Committee presented no recommendations to the Board for consideration of an honorary degree to be awarded at the December Commencement. He added that the process would begin in January 2006 for the Committee to bring forth recommendations to the Board for an honorary degree to be awarded next year. Dr. Oliveira asked if this committee had met, and Mr. Saad reminded her that a policy was adopted several months ago that candidates would only be considered when recommended by the Faculty Honorary Degree Committee.
Mr. Saad said a schedule (copy attached) for the Board meetings for the next year was included in the packets and he asked for a motion to adopt the calendar. Mr. Northcutt made a motion to adopt the calendar for next year's Board meetings, Dr. Umphrey seconded the motion, and the motion passed.
VI. REPORT OF INSTITUTIONAL ADVANCEMENT COMMITTEE
In the absence of the Mrs. Lovett, Chair, Mr. Keahey was asked to present this report. He said the Committee had a conference call on August 31st at 2:00 p.m. He said that the goal for the 2004-2005 Annual Fund was $300,000 and $425,000 has already been raised; the Institutional Advancement staff would like to move forward on the next capital campaign, but is considering a feasibility study first; and the family of Mr. Howard R. Vaughan (former trustee) made a pledge of $150,000 for an endowment.
Mr. Keahey reported that the efforts of Alumni Affairs resulted in new chapters being formed in the area of Tampa, Florida, and the Greater Birmingham area.
Mr. Keahey reported that Ms. Watson presented a report on the advertising efforts this past year and she had also introduced Ms. Meaghan Bailey, who would be writing press releases and updating the news on the UWA website.
Mr. Saad asked for a second to accept the report of the Institutional Advancement Committee, Dr. Umphrey seconded and it was approved. Mr. Saad said he was supposed to call in for the telephone conference call meeting, but he had a scheduling conflict.
VII. REPORT OF THE ACADEMIC PROGRAMS COMMITTEE
Mr. Northcutt, Chair, reported that the Committee met this morning and had a very informative session, but there were no action items brought before the Committee. He asked Dr. David Taylor, Provost, to report on several items of interest.
VIII. PROVOST'S REPORT
A. International Students/Muskie Fellowship
Dr. Taylor said one of these items of interest is the International Programs Committee and its efforts in cultivating international students, international faculty, and exchange programs. This year Ms. Mary Pagliero, who has taken the helm of the International Programs Committee and has worked to get this program where it needs to be, has recently published an international student handbook. He said the publication would familiarize the students to the campus and to the culture. Dr. Taylor said Ms. Pagliero almost single-handedly followed through on the University's Edmund Muskie Fellowship application, and is working this year to enrich the education of the other international students pursuing an education at the University of West Alabama. He said the University is looking at having a foreign exchange program for students, and also looking at having a foreign language institute at UWA. As of today, Dr. Taylor said there are 24 international students enrolled at UWA, representing 14 different countries and noted that many of these students are here because of their participation in the University's athletic programs.
Dr. Taylor said he asked Ms. Pagliero to come to the meeting today to introduce the University's Muskie scholar. Ms. Pagliero introduced Mr. Denys Lupshenyuk, from the Ukraine, who will be working towards his master's of science in continuing education. She said he was one of only 179 Muskie Fellowship recipients from over 5,000 Eurasian applicants and had arrived in Livingston in August. She said he earned three degrees in Ukraine, including a specialist degree, which is equivalent to an American master's degree, in Russian, English, World Literature and Education. Ms. Pagliero said he hopes to learn more about the American education system and take that knowledge back to Kharkiv University, where he teaches, that is located in Ukraine. She said two days after he was hired, he received word that he had received the Muskie Fellowship and was given a leave of absence to come to the United States to study.
Ms. Pagliero said that Denys's presence on campus adds diversity to the student body, and she hopes that he will share his culture with the other students while here for the next two years.
