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May 2022

Dear Members of the Campus Community,

On behalf of the Board of Trustees, congratulations to the class of 2022!  The board recently concluded its May meetings on campus and trustees were grateful to have the opportunity to celebrate with our new graduates and their families over Commencement weekend.  Thank you to the entire campus community for their excellent teamwork and collaboration to create a special moment that appropriately recognizes the significance of this particular milestone in our students’ lives.

In their time on campus last week, trustees were fortunate to be able to spend time with members of the ASUPS Executive Team, Senators, and Honor Court Justices, members of the Puget Sound Student Investment Club, retiring faculty, and Phi Beta Kappa members and their families.  Trustees also spent time in workshops, committee meetings, and the open session business meeting to advance the institutional and strategic priorities of the university.  In particular, trustees spent significant time as a group and in committees understanding our enrollment and student retention for the upcoming year and associated impact on the university budget and programs.  Trustees also learned about post-pandemic consideration of online courses by students and the faculty.  This issue is an important institutional one that implicates the mission of the university, and trustees anticipate further discussion, likely in October, that will help direct the university’s efforts and future activity in this area.

Comprehensive Program Review. Trustees participated in a workshop with members of the Program Review Steering Committee and with John Stevens from Stevens Strategy, where they were able to engage with steering committee members and learn more about the preliminary subcommittee recommendations as the committee continues its work towards final recommendations to President Crawford in September.  Board members are grateful for the dedication, creativity, and ongoing work of the steering committee members, and appreciated the opportunity for dialogue about the emerging thinking.  We know how hard these reviews are and recognize that faculty and staff members have voluntarily taken on this arduous task on top of other responsibilities, and recognize that the environment has continued to shift since the program review launched. 

Board members also heard steering committee members’ request for better clarity on our desired outcomes and the need for support for scenario modeling over the summer.  We are preparing feedback for the committee to help support them in focusing their work over the next few months as they prepare their final recommendations for President Crawford in September, in advance of his presentation of his recommendations to the board in October.

Business Meeting. At its business meeting, the board met and took action on several key items, including:

  • Updating the Board Organization and Committee Responsibilities document to reflect key governance revisions and committee service, adding language that explicitly articulates the board’s commitment to having faculty, staff, and student perspectives included and considered by committees in doing their work, and more formally stating the board’s and committees’ continuing work on issues related to diversity, equity, inclusion, belonging, and anti-racism. 
  • Approval of proposed amendments to the Student Integrity Code, which focused on providing additional clarity and precision in sections of the code pertaining to personal and academic integrity, disorderly and disruptive behavior, and alcohol and drugs, as well as adding definitions for additional terms used in the code;
  • Approval of proposed amendments to the Policy Prohibiting Sex-Based Discrimination, Sexual Harassment, and Sexual Misconduct to address clarifications and corrections that have been identified since the Department of Education published new Title IX regulations in May 2020;
  • Approval of proposed amendments to the Faculty Code, specifically Chapter III, Evaluation of Faculty, Section 4, Evaluation Procedure; and
  • Approval of a Statement Affirming the Board’s Fossil Fuel Divestment Commitment and Strategy, reaffirming the board’s 2016 commitment to reducing fossil fuel investments and an aspiration to have an endowment entirely free of fossil fuel investment;

We also heard reports from our ex-officio members: Faculty Senate Chair Robin Jacobson, Staff Senate Chair Sarah Johnson, Alumni Council President Ted Meriam ’05, and incoming ASUPS President Nathan Sansone '24.  This was the last meeting for both Robin Jacobson in her capacity as Faculty Senate Chair and for Sarah Johnson in her capacity as Staff Senate Chair, and the board is deeply grateful for their service in these roles during challenging times.

Elections. The board also elected trustee and non-trustee officers for the upcoming year, and elected a new class of incoming trustees who will join the board on July 1.  I am pleased to share that trustee Beth M. Picardo '83, J.D. '86, was elected as Chair-Elect, with the expectation that she will stand for election as Chair for 2023-24.

We are pleased to welcome the following newly elected trustees, who will begin their service on July 1, 2022:

  • Christopher R. Pohlad '07 (returning)
  • Emily S. Sturm '14
  • Erik A. Wallace '96

We also elected the following trustees to their second and third three-year terms on the board:

Second Term

  • Heidi B. Brock '85
  • Kathleen M. Duncan '82
  • Gwendolyn H. Lillis P'05
  • Ryan E. McAninch '06
  • Jamilia J. Sherls-Jones '05

Third Term

  • David J. Watson ’92

Trustees Bruce L. Titcomb '80 and Nicholas D. Vasilius '07 have completed 9 years of service on the board.  Consistent with board policy, they both will now rotate off the board.  At this meeting, both were elected as trustees emeriti.  We are deeply grateful for their contributions and years of service to the university.

