xt786688h69t https://exploreuk.uky.edu/dips/xt786688h69t/data/mets.xml Lexington, Kentucky University of Kentucky 20010714 minutes English University of Kentucky Contact the Special Collections Research Center for information regarding rights and use of this collection. Minutes of the University of Kentucky Board of Trustees Minutes of the University of Kentucky Board of Trustees, 2001-07-aug14. text Minutes of the University of Kentucky Board of Trustees, 2001-07-aug14. 2001 2011 true xt786688h69t section xt786688h69t
MINUTES
BOARD OF TRUSTEES MEETING
UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY
Tuesday, August 14, 2001
Minutes
Attachment-slides from presentation by Sandy Copher, Director of
Academic Scholarship Program
PR2
PR 3 through 4
FCR 1 through 18
Back to Trustees page
Minutes of the Meeting of the Board of Trustees of the University of Kentucky,
Tuesday, August 14, 2001.
The Board of Trustees of the University of Kentucky met at 1:00 p.m. (Lexington
time) on Tuesday, August 14, 2001 in the Board Room on the 18th floor of Patterson
Office Tower.
A. Meeting Opened
Billy Joe Miles, Chairman, called the meeting to order at 1:00 p.m., and the
invocation was pronounced by Dr. Loys Mather.
B. Oath of Office Administered
Mr. Miles asked Paul VanBooven, Deputy General Counsel, to administer the
Oath of Office to the following members:
Pamela R. May, appointed by Governor Paul E. Patton to replace Edward
T. Breathitt, for a term ending June 30, 2007.
Billy Joe Miles, reappointed by Governor Paul E. Patton for a term ending
June 30, 2007.
Russell G. Williams, re-elected by the staff for a term ending June 30, 2004.
Dr. Claire Pomeroy, elected by the faculty to replace Daniel Reedy for a term
ending June 30, 2004.
Tim Robinson, who will serve as student trustee for the 2001-02 academic year.
Barbara S. Young, appointed by Governor Paul E. Patton to replace Merwin
Grayson, Jr. for a term ending June 30, 2007.
C. Roll Call
The following members of the Board of Trustees answered the call of the roll: Mr.
Paul W. Chellgren, Ms. Marianne Smith Edge, Mr. John "Jack" Guthrie, Dr. Loys
Mather, Dr. Robert P. Meriwether, Mr. Billy Joe Miles (Chairman), Dr. Claire Pomeroy,
Mr. Steven S. Reed, Mr. Tim Robinson, Mr. Frank Shoop, Ms. Marian Sims, Ms. Alice
Sparks, Dr. Grady Stumbo, Ms. JoEtta Wickliffe, Mr. Billy Wilcoxson, Mr. Russ
Williams, Ms. Elaine Wilson, and Ms. Barbara Young. Absent from the meeting was Dr.
Elissa Plattner. The University administration was represented by President Lee T. Todd,
Jr.; Acting Senior Vice President Jack C. Blanton; Senior Vice President and Chancellor
of the Medical Center James W. Holsinger; Acting Provost Michael Nietzel; and Vice
President for Research James Boling, and Mr. Richard E. Plymale, General Council.
Members of the various news media were also in attendance. A quorum being
present, the Chairperson declared the meeting officially open for the conduct of business
at 1:12 p.m.
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D. Consent Agenda
Mr. Miles stated that there were two items on the consent agenda:
Approval of the Minutes
PR 3 - Candidates for Degrees
On motion made by Ms. Edge, seconded by Mr. Guthrie and carried, the consent
agenda was approved. (See PR 3 at the end of the Minutes.)
E. President' s Report to the Board of Trustees (PR 1)
President Todd said he continue to be impressed as he reacquainted himself with
the institution. He called attention to the following items in PR 1:
1. Kentucky Governor Paul E. Patton has established a new office in
Washington, D.C., to advance the state' s goals in the nation' s capital.
President Lee Todd and President John Shumaker, University of
Louisville, appeared at a press conference with Governor Patton and made
their commitment to the Washington office. This is one of the
recommendations of the John Hall Report, the committee that Mr. Miles
appointed earlier this year.
