NEWS

CMU Board welcomes two new Trustees in February

Jeff Stoutenburg and Dr. Ashok Kondur to attend first meeting

| Author: Kevin Essebaggers | Media Contact: Aaron Mills

The Central Michigan University Board of Trustees will meet in formal session at 12:30 p.m. on Thursday, February 13, following scheduled committee meetings on Wednesday, February 12, 2025. It will be the first Board meeting for newly appointed Trustees Dr. Ashok Kondur and Jeff Stoutenburg.

Items on the agenda for the February sessions include housing and food rates for the 2025-2026 academic year, authorization for the president to sign collective bargaining agreements once negotiated, and approval of faculty tenure and promotions.

Trustees also will consider emeritus rank for five faculty and staff members. Dennis Armistead, Steven Berkshire, Elizabeth Campbell, Carl Lee and Mark McDonald will be recognized for their years of service to the CMU community.

Prior to the formal session on Thursday afternoon, Trustees will visit the College of the Arts and Media to learn more about programs and initiatives underway in the college. Jefferson Campbell, dean of the College of the Arts and Media, also will give a presentation during Thursday’s meeting.

Other items on the meeting agenda include:

  • Selecting an accounting firm to provide external audits for the next five years.
  • New and changing endowments, awards and scholarships.
  • Approval of a naming opportunity for a Chair of Medical Research.
  • An appointment to the Clarke Historical Library Board of Governors.
  • Appointment of a Board of Directors member to the CMU Research Corporation.

Highlights for Wednesday’s committee meetings include:

  • Academic and Student Affairs Committee, 2:00-3:00 p.m. – Provost and Executive Vice President Paula Lancaster will offer an update on the Academic Affairs division. Interim Vice President of Innovation and Online Kaleb Patrick and Sarah Marshall, chairperson of Counseling, Educational Leadership and Higher Education, will report on the Innovation Investment Award and Quick Start Grant. Vice President Jennifer DeHaemers will provide an enrollment and retention update, and Interim Vice President of Student Affairs Stan Shingles will report on the division’s alignment with the university’s strategic plan.
  • Finance and Facilities Committee, 3:00-3:45 p.m. – The committee will discuss agenda items for consideration in Thursday’s formal session, including housing and food rates, collective bargaining agreements authorization, and approval of a temporary easement at Beaver Island Biological Station.
  • Trustees-Faculty Liaison Committee, 4:00-4:45 p.m. – Cheryl Barden and Bridget LaPoint, faculty members in the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, and two students studying American Sign Language will give a presentation on an experiential and cultural ASL course being offered in The Bahamas over spring break.
  • Trustees-Student Liaison Committee, 4:45-5:30 p.m. – Student Government Association President Caroline Hernandez Ruiz and Vice President Aashka Barot will offer a report on SGA activities. Program Board President Kat Allmacher and Vice President Lauren Rupe and Residence Hall Association Director Jayla Benson also will provide updates from their organizations.

Agendas for the February meetings, including Wednesday’s public committee meetings and the formal session Thursday, are available on the Board of Trustees Agendas and Minutes webpage.

Board of Trustees meetings are open to the university community and members of the public. All meetings will be held in the President’s Conference Room in the Bovee University Center, with seating for up to 25 individuals in the adjoining Lake Superior Room.

All meetings are also available via live stream:

Per the Board of Trustees Bylaws, individuals wishing to address the Board of Trustees during the public comment period must submit a request in advance of the formal session in one of two ways:

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