Board of Trustees - June 28, 2022 Meeting

Board of Trustees

Gallaudet University

Summary of the June 28, 2022 Business Meeting

Academic Excellence and Student Success

• A new master of arts program in infants, toddlers, and families was approved.
• All changes to the Faculty Handbook as proposed by the Faculty Senate were approved.
• Reviewed and discussed applications for continuous tenure.
• Reviewed the University’s progress on the Middle States Commission on Higher Education accreditation and self-study process, and directed that University review the Gallaudet mission, vision, values, and credo, and that it be more inclusive of the Clerc Center and our mission under the Education of the Deaf Act.
• We are pleased to announce that the following have been approved for tenure:
  • Dr. Ilaria Berteletti
  • Dr. Audrey Cooper
  • Dr. Tugba Kucukkal
  • Dr. Gabriel Lomas
  • Dr. Lorna Quandt
• We approved four former faculty members for faculty emeritus status in 2023. We will announce those four individuals at a later time.
• Gallaudet College did not begin admitting Black students until 1950. One such Black student who was denied admittance in the 1890s was Ms. Blanche Wilkins Williams. Ms. Wilkins was the first Black woman to graduate from the Minnesota State Academy for the Deaf in 1893 and became a teacher for Black deaf students. To recognize her accomplishments and to repair the harm done due to Gallaudet’s role in denying her admittance, we are pleased to announce that Ms. Wilkins will be conferred with a posthumous honorary degree during commencement 2023. 

Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Anti-Racism

• EDIA principles are being infused across all Board committees’ work and are not limited to the EDIA committee. EDIA recently collaborated with AESS to identify Ms. Wilkins as an honorary degree recipient.
• Each Trustee is working to deepen their own applications of equity work personally and thinking about ways to hold each other accountable for ensuring that EDIA principles are reflected in shared governance and oversight.

Audit and Compliance

• Grant Thornton, the University’s third-party auditor, completed our annual audit for the year ending September 30, 2022. The University has implemented an action plan to address a reporting issue that was identified and has contracted with a third party to ensure that the University is working with vendors who are in compliance with applicable laws and regulations.
• Review of the draft 990 form for the year ending September 30, 2021 is underway and on track to meeting the issue deadline of August 15, 2022.
• The FY 22 financial statement audit planning is underway with audit field work planned for August and September of this year.

Strategic Finance

• Strategic Finance provides oversight and guidance to the University in three areas:
  • fundraising and development;
  • finance, including endowment and the operating budget; and 
  • real estate and capital planning.
• The Board was presented with options to renovate the existing library facility or to begin construction of a new facility. After review, the Board has determined that it would be in the university’s best interests to evaluate options to build a new facility equipped to comprehensively meet the needs of students.
• The University’s endowment experienced a decline of -9.84% through May 30, 2022, which reflects the overall market volatility and declines in 2022. There is good news to report in that, during the first five months of this year, the University’s portfolio outperformed the reference benchmarks. As of May 30, 2022, the University’s endowment value is $218,592,834.
• For the FY 22 budget, the Board approved a $2.4 million loss and we are pleased to report that the loss has been significantly reduced since then.
• The proposed budget for FY 23 was presented at breakeven, compared to last year’s budget which was proposed at a loss. The Board reviewed and approved the proposed budget for FY 23.

Governance

• Several Trustees have been reappointed to a new three-year term:
  • Dr. Linda Campbell
  • Gregory Hlibok
  • Jose “Pepe” Cervantes
  • Dr. Cynthia Neese Bailes
  • Dr. Joyce Ester
  • Edson Gallaudet III
• The Board voted to authorize the creation of two at-large positions, chair-elect and vice-chair-elect.
• The Board elected Jose “Pepe” Cervantes as chair-elect and Dr. Nicole Snell as vice chair-elect for the term beginning October 1, 2022. They will shadow the current chair and vice chair for the next year.