There were none.

President Lapidus stated that 15 faculty applied for tenure consideration. There is always a process of checks and balances that starts with the department, dean and provost with the final recommendations submitted to the president. The materials are reviewed by numerous people, including faculty which helps to ensure that the process is fair and equitable. This group of faculty is great; there were no disagreements with anyone being considered.

The personnel actions were submitted for informational purposes. There were two sets of personnel actions presented, faculty promotions and the customary job actions since the last meeting. The President stated that tenure and promotion are two separate entities. Faculty are hired as assistant professors. Of the faculty that applied for promotion, three faculty were unsuccessful and will reapply. The president explained the process. There was a discussion.

The Financial Reports were submitted for informational purposes.

President Lapidus introduced Dr. Laura Bayless. He noted that the position of Vice President for Student Affairs was newly created. He considered this a vital position for student success.

Dr. Bayless presented a Power Point. (Attached)

Dr. Bayless stated that she is delighted to talk about what happens outside the classroom. The Student Affairs Division works collaboratively with Academic Affairs. She explained the various individual areas that contribute under Student Affairs. She stated that, it's about ONE student and it's about ALL students. Student Affairs strives to reduce unintentional barriers for students achieving their dreams. Their office contributes financially through auxiliary federal grants that helps with the retention of students. She presented examples of the many ways that Student Affairs helps students.

There was a discussion on high school readiness, alcohol and drug issues, challenges relating to food insecurities and homelessness. The university has organizations and resources to help with these critical issues. The trustees thanked Dr. Bayless for her presentation and commended Student Affairs for their work.

Ms. Clementi presented the letter from Commissioner Santiago regarding the President's evaluation. Mr. Irving stated the letter was self-explanatory and that President Lapidus is doing a great job. There is only a small amount of money for an increase at this time. He stated that the BOT will wait and see if additional funds are authorized by the Board of Higher Education.

President Lapidus presented his report. Collective bargaining is still on going. There are three bargaining units, and the process has been protracted then in prior cycles. He did mention that this was his first go-around with this process and has no basis to go by other than history. The APA has drafted a new contract to be ratified. The faculty union is very close and the bargaining teams have made great strides and will be meeting in the near future at which time it is hoped the remaining issues will be resolved. The AFSCME union, which includes trades workers, administrative assistants and support staff, are working out their last issues and are meeting today. The university is hopeful that collective bargaining for all contracts will be completed very soon.

The Theatre Block has been in the recent local news. The video game lab and the “ideaLab,” which is located on the second floor of the commercial building, was delayed slightly due to a contractor problem. The university had to rebid the project. The first phase of this project is scheduled to be completed by late spring or early summer with students able to use the facility shortly after. The university received good press on the recent visit with Secretary Jay Ash and a separate visit with Lt. Governor Polito. The university has a consultant in place and is helping us with a number of items surrounding the theater portion of the project. The consultants have a wealth of expertise in putting together such theaters. Creative funding strategies are currently being discussed and the university is looking at a five-year window for completion. The university is looking at what the Hanover Theater has done in Worcester. There is tremendous excitement on this project. The City of Fitchburg is moving towards renovating City Hall and B.F. Brown. The university is demonstrating an economic impact on Main Street. There is a long way to go and it's exciting to think about the possibilities moving forward. There was a discussion.

Mr. O'Donnell stated that he attended the Trustee Conference and that he found it to be valuable. He mentioned that the first two hours were devoted to orientation for new trustees. The president explained that the conference is held every year and is sponsored by the Board of Higher Education. Its purpose is to give trustees a sense of the challenges and opportunities that exist in education. At the conference, there were some presentations on demystifying the state budget, enrollment trends and issues around free speech.

The President discussed Future Falcon day to be held on Saturday, April 7. This event is the last of the major recruiting efforts before fall. The university’s enrollment looks to be holding steady from last year despite the states enrollment challenges. Expected attendance at this event is a bit down from last year. The day is valuable, not just for the prospective students, but also for siblings to get excited about the future.

The president invited all board members to attend the graduate and undergraduate ceremonies.

The 2018-2019 Academic Calendar was presented for informational and planning purposes.

There was a discussion on the Theater Block and Future Falcon Day.

Alex Ramos, the new student trustee for the next year was introduced. He was was elected by the student body.

Ms. Clementi reiterated the invitation to all Trustees to attend the commencement ceremonies, which to her is a heartwarming event. She expressed the joy in seeing the parents involvement and the intergenerational families that attend is a great experience to witness as a Trustee.

The Board of Trustees voted to enter into executive session to discuss honorary degrees, and not return to public session.