2. President Lee Todd has established Commissions on Women and
Diversity. He has been meeting with people to ask them to serve on the
two Commissions and is getting close to announcing the leadership and
finalizing the appointments.
3. University of Kentucky Hospital is ranked in the Top 20 in the country in
cancer care in U.S. News & World Report's 2001 edition of America's
Best Hospitals.
4. President George W. Bush singled out the UK College of Dentistry as an
example of community service to youth at a special declaration signing in
early July. This is a part of America' s Promise that Colin Powell,
Secretary of State, put in place. Dr. Leon Assael, Dean of the College of
Dentistry, represented the University at the White House.
5. "Citizen Kentucky: Democracy and the Media," a videotaped discussion
about the role of the news media in American democracy, was aired on
Kentucky Educational Television in June. The broadcast was organized
by the UK School of Journalism and Telecommunications and moderated
by the school' s Director Buck Ryan.
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6. The first Young Women in Science group is completing the program
developed by UK researchers at the Center on Drug and Alcohol
Research.
7. The College of Human Environmental Sciences kicked off a $1.4 million
fund-raising campaign to support a new early childhood development and
family center in late July. A $50,000 check was recently received from R.
J. Reynolds to kick off the fund-raising drive.
President Todd also called attention to the recipients of the 2001 Charles T.
Wethington, Jr. awards that are designated specifically for exemplary efforts that exceed
the levels of excellence in faculty research and said those individuals are to be
commended.
President Todd called on Acting Provost Nietzel to summarize the press
conference held prior to the Board meeting and to talk about the scholarship report.
Acting Provost Nietzel said he was pleased that one of his first opportunities to
address the Board concerns scholarships for the students. He said he particularly
appreciated the Board' s interest in this issue. New programs that will be introduced next
year for students who are participants in the Governor' s School for the Arts and who are
Governor' s Scholars will be described in a report along with the expectations for those
scholarships and programs.
These scholarships will be vital to the University in terms of attracting the kinds
of students that we most want to be educated at the University of Kentucky. This is an
opportunity for UK to reach out into the state, an effort that has not been made in the
past. Just as world-class musicians want to be able to perform with the best symphonies,
their performance is elevated when that happens, and just as outstanding athletes want to
be able to compete against the best athletes and on the best teams, their performance is
enhanced. Our students deserve the chance to rub academic elbows with the most highly
prepared, capable and high achieving peers as can possibly be provided at the University.
The university' s scholarship program previously aimed at a very high academic mark,
and at well-prepared students. We need to expand both the volume of that program and
also diversify the criteria by which we select students. So there are two themes you will
see in the presentation that will be made to you.
The University of Kentucky plans to increase, over the next four years by about
fifty percent, the amount of money that currently is dedicated to academic scholarships.
You are going to see a broadening of the criteria in making those awards: Criteria that
reflect recognition that academic talent needs to be measured in multiple ways. While
the ACT and high school accomplishments are good measures of academic talent, they
are not the only ways. We have discovered that Governor' s Scholars and graduates of the
Governor' s School for the Arts are among our best students. They persist, are retained,
and graduate with very high levels of accomplishment. The program that was announced
at the press conference is aimed at bringing many more of those students to the
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University and having them benefit from the education they will receive as well as having
current students benefit from having them as colleagues.
Acting Provost Nietzel paid particular tribute to Phil Kraemer, Associate Provost
for Undergraduate Education, who helped a great deal in putting this scholarship program
together. He then turned the podium over to Sandy Copher, who is the Director of
Academic Scholarship Program, to present her PowerPoint summary of what has been
done in the scholarship area and the goals and definition of the two new initiatives for
Governor' s Scholars and the Governor' s School for the Arts. Ms. Copher' s presentation
will explain to the Board the new direction being taken at the University as far as
recruiting students. (See Ms. Copher' s slides at the end of the Minutes.)
Ms. Copher thanked Dr. Nietzel, President Todd, and Chairman Miles. She said
she was delighted to talk to the Board about the academic scholarship program at the
University of Kentucky. The University has a strong program that is ethical and fair. It
does have its weakness, however. We are trying to make headway in resolving those
weaknesses. She said her presentation would cover the current programs and the
upcoming scholarship program for Governor' s Scholars and the Governor' s School for
the Arts and the benefits these programs will bring to the University.
