The Andrews University Board of Trustees convened for their annual Spring Meeting, Feb. 28–March 2. The quinquennial meeting of the Andrews University Corporation was held March 1 in the Seminary Chapel. Then, on Wednesday, March 2, President Niels-Erik Andreasen met with faculty and staff for the Board briefing.
 
The quinquennial meeting of the Andrews University Corporation was held March 1 in the Seminary Chapel. It’s held during the year following a General Conference Business Session. The primary purpose is to elect the University’s trustees to five-year terms; the trustees in turn appoint the officers of the corporation. The constituency delegation also receives reports of the University’s operations and considers changes to the University’s governing documents.
 
Constituency delegation is comprised of a portion of the General Conference executive committee, World Division officers, Lake Union Conference executive committee members and appointees, alumni representatives, and faculty/staff representatives. Andrews University staff members who served are: Elynda Bedney, Reda Bidwell, Wanda Cantrell, David Ferguson, Enid Harris, Steve Nash, Kristine Knutson, Rebecca May, Aimee Regoso Vitangcol and Deborah Weithers. Faculty members who served: Karen Allen, Gary Burdick, Bruce Closser, Lee Davidson, Carlos Flores, Erhard Gallos, Ann Gibson, R. Clifford Jones, Joseph Kidder, Rick Kosinski, Melchizedek Ponniah, Duane McBride, Jerry Moon, David Randall, Teresa Reeve, Rhonda Root, Brian Strayer and Hyveth Williams.
 
Chairman of the Board Ben Schoun opened the session with a devotional. Music was provided by faculty Claudio Gonzalez and Chi Yong Yun.
 
The constituents spent the bulk of their time receiving reports from President Niels-Erik Andreasen, Provost Andrea Luxton, and Vice President for Financial Administration, Larry Schalk. The reports were comprised of information about progress and challenges during the quinquenium, including performance of Andrews graduates, University service to its alumni, service to the church through affiliations and extensions, academic programs and services, enrollment patterns, student and spiritual life on campus, and audited financial statements from the past five years.
 
The Board’s Governance Committee presented two small changes to the bylaws, both of which passed the constituency vote. The first change clarified terms and qualifications for members of the Board of Trustees. The other changed the timing of the first meeting of the newly-elected board, during which the board appoints the officers of the Corporation (president, provost, secretary and treasurer), to not less than 30 days nor more than 120 days after the membership meeting. This would permit the trustees to meet at their regularly-scheduled time rather than being forced to call a special meeting.
 
The constituents heard the report of the nominating committee (which did its work at a meeting on Monday evening, Feb. 28). General Conference President Ted N.C. Wilson served as the chair of the nominating committee and Duane McBride served as the nominating committee secretary. The constituents elected the nominated trustees and the list of trustees will be posted at www.andrews.edu/board/board as soon as they have accepted the appointment.
 
At the close of the session, President Wilson offered words of commendation and support to Andrews University as a world church leader in education. He invited the constituents present to join him in supporting the University in word, prayer and financially.
 
Andreasen shared a few items on the Board’s consent agenda including news of an unrestricted bequest from a trust in the amount of $22,946.51 given to Andrews. Those funds have been allocated to the construction of Buller Hall. Another consent item was the selection of Andrews University delegates to the Lake Union Conference constituency meeting. This meeting is held every five years, at which time they will elect a president and new officers. Six delegates are assigned from Andrews: Karen Allen, Elynda Bedney, Spencer Carter, Jim Jeffery, R. Clifford Jones, and Keith Mattingly.
 
The Provost’s Report to the Board highlighted new developments in the School of Graduates Studies & Research, an emphasis on research and the strategic fine-tuning of the Andrews mission statement to allow for effective assessment. The President’s Report overviewed Griggs University including the transition process and strategic planning underway.
  
Larry Schalk, vice president for Financial Administration, presented an operations report over-viewing the fiscal year-to-date, May 1, 2010–Jan. 31, 2011. The operating budget is currently $1.15 million behind. Contributing factors to the budget shortfall are a $418,000 approximate reduction in subsidy from the Michigan Conference, interest on construction loans, depreciation, increase in electricity costs and some overages in student scholarships.

Andreasen reported the Lake Union Conference voted to make-up the decreased support from the Michigan Conference subsidy for this year for the full amount. Finances are expected to end the fiscal year in a “good place,” according to Andreasen. “We are thankful to the Lake Union Conference for fixing Andrews revenue stream,” he said.
The Board faced a few action items. The first was voting the final budget for the 2012 fiscal year. For the October Board, a preliminary budget was voted based upon a series of assumptions for the next year. The final assumptions approved was to budget for 97 percent of the current year’s enrollment, tuition for the 2011–12 school year will increase 5 percent and the funds set aside for salary increase is 1.5 percent, to name a few changes. A major expenditure increase will be electricity, estimated to go up by over $400,000.
The Board also voted a remuneration audit. Andrews has its own remuneration audit scale.
 
Two major capital expenditures were voted by the Board. The first is phase two of HVAC and major renovations in Halenz Hall in the amount of $550,000. The second is the purchase of the Lake Union Conference building and its land. The Lake Union had initially agreed to lease out half of the building to Andrews as office space for Griggs University. After further discussion, the Lake Union asked Andrews if they would like to purchase the building and land for $1.5 million. The Lake Union is considering the purchase of other land and construction of a new building. The payments Andrews would have used to lease the building for Griggs will be applied to the purchase price.
 
The final action item was voting the corporate membership of Griggs University. As a corporation owned by Andrews, Griggs has to have its own board and officers. Ella Simmons, a vice-president for the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, will serve as chair. Board members include representatives from Andrews and the church.

The Board also approved a number of faculty and staff appointments:

Faculty Appointments
College of Arts & Sciences: Mioara Diaconu, research coordinator/assistant professor of physical therapy, Department of Physical Therapy; Derene Vernon, assistant professor of communication, Department of Communication;
College of Technology: Roberto Ordonez, assistant professor of computer science, Department of Engineering & Computer Science

Promotion-in-Rank and Other Appointments
Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary: Wagner Kuhn, professor of world mission, Department of World Mission; Thomas Shepherd, director of PhD of Religion and ThD programs, Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary

Staff Appointments
Gerald Alexander, design engineer, Physics Enterprises; Taryn Clark, retail manager, Dining Services; Robert Fusté, web designer & developer, Integrated Marketing & Communication; Maggie Mendoza, health professions enrollment coordinator, Enrollment Management; Robert Overstreet, principal, Andrews Academy; Kari Friestad, publications & communication coordinator, Office of Academic Records.

Change in Position Title
Audrey Castelbuono, associate vice president, Office of Development; Christopher LeBrun, senior development officer, Office of Development; Erno Gyeresi, associate director, University Press

Retirements
Walter Burn, LithoTech, 11 years of University service; Ralph Wood, Department of Agriculture, 12 years of University service; Charles Tidwell, Affiliation & Extension Programs, 16 years of University service; Ruth Tidwell, Department of Accounting, Economics & Finance, 9 years of University service; Cleon White, Andrews Academy, 32 years of University service.