WASHBURN UNIVERSITY OF TOPEKA
BOARD OF REGENTS
MINUTES
July 12, 1995
______________________________________________________________________________
I. Chairperson Roth called the meeting to order in the Cottonwood Room of the Memorial
Union at 5:50 p.m.
II. Present were: Mr. Dick, Mr. Ferrell, Mr. Kimbrough, Mr. Maag, Mrs. Porter and Mr.
Roth.
It was moved and seconded to recess to Executive Session for a period not to exceed 10
minutes for the purpose of discussing a personnel matter and to reconvene at 6:00 p.m. in
the Cottonwood Room in open session. Motion passed. At 5:50 p.m. the Board recessed
into Executive Session.
At 6:00 p.m. the Board reconvened in open session in the Cottonwood Room and recessed
to the pre-meeting dinner.
At 6:50 p.m. the Board reconvened in open session in the Lincoln Room.
III. Approval of Revised Minutes
It was moved and seconded to approve the Revised Minutes of the June 21, 1995
meeting as circulated. Motion passed.
V. New Business
H. Board of Visitors
President Thompson presented for discussion by members of the Board of Regents
a proposal to establish a Board of Visitors as outlined in the agenda item. President
Thompson indicated that the group is to be advisory in nature and that meetings
would be tightly structured with an agenda created by the executive board of the
proposed Board of Visitors. He indicated that the Board of Regents could also ask
that the group consider certain items. President Thompson indicated the item was
being presented to the Board of Regents at this meeting to get the Board's input on
the proposal with expectation that it would be brought back to the Board of Regents
for approval at a subsequent meeting.
Mr. Roth asked that members of the Board forward specifics to the Secretary to the
Board, Ken Hackler, who, with the President, can rework the proposal and get
another draft to the Board. He asked that that input be provided within the next ten
days.
J. Peer institutions
Vice President for Academic Affairs, Dr. Sheley, presented the five schools listed
in the agenda item as proposed peer institutions for Washburn University. He
reported that the five schools identified were obtained through a mathematical
model developed by the Institutional Research Office at the University of Kansas
and that the model included full time equivalency students, similar academic
programs, and size of the area in which the school is located. By way of example,
Dr. Sheley noted that the highest enrollment program at Washburn University is
business and that at the five institutions suggested as peer that also is the highest
field in which students enrolled, that the faculty full time equivalencies are similar,
and that the salary paid full time professors for 1993-94 of all five are within a
±$2,000 range.
Vice President Sheley indicated that, with Board approval, the next step in the
process is to have President Thompson send a letter to each of the chief executive
officers of the institutions to determine whether those institutions might be willing
to serve as peer institutions providing Washburn more detailed information such as
mission statements, objectives, and so forth. President Thompson indicated that
it goes without saying that the University, even if we adopt these institutions as
peer institutions, will continue to use the three regional institutions in the Kansas
Board of Regents system as well as Wichita State University as peers. It was
moved and seconded to authorize the administration to proceed developing peer
institutions as indicated by Vice President Sheley.
IV. Old Business
A. Washburn University Health Insurance Proposals
Vice President for Administration and Treasurer, Mr. Mosiman, presented the
agenda item recommending the "Triple Option" proposed by Blue Cross/Blue Shield
of Kansas as outlined in the agenda item. Six persons spoke on the issue of the
proposal. They were: Dr. Bill Milner, Dr. Sara Tucker, Mr. Duke Divine, Mr. George
Bradley, Ms. Pamela Brower, and Mr. Leonard Eudaley. All six endorsed the
proposal made to the Board of Regents as it affords employees to make a choice
about the health insurance coverage they may wish to have at a premium level at
which they feel they can afford. All appreciated that the University's existing
coverage under the shared pay coverage is one of the options. All indicated they
wished that the University could pay more towards the coverage offered.
There was a question about the University's practice when premium refunds are
paid to the University and to persons paying for family coverage and whether that
could be set aside in a reserve account. Vice President Mosiman indicated he had
visited with the University's accounting firm, Berberich & Trahan, and had been
informed that it was their opinion that the University could not reserve those funds
for some future commitment, noting that the reason the City of Topeka can do that
is because they are a self-insured plan. It was moved and seconded to authorize
the administration to negotiate a final agreement with Blue Cross/Blue Shield for
implementation of the Triple Option plans beginning November 1, 1995 through
october 21, 1996, with the understanding that if the negotiations yield a plan
substantially different from the recommendations presented, those
differences/changes will be presented to the Chairperson for approval prior to the
award of the contract. Mr. Mosiman assured the Board that if the premium costs
were more than projected in the proposal, that certainly would be a matter brought
to the Board's attention. Motion passed.
