Minutes of the University Council Meeting

October 18, 2006

The fall 2006 University Council meeting was convened at 4:00 p.m. on Wednesday, October 18, 2006 in the Memorial Union Ballroom. President Charles Kupchella and Douglas Munski presided.

Douglas Munski, chair of the 2006-2007 University Senate, called the meeting to order. He welcomed all Council members and others in attendance. Mr. Munski briefly described University Senate as an inclusive body that meets monthly. He explained the responsibility of the Senate regarding University policy and keeping UND policies in sync with the North Dakota University System. He updated the Council on changes in the Faculty Handbook regarding the Intellectual Property and Conflict of Interest Policies and the Guidelines for Faculty Engaged in Employment Controversies with the University. He pointed out the website for the University Senate and encouraged participation in the shared governance.

President Kupchella opened his remarks by welcoming Senator Ray Holmberg and other dignitaries, faculty, staff, alumni and students. The President opened his State of the University address with a video, which he described as a kaleidoscopic representation of our great University. It is used during orientation and features UND academic programs, student life, and the Grand Forks area. He reviewed the enrollment and demographic make up of the University. He also described the economic impact of UND including being the second largest employer in the state, $94.3 million in sponsored programs in FY06, and an increase in patents. He described what makes greatness in a University: great students, great faculty, great staff, great programs, great facilities. The President highlighted some of UND’s programs: the Aerospace suborbital space program; the Rural Medicine and Rural Health programs; the joint publication by the School of Communication and School of Medicine, Native American Aging and Health; and the entrepreneurship program. He described recent developments in facilities, including the opening of the Wellness Center. New facilities under construction are the parking facility, housing complex, Behavioral Sciences Research building, and the Center for Hydrogen Technology. UND received three Center of Excellence for Economic Development awards from the State totaling $7 million (of the $20 million available).

There are challenges facing UND, which include faculty salaries, decreasing high school graduates from North Dakota, lower overall funding, research infrastructure, tuition rates remaining accessible, deferred maintenance, and the NCAA litigation. President Kupchella described the resource challenge at the state level along with the UND funding gap in comparison to our peers. UND has the largest gap. In an effort to increase our endowment and leverage the endowment to help bridge the gap, UND will undertake a comprehensive fundraising campaign. UND needs to place more emphasis on our international programs. Athletics is also important. Our athletes are strong academically and have competed for and won several national championships. This year is an institutional “exploratory” year for the move to Division I. The President described the process that will be followed and reported that forums will be held on campus; however, he indicated that we are committed to the move to Division I. He concluded by indicating that we have a bright future that is built on a great past. With help from the legislature and help from UND, we can get there. He shared that we will be celebrating our 125^th birthday and the theme will be “From Tradition to Tomorrow.”

The President then thanked the local Chamber of Commerce for the opportunity to share his State of the University Address with the community at the Alerus Center. He thanked those who made the presentation possible and indicated that paper copies of a draft were available. He opened the floor for questions. Hearing none, the fall 2006 University Council meeting was adjourned at 5:00 p.m.

Respectfully submitted,

Suzanne Anderson, Council Secretary