A meeting of the Academic and Student Affairs Committee of the Board of Trustees convened at 8:31 a.m. on Friday, April 5, 2024, in the Student Union and Library, Alumni Hall, Purdue University Northwest, Hammond, Indiana. 

Committee members present included: JoAnn Brouillette, chair; Kevin Boes; Vanessa Castagna; Shawn Taylor and Professor Brian Leung (ex-officio). Other trustees present: Sonny Beck; Michael Berghoff; Theresa Carter; Malcolm DeKryger; Michael Klipsch, and Gary Lehman.

Officers and administrators in attendance: Mung Chiang, president; Patrick Wolfe, provost and executive vice president for academic affairs and diversity; Chris Ruhl, chief financial officer and treasurer; Eva Nodine, senior vice president, assistant treasurer, and assistant secretary; Steve Schultz, general counsel; Cindy Ream, corporate secretary and senior executive assistant to the Board; and Chris Holford, chancellor, Purdue University Northwest.

I. (WL) APPROVAL OF MINUTES

Upon proper motion duly made and seconded, the Committee voted unanimously to approve the minutes for meetings convened on August 4, 2023; October 6, 2023; December 8, 2023 and February 2, 2024.

II. APPROVAL TO AWARD POSTHUMOUS DEGREE, Ha Kyun (Jason) Ju 

Provost Wolfe respectfully requested approval to award a posthumous master of science degree in Construction Management Technology to Ha Kyun (Jason) Ju. Provost Wolfe noted that Ha Kyun Ju had met the requirements, including completion of 85% of the credit hour requirements.

Upon proper motion duly made and seconded, the Academic and Student Affairs Committee voted unanimously to recommend full Board approval to award a Posthumous Degree to Ha Kyun Ju. Supporting materials were filed with the minutes.

III. (WL) APPROVAL TO APPOINT THE MICHAEL AND KATHERINE BIRCK HEAD OF ELECTRICAL AND COMPUTER ENGINEERING

Provost Wolfe submitted the request for approval to appoint Dr. Milind Kulkarni as the Michael and Katherine Birck Head of Electrical and Computer Engineering. Dr. Kulkarni has been a professor in the Elmore Family School of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Purdue since 2009 and currently serves as the interim head of that school.

Upon proper motion duly made and seconded, the Academic and Student Affairs Committee voted unanimously to recommend full Board approval of Dr. Kulkarni’s appointment as the Michael and Katherine Birck Head of Electrical and Computer Engineering. 

Dr. Kulkarni thanked the Committee and mentioned all the support he has received during his time at Purdue. He thanked his wife and noted he could not do what he does without her support.

IV. (WL) APPROVAL OF NEW DEGREE, MASTER OF SCIENCE IN DATA SCIENCE

Provost Wolfe respectfully requested approval of a new degree offered fully online through the West Lafayette campus. The degree will be supported administratively by Purdue University Online. He outlined the foundational coursework for the program which includes Foundtions of Data Science, Machine Learning and Data Mining, Big Data Technologies and Tools, Data Analysis, Data Visualization and Communication.

Upon proper motion duly made and seconded, the Academic and Student Affairs Committee voted unanimously to approve the new degree, Master of Science in Data Science.  Supporting materials were filed with the minutes.

V. (WL) APPROVAL TO RENAME AND REDESIGNATE THE GRADUATE SCHOOL TO THE OFFICE OF THE VICE PROVOST FOR GRADUATE STUDENTS AND POSTDOCTORAL SCHOLARS

Trustee Brouillette noted that this would go into effect July 1, 2024, and is the result of a review of current functions of the Graduate School with the goal of enhancing the success of graduate and professional students as well as the post-doctoral students. Provost Wolfe stated the overall intent is to better support graduate and professional programs at department, college, and university levels. Student Trustee Kevin Boes shared thoughts as a grad student noting that he believes it will reenergize the community. University Senate Chair, Brian Leung stated that he appreciated that the Senate was brought into the conversation and stated that he believed there would be positive notes from the Senate. Committee Chair Brouillette thanked Eric Barker, Dean of the School of Pharmacy, for his assistance in this process.

Upon proper motion duly made and seconded, the Academic and Student Affairs Committee voted unanimously to approve to Rename and Redesignate the Graduate School to the Office of the Vice Provost for Graduate Students and Postdoctoral Scholars.  Supporting materials were filed with the minutes.

VI. (WL) APPROVAL OF MERGER OF THE DIVISION OF CONSTRUCTION ENGINEERING AND MANAGEMENT AND THE LYLES SCHOOL OF CIVIL ENGINEERING TO THE LYLES SCHOOL OF CIVIL AND CONSTRUCTION ENGINEERING

Provost Wolfe respectfully requested approval for the Merger of the Division of Construction Engineering and Management and the Lyles School of Civil Engineering to the Lyles School of Civil and Construction Engineering. He shared that for nearly 150 years, Purdue has offered degrees in Civil Engineering with degrees in Construction Engineering also being offered in the last 50 of those years. Faculty and staff proposed that the two programs be housed under one joint school moving forward. Following a question regarding the degrees, Provost Wolfe confirmed that the degrees would continue to have separate accreditation requirements but would be joined administratively, effective July 1, 2024.