Mr. Lupshenyuk said he is very pleased to be on campus and it is the second time he has come to the United States, but the first time to pursue his master's degree. He said he would like to form a connection between UWA and the Kharkiv University. Mr. Lupshenyuk said he hopes to make some progress in obtaining a mutual understanding between the two countries regarding their education programs. He thanked everyone for welcoming him to the campus and for the warm climate in the area.
B. Shelton State Partnership
Dr. Taylor said that, in June, he and Dr. Holland met with President Rick Rogers and Steve Fair, Associate Dean, from Shelton State and from that meeting, a much larger meeting of about 35 took place in August. He said UWA has partnered to good purpose with Shelton State on several programs housed on the UWA campus and now will be exploring many more programs. He said Shelton State has the technical training to bring to this area that is outside the scope of UWA's mission, and on the other hand, he feels that UWA has a great deal to offer Shelton State. Dr. Taylor said the University hopes to recruit a large number of students from Shelton into UWA's baccalaureate programs by working together. He added that a lot of faculty and staff on campus want to be involved in this endeavor over the next year or more.
C. Faculty Achievements
Dr. Taylor said the final item is a focus on the achievements of the University faculty, and noted a detailed listing of this was in the packets provided to the Trustees. He said each year a list is compiled and published on the University website of each achievement in the prior year by faculty or staff. He encouraged the Trustees to take the time and read this document, which is provided by each college or division, and see what activities the faculty and staff are engaged in beyond their service in the classroom. He said he would not mention any faculty by name so that none would be omitted, but he did say that last year some of these faculty published scholarly books, professional journals, made presentations at professional meetings, and some were awarded and participated in faculty development fellowships.
Dr. Taylor said the College of Education is working extensively in all types of ways with the school systems throughout the region, and the College of Business is working on economic development in the West Alabama area.
Dr. Taylor said UWA has numerous grants in the pipeline. He said last year the University hired a grant consultant and a "dream team" of capable faculty and staff was formed to go through a year of training and to learn more about writing grant applications and following through with the process. He said this training is coming to fruition – just last week three grant applications were filed – that if funded, would provide approximately $900,000. Dr. Taylor pointed out that as State funds dwindle, each school must look to other sources of funding.
Dr. Taylor said that the list revealed the performances of the faculty in community service, civic endeavors, and enhanced credentials.
Mr. Northcutt added that on-line programs were also covered in the meeting of the Academic Programs Committee earlier today, and that President Holland would touch on this in his report. He said that Dr. Taylor had reported to the Committee on the involvement by faculty and staff with the Governor's Black Belt Action Commission. He added that there are currently 14 UWA personnel serving on various committees of this Commission.
Dr. Oliveria said it is very important that the students are mandated to enroll in a course where they must participate in community service as they pursue their degree at UWA. Dr. Taylor said the University does require a service obligation for each freshman and transfer students who have a certain number of hours, and noted this is channeled through the Freshman Seminar 101 course. He said these students are engaged in a variety of community service projects, such as the Focus First program, which provides eye screening for the children in the area counties. They are also working with tutoring of the children in various capacities, and some are working on clean-up projects in certain areas. Dr. Taylor added that these community service projects for students have been a high priority for President Holland and these efforts would be continued and possibly even expanded. He said it is in a sense part of the University's mission to teach the students to give back to their school and community.
Mr. Saad said that the Board has heard this report which constitutes a motion to accept the report, and asked for a second. Dr. Umphrey seconded and the motion was approved.
IX. PRESIDENT'S REPORT
A. Strategic Plan and Scorecard
Dr. Holland said there are so many positive things happening on campus that some time has to be spent on his report. He said that things that are done are derived from the University's Strategic Plan, and if the Trustees would look at the report and focus on the vision that UWA has chosen -- "To be nationally recognized for transforming the Black Belt into a region with an appealing quality of life." He noted this was a challenging vision, but that progress is being made toward this direction.