The board also recognized the longstanding and excellent service of Dave Beers, Vice President for University Relations, and Sherry Mondou, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer and thanked them for their significant and lasting contributions to the university.

Tenure and Promotion. In closed session, we were pleased to support promotion and/or tenure of the following outstanding faculty members:

  • Tenure: Tracy Doyle (School of Music); Michael Pohl (Exercise Science)
  • Promotion to Professor: David Chiu (Mathematics & Computer Science)
  • Promotion to Associate Professor:  Oscar Sosa (Biology); Wind Woods (Theatre Arts)

More information about the trustees and our work in support of Puget Sound can be found on our website.

The trustees are grateful for the deep investments of time, talent, and energy from our faculty, staff, and students to make this university so special and extraordinary.  As we celebrate our graduates, we also want to celebrate the entire campus community on making it through this challenging year and still achieving remarkable success.  Thank you to faculty, staff, and students for all that you do.

Sincerely,

Robert C. Pohlad P’07
Chair of the Board of Trustees

Dear Members of the Campus Community,

The board recently concluded its winter 2022 meetings. We were deeply grateful to be back on campus in person and to be able to see all of the important work being done by students, faculty, and staff. As a microcosm of the worldwide events that have shaped the last few years for all of us, we recognize that the campus community has been through a lot since the trustees were last on campus in February of 2020. Our work during this series of meetings focused on the impacts of these events on the campus community, as well as your work, which pressed forward despite these challenges.

Trustees were fortunate to be able to spend time with campus community members in a variety of ways:

  • ASUPS Wine Night, where trustees were able to visit with graduating seniors and members of the ASUPS Cabinet.
  • A Celebration of Creative Inquiry, where trustees listened to excellent talks by Professor Nancy Bristow (History), Professor Peter Hodum (Biology and Environmental Policy and Decision Making), and Associate Professor Renee Simms (African American Studies), and explored an impressive display of recent faculty research, scholarship, and creative work.
  • Dinner with members of the Alumni Council Executive Committee, where trustees were able to meet with alumni leaders and hear about their good work on behalf of the institution.
  • Breakfast with faculty and staff senate leaders, and lunch with graduate and undergraduate students.

At its business meeting, the full board met and took action on several key items, including:

  • ASUPS Constitution and Bylaws. The Board approved proposed amendments to the ASUPS Constitution that were previously approved by the ASUPS Senate and by the student body during its Spring General Election, and also approved proposed amendments to the ASUPS Bylaws, that were previously approved by the ASUPS Senate.
  • Policy for the Reconsideration or Removal of Names from University Buildings or Spaces. The Board approved the proposed Policy for the Reconsideration or Removal of Names from University Buildings or Spaces, effective February 25, 2022. We want to acknowledge and recognize the thoughtful work of the Committee to Recommend Principles to Guide the Renaming of Buildings and Spaces, whose articulation and recommendation of institutional principles to guide requests for the reconsideration or removal of names formed the basis for this policy.
  • Budget for 2022-23. The Board approved the president's budget recommendation for 2022-23. We are grateful to the work of the Budget Task Force in developing and recommending the key budget assumptions for 2022-23.

At its open session business meeting, the board heard an important and informative presentation about the current mental health challenges for students on college and university campuses from Interim Vice President for Student Affairs and Dean of Students Sarah Comstock, Director of Counseling, Health & Wellness Services Dr. Kelly Brown, and Director of Student Accessibility and Accommodations Peggy Perno.  We also heard from ex-officio members: Faculty Senate Chair Robin Jacobson, Staff Senate Chair Sarah Johnson, Alumni Council President Ted Meriam '05, and ASUPS President Kayden Diodati '23.

As part of his report, Kayden introduced trustees to Nathan Sansone '24, President-Elect, and Hannah Lillard '23, Vice President-Elect, who will serve as the ASUPS leadership for 2022-23.  We appreciated being able to thank Kayden in person for his thoughtful and productive engagement with the board over the past year and we look forward to working with Nate and Hannah as well.