At the University of Kentucky students have four different opportunities to
receive financial assistance. The first is need-based aid or scholarships, grants, loans and
work-study. The Office of Financial Aid administers that need-based aid.
College-sponsored scholarships, such as the College of Engineering, College of
Agriculture, and the College of Education, have their own scholarship programs with
their own requirements geared toward their students.
Departmental scholarships are the next opportunity, such as those of Minority
Affairs, Athletics, and ROTC. These are departmental type scholarships. Again, they are
geared to students in their area.
Finally, there is merit-based aid, which is administered by the Office of Academic
Scholarships. Within that office, four different types of programs are administered. The
first is for incoming freshmen. Students who are currently seniors in high school can
apply for these scholarships. The majority of the scholarships are four-year awards;
however, there are some one-year awards. There is a program for students who are
transferring to the University of Kentucky, a program for currently enrolled students that
are not already receiving a scholarship at the University, and Alumni Club scholarships
that are sometimes based on need and sometimes on merit.
The funding for the Office of Academic Scholarships last year was a little over
$4.4 million. The large majority came from Central Administration with the Provost
providing the rest and private endowments providing the small amount. The incoming
freshmen program uses about 75% of the budget. Again, that is because most of the
awards are for four years. The transfer program is a small program, but it is a stable
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program. Then there is the currently enrolled program, which are one-year awards. The
Office of Academic Scholarships sponsors also sponsors scholarships to units on campus
such as the Gaines Center, ROTC, and the Law School. The Office of Academic
Scholarships provides funds to them to provide scholarships to their students. They are
totally involved with the selection, but the Office of Academic Scholarships does provide
funds for them.
Ms. Copher reported that the merit-based scholarship students must have a 28 on
their ACT and a 3.30 cumulative grade point average in high school. Last year the Office
of Academic Scholarships funded a little over a thousand students, at a cost of about $3.3
million.
The transfer program is a small program. The Office of Academic Scholarships
only funded about 60 students last year, but the requirements are a 3.5 cumulative grade
point average at their current institution.
The currently enrolled program has the same requirements, a 3.5 cumulative
grade point average at the University of Kentucky. The Office of Academic Scholarships
funded about 540 for about $640,000 last year.
The freshman program is the largest program. A variety of different scholarships
are offered through that program. Ms. Copher provided a slide showing the two different
values for instate and out of state tuition along with the number of recipients and how
much it cost the past year.
There are two different values for the National Merit Program. The first is
because instate tuition, room and board, and books are covered during the freshman year.
The amount is decreased during the sophomore, junior and senior year, and the Office of
Academic Scholarships covers tuition and an additional $2500.
Ms. Copher explained that the Singletary Scholarships and the National Merit
Scholarships take up a large percent of the budget. The other scholarship applicants are
receiving the Patterson and the FAES (Freshman Academic Excellence Scholarship) a
one-year award. She illustrated the different values for those awards.
The transfer program is a small program, but it is stable. It is open to all transfer
students who are transferring from any accredited institution. Again, these are students
currently enrolled at the University of Kentucky who are not receiving any other type of
merit aid and who have a 3.5 cumulative grade point average. These are very strong
students, and that program is growing every year.
Ms. Copher pointed out that the number of Governor' s Scholars is decreasing
every year. It was stable for a while, but the numbers have gone down the past two years.
About ninety Governor' s Scholars are expected this fall. She explained that other schools
in the state have implemented Governor' s Scholars scholarships. It is a guaranteed
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scholarship, and it is something that the University of Kentucky has not been able to offer
until today.
Ms. Copher reviewed the Governor' s Scholars program. There are a thousand
students selected into the program from all across the state. It is a five-week residential
program that takes place on the Centre College, Northern Kentucky University or Eastern
Kentucky campuses; those were the three campuses it was on this summer. Selection is
based on academic excellence, strong leadership skills, teacher recommendations and
writing ability. These students are the leaders in the high schools. That is one reason
why the Office of Academic Scholarships is pleased to be able to offer scholarships to
these students.
She then reviewed the Governor' s School for the Arts program. This program
receives about 1200 applicants each year. Two-hundred students are selected into the
program. It is very similar to the Governor' s Scholars Program. This year it was on the
Transylvania University campus. It is a three-week residential program. It is based on
the creative and performing arts.
