Jay Kaufman, Retired Audit Partner, Consultant, joined the meeting by telephone.

Dr. Aruna Krishnamurthy, MSCA Chapter President, read a prepared statement urging the Board and the administration to support the faculty contract.

 

The auditors from Cohn Reznick were introduced.
Mr. Jay Kaufman, Retired Audit Partner - Consultant
Ms. Sarah Kielty, Audit Senior
Mr. Mark Snyder, Audit Senior Manager

Ms. Karen Smith, Audit Partner was scheduled to attend but her air travel was delayed.

J. Kaufman thanked the board for the opportunity to present the FY2018 audit. He presented and discussed the Financial Statements for the university. There were no findings. There was no formal management letter issued. All the Financial statements,
are being issued with a clean, unmodified opinion. He thanked Jay Bry, Yvonnie Malcolm, consultant Cathy Daggett for their hard work. The auditors reviewed a number of prepared PowerPoint slides. They touched on the statements of revenues, expenses and changes in net position; and the statements of cash flow. Mr. Kaufman briefly highlighted some of the footnotes and disclosures and assets. He commented that the university is very diligent in its fiscal management. A discussion ensued.

D. Phillips, Finance & Administration Chair, stated the committee met prior to the Board meeting that included representation from the Foundation Supporting Organization and the Foundation Audit Committee. They had an in-depth discussion and various questions were answered. It was a thorough presentation and the committee approved the audit.

President Lapidus thanked the auditors for their work and the detailed presentation. He next commended Mr. Jay Bry and Ms. Yvonnie Malcolm as well as the staff in Financial Services for their day in and day out hard work. The complete set of financial documents can be found in the board packet for review.
 

President Lapidus explained the intent to renovate the dish room in Holmes Dining Hall. The area is deteriorating and the equipment has reached its useful life. Repairs are frequent and result in stress on dining operations. There would be a slight reconfiguration of the
space as the plans are developed to accommodate the new equipment. There was a discussion.

President Lapidus discussed the need to replace the aging roof on the Recreation Center. There are currently locations that regularly leak.

President Lapidus stated that the University continues to proactively address deferred maintenance and be increasingly energy efficient. In support of this agenda, the university requests a transfer of funds to continue to cover these costs. The state has offered matching funds to assist with the University's. There was a discussion.

The President presented sabbatical requests. He called attention to the summary of proposals in the packet. He emphasized that leaves are granted on the basis of academic quality of the proposal, as well as other criteria. Each request followed the specified sabbatical process which includes review by the department chairs and the provost prior to the presidents’ support.

President Lapidus introduced a new program opportunity that includes a partnership with the AUIA International Summer School. This partnership requires approval from the accreditation authority, the New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE).
Dr. Cardelle and Dr. Canney were introduced to explain the new program. A. Cardelle said it is a wonderful opportunity for students and faculty to have an international experience and to expose our university to the international world. C. Canney stated that assuming board approval; the campus would submit the required documents to NECHE for review and approval. The university has been exploring the partnership with the AUIA International Summer School for the last year. They recruit students who are already attending school in the United States and offer summer courses in China. Faculty are aware of the program and have expressed interest in participating. The campus has the infrastructure to support this program. While the program would generate a small revenue stream, the main purpose is to provide international learning opportunities for faculty and students. Scholarships are available for students. Vetting of other institutions already partnering with AUIA were positive. There was a discussion
 

The personnel actions were submitted for informational purposes.

Chairman Irving updated the board using the financial dashboard. He noted the value in reviewing trend data. He discussed the current trends. He noted that the University is receiving less state appropriations and that student fees often are required to offset the increasing costs of running the institution. He noted that University ratios are good and commented on the positive balance in reserves.

President Lapidus said the faculty contract process continues to move slowly and that there would be a hearing at the Department of Labor Relations. The contract currently sits with the Board of Higher Education, so progress will be shared as it is released by the Board Higher Education Commissioner. The APA and AFSCME contracts have been settled and the campus is waiting for the state to fund the contracts. Once this happens, the University will be able to release retro pay to those in these two bargaining units.

 

President Lapidus informed the board of the current state audit taking place. This group has been visiting campus approximately every three years and reviewing different areas. This year they are looking at ADA compliance. The auditors have been here for a couple of weeks and the University is not sure of the duration of the audit. They are primarily looking at academic accommodations and emergency evacuation plans. Recommendations for improvements will be shared as they become available. There was a discussion.

 

President Lapidus stated that two new programs are working their way through the higher education review process. Both the Educational Studies program and Environmental Public Health program have moved through faculty governance, and external reviewers have provided feedback as well. Reviews have been positive. Once all documentation is in order, the proposals moves to the Board of Higher Education for review and final approval.

President Lapidus stated the new programs are working their way through the system now. The  Education Studies and Environmental Public Health Programs  both went through faculty governance, and we had reviews from external reviewers. They were impressed with what we were doing. Once the reviewers provide their report, we summarize that information that goes to the Board of Higher Education for review and final vote.

President Lapidus informed the board of the Ribbon Cutting for the Falcon Bazaar food bank. There are identified food insecurity needs on campus and every effort will be made to address them as best we can. Many other universities are setting up similar food banks.

A brief presentation was made on homecoming activities and participation.

President Lapidus mentioned the collaboration with Worcester County District Attorney, Joseph Early on a grant that is tackling the opioid epidemic. The grant explores the effectiveness of diversion programs. Fitchburg State is pleased to be part of this important grant. The president updated the board on the Vice President for Institutional Advancement search and the Theater Block project. There was a discussion.

A. Ramos updated the Board on Student Government activities.