Wentworth Military Academy and College Board of Trustees Meeting April 22-23, 2016 Lexington, Missouri

Transcription

1 Wentworth Military Academy and College Board of Trustees Meeting April 22-23, 2016 Lexington, Missouri Call to Order, Attendance Report and Confirm Quorum Chairman Regis McDonald called the meeting to order at 1:00 p.m. with the following members in attendance: Mr. Kevin McDonough, Mr. Doug Gourlay, Mr. John Francis, Mr. Tom Slover and Ms. Allison Jaslow. A quorum was confirmed. Others in attendance included: LTC Darren Fitz Gerald, Acting President and Superintendent, COL Rick Cottrell, Vice-President of Enrollment Management, LTC Marnie Morgan, Vice- President for Development and Alumni Relations, LTC Glenn Miller, CFO and Sherri Allred, Executive Assistant. Joining by Conference Call - COL Michael Lierman Absent: Mr. John Groendyke, Mr. Luke Coffey, Mr. Dale Slunicko and Mr. Robert Heath. Guest: Scott Hefner, President, Wentworth Military Academy & College Alumni Association Battalion Commander Briefing C/LTC Cody Wenrich, Battalion Commander, discussed with the BOT the Battalion Organizational Chart that has been in effect for the school year. C/LTC Wenrich explained how leadership roles were selected and noted the increase in athletes that will assume leadership roles next year. Current focus is directed at training the future Battalion Commander and staff along with integrating Company Commanders to ensure a smooth transition this fall. Cadet Stotts and Cadet Jasinski introduced themselves to the board as the new Battalion Commander and Battalion CSM for next year. Each shared how they have benefitted from the challenges presented to them at Wentworth. They gave an example of one thing that they would like to see changed - - optional breakfast four days a week in order to accommodate morning physical training time constraints. Approval of Minutes and Call to Order 1:25pm Motion to approve minutes made by Tom Slover and seconded by Doug Gourlay. Motion approved. Mr. McDonald announced that Todd Kitchen has resigned from the Board effective April 7, Mr. McDonald presented each Trustee with Trustee Lapel & American Flag Lapel pins. Trustee Lapel & American Flag Lapel pins were sent to Mr. Kitchen and other Trustees not present.

2 President and Staff Reports Athletic Department LTC Tom Hughes summarized the successes and struggles of the individual sports at Wentworth. Details can be found in his written report that was provided in the read-ahead materials for the Board. LTC Andreas Commins, Head Soccer Coach and Acting Commandant will resign these positions effective May 15, Wentworth will begin a Women s Wrestling Program in the school year. There are currently 30 schools nationwide that offer women s wrestling. The program will increase opportunities for recruiting and enrollment while needing no additional facilities. Discussion focused on recruiting athletes with an eye to the value of military discipline and how to market it as a launching pad for them to move on after WMA. Possible athletes want to know, Who will be looking at them? for opportunities after their time at Wentworth. LTC Commins stressed that recruiting must focus on character of the applicant as well as an honest description of the program that WMA offers. As a member of the NAAJC, Wentworth is required to offer athletic scholarships. Enrollment Management COL Rick Cottrell reported that the Ambassador to the United States from the Republic of Yemen has been contacted and has shown an interest in attending the Commencement Ceremony on May 23, Three Consulate representatives from the Consulate of the Peoples Republic China in Chicago have confirmed they will be attending the Commencement Ceremony as well. Tom Slover suggested that a wrapped gift should be presented to the guests, possibly a Wentworth Crest Lapel Pin. COL Cottrell highlighted the enrollment numbers for Camp LEAD, High School, College Boarding and College Commuters that are in the Enrollment Management Report that was provided to the Board. International recruiting is being diversified to support next year s enrollment efforts. The US Army limits the Early Commissioning Program (ECP) to 30 Cadets. All ECP Cadets are funded by scholarships. Goal of enrollment for next year is 265 boarding Cadets. Admission Counselors have clear and high expectations to meet this goal. Question was asked by Mr. Gourlay whether Wentworth is marketing the right product to the people wanting to spend money for what they are looking for. COL Cottrell distributed a new marketing brochure to the Board that every recruit receives when they visit the campus as well as being sent by mail as a result of a mail or phone inquiry about admission to Wentworth. College and HLC

