Board of Visitors

Student Life Committee Meeting September 9, 2024

Present from the Board

• LTC (R) Kevin Callanan, CFRE
• Sean Miller
• Christy Morton
• Keith Windle

Remote Participation

LTC (R) Boris G. Robinson - Remote participation permitted due to distance between the member’s primary residence and the meeting location pursuant to Code of Virginia § 2.2-3708.3(B)(4). Mr. Robinson participated from Round Rock, TX.

Administration, Faculty and Students

• Dr. Lisa Duncan Raines, Vice President for Enrollment, Student Success and Institutional Effectiveness
• Dr. Kevin Hughes, Vice President for Student Affairs
• Dr. Rob Lange, Dean of Admission
• Dr. Ben Lynerd, Faculty Senate Representative
• McKenzie Hurley, Student Government Association President

Call to Order

Acting Committee Chair Christy Morton called the meeting to order at 3:15 p.m. She followed by reading the charge of the Committee on Student Life; the Committee is responsible for considering and making recommendations to the Board on policies affecting students of the University.

Approval of Minutes

Minutes from the June 2024 Committee on Student Life were unanimously approved, with all in favor.

Freshman Admission, Dr. Rob Lange

Dr. Lange greeted the Committee acknowledging September 10, 2024 as the fall census date. The official data from Institutional Research will be available in the near future, but his current operational data reflect an incoming freshman class of 1,140. The University budget was based on a freshman class size of 1,125. Dr. Lange discussed the incoming class profile, reporting an increase in diversity. He said the University continues to make positive strides in terms of increasing enrollment of low income students, and this is due in large part to the grants funded by the State Council of Higher Education in Virginia (SCHEV). Dr. Lange said the University was very close to surpassing an all-time high record of submitted application, with the admitted student yield remaining our biggest challenge.

Dr. Lange highlighted the busy summer in the Office of Admission which included more than 400 interviews with rising high school seniors and thousands of campus visitors. Early indicators for next year are positive, with applications in progress up 13 percent as compared to this time last year. The entire 2024-25 academic year will involve fully implemented initiatives to diversify applicants geographically - both out-of-state and internationally, as compared to starting mid-cycle last year. Dr. Lange discussed the proactive admission processes in place to include direct admission and guaranteed admission for first-generation, low-income students, out-of-state and international students. He expressed appreciation for President Kelly having restored recruiter positions which had previously been cut and said Christopher Newport University is well prepared for the large number of upcoming high school visits and fairs.

Enrollment, Student Success and Institutional Effectiveness

Dr. Duncan Raines began by highlighting the various populations involved in new student enrollment: first-time-in-college, transfer and graduate students, with each group requiring a different approach. With the desire to increase our transfer student population, she stressed the importance of the University’s relationships with the community colleges in Virginia. Collaborative efforts involve and rely heavily upon early advising and co-advising with VCCS college advisors. CNU began the fall semester with 191 new transfer students – 27 percent more than the first day of classes last year. As expected, a few of those students have reconsidered, and our team will stay in touch to foster a return if and when they are ready. Of the 188 remaining transfer students, 60 percent came from the Virginia Community College System, 89 percent are in-state students and 11 percent are out-of-state (many of whom are student-athletes). In addition, 37 percent of these transfer students are students of color, 11 percent are student athletes, 28 percent are first generation college student, 37 percent are Pell eligible, 47 percent are from the Peninsula area, and about half of them are living on campus. Collectively, they present a transfer GPA of 3.3, and they earned more than 720 full-time semesters of academic credit. Some of these students came with an associate’s degree, and some came from another four-year school.

Dr. Duncan Raines reported the increase in transfer student numbers was a direct result of the diligent efforts of the University to focus on transfer students, to include an increased physical presence on the community college campuses, leadership conversations, recruitment travel, digital marketing and agreements in place. She mentioned the agreement signed last spring with Virginia Peninsula Community College, The Bridge to CNU, and the recently signed agreement with Tidewater Community College, CNU Ready. In addition to the increased presence on the VCCS campuses, program level academic agreements are in the works to enhance these relationships.

Dr. Duncan Raines shared a video about the Community Captains Program, created by the University’s Office of Communications and Public Relations, highlighting a few of those students and their experiences at CNU. The high school portion of this program has involved participation with over 320 students. Of the students having completed the high school portion, she reported about 75 percent have go on to college or trade school with one-third of them enrolling at CNU - 53 to date. Three Community Captains are graduating in December, a semester early, one in May a full year early, and the first Community Captain to pursue graduate studies will begin in January. These amazing students work hard and continue to progress with many having worked jobs in addition to going to this academic studies form the time they were eligible to work. Had it not been for their participation in the Community Captains program, many of these students would not have considered college for their future. Dr. Duncan Raines reminded the Committee the program is intended to prepare students for their “next,” which is different for each student, including college, the military and the workforce.

Dr. Duncan Raines provided an update on the various SCHEV grants, and reiterated the call for proposals from the 15 schools in Virginia early last fall with the goal of increasing enrollment for low income students. In the spring of 2023, CNU submitted six proposals, three of which were funded, geared toward increasing enrollment in first-time-in-college students through admission and transfer, and scholarship funding to reduce barriers to completion. An additional call for proposals came out in the spring; CNU submitted six additional proposals and three were funded. As a result of these proposals, CNU has been awarded close to $1.6 million for initiatives and scholarships. The funding has already made a difference in first-time-in-college and transfer students—fostering an increase in Pell-eligible students. The funding will last for four years, and the University will be ready to respond to additional calls for proposals.