Next, Dr. Holland referred to the section on Special Stakeholder Goals of the Strategic Plan, which will help the Board to understand how the University is meeting its goals. He also brought to the attention of the Trustees the section of the Plan entitled: Assumptions. He said some members of the University community and the City officials will be meeting next week to discuss the amenities for the students. He said the University must also be a major player in the Black Belt area.
Dr. Holland referred to the Objectives/Scorecard which would provide insight on how the University is performing with regard to the goals mentioned in the Strategic Plan.
B. Enrollment
He said enrollment for the Fall Semester has increased over last year, with the total as of this date being 3,090, which includes some 1,001 online students. Dr. Holland also reported that there are 894 graduate students and 52 undergraduate students enrolled in the online program.
He added that the number of first-time freshmen increased by 130; retention percentage increased to 69% last year and hopes are to at least compete with that percentage or go higher this year; the goal for awarding trustee scholarships was surpassed; the alumni scholarships goal was also passed; the goal for terminal degree faculty was 75%, but reached 75.27%; the average ACT score for incoming students increased to 20.1 (the State average); the goal for the number of transfer students was not reached and the efforts must be doubled to reach the goal; and there has been an increase of five in the number of minority faculty and staff.
On the grants report, Dr. Holland said the University's goal last year was $400,000, but received a little over $1 million in grants. He said it would not be known until after September 30, 2005, the amount of grant monies received, but he thought the goal would be again surpassed.
C. Institutional Advancement
Dr. Holland noted that the Institutional Advancement report was also in the Trustees' packets.
1. Alumni Affairs
Dr. Holland reported that the Alumni office is working on its database; there are currently 13,000 alumni, but another 20,000 needs to be incorporated into the system. He said the Alumni office purchased a service that will actually help to validate the mailing addresses and Email addresses of the alumni. He added that the University has about 3,000 Email addresses of alumni, but there are many more to obtain. He said this year two issues of UWA Today have been published, as well as two issues of the online edition of Bridges.
Some of the other items of importance, Dr. Holland said, is that the National Alumni membership has increased by 50% since February and the number of active alumni memberships has actually doubled, and he noted that the first out-of-state chapter was formed in Tampa earlier this year. He said there is a nucleus of alumni in the Tampa area who want to be part of the University and they contacted the Alumni office to start the process for chartering a chapter. Dr. Holland said plans are also in place to form a chapter in the Montgomery area, southeast Alabama, and northwest Alabama. Out-of-state possible chapters will be in Atlanta, Georgia, Pensacola, Florida, Jacksonville, Florida, and one inquiry from an alumnus in Boston, Massachusetts, who would like to start a chapter in that area. Dr. Holland said this would be explored.
He said the last two pages of the alumni report simply provide a listing of the different alumni chapters and their events. Dr. Holland commended Clemit Spruiell and Rob McInturf for their efforts.
2. Marketing and Communications Program
Dr. Holland referred to the report which revealed what has been done in 2004-2005, and added that plans would be finalized next week for the advertising campaign during the 2005-2006 year. He said about three years ago a goal was set to inform the various publics about the University and the types of marketing that have been done had a tremendous positive effect for the University. Efforts have been concentrated in the areas where high school students are available. He commended Bari Watson for her efforts in the marketing campaign.
3. Annual Fund Report
Dr. Holland said the goal for the Annual Fund was $300,000 in the past year; however, as of August 8, some $404,000+ has been raised and this does not include the $150,000 pledge for the tennis complex.
D. Athletic Report
Dr. Holland thanked the UWA Baseball team and coaches for winning the 2005 Gulf South Conference and for representing the University in the NCAA Tournament. Also, he said the Girls' Rodeo team won the Ozark Regional event, and placed ninth in the nation, for which the University is very appreciative.
Dr. Holland reported that the football team won its first two games and lost the third game, but noted that the team is very young and motivated. He said the first game, under the new stadium lighting, brought over 6,400 spectators to the campus. He said the next game would be on September 17, at home with Monticello-Arkansas and that Homecoming would be on October 1. He encouraged all trustees to attend these events.