Upon proper motion duly made and seconded, the Academic and Student Affairs Committee voted unanimously to approve the Merger of the Division of Construction Engineering and Management and the Lyles School of Civil Engineering to the Lyles School of Civil and Construction Engineering.  Supporting materials were filed with the minutes.

VII. (SW) APPROVAL OF RESOLUTION DELEGATING CERTAIN AUTHORITY AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Chair Brouillette noted the next item was consideration of a Resolution designed to serve as a first step to meet the requirements of Senate Enrolled Act (SEA) 202, which had recently been passed by the General Assembly in its 2024 session. She noted the purpose of the Resolution is to reaffirm Purdue’s commitment to academic freedom and faculty tenure, and to delegate certain authority and responsibilities for SEA 202 compliance, noting that the new law will prompt the need to review and make modifications to existing policies on tenure and other areas affected by SEA 202.  At Chair Brouillette’s request, Provost Wolfe noted that Purdue’s institutional commitment to academic freedom and faculty tenure had most recently been articulated in a February letter to the University’s faculty from the Board Chair, the President, and the Provost, declaring in part that the “university resolutely stands for freedom of speech and academic freedom, and always will.” 

Provost Wolfe elaborated that the purpose of the requested delegation of authority in the Resolution was to acknowledge the necessary and practical distinction between the governance role of the Board and the historically faculty-held responsibility for conducting promotion and academic tenure assessments, and now (following SEA 202 requirements) post-tenure review assessments.  Although the new law requires the Board to make certain assessments and determinations, it also acknowledges the ability of the Board to delegate responsibility for these activities.  Provost Wolfe explained that the planned policy review will be designed to identify any necessary updates in Purdue’s tenure, promotion, and post-tenure review processes to comply with SEA 202.  He then respectfully requested approval of the following Resolution.

Chair Brouillette noted that the full text of the Resolution would be set forth in the minutes, and its reads as follows:

WHEREAS, the Board of Trustees (the “Board”) of The Trustees of Purdue University (the “Corporation”) is vested under the laws of the State of Indiana with the power to, among other things, “do all acts necessary and expedient to put and keep Purdue University in operation” (IC 21-27-7-4) and “make all bylaws, rules and regulations required or proper to conduct and manage Purdue University” (IC 21-27-7-5); and

WHEREAS, Indiana law further empowers the Board to delegate the authority that it possesses, recognizing that no manner of delegation is irrevocable (IC 21-38-3-2); and

WHEREAS, over the 155-year history of Purdue University, the Board has from time to time exercised the legal discretion afforded to it to delegate certain authority and responsibilities to administrators and faculty of the University, notably pursuant to the Bylaws of the Corporation, which establish the officers of the Corporation and confer upon the President of the University, subject to the control of the Board, the authority to “direct and be responsible for the conduct of all the affairs of the University except those which by law or [the] Bylaws are made the specific responsibility of the Treasurer or other persons;” and

WHEREAS, in its 2024 legislative session the Indiana General Assembly enacted, and the Governor of Indiana has now signed into law, Senate Enrolled Act 202 (“SEA 202”), which among other things codifies the concept of tenure at state educational institutions, requires such institutions to include programming to promote cultural and intellectual diversity as part of any campus diversity efforts, and requires the boards of trustees of such institutions to establish policies and practices designed to promote free inquiry, free expression, and cultural and intellectual diversity on their campuses, including through various tenure, promotion, performance evaluation, employment, contracting, student admissions, student orientation, reporting, and other requirements; and 

WHEREAS, academic freedom is a core value of the University, as articulated in such policies as I.A.4 (Academic Freedom), which declares that “Purdue University is committed to fostering a community where scholarship, research and creative expression thrive,” and which aptly observes that “[a]cademic freedom is fundamental to the pursuit of knowledge because it encourages open discourse, inquiry and debate among faculty and students; and

WHEREAS, Purdue thus recognizes, consistent with the 1915 Declaration of Principles on Academic Freedom and Academic Tenure promulgated under the auspices of the American Association of University Professors, that the term “academic freedom” applies to both the freedom of the faculty member and the freedom of the student; and

WHEREAS, Purdue’s commitment to academic freedom and faculty tenure was most recently reaffirmed in a February 27, 2024 letter to the University’s faculty from the Chair of the Board, the President and the Provost, which declared that “[t]his university resolutely stands for freedom of speech and academic freedom, and always will” (such letter being referred to herein as the “2024 Academic Freedom and Tenure Reaffirmation”); and

WHEREAS, as enacted in SEA 202, and consistent with IC 21-38-3-2 referenced above, Section 6 of new Indiana Code chapter IC 21-38-10 recognizes the ability of Board to delegate responsibility, under the policies that it approves, to conduct the faculty reviews and to make the determinations described in such chapter; and

WHEREAS, the Board desires to formally enshrine in a resolution of the Board the University’s commitment to academic freedom and tenure and to provide a mechanism for developing an implementation plan for complying with SEA 202;

NOW, THEREFORE, IT IS HEREBY RESOLVED by the Board as follows: 

1. The 2024 Academic Freedom and Tenure Reaffirmation is hereby ratified and confirmed in all respects as the position of the Board on such matters, with the delegation of authority referenced in such statement to commence with the measures described below, as the same may be supplemented from time to time by further Board action.

