Ellie Esposito

The Board of Trustees conducted a tuition hearing and received feedback from student representatives. They approved the conferral of an honorary degree for Governor Mikie Sherrill. Several new undergraduate and graduate certificate programs were approved, as well as various personnel actions including faculty appointments, reappointments, sabbaticals, and the designation of professor emerita/emeritus status for several retired faculty members. The Board authorized various infrastructure contracts and construction procurements, and approved debt financing and bond refinancing for the new Interdisciplinary Science Building. Additionally, the Board delegated authority to the Chair to negotiate and execute a new five-year contract for the university president.

The Board of Trustees conducted a special meeting during which they authorized a contract award for the Interdisciplinary Science Building to Epic Management, Inc. in the amount of $104,461,500. Additionally, the Board voted to enter into a closed session to discuss pending litigation, personnel matters, and other relevant legal topics.

The Board of Trustees conducted sessions addressing key institutional priorities. Discussions and actions included contract award authorizations for construction projects and services, personnel actions such as faculty tenure track appointments, reappointments of teaching faculty and professional staff, and the designation of professor emerita and emeritus status for retired faculty. The Board also covered debt financing for new campus facilities, governance matters, and official recognition of outgoing student and faculty board representatives.

The board meeting included the swearing-in of new trustees and reports from the university president and union representatives. Key topics discussed were enrollment trends across the Montclair and Bloomfield campuses, executive searches, and student accolades. The Human Capital Committee presented extensive personnel actions, including tenure appointments, promotions, and reappointments for faculty and professional staff. Additionally, the board approved several infrastructure and operation contract awards related to IT licenses and facility replacements, and authorized a grant from the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection for the Green Canopy Project.

Key discussions during the meeting included the President's address regarding the restructuring of the College of Humanities and Social Sciences following a collaborative process, and acknowledgments of several community members selected for the Governor-elect's transition team. Union reports covered the completion of the fall semester, the approval of new online programs, and concerns regarding the College of Humanities and Social Sciences restructuring process. Under Student Success, the Board unanimously approved the development of several new degree and certificate programs: an Undergraduate Certificate in Software Engineering, a Bachelor of Science in Computational Linguistics, a Graduate Certificate in Artificial Intelligence Systems, a Graduate Certificate in Healthcare Analytics (Online), a Doctor of Education in Organizational and Interdisciplinary Leadership (Online), and a Doctor of Psychology in School Psychology. The Human Capital Committee reported on approving numerous personnel actions, including faculty appointments, managerial appointments, and professional staff appointments and reappointments spanning 1-year and 3-year terms. The Infrastructure and Operations Committee reviewed proposed changes to the University's procurement policy, resulting in the approval to increase the Board approval threshold to $850,000 and include a base contingency amount. The Audit and Risk Management Committee reviewed the SGA audit and adopted the Fiscal Year 2025 Financial Statements and Audit Report. The session concluded with reports from the University Senate and Student Representative, and the Board entered into Closed Session to discuss pending litigation, personnel matters, and other appropriate subjects.