Hello Colleagues,<\/p>\n
This past weekend, Truman\u2019s Board of Governors\u00a0held its annual April meeting\u00a0in conjunction with the Foundation and Alumni Boards meetings and the\u00a0Foundation\u2019s yearly recognition celebration.<\/p>\n
During the Foundation Celebration, we honored several individuals and organizations whose generosity has earned them a place in one of our prestigious recognition societies.\u00a0 In addition, the Distinguished Corporation\/Foundation Award was presented to Mastercard.\u00a0 Mastercard has supported Truman in many impactful ways, providing not just financial resources but the knowledge and talents of its Truman alumni employees to enrich the educational experiences of our students.\u00a0 The President\u2019s Leadership Award was presented to the Honorable Ann Covington, a Missouri judicial pioneer who has a number of powerful connections to the University.\u00a0 We celebrated the 50th<\/sup>\u00a0anniversary of the establishment of the General John J. Pershing Scholarship.\u00a0 Many current and past Pershing Scholars attended.\u00a0 Dale (\u201883) and Shari (\u201983, \u201893) Schenewerk, two former Pershing Scholars, provided remarks, and Christine Chen was recognized as the 2024-25 Charles J. McClain Pershing Scholar.\u00a0 Several other bright, talented, and impressive students thrilled and amazed those attending the celebration.\u00a0 Jared Sacquitne-Darrington highlighted his time at Truman and thanked those in attendance for the exceptional opportunities their contributions provide to our students; cast members from the\u00a0Peter and the Starcatcher<\/em>\u00a0theatre performance shared a sneak peek of their upcoming production; and the President\u2019s String Quartet entertained guests during the reception. \u00a0I extend my congratulations and great appreciation to everyone involved in an inspiring celebration, most especially the Advancement Office and Sodexo.<\/p>\n The Board of Governors meeting, held Saturday afternoon,\u00a0was led by\u00a0Board Chair Philip J. Christofferson.\u00a0 Dr. Calaneet Balas (\u201998), President of the Foundation Board of Directors, and Lori Hart (\u201984), President of the Alumni Board of Directors, joined Charles Hunsaker, Associate Vice President for University Advancement, to provide updates from their respective boards and the Advancement Office.\u00a0 In the President\u2019s Report, I shared budget and legislative updates at the state and federal levels.\u00a0 I commended Truman\u2019s Higher Learning Commission (HLC) Steering Team for their exceptional work in preparation for the recent HLC Open Pathway Comprehensive Evaluation Team Visit.\u00a0 Although we will not have HLC\u2019s final report for a number of weeks, my informal exit meeting with the team was positive.\u00a0 They\u00a0enjoyed their time on campus and the interactions with campus community members, and they were impressed with the pride expressed across all constituency groups and our beautiful and well-maintained campus and classroom technology.\u00a0 I also highlighted the 2025 Special Olympics Missouri State Summer Games, which will be held on the Truman campus from May 30 to June 1.\u00a0The Board also reviewed financial reports and received status updates on enrollment and on-campus construction projects.<\/p>\n During their meeting, the Board approved several action items:<\/p>\n Enrollment Fees for the 2025-26 Academic Year<\/em> 2025 Summer Roof Replacement and Masonry Repairs Project Equipment Purchases
\nTo offset cost increases due to inflation that state appropriations will not cover, a 4% increase was approved for both in-state and out-of-state undergraduate tuition for the 2025 Fall Semester.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n
\n<\/em>The approved project will address roof sections needing replacement on several major buildings, including Magruder Hall, McClain Hall, Missouri Hall, and Pickler Memorial Library. \u00a0Each of these buildings has sections of roofing that vary in age due to renovations and additions. \u00a0The project will also address masonry repairs, with work starting in May.\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n
\n<\/em>Three purchases of equipment were approved.\u00a0 The purchase of a John Deere 320P-tier Backhoe Loader for the Physical Plant was approved.\u00a0 Due to the age of the current loader, maintenance costs have become significant, and repair times are impacting campus projects.\u00a0 The second item approved was an Uninterruptable Power Supply (UPS) upgrade in the Information Technology Services data center.\u00a0 UPS units provide conditioned power to all equipment in the data center so that the power stays at an even and reliable level.\u00a0 The new units will include newer battery technology and the capability to expand the system to support a longer hold time in the event of an outage.\u00a0 Finally, a Banner Server Upgrade was approved.\u00a0 The \u00a0Banner server supports the finance, budget, financial aid, student accounts, human resources, registration, advising, degree audit, and academic records systems.\u00a0 The upgrade will allow continued vendor support and maintenance and provide a reliable infrastructure for these systems.\u00a0\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n