A meeting of the Purdue University Board of Trustees convened at 9:45 a.m. on Friday, February 7, 2020, in Room 326 of Stewart Center on the Purdue University campus in West Lafayette, Indiana.
All trustees were present: Michael Berghoff, chairman; Sonny Beck; JoAnn Brouillette; Vanessa Castagna; Malcolm DeKryger; Michael Klipsch; Gary Lehman; Noah Scott; Thomas Spurgeon, vice chairman; and Don Thompson.
Officers and administrators in attendance were: Mitch Daniels, president; Jay Akridge, provost and executive vice president for academic affairs and diversity; Chris Ruhl, treasurer and chief financial officer; Jim Almond, senior vice president, assistant treasurer, and assistant secretary; Steve Schultz, general counsel; Trent Klingerman, deputy general counsel; Janice Indrutz, corporate secretary and senior executive assistant to the Board; and Tom Keon, chancellor of Purdue University Northwest.
I. ROLL CALL
Chairman Berghoff called the meeting to order and noted that all trustees were in attendance.
II. FUTURE MEETING SCHEDULE
Chairman Berghoff drew the Board’s attention to the schedule of future meetings through 2021 as listed on the agenda. He reminded the Board that the next meeting, in April, would be held on the Hammond campus of Purdue University Northwest, which the Board last visited in 2016.
III. APPROVAL OF UNANIMOUS CONSENT AGENDA
Chairman Berghoff read the list of items the committees had recommended for full Board approval, which composed the unanimous consent agenda along with other routine items, as follows:
- Minutes: Stated Meeting, December 6, 2019; and Executive Session, December 5, 2019;
- Approval to award a posthumous degree, Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering, to Trever L. Col, as recommended by the Academic and Student Affairs Committee, the meeting of which was attended by a number of Trever’s friends;
- Approval to reappoint Dr. Sandra F. San Miguel to the Indiana State Board of Animal Health, as recommended by the Academic and Student Affairs Committee;
- Approval to name the Elmore ECE Emerging Frontier Center(s) in the College of Engineering, as recommended by the Academic and Student Affairs Committee;
- Approval of 2019 Annual Report of the Senior Director of Audits, as recommended by the Audit and Risk Management Committee;
- Approval of technical amendments to Head Men’s Basketball Coach’s contract, as recommended by the Compensation Committee;
- Approval of 2020 official degree dates; and
- Approval of conflict of interest disclosures.
Chairman Berghoff asked if any of the Board members wished to have an item removed from the consent agenda for further discussion. Hearing no such request, and upon proper motion duly made and seconded, the Board of Trustees voted unanimously to approve the unanimous consent agenda. All supporting materials were filed with the minutes.
IV. REPORT OF THE PRESIDENT
President Daniels profiled the gifts of $1,000,000 or more that the university had received since the Board last met on December 6, 2019. The donors of these gifts were recognized in the following Resolution of Appreciation:
WHEREAS, the following friends of Purdue University have generously contributed $1,000,000 or more to move Purdue to greater excellence and preeminence; and
WHEREAS, the University wishes to acknowledge the significance of these gifts to new directions, advancements, and momentum in Purdue’s history, progress, and future;
BE IT THEREFORE RESOLVED:
1. That the University and the Trustees are grateful to these individuals for their leadership and support of Purdue University; and
2. That this resolution be spread upon the minutes of the Board of Trustees as part of the permanent record of the University.
FRIENDS: Vanessa Castagna, to support Bands and Orchestras; William Elmore, to support the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering; Evan and Sue Ann Werling Charitable Foundation, to support the College of Veterinary Medicine; Allyn Knoche, to support the School of Management; Peter and Ann Lambertus, to support Purdue University; Stephen Linowiecki, to support the College of Health and Human Sciences; Michael and Lou Ann Pursley, to support the College of Education and the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering; Richard E. and Sandra J. Dauch Family Foundation, to support the School of Nursing; and Anonymous, to support Bands and Orchestras.
President Daniels specifically recognized Trustee Castagna’s gift and her leadership in garnering funding for the new Bands and Orchestras Building, the construction of which the Board approved at its last meeting on December 6, 2019. He also elaborated on the gift from Allyn Knoche, who, he said, was gifting to Purdue the proceeds from his ownership in a nickel mine; President Daniels shared his prediction that the gift could become an annuity over the course of decades. Upon proper motion duly made and seconded, the Board of Trustees voted unanimously to approve the resolution. A formal copy of the resolution was filed with the minutes.
