A meeting of the Executive Committee of the Purdue University Board of Trustees convened at 9:31 a.m. on Thursday, January 11, 2018, in Room 326 of Stewart Center on the campus of Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana.
All members of the committee were present by means of electronic communication pursuant to the Electronic Meeting Policy: Michael Berghoff, chairman; Thomas Spurgeon, vice chairman; Sonny Beck; JoAnn Brouillette; and Vanessa Castagna. Other trustees also present by means of electronic communication were Malcolm DeKryger, Michael Klipsch, Gary Lehman, and Don Thompson.
Officers and administrators in attendance were: Mitch Daniels, president; Bill Sullivan, treasurer and chief financial officer; Jim Almond, senior vice president, assistant treasurer, and assistant secretary; Steve Schultz, legal counsel; Trent Klingerman, assistant legal counsel and chief privacy officer; Janice Indrutz, corporate secretary and executive assistant to the board; Michael Cline, vice president for administrative operations; Frank Dooley, senior vice provost for teaching and learning; Julie Griffith, vice president for public affairs; and Gerry McCartney, executive vice president and chief information officer.
I. ROLL CALL
Chairman Berghoff thanked everyone for being present by phone and in person and observed that, under the circumstances, it was the most efficient way to schedule the meeting. He explained that the Executive Committee of the Purdue University Board of Trustees and the Board of Trustees of Purdue NewU were meeting concurrently for the shared purpose of naming Purdue NewU. He called the meeting of the Executive Committee to order and noted it was being held in accordance with the Bylaws and the Purdue University Board of Trustees Electronic Meeting Policy.
Chairman Berghoff asked Ms. Indrutz to conduct roll call of the Executive Committee, after which he noted that all members of the Purdue University Board of Trustees were present by telephone, with the exception of Trustee Romary, who had a class conflict. He indicated that Trustee Romary had provided a statement which he would read later in the meeting.
Chairman Berghoff then called the meeting of the Purdue NewU Board of Trustees, of which he was also chair, to order. Its other members were JoAnn Brouillette, Malcolm DeKryger, Michael Klipsch, Don Thompson, who were also members of the Purdue University Board of Trustees, as well as Paul Bott, who had served on Kaplan University’s board as an independent trustee, and who, too, indicated his attendance by phone.
II. OPENING COMMENTS
Chairman Berghoff restated that the purpose of the concurrent meetings of the two bodies was to approve the permanent name of what had been informally referred to as Purdue NewU since its formation in April 2017. He remarked that this was an important milestone for many reasons; not only would it clarify the identity of the new entity, but it would also signal its readiness, following the anticipated approval by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC), to complete the acquisition and commence operations at the end of the first quarter of 2018. He expressed his belief that this was an historic moment, marking another key step in this effort to extend Purdue University’s land-grant mission.
Chairman Berghoff then explained that the new name was selected after much study and review over a six-month period, which took into account market research and much stakeholder feedback. He asked if someone could share examples of data that had been received during the process. Mr. Schultz then referred to an information sheet which contained metrics on survey methods used in the stakeholder feedback process. He explained that those involved with providing feedback included administrative leadership, Purdue faculty and staff, Purdue NewU faculty, Purdue students and alumni, current Kaplan University students, prospective students of both institutions, and current employers of Kaplan University students. He added that the information sheet outlined the number of inquiries and responses received and the format by which the feedback had been garnered, which, Chairman Berghoff further explained, included telephone interviews, in-person focus groups, and online surveys and discussion. He noted that the name was chosen from over 30 initial suggestions, observing that Purdue University Northwest and Purdue University Fort Wayne had each undergone a similar naming process in recent years.
Chairman Berghoff said it was important for everyone to understand that the new name for Purdue NewU would not officially take effect until its approval by the Higher Learning Commission, which was expected in February 2018. He believed it was important to announce the name ahead of time in the interest of a smooth transition for students and faculty as well as for planning purposes, and he noted that the Department of Education had conditioned that “Purdue” must be part of the permanent name.
III. APPROVAL OF RESOLUTION TO NAME PURDUE NEWU
Chairman Berghoff said that both the Executive Committee of the Purdue Board and the Purdue NewU Board had received and reviewed respective resolutions which identified the permanent name and also outlined the key points he had discussed. In response to a question from Chairman Berghoff, Mr. Schultz noted that the resolutions also authorized the development of a licensing agreement which would provide NewU with the permission to use the Purdue name as part of its own name.
Chairman Berghoff then announced that the proposed permanent name for Purdue NewU, pending approval by the Higher Learning Commission and as outlined in each resolution, would be Purdue University Global, to be commonly referred to as Purdue Global. He then called for a motion from the Executive Committee of the Purdue University Board of Trustees, which, pursuant to the Bylaws, “shall have and may exercise all of the powers of the Board.” Trustee Brouillette made the motion, which was seconded by Trustee Beck. Chairman Berghoff subsequently called for a motion from the Board of Trustees of Purdue New U. Trustee Bott made the motion, which was seconded by Trustee Thompson.
Discussion followed, beginning with the Executive Committee. Trustee Brouillette asked if the proposed name had been shared with the Indiana Commission for Higher Education (ICHE) and the HLC. Chairman Berghoff responded that both commissions had requested to learn the name in advance; therefore, they would not be surprised nor would it be out of order to take the actions today prior to HLC approval. President Daniels emphasized that the university had respected the HLC’s request.
Trustee Beck expressed his belief that the name signified what the university had set out to accomplish. Trustee Castagna expressed her belief that the name added clarity to what NewU was about, and she also expressed her excitement about the added dimension to the university’s educational mission. Trustee Brouillette expressed her belief that the name spoke to the extension of the university’s land-grant mission, which, she said, was “critical to our goals.”
Chairman Berghoff then called for discussion by the Purdue NewU Board of Trustees. Trustee Klipsch remarked that he agreed with the comments made by Trustees Brouillette and Castagna and added that Purdue University Global described how this particular arm of Purdue would serve the world by reaching an additional population of students. Trustee Bott expressed his appreciation for the hard work and depth and breadth of the efforts to arrive at the permanent name, and he agreed with the comments made by Trustees Brouillette, Castagna, and Klipsch. Trustees DeKryger and Thompson expressed their concurrence with these comments.
Chairman Berghoff stated that Trustee Romary held a unique perspective as the student trustee and read the following statement he had offered: “While I cannot be in attendance today, I firmly support this resolution, and subsequently the naming of Purdue University Global. The extensive market research from a wide variety of stakeholders has helped to form my opinion. Pending HLC approval, I am excited to welcome a new population of fellow students under the Purdue umbrella by providing access to this world-class institution around the globe, as the name implies.”
Chairman Berghoff requested that the Purdue NewU Board of Trustees vote first to approve its resolution to name Purdue NewU, as the governing body of the named entity. By roll-call vote conducted by Ms. Indrutz, the Purdue NewU Board of Trustees voted unanimously to approve its resolution. At the direction of Chairman Berghoff, Ms. Indrutz then conducted a roll-call vote of the Executive Committee of the Purdue University Board of Trustees to approve its resolution, which was unanimous. Copies of the resolutions approved by each body were included with the minutes.
IV. ADJOURNMENT
Chairman Berghoff acknowledged that both bodies had approved their respective resolutions, thereby adopting the name Purdue University Global, and he adjourned the meeting at 9:53 a.m. He thanked everyone for taking part in the meetings and said he looked forward to continuing the momentum that would hopefully lead to HLC approval.