Dr. Holland said that men's and women's tennis have been added and the new tennis courts should be ready by next week. He said the volleyball team's season has started and they are currently 4-9. The cross-country team has been involved in two events, and the men's team is ranked No. 6 in the conference.
Dr. Holland thanked the coaches of the different sports for their efforts in raising $178,000+ to help support their programs.
E. The Alabama Commission on Governmental Accountability Survey
Dr. Holland said the State Legislature created a unit with ACHE for governmental accountability, and referred the Board to the results of a recent survey by that agency. He noted that UWA was tied for No. 1 in Alabama for the quality of instruction in courses; was rated No. 1 on the quality of advising and accessibility of advisors; was tied for No. 1 on preparing a student to write effectively and work with others; ranked No. 1 on the faculty caring about the student; ranked No. 1 on the non-faculty staff for caring about the student; tied for No. 1 on undergraduate degree preparation for current job; tied for No. 1 for the time and money spent working on a degree at UWA being worth it, and ranked No. 1 on the career services program. He said the percentage of alumni who would attend UWA if they had it to do all over again was 91.8%, while the State average is only 88.6%. Dr. Holland said it is vitally important that this report is marketed and UWA should continue their efforts, particularly because the competition will be much greater since this survey has been done. He thanked the faculty, staff, and the student body for their efforts.
F. Facilities Report
Dr. Holland reported that a lot is going on around campus, and he encouraged the Trustees to take a drive to see some of the progress. He said the Young Cafeteria is now open, after having been remodeled inside and outside; the Bell Conference Center parking lot is now open; the tennis complex will be open by the end of next week; the lighting at the stadium has been completed and funds must continue to be raised to pay for this; and the Greenway Project is underway and should be completed in sixty days. This project includes new sidewalks and landscaping in some areas where needed.
Dr. Holland reported that two projects have been started at the Baseball Complex. One project is a backstop and seating area that will cost about $25,000 and he said State funds could not be used for this purpose, so the funds will have to be raised. The other project is the new hitting facility that has already been started. This building will house new restrooms, a weight room, etc. and will cost between $250,000 and $300,000. These funds will also have to be raised by private donations.
Dr. Holland said the memorial walkway to be located in front of Webb Hall will be in place by the end of the Fall Semester. He said he and others met with a company in Demopolis who will handle this work for the University.
Mr. Saad said he has been asked by several people who had selected the color of the tables and chairs in the Cafeteria, and Mr. Raiford Noland selected the colors.
G. Resolution to name the Tennis Complex
Dr. Holland announced that the family of Mr. Howard Vaughan, a former trustee, has pledged $150,000 to create an endowment to maintain the tennis court complex. He said that a proposal was in each Trustee's packet for the naming of the tennis complex after Mr. Vaughan. Dr. Holland said that Mr. Vaughan was a long-time member of the UWA Board of Trustees, and encouraged each Trustee to read the synopsis of his contributions to the State of Alabama, as well as the nation. At this time, Dr. Holland asked for a motion to name the facility the Howard R. Vaughan Tennis Complex. Dr. Umphrey moved to name the facility after Mr. Vaughan, Dr. Oliveira seconded the motion, and the motion passed. Mr. Saad requested that Dr. Holland contact the Vaughan family to schedule the event.
H. Resolution to Establish the Center for the Study of the Black Belt
Dr. Holland said he is requesting that the Board approve the establishment of a center to study the Black Belt. He recalled that the University's mission statement states that the University will be nationally recognized for transforming the Black Belt into a region with an appealing quality of life. He said one way this can be achieved is by promoting the strengths and cultural heritage of the people of the Black Belt area, which can be done specifically through the proposed center.