2. The Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs and Diversity (the “Provost”) is hereby delegated the authority, in consultation with the President, to empanel a committee for each of the separately-accredited campuses of the University (Purdue West Lafayette, Purdue Fort Wayne, and Purdue Northwest) for the purpose of advising the Provost, for his consideration, on any recommended modifications to system-wide policies, supporting procedures, and campus-specific criteria related to promotion, tenure, post-tenure review, and faculty hiring, as well as such other policies and practices as each committee may recommend to the Provost, with advice and assistance from the Office of Legal Counsel, to comply with the requirements of SEA 202, it being understood that:

3. The Vice President for Ethics and Compliance is hereby delegated authority, in consultation with the Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer and the Vice President for Human Resources (or their respective designees), to cause the EPRG and the University Policy Office, acting pursuant to the policymaking process outlined in policy V.C.1 (Formulation and Issuance of Policies) to:

4. The Secretary of the Corporation is hereby authorized and instructed to record this Resolution in the minutes of this meeting, to be maintained in the official records of the Board and the Corporation.

Upon proper motion duly made and seconded, the Academic and Student Affairs Committee voted unanimously to approve the Resolution Delegating Certain Authority and Responsibilities.  A formal copy of the Resolution and other supporting materials, including the 2024 Academic Freedom and Tenure Reaffirmation cited in the Resolution, were filed with the minutes.

VIII. (SW) APPROVAL OF 2024 FACULTY PROMOTIONS

Provost Wolfe provided some details for the review process used for faculty promotions. He then respectfully requested approval for the promotions for 2023-24 noting these are for West Lafayette, Fort Wayne, Purdue Northwest, and IUPUI.

Upon proper motion duly made and seconded, the Academic and Student Affairs Committee voted unanimously to approve the 2024 Faculty Promotions. Supporting materials were filed with the minutes.

IX. (WL) TENURE AND PROMOTION RECOGNITION FOR PURDUE IN INDIANAPOLIS FACULTY

Provost Wolfe requested approval and formal recognition of tenure for faculty members in Indianapolis who will join Purdue on July 1, 2024, and who will have University Tenure in Indianapolis. He requested approval and adoption of the resolution set forth below.

 “RESOLVED, that the IU Transferred Faculty listed in the attached memorandum are hereby granted tenure in University Tenure in Indianapolis at the rank indicated, subject to, and to take full effect upon their officially becoming employees of Purdue University on the Realignment Effective Date of July 1, 2024.”

Upon proper motion duly made and seconded, the Academic and Student Affairs Committee voted unanimously to approve Tenure and Promotion Recognition for Purdue in Indianapolis Faculty.  Supporting materials were filed with the minutes.

X. UNIVERSITY SENATE REPORT

Professor Brian Leung, university senate chair, began by commenting he was happy to be on the Purdue Northwest campus. He reminded the Board about the senate newsletter and the value and the volume of information shared through it. He noted that the senate sent out a Qualtrics survey regarding the SEA/SB 202 implementation. Professor Leung shared the incoming Vice Chair, Mark Zimpfer, Assoc. Professor of Practice, School of Construction Management Technology, was recently elected. He reminded the Board that the vice chair moves into the chair position the following year. The next Chair of the Senate is Susan South, professor, department of psychological sciences. Prof. Leung then shared that Prof. Manushag (Nush) Powell, professor of english and secretary of faculties will be leaving Purdue to become the chair of Arizona State University English Department. He commented on her talents and her efficiency and noted she will be missed tremendously at Purdue. In his final thoughts as Senate chair Professor Leung stated that for others to know that we are trustworthy individuals, we must demonstrate that through our actions. He thanked the Board for the past two years. 

President Chiang stated that it was bittersweet and noted that we appreciate Prof. Powell’s contributions in more ways than one to Purdue and noted in her current role that he had learned a lot from her. President Chiang then commented on Professor Leung’s trustworthiness and stated that he found in him a remarkable approach to collaboration based on good will and good faith. He commented that he could not think of better character and better (50:51****) than someone like him. Provost Wolfe echoed President Chiang’s words and noted that due to the many changes taking place across campus, Prof. Leung had a more challenging role and expressed even more appreciation for the good partnership in good faith and trust. He thanked him very much.

Chairman Berghoff added how much the Board appreciated Brian’s contributions and willingness to serve. A copy of Professor Leung’s presentation was filed with the minutes.

 By consent, the meeting adjourned at 9:21 a.m.