MINUTES OF THE MEETING OF THE COUNCIL OF TRUSTEES
CLARION UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA
JULY 15, 2010
ROOM 204 CARLSON LIBRARY, CLARION CAMPUS
CLARION, PA 16214
7:00 P.M.
I. RECORDING OF ATTENDANCE
The meeting was called to order by Mr. James, Chairperson, with the following
Trustees present:
Dr. Syed Ali-Zaidi
Mrs. Susanne Burns
Mr. Ross Cioppa
Ms. J.D. Dunbar
Mr. R. Lee James, Chairperson
Mr. James Kifer, Vice Chairperson
Ms. Donna Oberlander
Mr. Larry Pickett
Mr. Howard Shreckengost, Secretary
The following trustee was absent from the meeting:
Mr. Jeffrey Szumigale
The following members of the University administration attended the meeting:
Mr. Paul Bylaska, Vice President for Finance and Administration
Dr. Jocelind Gant, Assistant to the President for Social Equity and Associate Vice
President for International Programs
Dr. Valentine James, Provost and Academic Vice President
Dr. Christopher Reber, Executive Dean, Venango Campus
Mr. Harry Tripp, Vice President for Student and University Affairs
Dr. Karen Whitney, President
II.

MINUTES OF THE REGULAR MEETING OF APRIL 15, 2010
A motion was made by Mrs. Burns, seconded by Mr. Cioppa, that the
minutes of the April 15, 2010 regular meeting of the Council of Trustees be
approved as distributed by mail. The motion carried unanimously.

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III.

COMMUNICATIONS
A.

Public Comments - None

B.

Report of Student Senate - None

C.

Report of Faculty Senate
Dr. Todd Pfannestiel, Chair of Faculty Senate for 2010-2011, indicated
that he was looking forward to working with President Whitney and the
trustees in the coming academic year. He noted that Faculty Senate had
made appointments to the search committee for the Associate Provost
position and that the Senate’s Academic Standards Committee would be
hearing appeals filed by students who had been placed on academic
suspension.
In response to a question from Dr. Ali-Zaidi regarding plans to revise the
university’s General Education program, Dr. Pfannestiel indicated that
rather than an overhaul of the program, some adjustments might be made
to flagged competencies. He further indicated that efforts were underway
to look at the assessment of student learning outcomes.
Mr. James congratulated Dr. Pfannestiel on his promotion to Full
Professor.

D.

Council Chairperson’s Report
Mr. James introduced Mr. Christopher Myers, newly appointed Student
Trustee, noting that Mr. Myers was replacing former Student Trustee Kyle
McMunn who would be entering pharmacy school in the Fall. Mr. James
noted that Mr. Myers, a junior Industrial Relations major, was attending the
meeting as an observer since he had not yet received paperwork from the
PA Department of State that would allow him to complete his oath of
office. Mr. Myers noted that he was excited to join the Council and looked
forward to working with its members.
Mr. James shared a final listing of Council of Trustees committee
assignments for 2010-2011. He thanked Mr. Kifer for agreeing to
represent the Council on the university’s Middle States Steering
Committee.

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Finally, Mr. James called attention to a trustee training opportunity
sponsored by the PA Association of Councils of Trustees (PACT) and
hosted by Kutztown University on August 11. Trustee and PACT Secretary
Sue Burns noted that the trustee training event held in April had been
excellent. She further noted that the training was also available on line.
V.

REPORTS AND RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE PRESIDENT
A.

President
Information Items
1.

Setting Presidential Priorities
Dr. Whitney shared information on a process she planned to use in
setting presidential priorities. She noted that she would devote the
first 90 days of her presidency to “Hitting the Ground Listening” in
order to become acquainted with Clarion’s organization and culture,
achieve results, build trust and relationships with constituent
groups, and continue to build on Clarion’s leadership team. She
further noted her goal of holding individual meetings with each of
the trustees prior to the Council’s September 16th meeting in order
to learn their thoughts on directions that Clarion University should
pursue. Dr. Whitney provided each trustee with a new design
Clarion lapel pin and discussed her use of the pin as a means of
meeting and engaging people.

