September 12, 2019 Agenda and Minutes
Board of Directors Meeting
Thursday, September 12, 2019
Center for Advanced Manufacturing – Convening Center, B123
500 Technology Way, Florence, KY 41042
6:30 p.m.
Board Members Present
- Mr. John Baines
- Ms. Savannah Buck
- Mr. Charles Coleman
- Mr. Erik Hermes
- Mr. Ken Paul
- Mr. David Schoenling
- Mr. Charles L. Session, Jr.
- Dr. Julie Smith-Morrow
Board Members Absent
- Mr. Sam Collier
Gateway and KCTCS Faculty and Staff Present
- Ms. Jane Frantz, Executive Assistant, President’s Office
- Dr. Fernando Figueroa, President/CEO
- Ms. Christi Godman, Associate Vice President, Workforce Solutions
- Ms. Amy Hatfield, Acting Director of Human Resources
- Mr. Patrick Lamping, Creative Strategies Coordinator
- Mr. Doug Penix, Associate Vice President for Academic Services
- Mr. Stephen Popple, Director of Knowledge Management
- Dr. Teri VonHandorf, Vice President, Academic Affairs
- Ms. Ingrid Washington, Vice President, Student Development
- Mr. Jamie Younger, Vice President, Administrative & Business Affairs
Guests:
- Ms. Debbie Cannatella
Agenda
- Call to Order/Pledge of Allegiance/Moment of Silence/Roll Call
- Board Chair Julie Smith-Morrow, called the meeting to order at 6:40 p.m. The board recited the Pledge of Allegiance and observed a moment of silence. Roll call was taken. The record will reflect that a quorum was present.
- Oath of Office
- Mr. Ken Paul administered the oath of office for the three new board members, Mr. John Baines, Ms. Savannah Buck (student representative), and Mr. Charles Coleman.
- Mission Moment
- Dr. Figueroa introduced a video of River City Project students sharing their experience
of college at Gateway. Students are from high schools in the area, taking dual credit
classes at Gateway at the Urban Metro Campus location on Madison Avenue.
Dr. Figueroa asked Savannah Buck, the new student representative to the board, to speak about her Gateway experience. She credited several Gateway employees and fellow students for encouraging her to take a leadership role as the student representative to the board of directors.
- Dr. Figueroa introduced a video of River City Project students sharing their experience
of college at Gateway. Students are from high schools in the area, taking dual credit
classes at Gateway at the Urban Metro Campus location on Madison Avenue.
- Approval of Minutes
- Chair Smith-Morrow called for a motion to approve the minutes from the May 23, 2019, meeting. Upon motion by Mr. Charles L. Session, Jr. and seconded by Mr. David Schoenling, the minutes of May 23, 2019, Board of Directors meeting were unanimously approved as presented and distributed
- Annual Reaffirmation of Code of Ethics
- Chair Smith-Morrow commented on the Code of Ethics, which is Appendix A in the Bylaws of the Board of Directors. The board reaffirms the code of ethics annually with signatures, which are kept on record with the bylaws. Mr. Paul said that the code of ethics portion of the bylaws is not unique among the sixteen colleges, and that it doesn’t remove anything or add anything to board responsibilities. A few moments were taken for the board members to read the code of ethics, and then Chair Smith-Morrow accepted a motion by Mr. Schoenling to approve the annual affirmation of the code of ethics with signatures. Mr. Session seconded the motion, and all were in favor. Chair Smith-Morrow passed the signature page to all the members to sign.
- Committee Reports
Chair Smith-Morrow asked the committee chairs if there were any brief updates to speak to the board about, and she noted that annual reports will be presented at the October annual meeting.- Nominating Committee – Mr. Hermes
Mr. Hermes stated that there had not been a meeting since the May board meeting because there is no change in executive positions this year. Those roles are filled for two-year terms according to the bylaws. - Performance Evaluation Committee - Mr. Charles L. Session, Jr.
Mr. Session said that the committee had great for the President’s evaluation in the spring of 2019, and that the process worked well. He stated that he is looking forward to working with that group again this year. - Strategic Planning Development Committee – Mr. Ken Paul
Mr. Paul said Dr. Figueroa and his team reviewed each plank of the strategic plan at the board meetings last year. The committee has not met since the last board meeting. - Governance Committee
Chair Smith-Morrow stated that the committee worked on bylaws last year, and the code of ethics was approved as an addition to the bylaws.
- Nominating Committee – Mr. Hermes
- Chairperson's Report
- Chair Smith-Morrow said that she spoke with everyone individually about committee
assignments and the committee roster is in the board packet.
