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College Council Meeting Minutes: December 12, 2023

Present

  • Martin Abraham, Provost and VP for Academic Affairs
  • Lorraine Acker, VP for Student Affairs
  • Mike Andriatch, VP for Advancement
  • Jackie Clark, VP for Administration and Finance
  • Damita Davis, Chief Diversity Officer
  • Cathy Houston-Wilson, Brockport University Senate President
  • Sara Kelly, VP for Enrollment Management
  • Heidi Macpherson, President
  • Roosevelt Mareus, Dean and Executive Director, REOC
  • Lesli Myers-Small, College Council
  • Ken Pink, College Council
  • Carla Sansalone, Alumni Association President
  • Scott Turner, College Council Chair
  • Lily Wegerski, BSG President and College Council member
  • Chris Wiest, College Council

Excused

  • Andrea Guzzetta, College Council
  • Lauren Kelly, College Council

Guest

  • John Follaco, AVP for Communications 

I. Chair’s Report [Mr. Turner]

  1. The meeting convened at 4:35pm.
  2. College Council approved the minutes from the 10/10 meeting.
  3. Mr. Turner asked Mr. Andriatch to provide updates on new and renewed Council members. Mr. Andriatch has been in contact with the Governor’s Office to discuss status updates of new and renewed Council members.
  4. Mr. Turner said the College Council has a history of 100% giving to the Brockport Foundation by the end of the calendar year, and he hopes that all Council will continue with this.
  5. Mr. Turner gave special thanks to President Macpherson and her staff, particularly enrollment management for their work this year. He said SUNY Brockport is very fortunate to have a good year in their enrollment, and he is pleased to see how well they have worked to get students enrolled.

II. President’s Report [President Macpherson]

  1. President Macpherson thanked Council for their kind words about enrollment, and she said a year ago the Cabinet made a decision to accept a higher level of risk in relation to expenditures to attract more students, and it paid off. She is hopeful the University will continue this enrollment trajectory.
  2. President Macpherson was asked to be involved with the SUNY New Presidents’ Academy, and she was also asked to be involved with the SUNY Healthcare Task Force. She said the University received all the funding that was asked for from SUNY for projects, and SUNY authorized Brockport to offer pay raises for all MC employees. She shared information from a 12/7 SUNY Presidents’ meeting with the Chancellor, and she identified the legislative updates that were discussed. She said part of the meeting focused on antisemitism and Islamophobia, and she said the Presidents were provided with guidance that they need to promptly report incidents. She said the Governor has written to all SUNY schools and identified that all schools must adhere to Title VI. She said this is not just a higher education issue, but a cultural issue in the United States, and SUNY Brockport will continue to follow-up on bias incidents with our established process. She said there is a need to follow Title VI to ensure an environment free from harassment, but also allow for free speech. She said the SUNY meeting also focused on the SUNY long-term plan for enrollment and financial sustainability. President Macpherson said the University already has a Strategic Enrollment Management Committee that is looking at recruitment, retention, and programmatic offerings for students. Mr. Wiest said it looks like it is going to be a challenging year, and he asked if there are going to be any budget issues regarding our legislative agenda. President Macpherson said SUNY has addressed this and she is aware that it is a very tight budget. Mr. Wiest said this is a great report about SUNY Brockport’s success, but this could bring additional financial challenges as well. President Macpherson said increasing the student population brings additional challenges, including the need for more investment, but it is more beneficial to the campus. She said the University is focusing on optimizing our student numbers. Mr. Wiest said he is really impressed that SUNY Brockport is in such a good position. Mr. Turner asked about any campus incidents regarding unrest in the Middle East, and President Macpherson said the University has acted proactively to bring students together and has done a good job about talking about difficult issues with the students. Dr. Davis identified some of the work that has been done, and she said students appreciate the opportunity to express themselves in a safe environment.
  3. President Macpherson shared information on recent travel to meet with donors, and she discussed upcoming travel in 2024.
  4. President Macpherson discussed Burlingame House, and she said there are a number of concerns with the structure of the house. She said the cost of repair is approximately $3.8 million with a majority of that cost required to bring the house to code. She said there is a larger conversation that needs to be had regarding residences for presidents, although nothing has been planned at present. She said she is not asking for action right now, but it is an issue that needs to be resolved in the future, and she wanted to raise awareness.
  5. President Macpherson presented at Mornings with Professors this fall, and she ran with all of Rochester-based ROTC for Veterans Day. She said Governor Hochul announced SUNY has achieved higher enrollment this year, and the numbers are up across all SUNY. SUNY Brockport’s enrollment is up higher than any other SUNY school, which is the result of hard work and dedication. She discussed the fall open houses which were very successful and she said fall and spring recruitment continues ahead of schedule for both graduate and undergraduate students.