2.

Enrollment Update
Dr. Whitney indicated that while June had been a very strong
month for Admissions, deposits had fallen a bit in July. She noted
that the deans and others would be redoubling their efforts to
achieve a 2% increase in overall enrollment.

3.

Faculty Promotions and Tenure
Dr. Whitney expressed her congratulations to the faculty listed
within the Council of Trustees agenda that had been promoted or
granted tenure effective August 28, 2010.

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B.

Academic Affairs
Action Item
1.

Approval of Proposed 2011-2012 Academic Calendar
A motion was made by Dr. Ali-Zaidi, seconded by Ms.
Dunbar, to approve the following resolution. The motion carried
unanimously.
RESOLVED, that the Council of Trustees, Clarion University,
approve the 2011-2012 Academic Calendar.

Information Items
1.

Update on Low Enrolled Programs
Dr. James shared copies of a draft listing of low-enrolled Clarion
University programs and pending actions for each as a result of a
PASSHE review. He indicated that the BS in Industrial Mathematics
and BA in Social Psychology had been placed in moratorium while
the continuance of the BA in Economics would be defended. He
explained that the review of low-enrolled programs had been driven
by graduation numbers and that faculty had become more involved
in recruiting for the listed programs as well as exploring
collaborative programs with other PASSHE universities.

2.

Update on Middle States Self-Study
Dr. James reported that the Middle States Steering Committee had
met about six times, with its next meeting scheduled for August 10.
He noted that Dr. Colleen McAleer, Steering Committee Chair, was
very confident that the university would be able to meet its Spring
2012 deadline for submitting the self-study to Middle States.
In response to a question from Trustee Ali-Zaidi about the status of
the university’s International education efforts, Dr. James reported
that the university had signed an agreement with an institution in
Africa, that a group of Chinese students would be arriving in July to
study English for three weeks, and that an instructor of Arabic had
been hired. Dr. Ali-Zaidi cited the Enhanced Partnership with
Pakistan Act of 2009 that had set aside funding for Fulbrights and
leadership education in Pakistan.

3.

Accountability and Performance Funding

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Dr. James shared that the PASSHE Chief Academic Officers
(CAO’s) had been discussing a framework for revising performance
funding. He noted that the CAO’s had come up with standards and
criteria for allocating resources based on student success, access,
and stewardship.
4.

Criteria and Definitions for Earned Academic Degrees
Dr. James noted that a PASSHE task force was reviewing policy
with regard to practice doctorates and where they can be offered.
He indicated that Clarion had drafted a proposal to offer a Doctor of
Nursing Practice (DNP) degree that is awaiting completion and
approval of the task force report.

C.

Finance and Administration
Information Items
1.

Budget Update
Mr. Bylaska distributed copies of a memo to University Presidents
from PASSHE Vice Chancellor for Administration and Finance Jim
Dillion on the 2010-2011 Commonwealth budget and its impact on
PASSHE universities. Among the items highlighted by Mr. Bylaska
were a flat Education and General (E&G) budget and zero funding
for Key 93 Deferred Maintenance projects. He noted a possible
System-wide initiative to address deferred maintenance needs
through monies carved out of the capital budget. Mr. Bylaska
further noted that although there had been no change in the
PASSHE appropriation, the effect of the allocation formula would
mean a 0.3% decrease for Clarion University in appropriation
dollars.

2.

