Board of Trustees reports: enrollment increase, changes to financial aid, Northwest decommission

Academic and student affairs committee

Committee members heard updates and presentations from three areas. 

The first update came from Jennifer DeHaemers, vice president of student recruitment and retention. She had increases to report in these areas for fall of 2024:

• 12.9% increase in applications for all student types; 
• 9.3% increase in admissions, compared to this time last year; 
• 18.8% increase in applications for all Innovation and Online programs;
• Increases in applications and admissions from undergraduate international students.

“Dr. Ling Zhang’s effort to diversify the international population, shifting the mix from graduate to undergraduate allows us to admit students without worry of programs with limited capacity,” DeHaemers said. 

Director of Scholarships and Financial Aid Sarah Kasabian-Larson announced two changes to her department as well: FAFSA simplification and reformatting the Maroon and Gold Merit Scholarships.

The FAFSA system was significantly changed by a law passed in Congress in 2021, Larson said, and the new system will be implemented for applications this fall. 

She said the number of questions on the form went from 100 to 36, and open registration was delayed to December. 

“Not only are we looking to simplify financial aid, but they’re also looking to expand eligibility to students,” Larson said. 

Qualifications are changing for the Pell Grant, she said, with 229 students approximated to lose some or all of their grant funding and 470 estimated to gain access. 

“We are working together to better prepare and assist the students that are losing the program because this will be a big impact on them,” Larson said. 

The other change she announced was to the Maroon and Gold Merit Scholarships, which are becoming a flat dollar amount, rather than percentage of tuition. 

In previous years, a chart like the one below would include the percent of an incoming student's tuition covered by the scholarship based on their SAT/ACT score and GPA. Instead, this is a flat rate to be taken out of tuition costs. 

“When they start the school year, it gets locked in at this flat rate that will stay with them all four years,” she said. 

In the second part of the meeting, Interim Vice President of Student Affairs Erica Johnson presented an increase in visits to the Student Food Pantry. 

It saw approximately 1,125 students over 4,100 visits this semester, and since the beginning of November the pantry has been open five days a week. 

Finally, Provost Nancy Mathews gave an update on academic affairs, introducing the establishment of a Dialogue Toolkit Steering Committee. 

“All of us recognize next year is going to be a critical year,” Mathews said. “It’s an election year. … These kinds of skills allow people to talk across differences without dehumanizing or devaluing the person they’re talking with.” 

There has been one event so far, with two more planned in 2024:

• November 2023: Real Dialogue Workshop;
• February 2024: Constructive Dialogue Institute;
• April 2024: To Be Determined.

There may also be adjustments to current programs and new majors coming across campus. Mathews introduced an academic curriculum refresh effort, where deans will be checking in with their departments. 

“The deans are working with our faculty, staff and students to look at how we are doing in terms of meeting student interest, student needs,” Mathews said. 

Finance and Facilities Committee

During this committee meeting, the members heard a presentation and update from Vice President of Facilities Management Jonathan Webb. 

He presented several upcoming and ongoing projects:

• Internal renovations to Wheeler Hall: completion predicted in April 2024;
• Demolition of Northwest Apartments: demolition predicted in July 2024;
• Internal renovations to Merrill Dining: construction starting summer 2024;

In addition to these overhauls, Webb said, are the general projects around campus to keep things operating and up-to-date in areas of architectural, civil, electrical and mechanical maintenance. 

Trustees-Faculty Liaison Committee

The College of Business Administration had five presenters on this agenda. They were there to tell the committee about the “Hub.” 

Lori Driessnack, director of the business residential college, explained the main objective of the Hub. 

“Our whole goal is to connect, network, resource and work together with students, faculty and staff inside CBA to make sure every student in the college of business has access to those resources,” she said. 

It started in June of 2022, and has since organized college ambassador groups, networking events, the Quellar First Generation Cohort and resources for professional development. 

