Jennifer Brad

The Board of Trustees discussed and approved Contract No. PO-GF-2024-P-0001-NJH with Ellucian Company L.P. for licensed software, application hosting, and maintenance services to support the University's Banner Enterprise Resource Planning system. The contract spans a three-year period and is subject to the approval of the Council of the District of Columbia.

The Student Affairs Committee meeting addressed student trustee elections, focusing on the need for a special election due to the previous election's technical issues. Discussions included the timeline for the special election, aiming for completion by October, and the need for student representation at committee and board meetings. The committee also discussed student housing, specifically the occupancy of five students per apartment in the Consulate building, and explored options for reducing the number of students per apartment to improve living conditions. The committee reviewed the costs and benefits of purchasing versus renting furniture and considered raising apartment prices to offset the cost of reducing occupancy. The possibility of electronic locks for improved security was also discussed.

The committee reviewed the Performance Outcomes Accountability Report, focusing on student learning, skill development, and career readiness. Discussions included strategies for achieving goals given funding constraints, faculty and staff excellence, enrollment growth (including online learning and diverse student recruitment), and improving retention and graduation rates. Specific metrics discussed included retention, graduation, degree completion without excess hours, and licensure/certification pass rates. The committee expressed concurrence with the administration's Accountability Plan and referred it to the Academic Affairs Committee.

The planned agenda includes reports from the Chairperson and President, election of officers, and committee reports covering various areas such as executive matters, academic affairs, budget and finance, audit, administration and governance, student affairs, community college, and facilities. Key resolutions involve the appointment of acting deans, an assistant dean, and approval of the proposed university budget request for FY 2014 and a contract for janitorial services.

The meeting included discussions on executive appointments, compliance with the Veterans Access, Choice and Accountability Act of 2014, contract change orders for the student center construction, and the appointment of Troy A. LeMaile-Stovall as Executive Vice President. Other key topics were tenure approval for Professor Sasan Haghani, institutional aid support for the UDC David A. Clarke School of Law, fee reform and increases, amendments to the minimum number of regular meetings, a shared lease agreement, amendments to DCMR Chapter 2, the capital improvement plan budget, and the FY 2017 budget. A significant portion of the meeting focused on the student center project, including cost overruns and the process of bidding on partially complete documents. The board also discussed institutional aid for the law school, including the financial impact and the need to balance the law school's needs with the university's overall financial health.