Trustee committees get first-semester updates, discuss bylaws changes

They also announced achievements, including Central Michigan University's all-time record for fundraising in a single year, increased student enrollment for the first time in a decade and an increase in retention rates. 

Policy and Bylaws Committee

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Michael Sandler, a chair of the Policy and Bylaws Committee, presented several recommended changes in the Board’s bylaws to the Trustees.  

Some of them were: using the word “provost” consistently in the document, updating terms of leases and time needed for notifying about holding a special meeting. 

The Board added “sub-leases” and "leases of public broadcasting towers" to page 7, number R of bylaws. 

The bylaw read that “authorization of real property and facility leases by or to the university for more than one year’s duration” is the responsibility of the Board. But if leases are under a year and subject to amount limitations, the president has the authority to enter those.

Edward Plawecki Jr., a Trustee and a member of the Policy and bylaws committee, said that another change to the bylaws is under the open meeting deck, which is on page 12 in the bylaws. 

If Trustees’ need a special meeting, they must post about it 18 hours prior instead of about 70, as it was required before, Plawecki said.

Board of Trustees Chair Todd Regis said that there are also going to be changes in the board's policy manual that will become a priority in 2025. Sandler said the committee will present recommended changes in three sessions starting in February. 

Academic and Student Affairs Committee

The Academic and Student Affairs Committee heard updates from student affairs, academic affairs and the student recruitment and retention division. 

Interim Vice President of the Division of Student Affairs Stan Shingles said his office hired 21 people over the summer, with six more to go as part of their talent acquisition goal. 

Almost all of the Student Affairs employees have gone through mental health first aid training, and he said the President's cabinet has volunteered to receive the training as well.

Shingles also dedicated time to allow a presentation from a first generation student and staff advocates. The student, junior Datherine Guzman, said she would like to see a dedicated faculty or staff member for first generation students. 

“This person wouldn’t just be an advisor, they will understand our unique challenges, helping us access resources and building a community where first gen students feel supported and understood," Guzman said. 

She said having someone in that position would contribute to the "belonging" aspect of the University's commitment to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Justice and Belonging (DEIJB). 

The new MiCAREER Hub project was also presented as an opportunity to help with the nationwide shortage of teachers. Paula Lancaster, who recently became the interim provost and executive Vice President said the hub, which is mostly virtual, is a collaboration with other Universities around the state to connect potential educators with the programs and resources they need. 

“We have shortages in just about every geographic location in Michigan and beyond, but they are really heightened in rural communities and distant rural communities as well," Lancaster said. “The ultimate goal is to provide a one stop place for individuals who live in and work in rural districts who want to become teachers.” 

She said the low-to-no cost program would help individuals who are part way through their teaching credentials or looking to expand their authorizations. 

“We anticipate closer to between 40 and 60 will be starting in the spring… they’re big numbers for what we’re trying to accomplish because each candidate presents a very unique skill set and backgrounds, so we are bringing them in on an individual basis and individualizing their program," Lancaster said. "So no two programs are the same, in all likelihood.” 

Vice President of Student Recruitment and Retention Jennifer DeHaemers presented an enrollment increase of 55 students over last year. 

She said retention is also up at 74.9%, and next year's goal is 75%. 

However, main campus domestic student enrollment is still on the decline. DeHaemers said there are a couple potential reasons for it. 

“It’s partially due to a good labor market, but we also have talked about the decline in funding for research and graduate assistantships that does impact this population," she said. 

Finance and Facilities Committee

Associate Vice President of Facilities Management Jonathan Webb presented an update on his department's summer activities. Those included over $200,000 in completed projects and several more in progress. 

Completed projects included the addition of a "Maker Space" in the Engineering and Technology building. Webb said the space is complete with drones, 3D printers and light and power zones. 

Facilities also used $122,000 to add a gender-neutral restroom and a "quality of life" space to the library. He said the quality of life space can be used to meditate, pray or have a quiet moment. 

Three other projects, along with routine maintenance, are continuing into the academic year: 

• Kitchen and seating area renovations to Merrill dining, to be completed with a $5 million in summer of 2025
• Demolition of Northwest Apartments, to be completed with a $5 million dollar budget and site restoration to a wood lot in summer of 2025
• Installation of exterior access controls on all campus buildings, to be completed with an almost $700 million budget (from multiple funding sources) by summer of 2026

Webb said the exterior access controls are "a significant improvement to make a safe campus even safer." 

