New trustees, new committee

Several firsts are on the agenda for this week's Central Michigan University Board of Trustees committee meetings and formal session.

The trustees will meet Wednesday and Thursday in the President's Conference Room of the Bovee University Center. It will be the first official meeting for trustees Todd Anson and Ed Plawecki, whom Gov. Rick Snyder appointed in October, and the first meeting of a new ad hoc Enterprise Risk Committee.

The new board committee will work with CMU's existing Enterprise Risk Committee, which includes representatives from areas such as academic administration, finance and administrative services, information technology, and CMU Police. The committees will work together to identify, assess and reduce risks with potential to negatively impact the university.

Trustees also will review and vote on changes in members of boards of directors of several public school academies and on the reauthorization of contracts for four schools. They also will vote on an appointment to the Clarke Historical Library's Board of Governors and consider several other matters, including:

• Approval of faculty sabbaticals, tenure and promotions.
• Review of naming opportunities, scholarship awards and endowments.
• Update on Office of Research and Graduate Studies quarterly awards.

During the formal session, which begins Thursday at 8:30 a.m., the board will hear presentations from:

• Michael Alford, Zyzelewski family associate vice president and director of athletics.
• Erin Strang, CEO and president of Central Michigan University Research Corp.
• Bob Martin, vice president of advancement, and alum Mike O'Donnell, chair of the Fire Up for Excellence fundraising campaign.

Highlights of Wednesday's committee meetings include:

• Enterprise Risk, 1 to 1:50 p.m. — The new ad hoc committee will discuss its charter and charge, set a calendar, and lay out next steps and priorities.
• Academic and Student Affairs, 2 to 2:55 p.m. — Provost Michael Gealt and Steven Johnson, vice president of enrollment and student services, will discuss declining university enrollment and its impact on CMU.
• Finance and Facilities, 3 to 3:50 p.m. — Barrie Wilkes, vice president of finance and administrative services, and Jonathan Webb, associate vice president of facilities management, will update the committee on residence life projects.
• Trustees-Faculty Liaison, 4 to 4:50 p.m. — Rachel Nelson, a student from The Herbert H. and Grace A. Dow College of Health Professions will share highlights of student experiences at Henry Ford Hospital. Trustees and faculty also will discuss enrollment challenges.
• Trustees-Student Liaison, 5 to 6 p.m. — Student Government Association President Jake Hendricks, Program Board President Galen Miller and Residence Hall Assembly Director Mary St. John will update trustees on spring semester events and activities. Australyah Coleman, president of CMU's NAACP chapter, will speak about recent campus incidents and a new university task force.

Meeting agendas are available on the Board of Trustees' website. Public seating for all meetings is available in the adjoining Lake Superior Room.

CMU's policy governing public comment is found in Article IX on page 13 of the Board of Trustees bylaws.