As reported in the May 4 @Metro Special Edition, issues surrounding the change in leadership at Metro State dominated that day's meeting of the Board of Trustees. However, several other important decisions were made, including one that affects all faculty and contract staff.

Interim Vice President of Administration and Finance Natalie Lutes reported on the preliminary budget for the 2006 fiscal year. Of great interest to many of those attending was a proposal by the BOT Finance Committee to postpone until January 2006 the average 3.6 percent merit pay increase for faculty and administrators that is to go into effect July 1. The committee had made the recommendation as a cost-saving measure in anticipation of the results of the November Tabor referendums.

After revealing that Stephen Jordan had expressed his strong opposition to delaying the pay increase, BOT Chair Bruce Benson called for a vote and the proposal was defeated.

Lutes also reported that the preliminary budget is based on the previously approved 7.2 percent tuition increase, but that there are no increases in student fees. She added, however that there will be a reasonable increase in the student health insurance premium. Lutes said that there will, however, be a proactive effort to let students know about the increase and the potential to waive the insurance.

Per the recommendation of Interim President Ray Kieft, the board voted to grant tenure to 10 faculty members; see "Ten earn tenure" in this issue of @Metro.

Trustee Alex Cranberg voted against the proposal, reminding the board that he has continuing concerns regarding grade inflation. "Two of the applicants awarded A's to more than 80 percent of their students," he said.

In response Faculty Trustee Eugene Saxe said that a high percentage of A's can't necessarily be tied to grade inflation. "When a professor teaches upper-level classes, it can be a matter of recognizing that those teaching preliminary, prerequisite classes are successful," he explained.

Also Wednesday the board approved changes to academic programs, among them the creation of a minor in eating disorders within the Department of Health Professions and two concentrations within the language/linguistics minor. The linguistics concentration is an updated version of the language/linguistics minor. The language concentration incorporates the study of a foreign language into the minor.

Presidential news
As previously reported in @Metro, the trustees have announced the terms of president designate Stephen Jordan's three-year contract. His annual salary is $270,000 with performance-based increases subject to the board's approval. His annual housing and automobile allowance is $59,000. Additionally, Jordan will receive a $200,000 low-interest loan from private sources through the Metro State Foundation to compensate for the loss of his unvested deferred retention incentive from Eastern Washington University. This loan is forgivable at the satisfactory completion of the terms of his contract.

The board also announced that John Buechner, who was head of the Presidential Search Committee, will serve as acting president from May 16 until June 13 when Jordan assumes office. Previously Buechner was president of the CU system and chancellor of CU-Denver.

Finally, as this was Ray Kieft's last trustee meeting as interim president, the board honored him with a resolution. In addition the Alumni Association Board of Directors and Alumni Relations staff presented him with a plaque.