Trustees-Faculty Liaison Committee

The McNair Scholars Program was the main focus of this committee. CMU's McNair Scholars Program Director Lynn Curry discussed the benefits of being in this program. 

The McNair Scholars Program uses federal grants through the US Department of Education to help encourage students who wouldn’t otherwise be able to pursue an education above an undergraduate degree. This could be in the form of pursuing a PhD, or a graduate degree. 

The goal is to “help students from disadvantaged backgrounds and help them pursue education,” Curry said. Those who go through this program are often first-generation college students, those from low-income families, or any other student who is often underrepresented in higher education. 

Each year, the program supports around 10 to 12 students. She said students are given not only funding but also academic support such as teaching skills in writing and presenting. Curry said 41 students have graduated with a Ph.D. through CMU's branch of the program, and 74 with a master's degree.

“Our students have many barriers to higher education, which is exactly why a program like McNair exists,” Curry explained. 

Eliza Atkinson, a CMU senior in the Department of Chemistry and Biological Chemistry, shared her experience with the McNair Scholars program. Under the aid of Dr. Mueller, Atkinson said she has been able to research biodegradable skin scaffolds (a product typically used to treat burn wounds). 

She said that none of it would have been possible without the aid of the McNair Scholars Program. 

“There’s so much opportunity and it’s wonderful,” Atkinson said when discussing her experiences, “the people, the directors, and having the support…it’s amazing.” 

Trustees-Student Liaison Committee

Three administrator-advised organizations came to discuss how they have been getting off the ground and their plans for the upcoming year. 

Student Government Association president and vice president Carolina Hernandez Ruiz and Aashka Barot discussed how SGA has had two meetings so far, which had roughly 120 students in attendance at each. 

Hernandez Ruiz said 10 of 18 senators have been selected, and that all of the House representatives have been sworn in. She also recapped the association’s budget, which is $24,000 for cabinet members and $80,000 available for registered student organizations (RSOs) to apply for.

She also briefly spoke about the sustainability fee which was passed at a previous Board of Trustees meeting, and said the association is working to create a committee that would be responsible for managing those funds.

When it comes to the future, Hernandez Ruiz said that SGA is working to host two events in the spring for students, one being a Scholarship Fair and another being a TEDx conference featuring student voices. 

“One of our main priorities is to create a welcoming space for the student body and to improve their experience at CMU,” she said. “(We’re) Representing the students and advocating for their needs.”

The Program Board president and vice president Kathlyn Allmacher and Lauren Brewer said they’re aiming to open up collaborations with other RSOs and increase event awareness on campus through marketing. 

Allmacher said this year, they have already collaborated with the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers for the Welcome Back Carne Asade event, and they are also planning to collaborate with the Beyond the Body RSO for an event in November.

“Since we are the only funded RSO on campus, we want to make sure that we’re helping other organizations bring their ideas and visions to life,” Allmacher said.

Brewer also said the Program Board has multiple current events going on, such as visits from comedians, shown movies and did a pie-in-the-face event to raise money for the food pantry on campus. She said one of their larger, long-term goals is to create an overnight event for students to attend, and they hope to host that event in November.

Residence Housing Association president Bella Andreski discussed how the association has increased their e-board attendance, and how this year they hope to increase student voices and create more events for students through their community councils. She said their e-board numbers have almost tripled since last year, going from three returning members to nine.

“Our goal this year is beyond advocating for student voices on campus,” Andreski said. “We’re bring forward student safety concerns from discrimination to accessibility, alongside bringing community councils together to fund and host events for residential students.”

She discussed many of RHA’s plans for this year, which include but are not limited to:

• Increasing DEI training through resident halls, both with students and staff members,
• Creating events such as a CMU Health Halloween event, and “What’s The Scoop,” a multicultural RSO event for networking and promotion,
• Installing student-made art installations in the residential halls,
• Hold workshops to teach about groceries and sexual health and wellness,
• Install flat screen televisions in the resident halls to make advertising easier and
• Improve lighting and safety along Broomfield Street.  

“Congratulations on a wonderful start,” CMU President Bob Davies said to the leaders of all the organizations. “The implementation and everything else, I know it’s going to be strong … Thank you for all that you do for CMU. Keep up the pace, keep up the spirit, and fire up chips.”  

The full meeting of the board is at 12:30 p.m Thursday the 26th. It is a public meeting on the third floor of the University Center, but also available to watch via livestream.