Board of Trustees Meeting Oct. 6

The fall meeting of the Board of Trustees will take place Monday, Oct 6. Four new trustees will attend an orientation program Sunday, Oct. 5. The new trustees are Tony Binsfeld (La Crosse), alumnus Greg Lind (Seattle), Katie Mitchell, FSPA, (Chicago), and alumnus Brian Soller (Maple Grove, Minn.).

Action items include:

• proposal for a new tuition remission plan for nursing faculty to enroll in Viterbo’s DNP program


• request for authorization to transfer $525,000 from the quasi-endowment for the purchase and installation of the new chiller for the Fine Arts Center, and for contracted services to Gundersen Health System for the services of Mary Lu Gerke, interim dean, College of Nursing, Health, and Human Behavior.


• acceptance of the audited financial statements for 2013–14


• approval of the 2014-15 operating budget, with adjustments of various income and expense lines reflecting enrollment projections for the year.


• resolution for the trustees’ commitment to 100 percent annual giving and a $200,000 goal for the Annual Trustees' Opportunity Fund.

The draft of the Strategic Plan 2015–2020 Values and Value is included in the board’s packet for review and subsequent comment. Approval of the plan will take place at the January 2015 meeting.

The fall meeting typically includes the presentation of candidates for tenure to the board’s Academic Affairs Committee. At my request, the committee agreed to postpone the presentation due to the volume of candidates (11) and because Sara Cook, business, chairperson of the Promotion and Tenure Committee, will be participating in the FSPA Leadership Pilgrimage (along with Keith Knutson, history) and thus not available on Oct. 6. The Academic Affairs Committee will hold a special meeting in late October to review candidates for tenure and will forward its recommendations to the executive committee for action. Candidates will be informed of the board’s decisions prior to Saturday, Nov. 15.

Additionally, the trustees will view the 125th Anniversary video at their morning continuing education session, which will be followed by brief presentations on the university’s Mission Effectiveness Committee. The luncheon topic will be a presentation by officers of the Institutional Advancement Committee on planned giving. Trustees will have an opportunity to tour the new renovations of San Damiano Chapel before beginning committee meetings at 1:30 p.m. Students who are military veterans have been invited to join the trustees and spouses for dinner.

If you see the trustees on campus, please extend a warm greeting and express your appreciation for their service and support.

Pax et Bonum,

Rick Artman