Status of Facilities Report
Mr. Bylaska reviewed projects on the Status of Facilities report
attached to the trustees’ agenda, including the completion of the
design for the Becht Hall renovation, chiller work in the Gemmell
Student Complex, and landscaping at the Science and Technology
Center. He indicated that smoke stack removal work at the Boiler
Plant was expected to be completed by August 1. In response to a
question from Trustee James about changes to the main entrance
to Venango Campus, Mr. Bylaska invited Dr. Reber to share details
on the project. Dr. Reber indicated that a design had been
completed that would change the angle of the entrance and widen it
to improve visibility and safety. In response to a question from

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Trustee Dunbar, Dr. Reber also noted plans to fly the flag of the
Commonwealth as part of the entrance improvement project. Mr.
Bylaska added that Facilities personnel were also looking at ways
to enhance the Wood Street entrance to the Clarion campus.
D.

Student and University Affairs
Information Items
1.

Fund-raising Report
Mr. Tripp reported that private support to the Clarion University
Foundation, Inc. for FY09-10 had reached $3.4 million, some
$450,000 over the previous year.

2.

Summer Orientation and Housing
Mr. Tripp provided an update on student housing as a result of
applications received during the university’s spring and summer
orientation sessions. He noted that Clarion’s suite-style housing
had been filled in March and that Reinhard Villages was within 20
spaces of being filled. He further noted that applications were
running about two weeks later than the prior year.

V.

REPORT OF COMMITTEES
A.

Executive Committee
Mr. James reported that the Executive Committee had not met in July.

B.

Finance Committee
A motion was made by Mr. Kifer, seconded by Ms. Dunbar, that the
following resolution be approved. The motion carried unanimously.
RESOLVED, that the Council of Trustees, Clarion University,
approve the Finance Committee Report of January 12, 2010.

C.

Facilities Committee
Mr. Bylaska reported that this year’s trustee tour of university facilities
would involve buildings on the Venango Campus. He noted that given the
schedules of members of the Facilities Committee, the tour had been
postponed until August and that the Committee planned to report its
findings to the full Council in September.

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D.

Naming Committee
Mr. James reported that the Naming Committee had met on June 11,
2010, to consider a proposal from the Division of Student and University
Affairs to name the university’s Science and Technology Center the
Joseph P. Grunenwald Center for Science and Technology. He indicated
that copies of the minutes from that meeting were at the trustees’ places.
Mr. James noted the proposed naming of the Science and Technology
Center for President Grunenwald was viewed as particularly appropriate
because of Dr. Grunenwald’s innumerable contributions to the
development of the facility and the university’s science and technology
agenda, his personal interest in the design and construction of the building
and its Leadership in Environmental and Energy Design (LEED)
certification, his leadership for fund-raising to support the $34 million
project, as well as his efforts on behalf of the university’s Barnes Center
for Biotechnology Business Development. Mr. James read the resolution
formalizing the proposed naming.
A motion was made by Dr. Ali-Zaidi, seconded by Mr. Pickett, to
approve the following resolution. The motion carried unanimously.
WHEREAS, Clarion University was not only successful in meeting
the $3 million goal of its Science and Technology Campaign but exceeded
that goal by $400,000; and
WHEREAS, during his tenure, President Joseph P. Grunenwald
provided critical leadership to the Science and Technology Campaign and
to other fund-raising initiatives that have collectively generated more than
$23 million in private support and over $3 million in outstanding pledges to
be paid over the next five years; and
WHEREAS, President Grunenwald, through his exceptional and
long-term contributions to Clarion University, created a legacy of
excellence and inspired private support that will help the university to
attain even higher levels of achievement and recognition in the decades
ahead; now, therefore,
BE IT RESOLVED, that the Council of Trustees, Clarion University,
approve the naming of the university’s Science and Technology Center
the Joseph P. Grunenwald Center for Science and Technology.

VI.

UNFINISHED BUSINESS - None

VII.

NEW BUSINESS - None

VIII.

ADJOURNMENT

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Mr. James announced that the next regular meeting of the Council of Trustees
would be held on September 16, 2010, at the Venango Campus. The meeting
adjourned at 8:26 p.m.
Respectfully submitted
_________________________
Howard Shreckengost, Secretary
Council of Trustees

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