The spring business meeting of the Board of Trustees took place Saturday, April 28 at 9 a.m. in the Susquehanna Room. As always, the meeting started with the Mission Moment, where the trustees had the chance to get a glimpse of what happens at Elizabethtown College.
The Mission Moment covered the Etown chapter of the National Society for Black Engineers. Associate professor of engineering and physics Dr. Tomás Estrada and senior Paul Lecurieux-Lafayette presented on Etown’s chapter, which Lecurieux-Lafayette founded this school year.
The Etown chapter joins the numerous other chapters of the National Society for Black Engineers, one of the largest student-run organizations in the U.S.
After the Mission Moment, the formal Board of Trustees meeting began. Kenneth and Rosalie Bowers were shown a framed photo commemorating the groundbreaking for the new Bowers Center for Sports, Fitness and Well-being.
Additionally, the couple received a shovel in their honor, fitted in a display case with the College’s insignia on it.
Since it was the spring meeting, the Board of Trustees nominated and elected new members for the Board.
The elections, coupled with a few departing members of the Board, still leave room for the Board to add more members throughout 2018 and 2019, since the Board can hold a maximum of 42 trustees, which it currently does not have.
Interim Vice President for Enrollment Management George Walter presented next, giving a recap of this year’s enrollment campaign. He reported the number of inquiries Etown has received is around the same as last year’s number. There was a 35 percent decrease of applications this year, which Walter explained was due to removing “fast apps.” However, Etown still received 1,006 applications.
Etown offered admission to 34 percent fewer students for the upcoming school year, but the yield for offers of admission as of April 28 is up by 6.5 percent, bringing Etown to a 23 percent yield. However, last year, the final number for the fall 2017 incoming class was 19.5 percent, so there is still time for that yield to grow before fall 2018.
Walter told the Board about how the enrollment deposit deadline is not a tell-tale sign of how many people will be attending next fall.
While there is a May 1 deadline to submit the enrollment deposit, colleges still admit students in the months leading up to the start of classes.
Walter gave his projections for the incoming first-year class size, saying that reaching a yield of over 400 students is still very possible.
The Board passed a new resolution which will reflect the efforts of faculty and staff and the Board’s commitment to serve them.
President Carl Strikwerda then gave the President’s Report. He spoke of Dr. Armenta Hinton’s new position as Director of Diversity, Inclusion and Title IX, which she started March 16.
Hinton’s position is one example of the 2018-2020 Inclusive Excellence Strategic plan in motion, which will focus on increasing diversity across campus, even in the Board of Trustees.
Additionally, Strikwerda spoke about the opioid crisis and its impact on Pennsylvania.
Etown will be looking at other colleges in the area and throughout Pennsylvania to see how other schools have responded to the opioid crisis, so Etown can formulate a plan moving forward.
Strikwerda said Campus Security will be receiving Narcan, which is a substance that can temporarily halt the effects of an overdose and can hopefully prolong life long enough so that anyone who overdoses can receive treatment.
Lastly, Strikwerda updated the Board of Trustees on the search for a new Vice President for Student Life.
So far, the search committee has brought two candidates and will have a total of four final candidates.
Strikwerda said it was possible that there will be a recommendation from the search committee within the week, and the new Vice President for Student Life might be announced before commencement.
After Strikwerda finished giving the President’s Report, the Board of Trustees held a quick recess before moving into Executive Session.
The next meeting will be in October.
