Agenda for the 9 June BOR Meeting

The full agenda (and most supporting documents) for the 9 June BOR meeting are available here: http://www2.moreheadstate.edu/bor/index.aspx?id=63066

The new Personnel Roster is not available online, but it does reflect a 2% pay raise for all employees ($600 minimum). Hard copies of this popular document should arrive in the Library and various departments in the next week or so.

As I mentioned in a previous post, I will be at Yale University and will have to miss the meeting (first time ever). Representatives from the Faculty Senate plan to attend.

Ron

It's Time to Get This Blog Up and Running Again

Stay tuned for more information about next week's Board of Regents Meeting (6/9/11). I hope to have a full agenda early next week.

As I announced in the Faculty Senate, I will have to miss my first BOR meeting in June. I am reading a paper at an international conference at Yale University next week. It was an offer I simply could not refuse.

Ron

Tremendous Editorial in Herald-Leader on the UK Board and on Administrative Costs at American Universities

Be sure to check out the editorial by an emeritus economics professor at Centre. Although the editorial focuses on the UK Board of Trustees and their (to my way of thinking) totally inappropriate "salary adjustment" for President Lee Todd, it contains some good information on a recent study performed by the Goldwater Institute on administrative bloat in American universities.

You can read the editorial for yourself here: http://www.kentucky.com/2010/09/20/1442710/uk-trustees-must-reset-priorities.html

The study on administrative costs can be found here: http://www.goldwaterinstitute.org/article/4941
The Goldwater Institute may be a little more conservative than college professors, but the study contains some valuable information.

I pledge to find out more about administrative costs for MSU and to keep you posted.

Ron

Blackboard or Moodle?

As you are probably aware, the University is considering switching from Blackboard to Moodle for its online course delivery system. From what I can tell, the major consideration seems to be the cost of Blackboard.

Although I have heard some good things about Moodle from students who have used it elsewhere, most faculty members on our campus seem to want to keep Blackboard for a variety of reasons. Two of the most compelling that I have heard are (a) the modules that various publishers have produced work with Blackboard but do not work with Moodle and (b) the KCTCS system uses the new version of Blackboard, so if we're serious about getting more transfer students, we should perhaps use what KCTCS is using. My friends in CIS also tell me that the new version of Blackboard has all kinds of useful new features.

One of my concerns here--and this concern I apparently share with a number of faculty--is that the choice of our online delivery system is an academic decision that should be made by Academic Affairs (as opposed to IT). And I would hope that the faculty would have a significant voice in this process. Faculty Senate members, are you listening?

Let me know what you think. And let your faculty senators know what you're thinking as well.

Ron

BOR Work Session on Friday, 27 August

The work session on Friday, 27 August will largely be a celebration of the new CHER facility, with no other items on the agenda. BOR members will get a tour of the facility and will participate in the ribbon cutting ceremony.

The CHER facility will be a great new resource for the region and for MSU.

Ron

In Praise of John O'Cull

We learned in June that Dr. John O'Cull will not be returning for another term on MSU's BOR. If you don't know John, you probably should.

John was an outstanding member of the BOR. John is an MSU graduate, and currently one of his sons is an MSU student, so he knows the place well and is a strong supporter of MSU. But, more important, as a Regent, John always took an active interest in recent developments in higher education, and he was genuinely interested in hearing the faculty perspective on various issues, including the controversial ones. And, although he has a rather mild temperament, he also could ask some tough questions in his efforts to make MSU a better institution.

I'll miss John on the BOR, both personally and professionally. He has set a high standard for the new Regents to live up to. If you know John or if you meet him, thank him for his outstanding service to MSU's BOR.

Questions on President's Compensation

Following the BOR meeting on 6/10, I received a number of inquiries regarding the change to the President's compensation. Confidentiality rules prohibit me from reporting on any discussions during closed session, but I can provide some facts from the open session of the meeting:

1. The President will not be receiving a raise or a bonus for 2010-11.

2. The Board voted to change the President's compensation package by adding $25,000 to the President's retirement annuity for each year that he remains in the position beyond the age of 62. MSU will continue to hold the principal (as it does with his current annuity), and Dr. Andrews will only receive the interest from from this annuity after his retirement.

3. I voted against this motion, stating in the open meeting that I do not believe it appropriate to increase the President's compensation package given the current fiscal situation of the University.

I wanted you to know the facts. Other than stating these simple facts, I do not have any comments to offer, since I prefer to let my public statement and vote express my opinion.

Ron