The Academic Scholarship program at the University of Kentucky is very strong.
The students have an ACT score of 28 and above, 3.3 in their high school careers, or 3.5
on campus. The Office of Academic Scholarships did not want to take away from that
group of students in order to fund a scholarship program for Governor' s Scholars. We
are pleased that our new administration has agreed with us and sees a need for this new
scholarship.
The new scholarship proposals set forth are a full tuition scholarship for
Governor's Scholars with an ACT score of 28 and above and a 3.3 grade point average,
the students who would normally meet our regular scholarship program. Full tuition is
valued at about $15,000 over the course of four years. For the Governor's School for the
Arts participants, we will offer a full tuition scholarship based on criteria reflecting
exceptional creative talent and artistic talent. We will work with the Governor' s School
for the Arts in determining exactly what that criteria will be. Governor' s Scholars or
Governor' s School for the Arts recipients who do not meet eligibility requirements for a
full tuition scholarship will be offered a four-year award, $1,500 per year, valued at
$6,000.00.
The program will be expensive. The cost of the first year is estimated at about
$600,000, and it will go up to about $2.5 million in four years. These estimates are based
on the percentage of the Governor' s Scholars that have the 28 and above ACT score.
Some of these students are already coming to our campus and will already be receiving a
scholarship; therefore, this was backed out of the total cost to arrive at the new funds that
would be required. There is about $150,000 already put aside for these students that will
now go into this new program.
Ms. Copher explained some of the benefits this scholarship will afford the
University. The first is enhanced recruitment. We hope that it will open the door, and
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students will decide that UK is the right place for them. If cost is a factor, it will open
some doors for those students.
One of the indicators that the Office of Admissions will publish is the number of
Governor' s Scholars in the freshman class every year. It should help with that quality
indicator. It should also help with the quality indicator of the average ACT and average
GPA of the incoming freshman class because these students are strong students.
Retention is two-fold. The information from the Office of Institutional Research
and Data shows that these students do persist on campus. So, it should help the retention
on campus. We will have students who will come as a freshman and stay for the four or
five years. It will also help retain students within the State of Kentucky.
Finally, the program extends the university' s outreach across the Commonwealth.
Almost everyone knows about Governor' s Scholars and Governor' s School for the Arts.
High school counselors are in favor of this. The students are in favor of this, and this is
the right thing for the University to do.
The Governor' s Scholars Program and the Governor' s School for the Arts
scholarships will be implemented with the fall class of 2002. President Todd will send a
letter to these 1200 students announcing the scholarship within the next few weeks. The
Office of Academic Scholarships will follow-up and have some specific recruitment
events.
Ms. Copher entertained questions from the Board. She was asked if the ACT
score and GPA were etched in stone. Ms. Copher replied that the 28 ACT score and 3.3
GPA have always been minimums for the University.
President Todd pointed out that the University is covered for the first year of this
program. The first half million is due to reallocations. We decided that was one place to
commit some of this reallocated money that we have been working on in the
administration. He said that he would come back to the Board with a plan. Terry
Mobley is going to be looking at raising some money to assist with this program, and the
Board will probably be asked to get involved in this effort to help the University in future
years. He said, in his opinion, this is one of the most important things that can be done to
increase the scholarship offering in the University. It will make the biggest difference to
the student body. It is one of those slightly "on the edge" things that we are going to do.
We feel good about it and think it is the right direction.
President Todd called on Acting Provost Nietzel to talk about the other
announcements made during the morning press conference because some of the Board
members were not there.
Acting Provost Nietzel reported that there were two other announcements that the
President made the morning press conference. They had to do with support and access
issues for students. The second announcement was an endowment that was established
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for the University of Kentucky by the Cralle Foundation. That endowment provides
money for two fellowships at a $15,000 stipend when matched by the Research
Challenge Trust Fund. The fellowship will be for students who graduate from any of the
nineteen independent colleges in Kentucky who will be coming to graduate or
professional programs in law, dentistry, and medicine at the University of Kentucky. He
said there were a couple of features that he would like to emphasize for the Board.