The college of business itself is producing graduates with high job prospects, Driessnack said. 

“Within six months our graduates are sharing that 95% … have found jobs in their area of interest,” she said. 

In those interest areas, which range from graduate school to jobs and military service, the median salary is $58,000, Driessnack said. 

Trustees-student liaison committee

The committee listened to reports from Vice President of Student Affairs Renee Watson, Student Government Association Tyler Zimmerman, SGA Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Shreya Abraham and others on sustainability, Northwest apartments, past accomplishments, vision for future and student concerns.

Jennifer Nottingham, executive director for Recreation Programs and Student Activities, read Watson’s report where she recognized work of Central Sustainability, student-run organization that educates and helps keep CMU campus sustainable.

Watson joined the sustainability walking tour on Nov. 28.

“I'm grateful to know that we have student leaders who believe that what affects one affects us all,” Nottingham read for Watson. “I had the opportunity to experience on the tour and learn so much about sustainability… We support you, and we’re here.”

Zimmerman addressed the “green fee” resolution that Central Sustainability coordinator Lauren Dey worked on with SGA Sustainability Committee. 

The proposed resolution would have implemented a $5 fee a person per semester for sustainability work. The proposition was failed in SGA Senate. 

Zimmerman said the SGA Sustainability Committee will continue to work with Dey to make edits to the resolution to introduce it next semester.

Additionally, Zimmerman said that SGA Sustainability Committee is running a clothing drive to donate to Mount Pleasant nonprofit that provides clothing for people in need. The drive will take place until Jan. 13.

“Hopefully we can make a real difference in some people’s lives in this town,” he said. 

Watson’s report also addressed living off campus.

“I know that living off campus after Northwest decommission raises some concerns, and I and others have heard you,” Nottingham read from Watson. “We are moved by your desire to stay connected. And I'm confident that we are working together to find solutions as a community to provide some form of on campus living for those who wish to remain.”

Watson will be meeting with Zimmerman to offer a plan for consideration to President Robert Davies as the housing signups start in January.

On Nov. 28, Watson also met with Mount Pleasant officials to strengthen town and CMU relationships, to create a survey to understand students experiences of living off campus and to discuss the end of the academic year celebration that will take place.

Abraham reported on the DEI efforts at CMU. There are many DEI resources for students, but they are not always visible, she said. 

Abraham also mentioned LGBTQ+ students concern asking to have a consistent system to submit their preferred names to Blackboard, academic records and residential life rosters. She said that even though the LGBTQ+ Services don’t have a director right now, student workers are still doing a good job of putting on educational events.

Hadlee Rinn said Program Board will not be hosting a spring semester concert because of the fund allocations and the high cost of the artists. However, she mentioned the success of the general members’ planned events.

Residence Housing Association President Christian Toney said his vision for next month for RHA include five core focuses: representation, recognition, resources, equity and mental health.

Other reports from SGA at the Trustees-student liaison committee included:

• SGA Academic Committee is starting a first ever free CMU textbook exchange. Students can come to SGA office in the UC to get a free textbook in return for dropping one off, Zimmerman said. 
• SGA also continues to work on Brant’s initiative to provide the free menstrual products in bathrooms. They are restocking Bovee University Center bathrooms three times per week and planning to expand to the academic buildings, Biller said. 
• Zimmerman said SGA Senate elected 16 new members this semester, and he is hoping to fill in all the Senators’ positions next semester.
• From SGA Treasurer Natalie Brant’s report, the Campus Programming Fund Committee allocated a budget of $620,848 for student events and programs.
• SGA Vice President Ryan Biller said that SGA is working to improve their website and to hear feedback from students weekly, the ideas they came up with at the American Student Government Association international summit in Washington D.C. this past October.

The full session of the Board of Trustees is set to meet at 10 a.m. Thursday, Nov. 30 in the third floor of Bovee University Center. The meeting can be seen virtually over livestream.