Ohio University’s Board of Trustees met Thursday in Walter Hall to discuss the university’s fundraising and advancement strategy, housing updates and enrollment.
Joint Academics and Resources Committee
Bryan Benchoff, vice president for University Advancement, presented his department’s strategic plan, Advancing OHIO. The plan sets a fundraising goal of $35 million by 2021 and $50 million by phase three of the project, which ends in 2029. Benchoff said he hopes the plan springboards off the success of the Promise Lives campaign that wrapped up last year.
That fundraising campaign started in July 2007 and raised more than $500 million over the course of eight years.
Trustees and presenters from University Advancement said many of the university’s top donors already pledged money during the Promise Lives campaign. Because those individuals and groups are unlikely to donate again in the coming years, some trustees said the university might have to wait for the next generation to make enough money to contribute larger, or “transformational,” donations.
OU President Roderick McDavis said the university is “almost tapped out with top prospects,” and some of the donations might come in smaller than in the past few years.
“One of the challenges that will be faced going forward … we talked to a lot of folks right at the peak point of their careers,” he said. “It takes a while for this next generation of Bobcats to reach these critical points in their careers.”
Benchoff said he hopes his team will reach a wider variety of people, and they are working to open offices in Dublin and possibly Cleveland.
Academics Committee
Craig Cornell, senior vice provost for Strategic Enrollment Management, presented information on current enrollment, saying though freshman enrollment on the Athens campus for fall 2016 is down about 2.6 percent compared to fall 2015, the class is still among the largest in OU’s history.
An uptick in online enrollment prompted questions during the meeting about the future of the OU’s online degree programs and the future possibility of obtaining a four year degree without setting foot on campus.
“In 10 years, I can see us probably doing that,” Cornell said. “But for now, that’s not on the forefront.”
Presenting on the university’s global strategy, Vice Provost for Global Affairs Lorna Jean Edmonds stressed a greater push toward diversity and inclusion through the recruitment of international students and the engagement of students, faculty and staff on a global scale.
Starting in 2017, Edmonds said OU will be seeking strategic partners through a number of “mission trips” to Africa.
Resources Committee
The resources committee discussed many renovations around campus including the possibility of an additional 24-hour space in Alden Library.
The resolution for Alden Library Phase I renovation would renovate and expand the restrooms on the fourth floor, add a new service desk to the fourth floor and move the Academic Advancement Center to the renovated space on the second floor.
“This is the first of five projects that we proposed that will eventually allow the fourth floor to be 24-hour level service,” Joe Lalley, senior associate vice president of Information Technologies & Administrative Services, said.
Lalley also discussed the second phase of the back South demolition project. If the resolution passes, O’Bleness House and Martzolff House would be demolished in summer 2017.
While no official decision has been made, Fenzel House could be part of the second phase of the project.
“Fenzel is the alternative in case Housing and Residence Life needs beds,” Lalley said.
Phase II of the demolition will begin after Spring Commencement, Lalley said.
OU is requesting $3 million for the total project budget and authorized expenditures.
Governance Committee
The committee reviewed potential changes to the board’s bylaws, including altering the policy on giving a severance notice if the president of the university is terminated and changing the board’s committee names and functions.
Currently, the bylaws say that if the president were fired, he or she is entitled to one year severance notice or one year salary.
The suggested change cuts out that information and leaves some terms up to the president’s individual contract.
The trustees also discussed changing the names of the board’s committees. Currently the names of committees are Governance, Audit, Resources and Academics. The proposed name changes are, respectively, Compensation and Governance; Audit and Risk Management; Resources, Facilities and Affordability and Academics and Student Success.
Audit Committee
Representatives from Plante Moran, an accounting and consulting firm, issued an “unmodified” opinion of OU’s 2016 fiscal year statements, which they called “the best you can get.”
Jeff Davis, OU's certified public accountant, asked the trustees for permission to push back the “procure to pay” services audit until the next fiscal year because of staffing issues. Davis said the last audit took place about four years ago, and trustees agreed to the delay.
All other audits are either in progress or are scheduled, Davis said.
Davis also said he will present on the construction audits in the spring. He mentioned there was a dispute with one of the audits, but that it has since been resolved.
Kaitlin Coward, Lauren Fisher, Megan Henry, Bennett Leckrone, Abbey Marshall and Madeleine Peck contributed to this report.
