Dear Colleagues:

Truman Homecoming 2016 was a huge success!  Spirits were high, the weather was beautiful, teams were victorious, and the students, alumni and honorees all seemed to have a wonderful time.  I express my sincere appreciation to everyone who helped orchestrate the weekend’s activities.  It was a great pleasure to be involved in such a fun-filled event and it made me realize once again how truly proud I am to be a Bulldog!

In conjunction with Homecoming, the Board of Governors held their annual October meeting under the leadership of Board Chair Sarah Burkemper.  Kelly Kochanski, student representative to the Board from March 2014 to April 2016, was officially recognized for her service.  Representatives from RubinBrown LLP reported on the annual audit of the University, and Truman’s governmental relations services consultants, GibbonsWorkman LLC, provided a report on their work on behalf of the University.  Charles Hunsaker and Denise Smith, Co-Directors of University Advancement, were joined by Dr. Sharron Quisenberry, Chair of the Pursue the Future Campaign, and provided updates on advancement and the campaign.  Regina Morin, Vice President for Enrollment Management, provided the annual enrollment management report, and I provided a President’s Report reflecting many of the campus and community activities that have occurred throughout the past few months.  In addition, the Board reviewed financial reports, received updates on various on-campus construction projects, and heard reports from their three committees.  Within those committee meetings, the Board received updates on the proposed University strategic plan, Student Conduct Code statistics, and Truman Transformation.

In terms of action items, the Board approved the University strategic plan for 2016-2020, entitled Truman Blueprint for Success:  Intentional Experiences, Institutional Distinctiveness, Extended Reach and Organizational Excellence, which can be found on the Strategic Plan website located at http://www.truman.edu/about/mission-vision/strategic-plan/.  The Board expressed their appreciation to the entire University community for their work in developing a new strategic plan that will guide the development of the University.  The next step in the process will be to form a committee to develop specific metrics for each component of the plan.

The Board also took action on two items within the areas of finance and auditing:  approval of independent tax exempt status for the Truman State University National Alumni Association and the creation of a new staff employee status designated as Full-Time Professional Non-Exempt Employees in order to comply with the new regulations under the Fair Labor Standards Act.

Within the area of Budget and Capital Projects, the Board approved the Blanton-Nason-Brewer Window and Roof Replacement Project for Summer 2017 which will address maintenance and repair needs in the facility.  They also approved architectural services for the University Residence Project which will address improvements to the facility originally constructed in 1937.

A copy of the complete agenda from the October 21 meeting can be found on the Board of Governors website located at http://www.truman.edu/about/our-people/board-of-governors/board-of-governors-agendas/.  The next meeting of the Board is scheduled for Saturday, December 3.

Best regards,

Sue