BHeiney
Wed, 12/06/2023 - 22:37
Edited Text
COMMONWEALTH UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA
Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania 17815
COUNCIL OF TRUSTEES QUARTERLY MEETING MINUTES
Friday, December 9, 2022

The Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania Council of Trustees held their Quarterly meeting
on December 9, 2022, at 2:30 p.m. The trustees met in North Manser Hall on the Mansfield
campus. The public participated via the Zoom Webinar link provided. Those in attendance:
Trustees Present - Voting Members:
Honorable John E. Wetzel - Chairperson
Ms. Karen Russell - Vice Chairperson
Mr. Michael K. Hanna, Jr. - Secretary
Mr. Daniel P. Elby-At Large Officer
Dr. Brian O'Donnell
Ms. Susan Kefover
Mr. Krystjan K Callahan
Mr. Patrick Henderson
Ms. Angela C. Smith
Mr. Raymond Zaborney
Ms. Julia Burcin
Ms. Jenna Nila
Mr. Justin White
Trustees Absent:
Ms. Amy Brayford
Mr. Steve Crawford
University Personnel
Dr. Bashar Hanna, President
Dr. Diana Rogers-Adkinson, Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs,
Bloomsburg Campus Administrator
Dr. Marty Wygmans, Vice President for Student Success and Campus Life
Mr. Erik Evans, Vice President for University Advancement
Dr. Stephen Lee, Vice President for Enrollment Management
Dr. John Ulrich, Special Assistant to the President, Mansfield Campus Administrator
Ms. Suzanne Williamson, Chief of Staff and Vice President for University Affairs
Dr. Ron Darbeau, Vice President of Faculty Affairs and Academic Operations, Lock Haven
Campus Administrator
Mr. Albert Jones, Chief Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Officer
Dr. Cori Myers, Associate Vice President of Institutional Effectiveness
Ms. Jennifer Umberger, Associate Vice President of Marketing and Communications
Dr. Ed Keller, Interim Associate Vice President for Technology
Mr. Eric Ness, Special Assistant to the President for Facilities and Capital Planning
Mr. Tim Shuey, Vice President for Fiscal Affairs
Ms. Amy Dicello Associate Vice President for Finance
Mr. Dan Knorr, Director of External & Government Relations
Ms. Mary Vezendy, Coordinator of Operations

Page 1 of6

COMMONWEALTH UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA
Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania 17815

Student Guests

Ms. Lauren Griffith, Cell and Molecular Biology Major, Mansfield.

Pledge of Allegiance
In accordance with House Resolution Number 32 of 1989, Trustee Wetzel requested everyone
to stand for the Pledge of Allegiance to the American Flag.

Call to Order

Trustee Wetzel called the meeting to order and welcomed all those in attendance. He reported
that the Council of Trustees for Commonwealth Univ�rsity of Pennsylvania met in executive
session earlier today to discuss litigation and personnel issues.

Roll Call

Trustee Wetzel asked Mary Vezendy to conduct a roll call. Ms. Vezendy conducted a roll call of
those in attendance and acknowledged a quorum was present.

Public Comments

Trustee Wetzel opened the meeting for public comment. There were no individuals wishing to
make comments.

Minutes of the Council of Trustees

A motion was made by Trustee O'Donnell to approve the meeting minutes of the October 5,
2023 Council of Trustees meeting, seconded by Trustee Zaborney; the motion was unanimously
approved.

Introductions

President Hanna acknowledged the following individuals as being nominated and granted
Faculty Emeritus status and retirement recognition:
Bloomsburg Campus
Dr. Mindi Miller, Professor, Department of Nursing
Lock Haven Campus
Dr. Elizabeth Manlove. Professor, Department of Early Childhood Education
Dr. Elsa Winch, Associate Professor, Department of Library Services
Mansfield Campus
Dr. Andrea Harris, Professor, Department of English
Mr. Roger Maisner, Associate Professor, Department of Health & Exercise Science
Dr. Sheryl Monkelien, Professor, Department of Music, Theatre & Dance
Dr. Joseph Murphy, Professor, Department of Music, Theatre & Dance
Dr. Ira Newman, Professor, Department of History, Political Science & Philosophy

Page 2 of 6

COMMONWEALTH UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA
Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania 17815
A motion was made by Trustee O'Donnell to approve these individuals for Emeritus. Trustee
Smith seconded the motion; the motion passed unanimously.