The first feature is that the University has about seven hundred students in its
graduate programs and probably a hundred or more, if professional programs are
considered, who are graduates of those independent colleges. They have been terrific
students at the University. Some of the very best have been educated and cultivated in
those independent colleges; therefore, we have a real interest in having them in our
graduate and professional programs. This fellowship, provided through the endowment,
is a signal to those independent colleges of how much their graduates are valued at the
University of Kentucky and how much we want them to continue their professional and
graduate careers here.
Second, it helps reflect the University' s commitment to the higher education
system in Kentucky. It includes both the public and the independent colleges and
addresses the concern that the Council on Postsecondary Education has had about
developing a system of higher education in Kentucky that will help make progress on
many of the important indicators of economic, cultural, educational and health
development in the state. This is a valuable endowment for the University to begin. He
said he hoped that it serves as a stimulus for other donors and foundations to consider
similar kind of fellowship programs on behalf of students who are attending the
independent colleges.
Acting Provost Nietzel said that the third announcement was a tuition payment
installment plan. For the first time in the University' s history, an opportunity for students
and their parents to pay the tuition obligation in installments begins in the Spring
Semester 2002. This is a very important matter for a couple of reasons. One, the
University of Kentucky is the last public university in the state to make this opportunity
available. Again, it is another attempt by the administration to improve access and
retention of students.
President Todd then continued with PR 1. The second item under PR 1 is student-
related enhancements. He reported that he and Mrs. Todd had spent two hours on the
past three Friday afternoons walking through the dorms and throughout the campus
looking at the status of the campus both internally and externally to make sure it is ready
for the students when they return. On this last week, Tim Robinson, student Trustee and
Student Government President, was asked to go with them. He called on Mr. Robinson
for any comments he would like to make about student-related enhancements on campus.
Mr. Robinson said that when the President asked him to take this opportunity to
talk to the Board about student-related enhancements on campus, he had to think about
just what that meant. What student enhancement meant on campus. He said he had come
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to the conclusion that it is not just the kind of bricks and mortar that is going on but more
of a change in the culture and a change in the atmosphere. Instead of giving a list of the
things to the Board, he thought he would take the Board back through the summer and
walk them through what he has seen and what he has gotten to be a part of this summer.
He said he hoped he could convey to the Board the change in atmosphere on campus and
gave the following remarks:
A couple of months ago, I took a walk. I took a walk from my office in the
Student Center, and I had lunch with President and Mrs. Todd. I left my office
not knowing what to expect, but it didn't take me long to realize that there were a
lot of changes in store for our campus. More important, it didn't take me long to
realize that the students not only had a new first family, but they also had two new
friends.
Two or three weeks ago, students came in the Student Government Office and
told me there was a hot dog stand in the middle of campus. We could hardly
believe it. So I took a walk. I took a walk and, sure enough, I got a hot dog and a
soft drink right in the middle of campus. It may not sound like a big deal, but it's
something I could never do before.
The next week I saw our President, and he told me that they were making some
changes around their new home. Curious, I took a walk. I took a walk and, sure
enough, the hedges were cut away, the gates were open, and flowers were being
planted all around. And, apparently those who are helping tear down Fort
Maxwell were troubled. They were worried. They warned Mrs. Todd, and they
tried to tell her. They tried to convince her that with all these fences being torn
down that they were very concerned. They were concerned that people might be
able to see in. Well, much to their surprise, she said that's the point, we want
them to.
A week later I took a walk and I saw flowers where flowers had never been
before. I saw new benches, and I even talked to a student who had met Mrs. Todd
as she was touring her dorm.
Just last week, I took a walk over to Maxwell Place, and I talked about student
issues and student concerns over breakfast. The only thing better than the biscuits
was the President's support for the changes that we propose.
Later that afternoon, I took a walk and right beside me were the President and
Mrs. Todd. We took a walk across campus together, looking for ways to improve
student life, and they showed me the changes that had already been made such as
the "welcome to campus" banners that are going up. They showed me where the
wireless internet connections were being installed. And, you know, this Fall for
the first time, students cannot only use their laptops in the classrooms, but they
can use them on a bench or they can even use them under a tree. We walked past
flowerbeds that added color where color has never been before. We took a walk
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through dorm after dorm and facility after facility, and we talked about all the
changes that were being made in each of the buildings. During a walk, we even
discussed ways of how we could do more in the future. They showed me student
common areas that have been completely re-landscaped with flowers and
completely revitalized.
