Present: Ash, Banach, Barker, Brewer, Brigham, Domier, Gross, Levine, McDermott, McGinty, Misra, Phillis, Schmalzer, Smethurst

Staff: Gallagher, Reardon, Wulkan

Absent: Adams (on leave), Brandt, Danai, Luce, Paynter, Phillips,

1.         Approval of Minutes of April 7, 2010

            Approved unanimously

2.         Governor’s Visit   April 22, 4 PM

            MSP will have buttons and leaflets, and is reaching out to the other unions.

            The dilemma is that although the Governor is responsible for the contracts not being funded, his budget is also much better for higher ed than the House Ways and Means budget.

3.         Legislative Advocacy

            The House Ways and Means budget cuts public higher ed by about $135 million (13%).  PHENOM has organized a call-in day to State Representatives on this and other campuses, urging co-sponsorship of several amendments – to level fund the colleges, for a modest increase in financial aid, and to restore the 12% tax rate on unearned income.

            We told the Chancellor about MTA’s contract funding campaign and learned that the administration is mostly using high-profile alums for advocacy.  The Government Relations on campus has been closed and Tom Milligan, who we were told would be our contact person for advocacy, is leaving the University.

4.         HFA-SBS Merger

            There is a report arguing that the merger will be expensive with unclear benefits, and there is a petition in support of the report.  MSP has not taken a position, but it was noted that there should be proper deliberation by the Faculty Senate.

5.         Campus Budget Priorities

            The Board had a discussion what expenditures were part of the core functions of the campus (e.g. teaching, library, advising, academic support, OIT, Physical Plant), and what were secondary (e.g. President’s Office, Athletics, mergers).  The longest discussion was about the $60 million of the operating budget that goes toward campus-funded financial aid.  The Chancellor is proud of this as a way to deal with the cuts in financial aid by the state and the fee increases; there was some sentiment on the Board that the campus should reduce this amount to fund faculty positions and not be funding what the state should fund.  Others on the Board felt like financial aid is critical and that this is not an issue MSP should touch.

6.         U.S. Labor Against the War

            A motion was made to renew our annual contribution of $250.  This passed unanimously.

7.         Last Board Meeting of the Semester

            May 5 at 10 AM