The Office of Admission prioritized 17 schools in Hampton Roads specifically with this funding, providing programming on their campuses and the CNU campus. In addition to the recruitment effort, the funding helped to remove the barrier of the $500 enrollment fee, which often proves to be an issue. Dr. Lange advised the Committee that many times the aid packages address the bigger charges, but the application fee is a barrier. Applications from these schools is up nearly 25 percent as a direct result of these initiatives.

As a follow-up to previous discussions on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), Dr. Duncan Raines reported that 62 percent of CNU’s undergraduate population filed the form as compared to 63 percent last year. These percentages were much higher than both state and national levels, and are a credit to the significant outreach provided to our students and their families by the Office of Financial Aid.

Student Affairs

Dr. Kevin Hughes welcomed the Committee and confirmed the challenges facing our students include under-preparedness, social and emotional concerns, relationship worries, and academic issues. Many of these topics are addressed in Setting Sail and Welcome Week programming with information on campus resources. In response to the increasing mental health challenges, Dr. Hughes discussed the pilot grant CNU received from SCHEV providing counselors-in-residence. The focus of this program is to increase clinicians entering the pipeline in the Commonwealth of Virginia, thus increasing resources, specifically benefitting our students in the short-term. College campuses have a high need for these services, and the hope is that some of these clinicians will decide to focus on campus-based service. Initially, in 2022, the grant provided $100,000 per year for two years, allowing the University to hire two clinicians with grant dollars. The University matched, funding a third clinician and covered all benefits. Christopher Newport has again received $100,000 for two years, and will be hiring two additional clinicians. Of the four currently in place, two of these clinicians are close to licensure. Christopher Newport’s ability to match grant funds with University funds made way to increase the necessary staff to provide more resources to our students--more than any of our sister institutions.

In addition, we now have three confidential resources available to students trying to navigate Title IX resources. Previously, the University required that all employees be considered mandatory reporters when information has been disclosed, resulting in a real challenge for students. Based on feedback from students and staff, three positions were created this year on the accessibility and care team, with the goal of assisting students as they navigate this process with additional resource information.

Dr. Hughes highlighted changes to policies impacting students, beginning with Resolution I. If adopted, this policy will become part of the administrative code under the Code of Virginia, specifically under Title VIII, Education. Currently, CNU is the only Virginia institution without a weapons regulation; most other institutions adopted policies in the mid 2010s. Draft language has been prepared to generate clarity and minimize some of the challenges police officers may encounter. Section 10 of this policy includes key definitions drawn directly from the Code of Virginia and our University policy. Section 20 contains key language which will get the most attention--prohibition language. Policy will dictate that weapons in building or grounds owned or leased by the University are not allowed; this will not apply to areas owned and operated by the Christopher Newport Real Estate Foundation. Another area of concern is that weapons are prohibited in vehicles and vessels, owned, operated or contracted by the University. Concealed carry holders will able to store weapons in their personal vehicle. Enforcement will also be addressed, placing the University Chief of Police over this charge.

In May and July of 2024, the Attorney General provided guidance regarding University policies and student codes of conduct. This direction was largely in response to protest activities on college campus nationwide last spring. As a result, Christopher Newport updated policies 7000 and 7001 relating to facilities usage. University policies identify who can use the Great Lawn and under what guidelines, and provide clarification as to whether or not amplification and shade canopies can be used specifying areas and duration limits. In addition to these policy modifications, the University adopted a new policy, 1090 - Identification, which can be found on the CNU website. The policy prohibits hiding one’s identity. If a masked person is able to verify their identity with an ID, if sufficient, there is no violation. If the ID is not provided or is inadequate in confirming identity, removal of the mask to confirm will be required. The intent of this new policy is to ensure that appropriate university officials are able to ask for identification. Student Code of Conduct policies were also updated to clarify behavior, define disorderly behavior and outline the adjudication process. Dr. Hughes reported that the Comprehensive Posting Policy will soon be updated, regulating where flyers and posters can be posted and by whom, include specific language to include guests, visitors and solicitors.

Student Government Association

McKenzie Hurley, the Student Government Association (SGA) President, greeted the Committee reporting that students are engaging across campus. She provided updates with regard to the various student organization on campus to include the National Pan-Hellenic Council, the Campus Activities Board, the Interfraternity Council, the Residence Hall Association, the Student Diversity Council and Alternative Breaks. The upcoming women’s leadership summit will largely involve alumni and will include openings remarks from Mrs. Kelly. McKenzie discussed efforts to replace grills on east campus and the James River residence halls.

McKenzie highlighted an upcoming event sponsored by the Student Honor Council and CNU Police Department, Buzz Kill, to educate students on the dangers of drunk driving in an interactive environment. The SGA is pushing to increase their student representatives across different groups on campus, to include transfer, commuter and first-generation college students. She discussed an upcoming Pledge to Vote Day, hosted by the Wason Center which the SGA will be promoting. The SGA continue to train members on proposal writing, how to address conversations around campus, upcoming initiatives, concerns and more.

Resolutions and Committee Actions

There were no resolutions or formal committee actions.

Adjournment

There being no further discussion, Acting Chair Morton adjourned the meeting at 4:11 p.m. with all in favor.