V. New Business
A. FY 1995-96 Budget - Approval to Publish
It was moved and seconded to give the Board of Regents tentative approval of the
1995-96 Budget as outlined in the agenda item and to authorize the treasurer to
publish the Notice of Public Hearing as required by Kansas law. Motion passed.
B. FY 1996-97 Budget
Vice President for Administration and Treasurer, Mr. Mosiman, outlined the changes
in the budget request being made by the Kansas Board of Regents for fiscal year
1997, incorporating a 2.5% general salary adjustment for employees instead of a
2% adjustment as originally contemplated. It was moved and seconded to have the
administration re-submit its budget request for FY '97 Budget to the Kansas Board
of Regents following the revised Kansas Board of Regents guidelines including a
2.5% general salary adjustment for employees. Motion passed.
C. Funding Request by WU to WEA
It was moved and seconded to authorize the administration to request a sum
totaling $85,664 from Washburn Endowment Association for salaries and wages
for the positions enumerated in the agenda item and to approve the transfer of
$85,664 from Account #01-78597 implementing the expenditures requested in the
event the request is granted by the WEA. Motion passed.
As adopted by the Board of Regents, the following positions and salary amounts
were established for FY '96: Interim Director of University Relations salary of
$14,964; a one-year University Relations position of $24,000; release time for
Professor Wunder to serve as a special assistant to President Thompson for
marketing activities; and, 2.5 FTE security dispatcher positions at an annual 1.0 FTE
salary of $17,000.
D. Personnel
1. It was moved and seconded to approve, effective August 15, 1995, the
appointment of Robert Soppelsa as Acting Director of the Mulvane Art Museum
at a supplemental salary of $1,000 per month and Judith Lennox as Assistant
to the Acting Director of the Mulvane Art Museum at a salary per month of
$1,200 until June 30, 1996 or when a suitable candidate is employed for the
Director of the Mulvane Art Museum position, whichever first occurs. Motion
passed.
2. & 5. Faculty Personnel
It was moved and seconded to increase the contract amount for position line
#33000-19-2 by the amount of $360 (Margaret Anschutz) and position line
#17500-12-2 by $300 (David Van Cleaf) due to departmental calculating errors
in annual basic salary. Motion passed unanimously.
3.Administrative Personnel
It was moved and seconded to approve the appointment of Jeanne Hoferer as
Acting Director of University Relations/Alumni Director, effective July 1, 1995,
at an annual basic salary of $50,000; and the appointment of Janet Degginger
as the Interim Athletic Director, effective July 1, 1995, at an annual basic salary
of $61,260. Motion passed.
4.Faculty Personnel
It was moved and seconded to approve the appointment of Dr. Gene Wunder
as Special Assistant to the President effective immediately, granting Professor
Wunder a 1/4 time release time from his faculty duties as a professor in the
School of Business. Motion passed.
E. Expenditures over $25,000
1.Equipment Acquisition for new KTWU Building
It was moved and seconded to approve the award of a contract to Design Lab
of Kansas City, Missouri in the amount of $53,165 for a non-linear video editing
system (Media 100) all as detailed in the agenda item. Motion passed.
F. Financial Reports
1.George E. Ramskill Estate Bequest
It was moved and seconded to accept the report of Vice President for University
Advancement, Darvin C. Hawley, concerning the distribution of funds from the
George E. Ramskill estate as detailed in the agenda item. Motion passed.
2. Depository Security Transactions, 3. Public Fund Investments, & 4. Liquidated
Claims Approval
It was moved and seconded to approve the financial reports as detailed in the
agenda item. Motion passed.
G. 1995-96 Meeting Schedule
Chairperson Roth presented the proposed meeting schedule for fiscal year 1996
outlining the meeting dates for the Washburn Board of Regents for the year. It was
noted that the August 15, 1995 meeting is the general faculty meeting of the
University and is not a business meeting for the Board. No formal action was taken
on the proposed meeting schedule, but it was the consensus of the group that
meetings would occur on the dates scheduled unless otherwise notified.
I. Investment Policies
Vice President for Administration, Mr. Mosiman, circulated information
supplementing the agenda item concerning the investment policies of the University,
noting that this information had not been included with the agenda item through
inadvertence. It was moved and seconded to place the investment policies item on
the July 26 agenda. Motion passed.
It was moved and seconded to adjourn. Motion passed. The Board of Regents meeting
adjourned at 8:36 p.m.
_________________________________
Kenneth P. Hackler
Secretary, Board of Regents