College Council Meeting Minutes: April 22, 2025

Present

• Martin Abraham, Provost and VP for Academic Affairs
• Lorraine Acker, VP for Student Affairs
• Mike Andriatch, VP for Advancement and Communications
• Damita Davis, Chief Diversity Officer
• Ian Harper, VP for Administration and Finance
• Lauren Kelly, College Council
• Sara Kelly, VP for Enrollment Management
• Heidi Macpherson, President
• Roosevelt Mareus, Dean and Executive Director, REOC
• Lesli Myers-Small, College Council
• Skye Paine, Brockport University Senate President
• Ken Pink, College Council
• Tenin Sidime, BSG President
• Scott Turner, College Council Chair
• Chris Wiest, College Council

Excused

• Andrea Guzzetta, College Council
• Jamie Romeo, College Council
• Ed Suriano, Alumni Association President

I. Chair’s Report [Mr. Turner]

1. 1. The meeting convened at 4:31pm.
   2. Mr. Turner introduced the newest Council member, Mr. Antwan Williams.
   3. College Council reviewed the March 4, 2025, meeting minutes; they were approved with no revisions.
   4. Mr. Turner said that at the last meeting he made a plea to every Council member to give to the annual fund before the end of May. He said almost all have done so, and he encouraged their continued support.
   5. Mr. Andriatch said there is no news in terms of members with expiring terms or new members being appointed.

II. President’s Report [President Macpherson]

1. 1. President Macpherson said a number of major events are taking place now as the semester moves towards a close. She highlighted several of the events that have already taken place, including the Diversity Conference, the Community Breakfast, and Scholars Day. She shared information on senior day events for student athletes, and the two accepted student day open houses. She has been meeting with each division via open fora, and everyone in the division is welcome to attend so that there is an opportunity for dialogue and discussion. She met with new faculty this spring, and she and Dr. Davis conducted a community conversation around the Campus Climate Survey.
   2. President Macpherson said the state budget has not yet been passed, and she said the budget impasse may have an impact on capital projects and minor critical maintenance projects. President Macpherson discussed the federal updates, and she said there is one grant that has been cancelled, and the University is seeing the impact of the federal landscape. She shared information on an open letter that is being led by AAC&U and on which she is a signatory.
   3. President Macpherson shared information from the SUNY Presidents’ meeting in March. President Macpherson discussed student enrollment and said the overall enrollment is likely to be higher than last fall, and there has been huge progress in regaining where the University needs to be in terms of enrolled students. She said all the numbers are good for the budget, and the five-year budget forecast projections show an improving trend.
   4. This Friday, students will be honored at the combined Honors and Awards and Student Leadership ceremony, and later in the evening the Presidential Donor Recognition Dinner will be held, the first in person donor recognition event since 2019. Commencement is on May 16, and she shared information on student events being held in conjunction with it.
   5. She said they raised over $331,000 on the Day of Giving, which is the best one ever. The University is celebrating a $10,000 grant from M&T Bank, which will support The Pantry. Saturday of Service is coming back in the fall, and there is great excitement about this and an opportunity for College Council members to be involved. Mr. Turner asked for the Saturday of Service date, and it is August 23.
   6. President Macpherson said she is closing out her 10^th year as a president and she thanked everyone for their continued support.
   7. Mr. Turner said he is thrilled to have had the privilege of having President Macpherson as president for 10 years. He said there has been a wonderful run under her leadership, and he is pleased with the great things that have been accomplished by her team.

III. BSG Update [Tenin Sidime]

1. 1. Ms. Sidime provided a presentation around what BSG has been doing throughout the year. She shared their mission and vision, and she shared events they sponsor and said 85% of their money goes back to the student body.
   2. She shared highlights from the fall and spring semester, and she said they have approved 15 new clubs for students. Ms. Sidime discussed what BSG is currently working on, and she highlighted their transparency with the student body so they understand where their money is being used. She said they focus on being compassionate and caring as well.
   3. She said they are always “for the students, by the students” and she welcomed visitors to their offices.
   4. Dr. Myers-Small asked how many students take advantage of the bus trip to NYC during the breaks, and Mr. Pink asked how long the bus service has been in place. Dr. Acker said it has been around for decades, and Ms. Sidime said the buses are always full. Dr. Davis said the BSG leaders have been phenomenal in leading the student government this year. Mr. Wiest said this was a great presentation, and he asked what Ms. Sidime will be doing in the future. College Council members congratulated her on already securing a job post-graduation. Mr. Turner asked what the average financial amount is that is given to each club, and Ms. Sidime said they break it down into four categories, but they typically provide around $750 or more. Mr. Williams asked if clubs that are being sponsored have to submit a proposal, and Ms. Sidime said they do. Dr. Myers-Small asked about the succession plan, and Dr. Acker said it is election based. They work with the students who are elected over the summer on transition and education. Dr. Paine said in Senate they talk about retention, and he said what BSG has done this year is incredible towards working on retaining students.

IV. University Senate Update [Dr. Skye Paine]

1. 1. Dr. Paine shared an update on what Brockport University Senate (BUS) has been accomplishing this year. He said there was a review of the reorganization of Academic Affairs, and he thanked Dr. Abraham for the hard work that had been put into communicating the changes and having the faculty involved in the process.
   2. He said the biggest debate right now is how faculty members are going to be represented in the Senate subsequent to the reorganization. He said they are trying to balance this out and will continue working on this at the next meeting.
   3. Dr. Paine shared information on the resolutions that have been submitted throughout the academic year.
   4. Mr. Turner asked what is involved in changing the composition of the BUS, and Dr. Paine discussed how they are working on creating a way to have enough representation for all departments through by-law revisions. Mr. Wiest asked how much autonomy the University Senate has and President Macpherson said each campus organizes their senates based on individual bylaws, so all are different. Mr. Turner thanked Dr. Paine for a great year.

V. BASC Update (Mr. Bill McNamara)

1. 1. Mr. McNamara shared the BASC philosophy, and he said they are working on being an integral part of the student experience. They want to be considered as one of the primary reasons why students choose to come to SUNY Brockport. He shared some of the outreach that has been taking place, and he said they met with a lot of groups and communities this year to get their feedback.
   2. Mr. McNamara shared the highlights of BASC’s accomplishments over the past eight months, and he said that they follow the philosophy that when someone provides feedback or suggestions, they need to act right away. They created a “You Asked, Dining Delivers” tagline, so that they could ensure people know that when they come to them with suggestions they will be listened to.
   3. Mr. McNamara shared the future dining direction, and he said one of their proposals is to have two meal halls on campus and they are looking where that can go. He said the other big initiative is switching the bookstore from a physical bookstore to e-campus, and an online ordering program. He said they are creating a spirit shop that will sell Brockport attire. Dr. Abraham said there had been initial concern on the part of the faculty regarding the bookstore changes, and he thanked Mr. McNamara and Ms. Hintz from BASC for their transparency and quick responses during the transition period.
   4. Dr. Paine said he was on the Presidential Task Force on Food and he said every recommendation that the task force made, BASC had already worked on. President Macpherson said Mr. McNamara has been an excellent partner and she is happy to see the huge strides BASC has made over the academic year.

VI. Next Meeting

The next College Council meeting will be on September 30, 2025.

VII. Adjournment

The meeting adjourned at 6:05 pm.