Upcoming Events and December Board of Governors Meeting

Dear Colleagues:

As we enter the last week of the semester, I am pleased to invite you to three wonderful celebrations!

Faculty, Staff, and Retirees Holiday Open House – Wednesday, December 10
The annual Faculty, Staff, and Retirees Holiday Open House is scheduled from 2:30 to 5:00 at the University Residence located at 706 South Halliburton.  Shuttle service will be provided to the University Residence from McClain Hall (parking lot between McClain Hall and the Student Union), Violette Hall (west side parking lot), and Barnett Hall (front east entrance).  The shuttle service will run every 15 minutes starting at 2:15 p.m.  I look forward to celebrating the season and wrapping up the semester with you!

Fall Commencement – Saturday, December 13
On Saturday, we will celebrate our newest Truman graduates at the 2025 Fall Commencement scheduled for 11:00 a.m. in Pershing Arena.  Dr. Eneda Hoxha (’08), a biotech executive focused on building companies that turn rigorous science into real therapies, will serve as our Commencement Speaker, and Tomás Orjuela Muñoz, a soon-to-be-graduate with a Bachelor of Arts in Economics, will serve as our Student Speaker.

Departmental Food Exchange Day – Friday, December 19
The Departmental Food Exchange Day, our popular annual tradition of socializing with colleagues and enjoying delicious food, will be held on December 19.  Those departments that do not participate in the tradition are more than welcome to join the President’s Office celebration.

The December Board of Governors meeting was held on campus on Saturday under the leadership of Phil Christofferson, Board Chair.  In addition to dining at Missouri Hall and having the opportunity to attend the Holiday Choral Concert, board members participated in committee meetings, a working session, and a board meeting during which they approved several important action items.

2026 Board Officers and Committee Membership
The Board elected officers and assigned committee membership for the 2025 calendar year.  New officers who will take office for one year commencing at the first regular meeting of the calendar year are Bill Lovegreen, Chair; Jennifer Kopp Dameron, Vice Chair; and Taylor Burks, Secretary.

University Strategic Plan
The Board approved the proposed Truman State University 2026-2030 Strategic Plan.  The next step in the process is for specific foundational metrics and key performance indicators (KPIs) to be set with expectations from the Board of Governors.  I appreciate the tremendous work of the Strategic Plan Drafting Team in developing the initiatives and tactics for the new strategic plan.

2026 Salary Policies
Salary policies for the 2026 calendar year were approved.  The approved salary increases will take effect on January 1, 2026, for employees on the payroll as of that date, unless an earlier employment agreement states otherwise.

The Faculty Compensation Committee proposed several recommendations for full-time faculty salaries to improve Truman’s compensation policies, focusing on two main priorities this year – to address salary compression and to increase starting salaries in academic disciplines that are currently below the College and University Professional Association (CUPA) median.  The committee recommended, and the Board approved, salary increases to address these issues.  The approved increases include adjustments based on years of service: 0-2 years ($600 increase); 3-5 years ($675 increase); 6-8 years ($750 increase); 9-11 years ($850 increase); 12-17 years ($950 increase); 18-23 years ($1,050 increase); 24-29 years ($1,150); 30+ years ($1,275).  A $500 increase in starting salary was recommended for the 11 current open faculty positions to support recruitment.

In terms of staff salaries, our approach is to either apply across-the-board increases to raise the lowest salaries more significantly or apply percentage increases to ensure that those with higher wages do not always receive relatively small raises.  After two years of percentage increases and one year of across-the-board increases, the goal for January 2026 is to focus on raising the lowest staff salaries more significantly.  Full-time exempt and salaried/comp time-eligible staff will receive an annual increase of $825.  Current non-exempt staff starting salaries, not covered by the hourly schedule, will increase by $.40 per hour.  All starting salaries will be $15.50 or higher.

Each employee’s Employee Position and Composition Information, found on TruView under Employee Tools, will be updated after the first of the year.  Faculty will receive an email from Interim Provost Tim Walston detailing their base salary increase.  For questions, staff should contact Payroll; faculty should contact the Provost’s Office.

Housing and Meal Plan Charges
Housing charges effective with the 2026 Fall Semester were approved.  The Board approved an average increase of 4.4% for apartment, single, and double room rates, and an increase of 4.36% for meal plans.  The most common combination students choose is a double occupancy room with a 15-meal-per-week board plan.  The overall increase proposed for this setup is 4.38%.  These increases will keep Truman’s meal plan prices competitive with other colleges and universities in the region while covering higher costs for utilities, salaries, and staff fringe benefits.

Revision to Academic Calendar for August Interim 2026 – Summer Session 2028
The Academic Calendar, previously approved at the February 8 meeting was revised by moving the Summer Session 2027 term one week earlier.  This change resolves the conflict on July 5, 2027, when the University is closed for Independence Day.  It also allows the Registrar’s Office sufficient time to process summer grades before the start of the 2027 Fall Semester.

Architectural Services – Summer 2026 Roofing/Masonry/Concrete Project
A proposal from Building Resource Studio, LLP, to provide architectural services for the Summer 2026 Roofing, Masonry, and Concrete Project was approved.  The roofing on Ryle Hall (the flat roof at the east entrance) and sections of masonry on Ryle need replacement.  Additionally, the external stairs at Ophelia Parrish have deteriorated and require replacement.  The schedule is planned to facilitate completing the work during the summer of 2026, with funding allocated from the Plant Fund.

Federal Governmental Relations and Policy Services
The Board extended the contract with Venable LLP to provide federal governmental relations and policy services through December 31, 2027, with an option to extend the agreement for one additional year.  Venable has provided federal governmental relations and policy services to the University since February 2023, following a Request for Proposals (RFP) process.  Based on the firm’s performance and the demonstrated return on investment from a federal-level advocate, it was recommended that Venable’s services be continued.

Professional Leaves
The Board approved faculty sabbaticals.  Please join me in congratulating the following faculty members.  We look forward to hearing about the impactful outcomes of their sabbatical work.

2026 Spring Semester and the 2026 Fall Semester
Laura Naioti, Associate Professor of Art

2026-2027 Academic Year
Vayujeet Gokhale, Professor of Physics
Jason McDonald, Associate Professor of History

2027 Spring Semester
Michael Bump, Professor of Music

Finally, regarding public comments and reports, Andrew Hutchinson, Union Representative and Organizing Director of LiUNA Local 995, provided public comments on the proposed Unit I Wage for Physical Plant employees, and I submitted a President’s Report highlighting recent student achievements and end-of-semester events.  Committee meetings and working session topics included status reports on finance, enrollment, student engagement, and construction projects, as well as academic affairs highlights from the Fall Semester.

A copy of the open session agenda is available on the Board of Governors website. The next regular meeting of the Board of Governors is scheduled for Saturday, February 7.

We are almost to the finish line for the fall semester!  I am enormously appreciative of all the impactful work you have done, and I wish you a joyful holiday season and a restorative break!

All the best,
Sue