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College Council Meeting Minutes: February 22, 2023

Present

  • Martin Abraham, Provost and VP for Academic Affairs
  • Felicia Amoafo Kumi, Brockport Student Government President
  • Mike Andriatch, VP for Advancement
  • Damita Davis, Chief Diversity Officer
  • Andrea Guzzetta, College Council
  • Lauren Kelly, College Council
  • Heidi Macpherson, President
  • Jason Morris, College Senate President
  • Lesli Myers-Small, College Council
  • Ken Pink, College Council
  • Scott Turner, College Council Chair
  • Jim Wall, VP for Administration and Finance
  • Chris Wiest, College Council
  • Bridgette Wiefling, College Council
  • Katy Wilson, VP for Enrollment Management and Student Affairs

ABSENT

  • Carla Sansalone, Alumni Association President
  • Roosevelt Mareus, Dean and Executive Director, REOC

I. Chair’s Report [Mr. Turner]

  1. The meeting convened at 4:34pm.
  2. College Council approved the meeting notes from the 11/30 meeting.
  3. Mr. Turner discussed potential nominees for College Council.
  4. Mr. Turner discussed Commencement on 5/12 and invited College Council to attend.

II. Marketing, Branding, Website Initiatives [Mr. John Follaco & Ms. Debbie Jacob]

  1. John Follaco and Debbie Jacob joined College Council and presented on marketing and branding initiatives, and they identified how these efforts are assisting with recruiting new, transfer, and international students. They discussed the new branding campaign that will be launched in the fall and discussed the website update. Mr. Turner asked about the estimated number of people who saw the roadside advertisements, and Ms. Jacob said the number is based on traffic patterns and how many people are in a car. Dr. Wiefling said she liked the campaign. Mr. Wiest shared a conversation he had with a potential student, and how the campaign reflects the conversation he had with him. President Macpherson said with the new tagline it identifies that the student needs to be actively involved in achieving excellence, but it is within their reach. Mr. Wiest asked if they are targeting the parents as well as future students, and Ms. Jacob said yes, as they are key players in the decision-making process.

III. President’s Report [President Macpherson]

  1. President Macpherson provided an update on the VP Administration and Finance search.
  2. President Macpherson discussed the transition in Enrollment Management and Student Affairs, and she shared some of Dr. Katy Wilson’s career highlights at SUNY Brockport. President Macpherson said that from April 1, Dr. Sara Kelly and Dr. Lorraine Acker will serve as the VP for Enrollment Management and VP for Student Affairs, respectively.
  3. President Macpherson provided the final enrollment numbers for the spring, and she said the fall numbers are encouraging and show that the work being put in to recruit and retain students is paying off. She said the University will continue to watch the numbers of applications. The expectation is that freshmen admit numbers will be up in the fall, but that the overall student numbers will be roughly even, due to the smaller COVID classes for juniors and seniors.
  4. President Macpherson provided a budget update and said the University is not budgeting for tuition increases. She said the University will reduce expenses to accommodate contractual salary increases, and she said the University continues to invest in scholarships and academic support for students. She said there is a desire to add an additional position in the Office of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion. The University is working towards reducing the structural deficit, and she said it has to be done in a thoughtful way. The key focus is on managing open positions and capturing savings from retirement-eligible positions. President Macpherson talked about the University’s reserve balance, and she said there has to be investment for success, but that continued steps are being taken to right size the budget.
  5. President Macpherson provided a government relations update, and she discussed the meetings that she and Mr. Andriatch have had to date. She shared the focus of these meetings, and she discussed the SUNY legislative priorities.
  6. President Macpherson said she is thankful to Mr. Follaco for sharing good news stories with the local press. She said there is a new Distinguished Professor, Dr. Ruhan Zhao, Mathematics, and she discussed a grant awarded to Nursing. She provided an update on the Fannie Barrier Williams Scholars, and she discussed the EUROSIM conference, and said she is so proud of the work the club has been doing, and that SUNY Brockport will host the 2024 EUROSIM. She said the guest faculty coach program has been reinstituted, and the Presidential Teaching Excellence Award nominations opened on Monday. The high number of nominations in three days (91) speaks to the engagement of faculty with students.
  7. Mr. Pink said he is amazed that the reserve balance has been built to a comfortable level, and he gave kudos to Cabinet for weathering the storm.
  8. Mr. Turner thanked Mr. Wall and Dr. Wilson for their service to the University. He let them know how much they will be missed.

IV. Academic Affairs Initiatives [Dr. Abraham]

  1. Dr. Abraham shared information on new academic programs for 2023-24, and he said to be successful in drawing students to SUNY Brockport, there is a need to have programs that are valuable to them after they graduate and enter the workforce. These new programs are at both the graduate and undergraduate level, and in adding so many new programs, they have reviewed other programs and made the difficult decision to close some.
  2. Dr. Wiefling asked if the internships for students are paid, and Dr. Abraham said the objective is to get them to engage in paid internships; however, some of them might be more service activities or unpaid internships. The intention is the students will get experiences that are valuable to their future employment. Dr. Wiefling said it is important to think about internships that are flexible and more attractive economically to the host company. She offered to assist in conversations around this. She asked how future skillsets are being considered and incorporated into developing curricula and programs, and Dr. Abraham said he researches critical job needs and ideas from futurists. Dr. Wiefling said she has participated in a small think tank that is targeted in the sciences, and she said there might be an advantage to hosting something similar at SUNY Brockport.
  3. Mr. Wiest asked about internships and he asked about the supports that are in place for the students and also for the employers. Dr. Abraham said there hasn’t been a lot of conversation around this, but it is clear that there should be staff support for the students at the University level.
  4. Mr. Pink said he would like the Council to put together an ad hoc committee, as he thinks they could be utilized in a very strong way. Ms. Davis said that many students, especially in low socio-economic status, have a need for more financial support, and therefore paid internships are more successful. Ms. Guzzetta said if Monroe County can assist with internships, Dr. Abraham should reach out to her. Dr. Martin will follow up on the best way to work with council members on supporting such initiatives.

V. Next Meeting

The next College Council meeting is scheduled for April 27, 2023 at Burlingame House.

VI. Adjournment

The meeting adjourned at 6:00 pm.