NEW BUSINESS
Informational Items:
Trustee Wetzel introduced Dr. Bashar Hanna, President, to provide the President's Report.

President's Report (Dr. Bashar Hanna)

President Hanna reviewed his President's Report with the Trustees. He presented the following:
• University Highlights
o CommonwealthU and 50 school districts in northeastern and central
Pennsylvania, have signed agreements guaranteeing admission, eligibility for
merit-based scholarships, and on-campus housing at any of its locations.
Scholarships range up to $7,000 per year or $28,000 over four years.
o The University Sales Center Alliance (USCA) named Dr. Todd Shawver, Dean of
the Zeigler College of Business, as its 2022 Outstanding Dean. The USCA
Outstanding Dean Award recognizes a dean who has made significant
contributions and demonstrated unwavering support of a USCA member's sales
program.
o Lock Haven's Community Service Office hosted its annual Hunger Bowl to
benefit the Haven Cupboard campus food pantry. A total of 3,715 food items
were donated by 16 clubs and organizations and 810 faculty and staff groups more than 1,330 items over last year's donation total.
o The Army ROTC program at Lock Haven in conjunction with the Languages and
Cultures Department, received a $375,000 Project Global Officer (Project
GO) grant for programming in the Russian language for ROTC cadets. CU is one
of only 12 institutions nationwide to receive the grant which will help promote
critical language education, offer domestic and overseas language and cultural
immersion, and intercultural exposure to its ROTC cadets through Project GO.
o Mansfield recently received a donation of four incubators from Corning
Incorporated. The incubators were distributed between two labs with Ors.
Maegen Borzok, Kristen Long, and Elaine Farkas.
. o The Spirit and the Pride of Pennsylvania -- the Mansfield Marching Band and the
Concert Wind Ensemble have been invited to perform in the 2024 London New
Year's Day Parade.
o A grand opening for the Robert and Dolores Lynch Multicultural Resource Center
was part of Lock Haven's homecoming festivities in September. The MRC aims
to foster healthy relationships and community building on campus by focusing on
student success, leadership, and engagement. The Center is open to all students
and will serve as an inclusive place where students can feel welcome, safe, and
respected.
o Lock Haven biology faculty member Dr. Heather Bechtold, along with biology
faculty from two other PASSHE universities, Cem Akin from the Fruit Tree
Planting Foundation, and 46 volunteers from across the Lock Haven campus,
planted 40 fruit trees to help combat food insecurity on the Lock Haven campus.
Page 3 of6

COMMONWEALTH UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA
Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania 17815
Each orchard contains varieties of apples, plums, sour cherries, and peaches
that are all disease and pest resistant.
o Students from Lock Haven's Sport Management Club recently attended the
Pittsburgh Pirates Careers in Sport Night held at PNC Park. During the event, the
11 students attended a panel, a resume workshop, and a networking session
where they received. advice on how to start careers within the industry.
o The Mansfield University Public Safety Training Institute (MUPSTI) have entered
into a training agreement with the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission
(PFBC). The trainees receive approximately six months of Law Enforcement
training as required by the Pennsylvania Municipal Police Training Act, Act 120.
The WCO trainees will stay on-campus housing during the duration of their
training.
o The Zeigler College of Business held its 12th annual Zeigler Institute for
Professional Development (ZIPD) Conference in November. The theme of the
2022 conference was "Get a Pulse on Professionalism."
o Lock Haven, Bloomsburg, and Mansfield have been named as "PNGAS Guard­
Friendly School" by the Pennsylvania National Guard Associations (PNGAS).
Bloomsburg also received the 2022 PNGAS College/University of the Year
designation.


Student Success
o The Bloomsburg Forensics team won the First Place Sweepstakes trophy at
the Collegiate Forensic Association Fall Tournament in Bloomsburg as well as
the Collegiate Forensic Association Tournament held in Ottawa, Canada. This
marks the seventh consecutive tournament where BU has won the first-place
team award.
o The Lock Haven women's cross country team placed third at the 2022 NCAA
Division II Atlantic Region Championship, hosted by Mansfield, and earned a trip
to the NCAA Division II Championship meet.
o The Bloomsburg men's soccer team hosted the Pennsylvania State Athletic
Conference final four for the first time in school history. The Huskies earned the
No. 1 East seed after finishing the regular season 13-4-1 and 8-3-1 in conference
play.
o Four CU students presented their work at the Council of Public Liberal Arts
Colleges Northeast Regional Undergraduate Research, Scholarly and Creative
Activity Conference. The students, two from Bloomsburg and two from Mansfield,
representing four departments (art, biology, chemistry, and English), presented
their scholarly and creative activity.
o The Mansfield Student Dietetic Association recently held a taco night with a local
Girl Scout Troop to teach them about the five food groups, as well as safe knife
and kitchen skills.

