To: The St. Lawrence Community
From: President Daniel F. Sullivan
Date: May 17, 2008
Subject: Board of Trustee Actions
Briefly, with the promise that my usual more detailed summary of Board meeting deliberations will come to you in the next weeks, let me outline for you some of the major actions our trustees took at their spring meeting, May 15-17.
Approval of a revised salary policy for faculty, administrative and hourly staff.
Trustees accepted the recommendation to revise our faculty and administrative staff salary policies so that over the next three years those salary pools will increase more than what was provided for in our existing salary policies. At the same time, when they approved the 2008-09 operating budget and budget assumptions going forward, they made provision for identical percentage improvements in hourly staff wages. Changes in our union contracts—even to increase wages—can of course only happen as a result of collective bargaining, and so University representatives have opened discussions with representatives of our three unions.
The salary pool increase for continuing faculty and administrative staff will be 6.2%. However, let me stress, as I do every year, that the percentage increase in the pool is not a promise of specific salary increases for individuals across the board. The faculty salary pool will be allocated to individuals in accord with the allocation policy worked out through the Faculty Life Committee and the faculty as a whole. For administrative staff I will be working with members of my senior staff to develop allocation premises over the next few weeks. The resulting individual salary increases will be conveyed to faculty and administrators by letter in late June.
Resolutions to proceed with Bewkes Phase 1 and Arts Phase 3a
In February, the Board asked us to proceed to construction drawings for renovations to Bewkes Hall Phase 1, and for renovations to Griffiths Hall (Arts Phase 3a). Having been satisfied with our progress gathering resources for these projects, the Board approved the start of construction. Both projects will begin this summer. Details on each can be found in the most recent issue of the Momentum newsletter.
The Board heard our update on options for a campus Pub, and we expect a decision about this project at their Canaras meeting in late June. Another project in discussion is the permanent home for Java performance space; for the next academic year, Java will continue to operate from the former health center building. KSLU has been successfully relocated to the building behind Madill Hall, in space that had been used by Information Technology.
Recognition resolutions
At this meeting, the Board honored outgoing Chair of the Board Larry Winston ’60, who completes his term in that leadership role, and named him “chair emeritus” in recognition of his service to the University. Don Rose’64 assumes the role of chair of the Board at the late June Canaras meeting.