Chair Smith-Morrow reviewed that board’s statutory responsibilities and the roles of the committees to bring recommendations to the board. She spoke about her activities for the board since the April meeting: participating in Gateway meetings with elected officials and with CPE President Aaron Thompson. She also attended Gateway meetings regarding the River City Project, Ignite, the sale of the YMCA building, and elevator speech messaging. She attended the NKY Chamber Annual Dinner as a Gateway representative. She said that Dr. Figueroa is working with Dr. Box and the board on personal goals for 2019-20, and she thanked the Executive committee for their work over the summer.
As liaison to the Gateway Foundation, Chair Smith-Morrow attended the August Foundation meeting. She reported that they are continuing to shift their focus from property to student support and scholarships. Chair Smith-Morrow asked the committees to meet and help orient new members. The strategic planning
development committee will review their purpose statement in the context of advocacy and will ensure Key Performance Indicator (KPI) alignment and continued periodic reporting.
Chair Smith-Morrow stated that at the annual meeting on October 24, each committee will submit a brief annual report on 2018-19 meetings and submit their statement of purpose and process. She asked that the current statements for each committee be emailed to the board members.
- Chair Smith-Morrow said that she spoke with everyone individually about committee
assignments and the committee roster is in the board packet.
- President’s Report - Dr. Figueroa
- Dr. Figueroa referred to the printed President’s report that is included in the board
packets. He noted that the report begins with the college’s three commitments: access
to education, engaging and relevant curriculum, and removing barriers to education.
He said that this academic year’s theme for the board is advocacy and
messaging. Dr. Figueroa said that feedback from the board members will be gathered at every board meeting. He asked the board if they would share their thoughts about what does winning look like.
The replies were: strong enrollment with graduates walking into jobs; being a partner that businesses want to engage with to bring about stronger outcomes; graduates who are prepared for their careers, with the proper training; increased participation of first generation college students and more diverse backgrounds; for prospective students to view Gateway as a solution for their employment options that is a value proposition that will allow them to improve their lives; that the board will be able to inform the faculty, staff, and president of the values that businesses and the community see necessary for prosperity; graduation for students, which inspires their families; potential – the potential in students to achieve and the potential for Gateway to expand its messaging; economic development in NKY through an increase in first generation student success, especially from the River Cities; telling more alumni stories; and mentoring of students.
Dr. Figueroa introduced Mr. Jamie Younger for a mission statement review, that is completed every three years.
Mr. Younger presented an overview of the mission statement- what contributes to it and what to consider in working on a new one. He said that the mission should be our why. College faculty and staff recently provided words that characterize their Why at Gateway. He asked the board members to write down a word or two to capture why they serve on the board. He then shared the timeline of the review process, which will conclude with a presentation of a new mission statement to the board on December 5, 2019, for approval. It will then be presented to the KCTCS board of regents for approval in March 2020.
Dr Figueroa said that he was asked by the board chair to report back on two requests we are focusing on with advocacy to the state legislature. He reported that in alignment with KCTCS, Gateway is asking for an increase in the dual credit tuition and for an increase in performance funding. He said that more details will be shared in
committees about Gateway’s proactive efforts to connect with legislators and county officials. Mr. Younger gave an overview of the two items, with an explanation that as requested, the increase in dual credit tuition would be funded by KHEEA.
Dr. Figueroa provided an update on enrollment, which is above targets for the fall semester.
Dr. Figueroa provided an update on the Urban Metro Campus 2.0, which is awaiting approval from the finance secretary on an agreement KCTCS made with the city of Covington for the sale of property.
Dr. Figueroa reported that KCTCS is working to decrease student loan debt, and that Gateway is working with NKU and Dr. Vaidya for co-branding and recruitment of high school students.
Dr. Figueroa gave an update on the Foundation’s fundraising event, RiverBlast, and a thank you to the board for participating in the event.
- Dr. Figueroa referred to the printed President’s report that is included in the board
packets. He noted that the report begins with the college’s three commitments: access
to education, engaging and relevant curriculum, and removing barriers to education.
He said that this academic year’s theme for the board is advocacy and
- Adjournment
- Upon motion by Mr. Paul, and seconded by Mr. Session, Chair Smith-Morrow adjourned the meeting at 8:27 p.m.
Important Dates to Remember
- Board Meeting October 24
- LIFT the TriState Graduation (2 p.m. Convening Center) November 1
- Board Meeting December 5
