Board of Visitors Meeting June 9, 2023

Present from the Board

Lindsey Carney Smith, Esq., Rector
Robert R. Hatten, Esq.
Mr. Steven S. Kast
Mr. John R. Lawson, II
Kelli Purdy Meadows, CPA, CCIFP
Mr. Sean D. Miller
Ms. Christy T. Morton, Secretary
Mr. C. Larry Pope
LTC (R) Boris G. Robinson
The Honorable Ronald L. Tillett
Dr. Lee Vreeland
Ms. Judy Ford Wason

Absent from the Board

Ms. Regina P. Brayboy

Remote Participant

Ms. Terri M. McKnight, CPA, Vice Rector
Remote participation permitted due to personal travel to Mexico pursuant to Code of Virginia § 2.2-3708.3(B)(4).

Present from the University

Dr. Robert Colvin, Interim Chief of Staff
Ms. Amie Dale, Liaison to the Board of Visitors
Dr. Brian Puaca, Faculty Senate President
Dr. Kevin Hughes, Vice President of Student Affairs
Dr. Quentin Kidd, Provost
Dr. Rob Lange, Dean of Admission
Ms. Jennifer Latour, Vice President for Finance and Planning and CFO
Ms. Christine Ledford, Vice President for Administration and Auxiliary Service
Ms. Maureen Matsen, Esq., University Counsel
Dr. Lisa Duncan Raines, Vice President for Enrollment and Student Success
Ms. Adelia Thompson, Interim President

Others in Attendance

Ms. Katie Bennett, Student Government Association President (2023-24)
Ms. Ashley Sanfacon, Student Presenter
Mr. Chris Inzirllo, Alumni Society President

Call to Order and Welcome: Rector Lindsey Carney Smith

On June 9, 2023 at 1:10 p.m. Rector Carney Smith called the meeting to order, welcomed those present and thanked everyone for their efforts making this academic year successful. She proceeded with a special welcome to Chris Inzirillo, Brian Puaca and Kate Bennett for joining the board at the table and made brief introductions. She also announced that Terri McKnight was joining the meeting remotely. The Rector then called in the Catering staff to the room to be thanked and applauded by the Board for their service to the University.

Appointment of Student Representative: Rector Lindsey Carney Smith

Rector Carney Smith called for a motion to appoint Katelyn Bennett, Student Government Association President (2023-24) as a Non-voting Advisory Student Representative to the Board of Visitors for AY 2023-24. Mr. Kast provided the motion, which was seconded by Secretary Morton and approved unanimously. Katelyn Bennett was appointed a Non-Voting Student Advisory Representative to the Board for AY 2023-24.

Approval of Minutes: Rector Lindsey Carney Smith

Rector Carney Smith called for a motion to approve the minutes of the Board of Visitors Regular Meeting on April 14, 2023. Ms. Wason provided the motion, which was seconded by Mr. Pope and the minutes were approved by a unanimous vote of the Board.

The Rector called on Interim President Thompson to give her final President’s Report.

President’s Report: Adelia Thompson, Interim President

Interim President Thompson began her remarks by recounting celebrating the more than 1,100 Christopher Newport Captains who walked across the stage to become newly minted graduates and ‘Captains for Life’ at Commencement in May. She remarked that it was just marvelous and such a glorious celebration of all that we are about, of all that we do and all that those incredible young people have achieved during their years with us. She continued by reporting on the many successes we have enjoyed since the last board meeting and remaining action items as we finish the fiscal year:

Budget: There is still no news from Richmond on a budget, so the University will proceed with the proposed budget and subsequent cuts.
Admission: The incoming freshman for the fall of 2023 stands over 1200 and should end up around 1150 after summer melt.
Athletics: The final standings for the Learfield Directors’ Cup – the national metric used to evaluate the overall competitive success of Division III NCAA institutions’ athletic programs– will be released next week and for the first time in our history, we are likely to be in the Top 10. On Monday, our national champion men’s basketball team was invited to the White House – to join the other national champions in all sports across all three divisions in the NCAA for College Athlete Celebration Day.
The Arts: This year the Ferguson Center has had five of the top ten largest audiences ever and new and renewed sponsorship support is at an all-time high. The Torggler Center has now been open to the public for 19 months and in that time has already welcomed over 26,000 people to this campus and through their doors. Private support has been incredibly generous, and positioned the Torggler to pursue truly world class exhibits.
Academics: Our study abroad numbers are very close to returning to our record levels pre-covid.