3 COL Tim Casey spoke about Wentworth s efforts to increase the Cadet retention. This includes assigning an Academic Advisor to Cadets who are identified as being at risk. A Student Organization Binder is being developed. The Binder will be in place for the school year. The Binder will contain guidelines for student organizations and student government policy. Wentworth s Accreditation Probation Status by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC) is consistently addressed. COL Casey and members of the Steering Committee attended the HLC Conference in April. Committee members were able to meet with Dr. Sweeney, HLC Liaison to WMA. She visited Wentworth in March 2016, sharing valuable and encouraging information. The Steering Committee continues to meet monthly preparing for the April 2017 HLC Comprehensive Evaluation. WMA has been approved by the HLC to offer a complete online degree program for an Associate of Arts degree. Course offerings are being expanded to offer an online Associate of Science degree for the Academic Year. Independence Missouri School District is interested in developing a dual credit program with WMA in the fall. This could provide a significant increase in the number of dual credit students taking Wentworth College courses. Teacher accreditation is currently being evaluated. High School LTC Joe Aull explained that the North Central AdvancEd academic accreditation requires a review every 5 years. Wentworth s Self Study included extensive reporting with multiple Surveys and Student Performance Reports. The AdvancED Accrediting Agency is more intensive than the State Department of Education s requirement for accreditation. LTC Aull summarized a report from AdvancEd that showed areas of strengths and weaknesses. WMA has been recommended for full accreditation to the AdvancED Board. The review and approval will take place in June. The AdvanceEd Report can then be used as a marketing tool for recruitment. The Powerful Practice Report that was collected from student surveys communicated that Faculty knows the students well, care about the students and they go the extra mile to help them succeed. The JROTC evaluation by the Third ROTC Brigade earned a score of 95%, which placed WMA s JROTC at the top of their program nationwide. 14 of the 15 Cadets scheduled to graduate this year have been or will be accepted by four year universities. SROTC LTC Grant Montgomery shared a slide presentation highlighting events that ROTC Cadets participated in over the fall and spring semesters shared areas of Operation, GPA trending, Tracking Physical Fitness, professional development including attending a leadership conference and lunchtime seminars. The Brigade Staff visit was very favorable and noted only a few areas for improvement. Recruiting strategies are being focused in Kansas City area. Marketing is being directed toward non-select list.

4 Alumni Association Report In light of recent discussions about Wentworth s Homecoming, Mr. Scott Hefner reminded alumni members that alumni support the school and the board governs the educational institution. Defining boundaries for alumni will support positive relationships between the two groups. The Red Dragon, Alumni Newsletter notes a lack of membership in the Alumni Association. LTC Morgan has been working with Mr. Hefner to allow the Association to begin to take credit cards. A cell phone tree is being developed to stay in touch with more alumni as well. Mary Stemple has volunteered to be the new editor of The Red Dragon Newsletter. She will keep the same format but will add a quarterly profile of a notable alumnus. The Association will spend more time focusing on donation of smaller amounts from alumni. Possible fundraisers include Quartermaster Store promotions and Alumni labeled wear that can be purchased online. Other plans include efforts to make contact with parents of former Cadets and increased focus on social media communications to generate alumni support. The Senior, Sophomore and Falcon Banquet will be an opportunity to reach out to and collect information from future Wentworth alumni. Commandant LTC Andy Commins reported that his department is fully staffed. There are three full time TAC Officers and a new Student Life Coordinator, Nicole Cahill. Her position replaces the Activities Coordinator and is a more encompassing role directed at student life and development. The Commandant s office is trying new ideas with more flexibility on discipline policy - - Board Tours, can be replaced with Details. Wentworth benefits from Detail work in that improves the grounds with no additional expense. Cadets seem to prefer this work over marching. LTC Commins is developing a document that addresses what the Leadership Team should look like for next year. ROTC and Company leadership roles will look the same. This continuity will clarify expectations for all Cadets. LTC Commins does not feel the CTO Department has sufficient staff to properly supervise the high school Cadets. CTO Department would benefit from hiring someone with counseling experience. Most TAC Officers are working 60+ hours a week. Board Entered Into Executive Session LTC Glenn Miller, CFO reviewed with the Board Anti-Fraud, Whistleblower and Conflict of Interest Policies. Question and answer discussion followed. LTC Miller reviewed the status of the upcoming audit which begins in the 2nd week of July, and reviewed current Financial Statements as of March 31, 2016 that had been distributed in the board packet. Discussion occurred regarding remedies to address the projected budget shortfall. Wentworth s bank is very confident in its financial practices. Review Proposed Budget for and described how it was developed. Reviewed capital campaign proceeds

