The Board of Trustees’ business meeting held Saturday, Oct. 27 was shorter than usual due to the need for an extended executive session.
The executive session was focused primarily on the presidential search and transition, with a representative from the firm Witt/Kieffer slated to speak with the Board.
As such, Saturday’s business meeting briefly mentioned a few key topics from committees before the Board ultimately moved into executive session.
During the discussion of finances, trustees spoke of how Elizabethtown College is moving towards greater financial health.
The College has been praised by outside organizations brought in to survey Etown’s finances for being cost-effective despite reduced enrollment. Since reduced enrollment means reduced revenue for the College, especially because Etown is an institution dependent on tuition dollars, lower enrollment yields take away from Etown’s available resources.
Etown needed to cut back on expenses as a result, and their efforts were commended. The Board also announced plans for a 2.5 percent faculty salary increase to go into effect Jan. 1, 2019.
However, even if enrollment rates were less than projected, the retention rates for the fall 2018 semester exceeded expectation, so the higher retention compensated for the reduced enrollment numbers.
The revenue, as a result, was about the same due to the two offsetting each other.
The trustees voted in agreement of a three percent room and board increase for the 2019-2020 school year. Interim Vice President for Enrollment Management George Walter and President Carl Strikwerda stated that this, including the new $32,000 tuition under Tuition Transparency, will bring the total cost for students to $43,712 in the 2019-2020 school year.
Because of the initial communication issues with the Tuition Transparency program announcement, trustee Joyce Davis raised concerns with how clearly the College has communicated with students about a room and board increase.
Strikwerda said that Etown was clear in its communication with students, with Etown saying since the Tuition Transparency announcement that there would be a maximum increase of three percent for room and board expenses.
Junior Student Senate President Holly Francescone was asked to speak to the Board about current students’ understanding of the increase.
Strikwerda also spoke about how a smaller student body also makes the College more efficient in managing resources and that he was proud to hold down the room and board increase to only three percent.
This increase is the smallest increase Etown students have seen in nine years. Another trustee asked if it were possible to take a year off from a room and board increase. Strikwerda replied saying that the College has reduced tuition as much as possible to still be financially healthy and cost-efficient, but Etown still needs the three percent increase in room and board to manage expenses.
Due to more concerns raised about the College’s communication with students, Strikwerda concluded that all students will be receiving a letter in the mail detailing their costs of attendance for the 2019-2020 school year.
Additionally, following the Board of Trustees meeting, an email was sent out the afternoon of Saturday, Oct. 27 to the student body about the room and board increase. This email included information about where the money from the increase was going, such as to hire more staff in Dining Services, increase student wages in Dining Services and contribute to renovation and rejuvenation initiatives for the residence halls.
Later in the meeting, the Board discussed how Founders Residence Hall was not included in the future renovation plans.
Trustees knew Founders has an empty tower, so they asked why Etown was not starting a “face-lift” rejuvenation in the empty tower and moving students as needed to complete a full face-lift of Founders.
However, the reason for the lack of rejuvenation plans being slated is because Etown cannot afford a face-lift of Founders at the moment.
The Board asked Vice President for Administration and Finance Bob Wallett to present general numbers for a potential Founders face-lift at a future Board meeting, to which Wallett agreed.
One of the last issues on the agenda for the business meeting was about a “brand” committee.
Trustee Dr. Edward White, Jr., P’00, suggested that there be an ad-hoc committee composed of students, faculty, Senior Staff, trustees and other members of the Etown administration to establish Etown’s brand and message. In doing so, the Board could adequately involve each branch of the College community in Etown’s message and future.
White said that the committee to establish the College’s brand should come first before moving on with Etown’s strategic plan, while Davis argued that the community’s involvement in the strategic plan should not be mandated by a committee.
Ultimately, the discussion was tabled for the executive session. The Board of Trustees then moved into executive session after a brief recess. The next meeting will be held in the winter.