We took a walk through two new parks, two new parks where students will be
able to go, over by the dorms. We talked about the new restaurants that are
coming to the Student Center. We talked about the Coffee Shop that's on its way.
We talked about student issues and concerns and how we could make our campus
feel a little more welcome to students in a way that we've never done before.
This morning I took a walk. I took a walk from my office up the stairs to a press
conference where the President announced new scholarships and gave students
and families more choices to help pay their tuition.
From the smallest detail to the major improvements, the new First Family has
made a tremendous effort to make students the priority on our campus. They
have welcomed us into their home and have taken the time to see where we live
and to see where we learn.
A few minutes ago, I took a walk from the Student Center to here. And you
know, I'm so glad to be here today to report to you all the great things that are
happening on our campus. It is a great time to be a Wildcat. This UK family is
full of enthusiasm, especially the students. They are actually excited about
coming back to campus. And, you know, they should be. Things are changing.
And, if you want to see why Lee Todd is already being called the "Students'
President," all you have to do is take a walk.
President Todd thanked Mr. Robinson for his comments and said he is looking
forward to working with him during the next year. He said that Mr. Robinson has a lot of
good ideas, and the Board will be hearing more about those later.
F. Personnel Actions (PR 2)
President Todd recommended that approval be given to the appointments, actions
and/or other staff changes which require Board action; and that the report relative to
appointment and/or changes already approved by the administration be accepted. Ms.
Sims moved approval. The motion, seconded by Ms. Wilson, carried. (See PR 2 at the
end of the Minutes.)
G. Appointments to Advisory Board - Lexington Community College (PR 4)
President Todd said that PR 4 is a recommendation to approve two appointments
to fill two vacancies on the Advisory Board of Lexington Community College. These are
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four-year terms effective July 1, 2001 through June 30, 2005. On motion made by Ms.
Sparks, seconded by Mr. Shoop and carried, PR 4 was approved.
H. Report on Leases (FCR 1)
Mr. Chellgren, Chairperson of the Finance Committee, reported that the Finance
Committee had a comparatively brief meeting that morning, and most of the Trustees
were there. There were eighteen items on the Finance Committee agenda. The first item
was the Report of Leases for the Administration to the Finance Committee and the Board.
There were two renewals and one new lease. These are individual leases that do not
exceed $30,000.00 in value, and these leases need to be reported to the Board. He moved
the acceptance of FCR 1. His motion, seconded by Ms. Sims, passed. (See FCR 1 at the
end of the Minutes.)
I. Termination of Quasi-Endowment Fund in the College of Engineering
(FCR 2)
Mr. Chellgren reported that FCR 2 is the termination of an $887,000.00 quasi-
endowment (which is an accounting term which means a sort of legal endowment) in the
College of Engineering and freeing that quasi-endowment to be used to fund part of the
gap between the state-supported debt and the total cost of the new Mechanical
Engineering Building. These funds were accumulated over the years and were from
undesignated gifts to the College of Engineering. They have been used for scholarships,
but in recent years, additional scholarship funds have been made available.
Consequently, the Dean of Engineering and the administration recommend to the Board
that that they be given authority to terminate this quasi-endowment and commit these
funds to fund a part of the total project cost of the Mechanical Engineering Building. He
moved the acceptance FCR 2. Ms. Sparks seconded the motion, and it carried. (See FCR
2 at the end of the Minutes.)
J. Naming Six Endowed Chairs (FCR 3)
Mr. Chellgren reminded the Board members who have been on the Board awhile
of a gift of some $3,000,000.00 from an alumnus, Mr. William T. Bryan, who passed
away in 1997 and left his estate to the University. This gift was matched by the state' s
Research Challenge Trust Fund and created six endowed chairs funded at a
$1,000,000.00 each. These were in diplomacy and international commerce, history,
Spanish, special education, public finance and vocal music. These were not designated as
William T. Bryan chairs. The decision has now been made and the recommendation is
for the Finance Committee and the Board to name these endowed chairs in honor of the
donor of these fund