President Daniels then reported on the strategic initiatives of affordability and accessibility, world-changing research, online education, and transformative education. He provided data on the two Indianapolis-area Purdue Polytechnic High Schools and explained the reasons for pursuing a third high school in South Bend, Indiana. He informed the Board that progress was being made relative to online education through Purdue Online and Purdue Global, and, at President Daniels’ request, Dr. Gerry McCartney, executive vice president for Purdue Online, discussed Purdue Online programs being launched and reminded the Board that many residential students were taking online courses. President Daniels compared and contrasted enrollment demographics of Purdue Online and Purdue Global and pointed out that half of Purdue Global’s enrollment was minority students.
President Daniels reported that research funding for life sciences had doubled, and he informed the Board that Purdue University had more drugs in active clinical research than almost any other institution. He also reported that research funding from the Department of Defense had doubled as well. President Daniels provided data on the new Learning Communities initiative, which created residential units for students with the same major and, said Provost Akridge, were very popular with students. President Daniels spoke specifically about how the Data Mine Learning Community gave students the opportunity to work with companies on real-world projects. To conclude his report on strategic initiatives, President Daniels discussed summer enrollment data and was pleased to report that five colleges now offered a total of 57 3-year degrees. A copy of President Daniels’ report presentation was filed with the minutes.
President Daniels then requested approval to name the forthcoming Bands and Orchestras Building for a donor who would remain anonymous pending the university’s formal announcement. Upon proper motion duly made and seconded, the Board of Trustees voted unanimously to approve naming the building for the confidential donor. Supporting materials, which the Board members had been provided prior to the meeting, were filed with the minutes. Subsequent to this meeting, on February 15, 2020, the university formally announced that the building would be named Marc and Sharon Hagle Hall. A copy of the announcement was filed with the minutes.
V. RATIFICATION OF DISTINGUISHED PROFESSOR OF PHYSICS AND ASTRONOMY
Provost Akridge respectfully recommended the Board’s ratification of Dr. Michael J. Manfra as a distinguished professor of physics and astronomy. He informed the Board that Dr. Manfra was a world-leading expert on the growth of semi-conductor materials whose work had contributed in a fundamental way to the emerging area of quantum science. Provost Akridge discussed Dr. Manfra’s work with Microsoft and Microsoft’s investment in Purdue, and he cited one of six letters received in support of Dr. Manfra’s appointment, the writer of which said Dr. Manfra’s impact on quantum materials and technology had been profound. Upon proper motion duly made and seconded, the Board of Trustees voted unanimously to ratify Dr. Manfra as a distinguished professor of physics and astronomy. Supporting materials and a photo were filed with the minutes.
Dr. Manfra thanked Provost Akridge and the Board, and he also thanked the deans for supporting his research efforts and accommodating his unusual collaboration with Microsoft. He said Purdue had provided a very supportive environment for his work.
VI. RATIFICATION OF DONALD A. AND NANCY G. ROACH DISTINGUISHED PROFESSOR OF ADVANCED MANUFACTURING
Provost Akridge respectfully recommended the Board’s ratification of Dr. Yung C. Shin as the Donald A. and Nancy G. Roach Distinguished Professor of Advanced Manufacturing. Provost Akridge informed the Committee that Dr. Shin was a highly accomplished international leader in the area of laser-based manufacturing processes, and he said Dr. Shin held seven patents, with his research having been funded by major industrial companies and numerous government agencies. Provost Akridge also cited one of eight letters received in support of Dr. Shin’s appointment. Upon proper motion duly made and seconded, the Board of Trustees voted unanimously to ratify Dr. Shin’s named distinguished professorship. Supporting materials and a photo were filed with the minutes.
Dr. Shin thanked his colleagues, the administration, and the Board of Trustees for the vote of confidence, and he thanked his wife for supporting his career. He also informed the Board that this was his 30th year at Purdue.