Interim President Thompson concluded her report by summarizing the experience of her interim year noting that we knew it was going to be different and that there would be challenges and growing pains. That in the last 4 years, our senior team and this University has had to weather major change, over and over between the pandemic, the retirements of longtime treasured leaders, the sabbatical of the President and then his retirement, the presidential search process and this interim year. But, she continued, families hold firm, hold tight and that it has been the most extraordinary experience how this family has stepped out - and up together. That boundaries have been pushed and limits have been tested to become something better. She thanked everyone for the honor of being a part of this family and noted that she is looking forward to serving with Bill Kelly for this next chapter of Christopher Newport’s history.

The Rector thanked Interim President Thompson and called on Mr. Bobby Hatten to give the Finance and Facilities Report.

Finance and Facilities Report: Bobby Hatten

Mr. Hatten gave his final report on behalf of the Finance and Facilities Committee detailing the activities of the morning’s committee meeting. He began by reiterating that there has been no movement on the Commonwealth's budget and that we are hopeful that we might see something on the budget in early to mid-July. Mr. Hatten gave a brief overview of the operating budget presentation from Ms. Latour and reviewed factors from the operating budget based on projected enrollment.

Mr. Hatten brought forward RESOLUTION 1: Budget Resolution FY 2024 at the recommendation of the Finance and Facilities Committee. Rector Carney Smith called for any discussion. There being none, Rector Carney Smith made a motion to approve Resolution 1 and it was passed by a unanimous vote of the Board.

Mr. Hatten continued with a capital projects update and reported that while we received the funding for the integrated science center expansion we are having to look at the budget to try and cut costs while maintaining the integrity of the building.

Rector Carney Smith thanked Mr. Hatten for his report and for his leadership during a difficult year for the Finance and Facilities committee and she also thanked Ms. Ledford for her work on all of the capital projects and Ms. Latour for her superior finance and budget report.

The Rector called on Ms. Meadows to give the Operations, Audit and Risk Report.

Operations, Audit and Risk Report: Kelli Meadows

Ms. Meadows greeted the room and reported on the activities of the committee. She gave a full update on the draft audit report on the university’s financial statements noting that we have received a clean audit with no material weaknesses and no repeat findings, but did issue the following findings: improve operating system security for the financial system of record, improve database logging and monitoring, and improve internal controls on the termination of employees. She continued by reporting on human resources initiatives including the AP faculty compensation study noting that the work with the outside consulting firm is complete and a little over 40% of AP staff will receive an increase. She also noted discussion on the strategic compensation initiative and changes to university sponsored retirement plans. Several other reports were also covered in committee including the annual information security report and the internal audit report. The annual risk assessment and risk based audit plan for FY 24 includes the StarRes audit which has eight open points, the student accounts audit that is in progress, the faculty recruitment audit follow up check in meetings are complete, the IT risk assessment practices have been normalized, the disaster recovery audit points are complete, there is one remaining lab safety audit report targeted for completion this month, 6 maxient audit points have been closed and 2 points will be done by the end of the calendar year and this fall the quality assurance review self assessment will be performed and evaluated by an external review team.

Ms. Meadows brought forward RESOLUTION 2: Award of Administrative and Professional Emeritus Status at the recommendation of the Operations, Audit and Risk Committee. Rector Carney Smith gave a special recognition for Dr. Colvin’s service to CNU and as interim Chief of Staff and then called on him to give the background for Resolution 2. She called for discussion and there being none, Rector Carney Smith made a motion to approve Resolution 2 and it was passed by a unanimous vote of the Board.

