The Nov. 17-19 meetings of the University of Vermont Board of Trustees featured an update on construction projects and the university's financial status, discussion of progress in launching the new $16-million National University Transportation Center and a report of President Daniel Mark Fogel's keynote address at a recent major higher-education conference in Chicago.

Fogel said he addressed the largest annual meeting of admissions deans and directors to discuss aspects of UVM's vision in a talk titled "An Invest-and-Grow Strategy for Institutional Advancement: The Presidential View of Enrollment Management." Fogel explained how the conclusion of his Chicago speech favorably compared his rosy vision for the university in 2012 with the actual results as seen in 2005.

"Today I am happy and even a little astonished to report that we are well on the way to exceeding all of those projections," he told trustees. "The student center, new academic facilities and new residence halls are all in construction, some with completion dates in the next 30 to 60 days. Research productivity has risen by some 50 percent, from the mid-$80 millions in annual awards to the mid-$120 millions, with significant increases now being recorded quarter-to-quarter against stagnant national trends... Doctoral enrollment stands at an all-time high. So do undergraduate and overall enrollment..."

Fogel cited a variety of other indicators, including strong provisional numbers of early action applications for the class of 2010, that suggest that progress is continuing. He then mused about the reasons for UVM's recent success, saying that he believes that hard work across the university — by students, faculty, administration, trustees and staff — is synergistic, greater than the sum of its parts. Fogel said that for the work to continue yielding such dramatic rewards, the institution must continue investing prudently but assertively in its future.

"But if there is one 'big thing' that I would propose the board should take on as the centerpiece of its efforts over the next few years, it is to work together to figure out how to square the circle on the strategic financial plan, how to find a way within the bounds of fiduciary responsibility to get done the projects that we believe are critical, indeed essential, for the well-being of the university," Fogel said. "When the board endorsed the vision some two years ago, it expressed a conviction that a failure to commit to sustained investment in excellence would carry unacceptable risks for the university. Recent experience has shown how dramatically high our return on investment has been, in a much shorter time than many of us had imagined possible. And so I would propose that we take on that one big thing not by constructing it in our minds as a dilemma... but as an invigorating and critical challenge..."

Fogel's report to the full board is available here: http://www.uvm.edu/president/?Page=speech_articles_interviews/reporttoboardnov18_05.html

The board next meets Feb. 9-11, 2006. Highlights of November committee proceedings follow:

Facilities and Technologies: Trustees received updates on two projects that are in the study/design process. A new plant sciences building would house College of Agriculture and Life Sciences programs in botany and agricultural biochemistry and plant and soil science. The tentative site for the three-story building is just to the southeast of the water tower, and the architectural design seeks to complement the nearby Stafford, Aiken, and Health Sciences Research buildings. Trustees approved a $2,387,500 state capital request in support of the plant sciences building, which has received funding from past capital appropriations. Pending trustee approval, construction could begin as soon as May 2006.

The committee also heard about plans to expand and renovate the Harris/Millis Dining Hall. The work will increase the hall's capacity by 150 seats. It will also create improved space and aesthetics to make the dining experience better match the quality of newer facilities such as the Living/Learning March é and future space in the Davis Center. Pending trustee approval, the project would be completed over the summer of 2006.

Finance and Budget: The committee reviewed updated results of the strategic financial plan. The updated model factored in a 15 percent inflation rate, due in part to Hurricane Katrina. The updated model includes $276 million in projected capital expenditures through 2015. With more projects under consideration, committee members were charged with finding ways to finance capital spending while maintaining an acceptable level of debt. No new projects were voted on for approval.

The group supported the university's multi-year plan to bring summer session tuition rates in line with that of regular tuition rates by increasing in-state summer tuition by $27 and out-of-state tuition by $85. The total cost for summer 2006 tuition will be $384 per credit for Vermonters and $939 per credit for out-of-state students. The proposed increase raises in-state tuition to 97.4 percent of fiscal year 2006 academic year tuition and 95.3 percent for out-of-state students.

A proposal was supported to ask the Vermont State Legislature for a five percent increase in the state appropriation for FY 2007 bringing the total state contribution to $42.3 million. In addition, the university will ask for a one-time, $1 million supplemental budget request and another $5,250 for general operations of the Morgan Horse Farm.

Academic and Student Programs: Committee members approved the establishment of the Certificate of Public Communication offered by the Division of Continuing Education and the College of Agriculture and Life Science. Committee members approved the renaming of the Department of Physical Therapy to the Department of Rehabilitation and Movement Science. They also approved moving the athletic training major from the College of Education and Social Services to the College of Nursing and Health Sciences and the establishment of a new major in Exercise and Movement Sciences and a new minor in Health, Exercise and Fitness.

Karen Meyer, vice president for state and federal relations, reported on the $16 million National University Transportation Center. The strategic plan is currently being written and a national search for a director is in progress. The center is expected to begin its first year on July 1, 2006. The university administration is calling for the best ideas of faculty in a competitive process to advance the center. U.S. Senator Jim Jeffords, I-VT, was instrumental in securing the federal funding for the project.

With admissions applications at a record high for the date, Provost John Bramley discussed enrollment management strategies. Bramley said he expected the university to increase selectivity and enroll a smaller number of students than the previous year.

Advancement Committee: The group heard a report on private support for the University of Vermont through the first quarter of FY 2006, which was down from the prior year by approximately $1.8 million ($4.4 million in the current year vs. $6.2 million a year ago). The prior year's results were skewed upward by a $2 million early payment on a commitment from a foundation.

Trustees also heard an update on the $250 million Campaign for the University of Vermont, which broke the $205 million mark as of the end of October. A total of $205,346,221 has been raised in the campaign to date, or 82 percent of the goal, with just under two years remaining in the six-year campaign timeline.

Diversity: Willi Coleman, vice provost for multicultural affairs, presented her office's annual report. Highlights of their work include the Henderson Fellowship program, the Faculty Resources Network, the Center for Cultural Pluralism, department-level support for curriculum and faculty diversity and funding myriad initiatives generated by other campus programs. The benefits are not obvious, Coleman said, if they are doing their jobs right. "(Diversity) is just in the water at UVM." But she also warned the committee that this success is both good news and a serious challenge — with a more diverse faculty and student body, the real work just begins.

The diversity curriculum requirement is still in the Faculty Senate. Trustees discussed the shortage of funding to support student requests for diversity training and the lack of ongoing training for faculty and staff.