VII. RATIFICATION OF THE DONALD W. FEDDERSEN DISTINGUISHED PROFESSOR IN MECHANICAL ENGINEERING
Provost Akridge respectfully recommended the Board’s ratification of Dr. Karthik Ramani as the Donald W. Feddersen Distinguished Professor in Mechanical Engineering. He informed the Board that Dr. Ramani was a nationally and internationally known pioneer in design and manufacturing, computer-aided design, machine learning, and computer vision, and Dr. Ramani’s research had produced interfaces for exploring new forms of robot-human-machine interactions for design and fabrication. Provost Akridge also shared that Dr. Ramani held 12 patents, with 14 more pending, and Dr. Ramani had co-founded two companies. Provost Akridge also cited one of nine letters received in support of Dr. Ramani’s appointment. Upon proper motion duly made and seconded, the Board of Trustees voted unanimously to ratify Dr. Ramani’s named distinguished professorship. Supporting materials and a photo were filed with the minutes.
Dr. Ramani thanked all those who had supported him, including his colleagues, administrators, and his wife. He also thanked his father, who, he said, encouraged him as a child to become interested in computing. Dr. Ramani discussed his research and said the toy design class he had begun teaching in the 1990s was still very popular with students.
VIII. RATIFICATION OF THE R. EUGENE AND SUSIE E. GOODSON DISTINGUISHED PROFESSOR OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERING
Provost Akridge respectfully recommended the Board’s ratification of Dr. Ajay P. Malshe as the R. Eugene and Susie E. Goodson Distinguished Professor of Mechanical Engineering. He informed the Board that Dr. Malshe had joined Purdue in January 2020 and said Dr. Malshe was an accomplished international leader in the areas of advanced manufacturing, bio-inspired materials designing, and system integration. Provost Akridge said Dr. Malshe held 23 patents, and he named companies that had implemented Dr. Malshe’s manufacturing innovations. Provost Akridge cited one of five letters received in support of Dr. Malshe’s appointment. Upon proper motion duly made and seconded, the Board of Trustees voted unanimously to ratify Dr. Malshe’s named distinguished professorship. Supporting materials and a photo were filed with the minutes.
Dr. Malshe remarked that he was very honored to be among the scholars being recognized. He said it was rewarding to make things that would in turn create jobs, and, as an example of his work, he spoke about taking an idea from a napkin to a race car. Dr. Malshe expressed his gratitude to the Goodson family, whom he knew personally, and he thanked his wife and children for their support.
IX. REPORT OF THE COLLEGE OF EDUCATION
Dr. Nancy Marchand-Martella, dean of the College of Education, delivered her first report to the Board since becoming dean in July 2018. She began by giving a snapshot of the current educational landscape. She informed the Board that national enrollment in teacher preparation programs had declined by more than one-third and Indiana was experiencing a significant teacher shortage. She was pleased to illustrate increased enrollment and proud to share that the College’s graduate program was recognized in the top 9% nationally. Dean Marchand-Martella outlined a number of steps she had taken since becoming dean, including increasing the number of online programs and hiring a dedicated accreditation manager. She discussed the College’s partnership with the Purdue Polytechnic Institute, which included grant and scholarship initiatives, and she shared that she also served on the Purdue Polytechnic High School board of directors.
Dean Marchand-Martella discussed several innovative changes the College was making to set Purdue apart from other institutions in the state. These included moving to a year-long student teaching experience, paid internships, and a formal, post-hire mentoring program. She shared how her passion for first-generation students had influenced strategic initiatives and future plans, and she said the College would focus on marketing efforts.
Trustee Thompson remarked that he was “wowed” by Dean Marchand-Martella’s report and the many initiatives she discussed. She responded by acknowledging the dedicated faculty and staff who, she said, desired to make a difference. Dean Marchand-Martella addressed questions from the Board about special education certification, how she was organizing initiatives, and space challenges. The Board members indicated they especially liked the “signing day” about which Dean Marchand-Martella spoke during her report.
At the encouragement of Trustee Lehman, Dean Marchand-Martella informed the Board that her father, Norman Marchand, was the recipient of the Indianapolis initiative “Shining a Light” Veterans Day giveaway after the essay she had written about him was selected from 260 essays. An article was filed with the minutes.
A copy of Dean Marchand-Martella’s report presentation and additional report materials were filed with the minutes.
X. ADJOURNMENT
By consent, the meeting adjourned at 11:18 a.m.