League of Women Voters Observer Report

8Triton College Board Meeting

July 21, 2015

Triton Board Room, 300A

Observer: Natasha Pelka

Present: Chair Mark Stephens, Donna Peluso, Diane Viverito, Elizabeth Potter, Glenn Stam, and student representative Gustavo Muñoz.

Absent: Glover Johnson.

The meeting was called to order at 6:50 p.m.

• Fiscal Year 2016 Budget Hearing. Annual budget approved. Meeting was conducted with no questions from the audience. Projected revenues are $57,180,708 with projected expenditures of $67,487,434 any deficit spending will come from the college’s projected reserve of $15.8 million. Triton’s low taxes and the reserve that has been built up over the years so that the college can now put a substantial amount back into the college.

• Adjunct Faculty in the News. Adult Ed ESL Instructor Phyllis Barnum selected as a reviewer for the Latin American Journal of Content & Language Integration. Sociology Instructor Kimberly Reed’s first book, Minimizing our Margins: Women Entrepreneurs Suburbia, is now available in paperback.

• TRiO Grants. The U.S. Department of Education has awarded Triton a second cycle of TRiO funding. Dean of Academic Success Debbie Baness King and her team, working in collaboration with the Grants Development Office, were congratulated for securing this important Student Support Services grant of more than $1 million over the next five years.

• Campus Renewal Update: Progress of Construction of East Campus Athletic Complex. In spite of bad weather, construction of the Athletic buildings is ahead of schedule. Building foundations and exterior walls going up on time and turf for the All-Purpose field is being installed this week. The Bakery Expansion and Cox Auditorium projects are before the Board for approval at this meeting. Images of construction and proposed buildings were shown.

• Chairman’s Report.

• A Special Board Meeting was announced for Tuesday, August 4 at 6:00 p.m. for the purpose of interviewing 8 candidates for the vacant Trustee position.

• The H Building Grand Opening was announced for Tuesday, September 29 with a Ribbon Cutting Ceremony at 10 a.m.

• The Presidential Search Committee members are final: Trustees Glover Johnson and Luke Casson, Vice Presidents Sean Sullivan and Doug Olson, Community members Stephen Kubiczky and Roberto Sepulveda, Faculty Sty Sikora and Pat Knol, Mid-Managers John Cadero and Rosa Preston, Classified Missy Cabrera and Renee Swanberg, Students Gustavo Muñoz and Eddy Hinojosa, and Adjunct Faculty Bill Justiz and Ed Konstanty. The committee plans to hold its first meeting next week.

• Trustee Luke Casson was appointed to the Board Academic Affairs/Student Affairs Committee.

• All Purchasing Schedules and Action Items presented to the Board were approved, including the Faculty and Engineers negotiated agreements (ratified by a vote of 83-2) and college-related travel.

• 34 days to Fall Semester: preparations for welcoming back Full time Faculty and Adjunct Instructors are on their way.

• 4-day week (Summer Schedule) ends next week. John Cadero reports that it has been well received by staff.

• Strategic Plan Improvements: Pamela Perry presented adjustment to the FY 16 Strategic Plan. The focus is on:

• Increasing College Readiness

• Improving College Completion, and

• Closing Skill Gaps

• The plan has had an overall simplification of language, length, and format in order to make the plan more reader-friendly and making content clear with less details. The entire strategic plan can be found at www.triton.edu/strategicplanning

• President’s Report.

● Accomplishments so far of the Strategic Plan include the alignment of departmental areas to further institutional goals.

• Changes include bringing the areas of accreditation, planning, research, alumni, institutional effectiveness, and grants under a Senior Executive of Institutional Advancement and the areas of marketing, public relations, and community relations under a Senior Executive of Public Affairs.

• In addition, positions have been added to strengthen curriculum and increase enrollment, including associate deans in Health Careers, Business and Technology, and College Readiness.

• Positions for Dual Credit/Dual Enrollment and Continuing Education have also been added.

• All these changes are being communicated at various venues across campus and will be shared at the Fall Faculty and Adjunct Faculty Workshops.

• Board goes into Closed Session at 7:45 p.m.