5 Reviewed the United States Department of Education Financial Aid Ratio - - WMA s Consolidated Financial Index (CFI) for End of Year 2015 (May 31, 2015) is 1.5. This assures Wentworth of no additional financial reporting requirements for the next three years as long as our CFI stays at a 1.0 or higher. Submitted by LTC Glenn P. Miller, CFO Meeting Adjourned 6:30 pm Saturday, April 23 7:30 Meeting Reconvened LTC Darren Fitz Gerald- Reported on Wentworth s 360 Strategic Plan and entertained questions and provide answers. Development/ Alumni Report LTC Marnie Morgan - Alumni Department is increasing the number of younger alumni by using a light contact through social media including Facebook and the Quartermaster Online Store. There has been an Increase in personal contacts including alumni for recruiting initiatives. Homecoming attendance in October 2015 increased primarily in alumni from the 90 s. Alumni can now update their contact information on the WMA website. LTC Morgan has reengaged 20 large prospective donors this year. Formalizing systems to reach out to alumni will benefit the Alumni Department including online applications for the Alumni Association membership. Wentworth Credit Card Program and Mentor Program are being researched with Alumni Association President, Scott Hefner Also, looking at the possibility to establish a position of Volunteer Rally Coordinator in order to help nurture relationships with lapsed donors as well as to plan for next year s events. A Young Alumni Council is being developed by the Annual Fund Coordinator, Jasmine Walker. LTC Morgan continues work to develop relationships with alumni from Mexico. It was suggested to reach out to Mexican alumni that are now living in the US as a point of contact. YTD Fundraising is 1.2 million. Non-board giving this year is $325,000 compared to last year at $251,000 level. There was a 17% increase in new donors. LTC Morgan continues to invest time in building and repairing relationships with donors. Previous donors frustrated with WMA have been found to turn those relationships around rather quickly when listened to. Donors respond really well to project donations. Written proposals have not been used in the past, but are well received. In September 2015, LTC Morgan offered grant writing training to 48 staff members. Small monetary incentives were developed to encourage staff to write grants. Energy has fallen off since the initial training. A monthly Newsletter highlighting grants has been developed to motivate staff to participate. Staffing constraints leaves gaps in the Development Department s ability to reach full potential.

6 Saturday 23 April, Capital Campaign discussion 1. Trustees expressed that: a. The Capital Campaign must be tied to WHO Wentworth is, WHAT Wentworth is about, and WHOs Wentworth target audience. This must be aligned to the vision for Wentworth. b. The Capital Campaign Projects must be aligned with the strategic direction for Wentworth. The strategic direction must represent Wentworth s product that will be its core differentiator from its peers 2. Motioned made and approved to move forward with the Capital Campaign. LTC Fitz Gerald was tasked to refine the Campaign Goals (budget) within the $12M range. 3. Motioned made and approved to establish a Capital Campaign Steering Committee. No members identified at this time. Saturday 23 April, budget discussion 1. Motioned made and approved to retain Keller & Owens as Wentworth s auditors. 2. Motioned made and approved to accept the Budget as submitted. 3. Trustees expressed their desire for Wentworth to establish Contingency Plans for actions to be taken if the Budget Goal Enrollment of 260 Cadets is not reached in the fall of The Contingency Plans will contain specific actions that will be taken if Enrollment is under (e.g. 250, 240, 230) and as well as which actions will be taken if Enrollment is over (e.g. 270, 280). 4. Brief AAR comments were proposed for consideration of next BOT meeting: a. Agenda needs to be more strategic, focused on critical areas that require BOT discussion. This is the priority going forward. b. Adjust the staff reports so they are part of the Board documents. Staff appear a for brief Q&A regarding their reports, instead of making a formal presentation. c. Consider reducing costs related to the "frills" connected to the meeting: - Use PDFs instead of printing for BOT (subject to personal preference by board members) - Probably do not need 10 candy dishes or fancy nameplates 5. Meeting adjourned at 12:18pm on April 23rd Prepared by: Sherri Allred Doug Gourlay, Secretary