III. Shared Governance Resolution [President Macpherson]

  1. President Macpherson said there has been a revitalization of the statement on Shared Governance. It has been ratified by University Senate, BSG, President’s Cabinet, and she is asking for College Council to provide the final ratification. Mr. Turner asked about what changed from the previous iteration, and President Macpherson identified these changes, some of which were cosmetic, but she said the edits focused primarily around trust and communication. Mr. Pink asked how this works across constituent groups, and President Macpherson said what they found through a survey is that most people do not know enough about Shared Governance so the focus is on education and communication. College Council approved ratification of the document. 

IV. Brockport University Senate Update [Dr. Cathy Houston-Wilson]

  1. Dr. Houston-Wilson said things have been relatively smooth this semester, and they have approved about 10 resolutions. She identified some of the accelerated pathway resolutions which have been submitted, and she said they have been reviewing and updating policies which will be more accessible and beneficial to students. She shared information on the ad hoc committee that has been meeting about how the University can better recognize Native Americans through, amongst other things, a land acknowledgement, and they are working on this. There is a deadline of January 30 for senate proposals to be submitted, and she said everything has been very collegial this past semester. 

V. University Budget Update [Ms. Jackie Clark]

  1. Ms. Clark provided a budget update and focused on the University’s “$10 million challenge” or structural deficit, which has been substantially reduced to just over $6M, and which will be closed in the next few years, based on a solid plan of strategic reductions. She discussed the state operating core budget, and Mr. Pink asked if this includes benefits, and President Macpherson said that it is primarily salaries and not benefits. Ms. Clark provided the five-year financial model which includes enrollment projections. Mr. Pink asked about how many students can be accommodated at SUNY Brockport, and President Macpherson said there is a hope that they can get back to around 8,000. Mr. Wiest asked about institutions in the area that are closing and if these students can transfer into SUNY Brockport, and President Macpherson said there are ways to help students and the University has been proactive in relation to such events. President Macpherson said SUNY Brockport is fortunate because there has been a lot of hard work that has been done to ensure the University is successfully enrolling students. She reiterated what Ms. Clark said, which is that there is a reevaluation of the enrollment projections being done every semester. Mr. Wiest asked how the state budget will impact the budget, and President Macpherson said they are hopeful the aid will remain the same, but the University is working on ways to mitigate this should it decrease. Mr. Wiest asked about transformational funds, and Dr. Abraham and Dr. Kelly shared information about the ways their two divisions are supporting students through enrollment and academic programming. Mr. Wiest said he is very impressed that these conversations are taking place. Ms. Clark provided an update on the Facilities Master Plan (FMP) which will go through the next 10 years. The FMP identifies the key areas of focus for the construction projects. Mr. Wiest asked about Hartwell Hall, specifically the dome, and President Macpherson said a drone was sent to check on the damage and they are addressing repairs. Mr. Pink thanked Ms. Clark for her report. Ms. Clark’s budget report will be sent separately to College Council via email.

VI. Advancement and Communications Update [Mr. John Follaco]

  1. Mr. Follaco provided an update on the marketing initiatives. He said the new tagline is “Excellence Within Your Reach,” and he shared what this means for students and how the goal will be achieved. He showed the latest commercial and Mr. Wiest asked where this can be viewed. Mr. Follaco said primarily during the newscasts, and he said their media partners work with networks. Mr. Wiest asked if the target audience is students or parents, and Mr. Follaco said parents primarily, especially focusing on affordability. He shared information on the website redesign, and he discussed some of the focus of the new design. 

VII. Solar Eclipse Planning [Mr. Mike Andriatch]

  1. Mr. Andriatch shared a slideshow with Council that provides some historical context about eclipses, and he will provide an additional update on the April 8, 2024 solar eclipse at the February meeting. Mr. Wiest asked if there is an anticipation about how large the population could swell, and Mr. Andriatch said it could be approximately 10,000 more people on campus.

VIII. Next Meeting

The next College Council meeting will be on February 27, 2024.

VII. Adjournment

The meeting adjourned at 6:12 pm.