Published: June 09, 2009 08:32 am      

Board of Regents extend Whitlock’s contract

MANCHESTER — The Eastern Kentucky University Board of Regents voted Monday to extend President Doug Whitlock’s contract by two years, through July 31, 2013.

The vote came as the regents met in Manchester to dedicate the university’s new campus center.

Whitlock, who worked 38 years for the university before being named interim president in August 2007, was named president in April 2008.

The decision to extend his contract came after the board spent nearly three hours in an executive session during which a consultant’s evaluation of Whitlock’s presidency was discussed.

In January, the regents voted to spend up to $20,000 for a consultant to give an assessment of Whitlock’s leadership.

Dr. Stephen Portsch, a former chancellor of the University of Georgia system who now works for the Pappas Group consulting firm, surveyed students, faculty and administrators and conducted focus groups with a wide range of university stakeholders, including alumni, said Regents Chair Hunter Bates.

The consultant found that Whitlock enjoys high levels of trust both on campus and off, Bates said.

“Dr. Portsch said he had done similar evaluations all across the county but never one with such a universally positive response,” the chair said.

Regents also conducted their own personal inquiries with university constituents, Bates said, and had come to a similar conclusion.

Dr. Malcom Frisbie, who represents faculty on the board, said the money paid to the consultant was well spent.

“It’s good to have an outside, objective opinion of the president and the job he is doing,” Frisbie said. “The consultant gave us an outside window into the university that’s important for us to have.”

Both Whitlock and the regents will use information the consultant gathered as they plan for the future, Bates said. Whitlock will use the information as he drafts a plan to meet EKU’s enrollment and student retention goals, the chair said.

The Board also approved a $218 million operating budget for the 2009-10 academic year, a 2.4 percent increase over the previous year.

Despite a reduction in state funding this year, the university’s budget will grow in part because of a 4 percent tuition rate increase the regents approved in April.

Tuition and fees account for 51 percent of the current unrestricted fund revenues.

The budget does not include a salary increase for faculty and staff.

Although Gov. Steve Beshear has said he will recommend no decrease in higher education appropriations when the legislature meets in special session this summer, the EKU budget includes a contingency plan to absorb potential reductions. Since January 2008, three reductions in state appropriations have totaled more than $6 million.

Deferring maintenance budget and tapping into contingency funds has helped EKU absorb previous cuts, said Deborah Newsom, vice president of financial affairs.

“In addition, vacant positions were reduced or eliminated through attrition and/or workload reassignments,” she said.

“There has also been a continued focus on efficiency, cost savings, cost avoidance and reallocation, as well as technology reliance to enhance service and efficiency.”

Approximately 47 percent of the 2009-10 EKU budget goes to instruction and academic support.

“The University continues to be committed to its core mission of educating students,” Newsom said.

The Board also approved small tuition hikes for Model Laboratory School. For students in grades 1-12, tuition will be $1,933, up $17 from the previous year. For nursery students, tuition rises $147 to $3,828. For kindergarten students, tuition rises $84 to $2,180. The technology fee for K-12, textbook fee for 9-12 and screening fees all remain the same.

In other business, the regents approved:

• Faculty Emeritus status for Joy Allameh, Ross Clark, Ron Dean, Bonnie Gray, David Sefton, Guenter Schuster, Kerstin Warner, Frank Williams, John Thomas, Joanne Guilfoil, Dena Demaree, Anne Blakeney, Joan Jinks and Cedaliah Melton

• Creation of a certificate program in geographic information systems(GIS) and an associate degree in general studies.

James Street, associate vice president for capital planning and facilities management, reported on construction projects.

He said construction on the new science building is on schedule, in spite of wet spring weather. Steel erection is scheduled to begin in July. Phase 2 of the Business & Technology Center, a performing arts center and an academic addition, also is on schedule.

Spring rains, however, have delayed renovation of EKU intramural fields, which may not be ready when classes begin in August.

Work will begin immediately on the design drawings for the Stratton Building addition.

Bill Robinson can be reached at brobinson@richmondregister.com or at 624-6622.