Feb. 15, 2024: Winter 2024 Board of Trustees Meeting Summary

Dear Colleagues,

As co-acting presidents during President John Bravman's sabbatical, we are pleased to share a summary of the winter 2024 meeting of the Board of Trustees, which took place Jan. 31-Feb. 2 in New York City. We thank the following faculty members for their participation: Professor Coralynn Davis, faculty chair; Professor Alan Cheville, faculty secretary; Professor Angèle Kingué, associate provost for faculty engagement & inclusion; Professor Katie Faull, associate provost and faculty director for civic engagement; and Professors Courtney Burns, Kevin Daly, David Mitchell, Brandon Vogel and Kat Wakabayashi.

In meetings of the full Board, trustees participated in three in-depth "learning sessions" about major components of the University. These learning sessions, and more to come at the April meeting, will inform current and future strategic University priorities. Lisa Keegan, vice president for student enrollment, engagement & success, provided a comprehensive overview of the state of admissions; Nicole Whitehead, vice president for talent, culture & human resources, and representatives from Segal shared insights on the employee value proposition, exploring how the University meets its talent needs today and plans for the future; and Scott Rosevear, vice president for University strategy & advancement and co-acting president, presented an update on campus planning and how our guiding principles align with the strategic commitments of The Plan for Bucknell 2025.

The meeting of the Academic Affairs Committee focused on faculty retention as well as civic engagement. On behalf of Professor Ghislaine McDayter, associate provost for research & creative inquiry, Interim Provost and Co-acting President Margot Vigeant presented on faculty scholarly development opportunities. Angèle Kingué explained the work being done to attract, recruit, engage and retain underrepresented faculty. Additionally, Katie Faull shared a presentation on the Office of Civic Engagement and Bucknell's move away from "service learning" toward a model of collaborative problem-solving with community partners.

In the Student Life Committee, Jermaine Truax, vice president and director of athletics, presented on Bucknell's student-athlete enrichment framework and its three pillars of development, leadership and engagement. Lisa Keegan updated committee members on Student Affairs staffing, including the new hires of Teresa McKinney, interim dean of students; and John Dunkle, interim associate dean of health & wellness. DLR Group also shared a detailed report on results of its fall 2023 student experience study.

The Advancement Committee received an update on the progress of the comprehensive campaign, which has exceeded $192 million. In preparation for the public phase, nine volunteers have been recruited to comprise a campaign cabinet to advise and support the University's fundraising efforts. The committee also discussed the role of external forces on philanthropy across higher education, and the impact on Bucknell.

In the meeting of the Equity & Inclusive Excellence Committee, Vernese Edghill-Walden '87, vice president for equity & inclusive excellence, discussed the University's efforts to engage students, faculty, staff and alumni in dialogue, and solicit their feedback on what it means for Bucknell to be diverse, equitable and inclusive, and to have a sense of belonging for all. She also reported on relevant data regarding belonging from the most recent myVoice student survey and provided insight regarding preliminary recommendations on how the Division of Equity & Inclusive Excellence could help improve the sense of belonging for all students.

In the Finance Committee meeting, the trustees received an update on projections for FY24 that indicate an increase in net tuition, and noted expense challenges related to student housing and new technology, among other factors. The committee reviewed expanded dashboard modeling developed by the Office of Institutional Research & Planning to aid in analysis of the comprehensive fee, net tuition revenue, and faculty and staff salaries. Professor Kevin Daly, chair of the Planning & Budget Committee, discussed the process and reasoning behind the group's comprehensive fee recommendation to the trustees.

In related motions, the Board approved a comprehensive fee increase of 4.75% for academic year 2024-25, bringing the total to $84,736. This increase prioritizes support of the average discount rate by directing an additional $1 million to the student financial aid budget for 2024-25. The Board also approved a resolution to authorize the incurrence of up to $13 million in tax-exempt revenue bonds to finance the construction of a fifth residence hall at Bucknell West, which the Board approved in a special vote in January.

The Strategy Committee heard a recap of progress toward the goals of the strategic plan, including an increase in the discount rate; the elevation of equity and inclusive excellence initiatives across campus; the launch of new interdisciplinary centers; and a recommendation that we review and potentially revise our list of peer and aspirant institutions, a list that was last approved by the Board in 2005.

Finally, six trustees were nominated and approved for re-election for new terms effective July 1, 2024, to June 30, 2029. They are: Frank Davis '82, P'83; Annie Drapeau '88; Alexandra Jung '92; Bridget LaCroix Lecky '09; Scott Perricelli '94, P'25; and Erika Stanat '90. On behalf of the Board, we thank them for their loyal service to their alma mater.

In a political and cultural climate that has proven challenging for higher education, Bucknell continues to enjoy a strong national reputation and interest from prospective students, and is poised for continued success. We are grateful to the trustees, as well as to our faculty and staff colleagues, for their support as we guide the University forward and seek to ensure that we are well equipped to provide current and future students with the best possible educational experience.

Sincerely,

Margot Vigeant, Interim Provost and Co-acting President
Scott Rosevear, Vice President for University Strategy & Advancement and Co-acting President