Ms. Meadows brought forward RESOLUTION 3: Amendments to University Retirement Plans at the recommendation of the Operations, Audit and Risk Committee. Rector Carney Smith called for discussion. There being none, Rector Carney Smith made a motion to approve Resolution 3 and it was passed by a unanimous vote of the Board.

Rector Carney Smith thanked Ms. Meadows and called on Mr. Kast to give the Academic Affairs report.

Academic Affairs Report: Steve Kast

Mr. Kast gave his final report on behalf of the Academic Affairs committee and detailed the following updates: The SACSCOC 5th Year Report has been submitted and we should hear back by late June, the university’s centers hosted over two dozen conferences and speakers that brought thousands of people to the university this year, students have logged 60,000 engagement hours, 70,000 lbs. of food was collected during the Food for Thought campaign, there are 300 students studying abroad in 37 countries and 6 continents and there is a new history podcast: Past is Prologue that began in March and now has listeners in two countries and 37 states. He also reported that they spent a good amount of the time reviewing the proposed budget cuts.

The Rector thanked Mr. Kast and called on Dr. Lee Vreeland to give the Student Life Report.

Student Life Report: Dr. Lee Vreeland

Dr. Vreeland began her report by sharing freshman admission updates stating that enrollment deposits are tracking slightly ahead of next year, we are expecting a class of 1150 with an average GPA of 3.72 and SAT of 1206 and that the percentage of students of color has increased by 30%, first generation students by 23% and legacies by 13%. The university conferred 1,142 degrees to include 1052 baccalaureate and 90 master’s degrees, of which 162 were legacy families. The career center posted over 111,000 jobs and internships and engaged with over 85% of the first year students. Community Captains will have three cohorts at CNU in the fall and they finished this year with a recognition ceremony officiated by Sheriff Gabe Morgan. The Center for Student Success offered 3,500 tutoring sessions and almost 4,100 success coaching appointments which yielded a 93% retention rate. Counseling center saw 600 student clients over 4,225 appointments underscoring the impact of mental health on our community. The President’s Leadership Program provided almost 48,000 community service hours providing a $1.4 million value to our local community. Dr. Vreeland concluded her report by listing some of the prestigious graduate programs and employers for the class of 2023 including Harvard, Notre Dame, Michigan, JP Morgan, the State Department, Major League Soccer and many more.

Rector Carney Smith thanked Dr. Vreeland for her report and called on Mr. Inzirillo to give the Alumni Society Report.

Alumni Society Report: Chris Inzirillo

Mr. Inzirillo gave a report on the activities of the Alumni Society. He underscored the work that has been done over the last two years to define the purpose and mission of the Alumni Society so that their focus is creating a path to engagement for all alumni living lives in different places and different ways. He reported that they received 40 applications for new members which shows a sharp rebound in interest post-pandemic. He also announced that Nate Fontaine will be the next Alumni Society President and that the Alumni Society is bringing back the alumni awards program and will hold an event in August. He then celebrated the activities of the Alumni Relations Office applauding them on the Welcome Home events in 8 locations in Virginia and 1 in North Carolina and then next week the chartering of the new Roanoke Alumni Chapter making a total of 15 alumni chapters. Mr. Inzirillo noted he was honored to present Excellence in Teaching and Mentoring to Margarita Marinova at Latin Honors, to sponsor the Dean’s Service Award, to support the Senior Class Gift Campaign and that the true highlight during Commencement was honoring Interim President Thompson with an honorary alumna recognition from the Alumni Society.

He finished his report by summarizing key initiatives moving forward including better relationships with the career center, stronger relationship with Admission to leverage alumni to support recruitment efforts, continuing an alumni week of service, and planning to recognize alumni educators in the fall. He offered thanks to university leaders and the board for the support of alumni initiatives.

The Rector thanked Mr. Inzirillo and the Alumni Society Board and continued by giving the report for the President’s Council on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.

President’s Council on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Report: Lindsey Carney Smith

On behalf of Ms. Brayboy, Rector Carney Smith updated the board on the activities of the President’s Council on Diversity and Inclusion by reading through their minutes on record from the last meeting.

The Rector thanked Ms. Brayboy and called on Dr. Brian Puaca to give the Faculty Senate Report.