Dr. Holland said that Dr. Tina Jones has been asked to direct the center for the Black Belt. He said the primary mission of the center will be to foster a greater appreciation and understanding of Alabama's Black Belt and regional culture by providing opportunities for dialogue for its citizens, scholars, musicians, artists, government officials, and others to come together to find solutions to its problems and to celebrate its success stories. The Center's primary role will be to aid in event planning, fundraising, and management.
Dr. Holland said the current projects include, but not limited to, the Sucarnochee Folklife Festival, the Black Belt Symposium, the Symposium on Literature of the Black Belt, the Black Belt Museum, the Sucarnochee Revue, the Sucarnochee Hall of Fame, the Community Gathering for Arts and Creative Educations, and publications through the Livingston Press. He noted that the University is working with the City of Livingston to establish a Black Belt Museum downtown. He said that Dr. John Hall has been the Curator for this project.
Dr. Holland reported that next summer the University will work with the Alabama Bureau of Tourism and Travel on the Black Belt Summer Institute. There will be approximately 45 enrolled in this activity, and the emphasis will be on the architectural history of the region.
Dr. Holland said the last page of his report revealed the number of grants that are currently under application to help pay for the Center.
Dr. Umphrey moved to establish the Center for the Study of the Black Belt, Dr. Oliveira seconded the motion, and the motion passed.
Dr. Holland noted that in 2010 the University will be celebrating its 175th anniversary, and a steering committee has been appointed to develop a schedule of activities from now through 2010. He said the steering committee will ultimately be expanded to include all units of the University. As part of this project, Dr. Holland said some have been going through the Archives and putting together a history of the institution. He said great riches have been found in the Archives and mentioned that one of these items is included in the Trustees' packets today, i.e. the first diploma that was awarded in 1843 by this institution. He especially noted the wording on the document and said he believed that today the expectations mentioned in the diploma are still here. He said the University has the dedication to provide an education for its students that will impact the area, the State and the world. He encouraged the Board members to read the wording of the diploma and mentioned that it was awarded to Miss Elizabeth Houston. Dr. Holland said Miss Houston's father, Mathew C. Houston, was an early merchant in Livingston and was a first cousin of Sam Houston of Texas. He also had another cousin, who was a Governor of Mississippi.
X. OTHER
Mr. Saad welcomed Mrs. Becky Holland back to the meetings, and mentioned that she has not been feeling well. He also asked if there was any other business to be brought before the Board today. Dr. Gerald Jones, Vice President of the UWA Faculty Senate, requested the time to present a report from the Faculty Senate.
Dr. Jones reported that the Faculty Senate would like to recognize the University for opening the campus to the displaced students affected by Hurricane Katrina. Additionally, he noted that dormitory scholarships were offered to these students.
Dr. Jones said that Dr. Schellhammer, Chair of the Senate, would be working on a maternity leave policy this year for the University faculty.
Mr. Saad thanked Dr. Jones for providing the report and said he had planned to have Dr. Holland report on what the University had done for the evacuees from the storm. Dr. Holland reiterated that the University offered dorm scholarships for the students from the Gulf who were displaced, had extended the registration time for the Fall Semester and any interested students from the Gulf area were to contact Mr. Egbert, Registrar. He also said that Dr. Taylor's office contacted the school system in Louisiana and even had discussion with some faculty members who have been affected by the hurricane. He noted there are about 89 evacuees staying in the Red Cross shelter on campus at this time.
Dr. Holland said he received a request this morning for space on campus FEMA to have a clearing house, but he did not know if enough space is available for this purpose. The period of time would be about three weeks and they (FEMA) would have about 20 staff members on campus.
Mr. Saad said he was reminded by Mr. Spree that the Board members should sign their code of ethics form and leave it with Mrs. Lindsey before leaving.
XI. ADJOURNMENT
Mr. Spree moved for the adjournment of the meeting, Dr. Umphrey seconded the motion, and the motion was approved. The meeting adjourned at 12:12 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,

Lena Hardaway
Secretary

Earlene Lindsey Assistant Secretary