Student Spotlight
Trustee Wetzel introduced Ms. Lauren Griffith, Mansfield Senior Biology Major, Cell and
Molecular Biology Concentration and Graphic Design Minor. Ms. Griffith gave remarks.
Page 4 of 6

COMMONWEALTH UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA
Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania 17815

ACTION ITEMS:
Order of Succession Planning
Trustee Wetzel read the Order of Succession-Planning Resolution that approves and certifies
the following Order of Succession Plan and directs the President of Commonwealth University
of Pennsylvania to deliver the Plan to the Chancellor.
1. Dr. Diana Rogers-Adkinson, Provost and Senior Vice President of Academic Affairs
2. Ms. Suzanne Williamson, Chief of Staff and Vice President for University Affairs
3. Dr. Martha Wygmans, Vice President for Student Success and Campus Life
4. Dr. Stephen Lee, Vice President for Enrollment Management
A motion was made by Trustee Wetzel to approve the Order of Succession. Trustee O'Donnell
seconded the motion; the motion passed unanimously.
Bylaws for Commonwealth University Trustees
Trustee Wetzel read the Bylaws for Commonwealth University Trustees Resolution.
A motion was made by Trustee Wetzel to approve the Bylaws for Commonwealth University
Trustees. Trustee·zaborney seconded the motion; the motion passed unanimously.
Non-Instructional Emeritus
A motion was made by Trustee Callahan to approve Ms. Lyndee Tyson and Ms. Deby Krum for
non-instructional emeritus according to Policy 8761. Trustee O'Donnell seconded the motion;
the motion passed unanimously.
Manager Emeritus
A motion was made by Trustee Hanna to approve Ms. Frances Donahoe for Manager Emeritus,
according to Policy 8760. Trustee Burcin seconded the motion; the motion passed unanimously.
General Administration
FY 2021-2022 Audit Approval
Trustee Wetzel introduced Mr. Andy Lee, Principal, CliftonLarsonAllen LLP. Mr. Lee presented
the FY 2021-2022 Audit.
A motion was made by Trustee O'Donnell to accept the presented report on the FY 2021-2022
Audit. Trustee Zaborney seconded the motion; the motion passed unanimously.
Compliance Certification with Board of Governors Policy 1985-04-A
Trustee Wetzel read the Certifying Resolution for Certification of Compliance with Board of
Governors Policy 1985-04-A, University External Financial Support for Commonwealth
University.

Page 5 of 6

COMMONWEALTH UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA
Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania 17815

Motion was made by Trustee Wetzel to approve the resolution, seconded by Trustee Russell,
the resolution was approved unanimously.
Annual Delegation of Authority for Review of Purchases Less than the Public Bidding
Threshold

Trustee Wetzel read the motion that the Council of Trustees of Commonwealth University of
Pennsylvania, in accordance with Act 50, section 7(a)(9), reviews negotiated or awarded
contracts/purchases in excess of the public bidding threshold. The Council of Trustees of
Commonwealth University delegates the review of negotiated or awarded contracts/purchases
in amounts less than the public bidding threshold to the Vice President for Fiscal Affairs. This
delegation will be renewed annually. A motion was made by Trustee Zaborney to approve the
resolution, seconded by Trustee Hanna and unanimously approved.
Authority of Commonwealth University Police

Vice President Williamson gave briefing. Trustee Wetzel read the resolution to approve the
resolution affirming authority of Commonwealth University Police to carry firearms in the course
of duty in accordance with Chapter 21 of the General Local Government Code. A motion was
made by Trustee Smith to approve the resolution, seconded by Trustee Kefover and approved
approved unanimously.

Other Business
Adjournment

With no other items to be presented to the Council, Trustee Wetzel made a motion to adjourn
the meeting 3:40 p.m.

\

,,

r. Michael Hanna, Jr.
Secretary

Mary L. Vez ndy
Coordinator of Operations

Page 6 of 6