Faculty Senate Report: Brian Puaca

Dr. Puaca greeted the Board of Visitors, gave some biographical information about himself, and provided an update of summer activities for the faculty including study abroad, research, writing, attending and presenting conferences, working in the field and labs on their research. He stated that the Faculty Senate will reconvene in August, but that the Senate Executive Committee continues to meet throughout the summer. He will offer a full report of their agenda for the next year at the September meeting, but reported that their key goals will include working with President Kelly to ensure his success, address budget challenges and to continue to build a strong relationship with the Board of Visitors. He stressed that the faculty are committed to the university’s success, its mission and committed to our student’s success inside and outside the classroom. He encouraged the board to view faculty as a resource and partner.

Dr. Puaca concluded his report by expressing thanks to Interim President Thompson for her leadership this year, to the Rector for opening up the relationship with the Board and to previous senate presidents for their leadership during the pandemic. He pledged to come to the meetings and speak honestly and openly about faculty ideas and concerns and encouraged the board to engage, ask questions and have conversations with him.

Rector Carney Smith thanked Dr. Puaca for his report and called on Ms. Katelyn Bennett to give the Student Government report.

Student Government Report and Student Presentation: Katelyn Bennett and Ashley Sanfacon, respectively

Ms. Bennett thanked the Rector, greeted the board and offered an introduction of herself. She indicated how much she is anticipating next year and how all of the anchor organizations have been busy preparing and planning for the next year. The students are excited for the arrival of Admiral Kelly and looking forward to welcoming new students and their families at Setting Sail. She then introduced the student speaker, Ashley Sanfacon.

Ms. Sanfacon detailed her journey as a student beginning with the excitement of the admission’s events then recounting the abrupt arrival of the pandemic and its dramatic effect on her college experience. Although the beginning of her time at CNU was a struggle, she found her community and developed self-confidence and a network that has afforded her new opportunities and a new vision for her future. She finished her remarks by looking ahead toward the possibilities her senior year will hold and excited for what lies ahead.

Rector Carney Smith thanked Ms. Bennett and Ms. Sanfacon for their inspiration and proceeded to the next order of business. She then asked for a brief pause to do a special presentation. Mr. J. Lynn Thompson joined the meeting to stand with Interim President Thompson. On behalf of the Board, Rector Carney Smith recognized Interim President Thompson for her service and read RESOLUTION 5: Resolution of Appreciation - Adelia Patrick Thompson.

Closed Session Under Freedom of Information Act § 2.2-3711(A)(1) Personnel and § 2.2-3711(A)(9) Gifts, Bequests and Fund Raising

Rector Carney Smith called for a motion to enter Closed Session under Freedom of Information Act §2.2.3711(A)(1) Personnel and § 2.2-3711(A)(9) Gifts, Bequests and Fund Raising. Mr. Robinson provided the motion, it was seconded by Dr. Vreeland and the motion was passed by unanimous vote of the Board.

Return to Open Session: Secretary Christy Morton

The Board returned to Open Session and Secretary Morton asked Ms. Dale for a roll call certifying that only public matters were discussed that were identified in the motion by which the executive or closed meeting was called. All Board members certified to the above by roll call: Rector Carney Smith, Mr. Hatten, Mr. Kast, Mr. Lawson, Vice Rector McKnight, Ms. Meadows, Mr. Miller, Secretary Morton, Mr. Pope, Mr. Robinson, Mr. Tillett, Dr. Vreeland and Ms. Wason.

Rector Carney Smith brought forward RESOLUTION 4: Promotions of Instructional Faculty at the recommendation of the Academic Affairs Committee. Rector Carney Smith called for any discussion. There being none, Ms. Wason made a motion to approve Resolution 4 and it was passed by a unanimous vote of the Board.

Adjournment: Lindsey Carney Smith

Rector Carney Smith reviewed upcoming dates for the board, reviewed the plan for the Inauguration in August and thanked Mr. Hatten and Mr. Kast for their service to the board.

There being no further business the meeting was adjourned at 2:50 p.m.