The Board of Trustees voted today at the November meeting to delay any action on President Stephen Jordan’s graduate program proposal until the Dec. 3 meeting. (For information about the proposal, go to http://www.mscd.edu/~collcom/artman/publish/graduate_twv6102008.shtml.)

After a spirited discussion that involved two other motions, Trustee Maria Garcia Berry moved that the board delay the vote on authorizing Jordan to pursue legislative approval for adding master's-level programs. Having expressed her concern that a yes vote in essence establishes the College’s legislative priorities for the coming 2009 session, Garcia Berry’s motion included that the board’s legislative committee meet prior to the next full meeting in order to discuss what those priorities should be.

Garcia Berry’s motion also included a directive for Jordan and the College’s legislative staff to provide an evaluation of how best to proceed and what the board would be facing if they authorize the proposal.

The legislative committee will meet the week of Nov. 24.

The motion passed unanimously.

Most of the trustees went on record with their support for the idea, but all expressed that they would like more information about the proposal’s feasibility prior to making a final decision. After much discussion, the trustees agreed that two distinct processes are involved. First would be attaining legislative approval; the second would then be a detailed analysis of the cost, demand and feasibility of the programs, at which time the board would vote on their approval of the particular programs to be considered.