In closed session, we were pleased to support promotion and/or tenure of the following outstanding faculty members:

  • Tenure and Promotion to Associate Professor: Mengjun Li (Asian Studies), Melvin Rouse, Jr. (Psychology)
  • Promotion to Professor: Gerard Morris (Music)

In addition to the work done in policy committees and our business meeting, trustees continued their work on diversity, equity, inclusion, and antiracism by participating in a workshop led by Vice President for Institutional Equity and Diversity Lorna Hernandez Jarvis focused on the board's intercultural development, and how the board as a group will continue to grow and develop its intercultural competence.

More information about the trustees and our work in support of Puget Sound can be found on our website.

Thank you for your hospitality in welcoming us back to campus, and for your continued dedication to keeping the work of the university moving forward during turbulent times.

Sincerely,

Robert C. Pohlad P'07
Chair of the Board of Trustees

Dear Members of the Campus Community,

The board of trustees concluded its four-day series of meetings on Friday, October 29, marking the fifth consecutive virtual set of meetings we have had. Barring any unforeseen developments in the course of the pandemic, we are deeply hopeful we will be able to hold our February meetings on campus.

As part of the fall meeting, we welcomed to the board our three new trustees, Carla Cooper ’72, Brian Gross ’98, Karen Jenkins-Johnson ’82, and a returning trustee, Lyle Quasim ’70, Hon. ’05.  We also welcomed new faculty, staff, and student members to our policy committees:  Professor Monica DeHart (faculty, Academic and Student Affairs Committee), Peggy Burge (staff, Academic and Student Affairs Committee), Alejandra Villeda ’22 (student, Academic and Student Affairs Committee), Allie Highsmith ’22 (student, Development and Alumni Relations Committee), and Zac Mason ’23 (student, Finance and Facilities Committee).  In addition to welcoming incoming trustees and new campus members to our policy committees, I am pleased to share with you other key actions and activities undertaken during our October meetings:

  • Board Workshops and Programming. Trustees and members of the President’s Cabinet heard an update from Provost Laura Behling and Brendan Leonard from Stevens Strategy on the comprehensive academic, administrative, and auxiliary program review process, and participated in workshops focused on the strategic enrollment planning process and strategic enrollment plan, and “Telling the Puget Sound Story,” which focused on the university’s institutional brand platform, enrollment, and advancement. We were also pleased to learn more about the university’s signature programs and connections with the greater Tacoma community, specifically the Freedom Education Project Puget Sound (FEPPS) and Access Programs. Trustees were grateful for the time we were able to spend with Tanya Erzen, Faculty Director of FEPPS and Associate Professor of Religion and Gender Studies; Nola Thury ’22, FEPPS Fellow; Tolu Taiwo, Assistant Director for Access Programs; and Lorna Hernandez Jarvis, Vice President for Institutional Equity and Diversity. Trustees were also able to spend time with the new Associate Academic Dean for Experiential Learning Nick Kontogeorgopoulos to learn about student research, scholarly projects, and internships – thank you to students Audrey White ’22, Logan Canada-Johnson ’22, Ebony James ’23, Colby Smith ’23, Kyra Lee ’23, and Hannah Lillard ’23, for taking the time to share your summer research and internship experiences with us.
  • Business Meeting. The board received reports from Kayden Diodati ’23, ASUPS President; Robin Jacobson, Chair, Faculty Senate; Sarah Johnson, Chair, Staff Senate; and Ted Meriam ’05, President, Alumni Council. The board also heard reports from its policy, operating, and special committees. Some key items on which the board took action include:
    • Approval of revisions to the university bylaws to bring the university into compliance with the new Washington State Nonprofit Corporation Act, which takes effect January 1, 2022, and best governance practices.
    • Approval of revisions to the Associated Students of the University of Puget Sound (ASUPS) constitution and bylaws aimed at improving internal student government operations.
    • Preapproval of certain key elements of the 2022-23 operating budget, including, among other parameters, a temporary planned operating loss that will be managed through the use of the university’s strong balance sheet to allow time for the university to rebound from the pandemic, make further progress on its Leadership for a Changing World strategic plan, implement its Strategic Enrollment Plan, implement recommendations of the Student Success Task Force, and consider and begin implementing recommendations coming out of the comprehensive program review process that is scheduled to conclude fall of 2022.
    • Approval of capital campaign fundraising objectives and goals.

More information about the trustees and our work in support of Puget Sound can be found on our website.

With appreciation to our students, faculty and staff members and with gratitude for your continued good and important work,

Robert C. Pohlad P’07
Chair of the Board of Trustees