A formal vote on transferring ownership of Griggs University and a surprise rallying of financial support for the Bibles for Freshmen Project were high points of interest at President Niels-Erik Andreasen’s annual Board Briefing following the October meeting of the Andrews University Board of Trustees.
  
Andreasen shared how an engineering student named Sandra Prieto opened the Board meeting with prayer and shared the impact the Andrews Study Bible has had on her. Sandra, who also participated in the Bibles for Freshmen project by sponsoring a Bible for a fellow student, launched the Board of Trustees into a conversation on how they could best give the project continued support and longevity. In a matter of minutes, the Board collectively pledged $18,000 of their personal funds to expand the Bibles for Freshmen project to provide Bibles for additional undergraduate students.
 
“It created camaraderie and a sense of general goodwill,” said Andreasen. He then shared future plans for the Andrews Study Bible, which includes negotiations on translating it into other languages.

One of the most significant action items on the Board’s agenda was a motion to accept the transfer of ownership of Griggs University/Griggs International Academy. In essence, said Andreasen, Andrews University is the new owner of Griggs as a corporation; much like Andrews owns WAUS Broadcasting, the Center for Youth Evangelism, etc.  The Board also voted to transfer administration of Griggs to Andrews beginning November 1, 2010. The tentative plan for the physical relocation of Griggs is to move to Andrews sometime in 2011, possibly during the summer months. Griggs will move into space at the Lake Union Conference of Seventh-day Adventists building. The General Conference of Seventh-Day Adventists will provide approximately $700,000 in annual rent and operation subsidy to Andrews for Griggs. The Board voted to accept that the General Conference would cover any personnel costs for current Griggs employees who either retire or choose not to move from Maryland to Michigan. Andrews University will cover the costs of setting up Griggs at Andrews, including personnel and technical costs, estimated at $1.25 million by accessing restricted funds currently held by Griggs plus a smaller amount coming from the General Conference.  The General Conference also agreed to a $1 million, four-year appropriation for program development to be paid out annually in increments of $250,000.

Joseph Warren, associate professor of English, presented a diversity report to the Board on the ethnic distribution of students and employees. For all students, 28 percent are black; 11 percent are Asian; 1 percent are Pacific Islander; 16 percent are Hispanic; 41 percent are white; 2 percent are listed as “two or more”; and 1 percent are unknown. For all full-time employees, the ethnic distribution is: 10.1 percent are black; 0.1 percent are American Indian; 6.4 percent are Asian; 0.1 percent are Pacific Islander; 9.6 percent are Hispanic; 72 percent are white; 0.8 percent are “two or more”; and 0.9 percent are unknown.
Stephen Payne, vice president for Enrollment Management and Integrated Marketing & Communication, presented an enrollment report revealing Andrews University’s current student headcount is 3,487.

Larry Schalk, vice president for Financial Administration, presented an operations report over-viewing the fiscal year-to-date, May 1–Sept. 30, 2010. The operating budget is currently $650,000 behind. On the plus side, Andreasen noted, tuition will be higher than expected with more students than budgeted and increased occupancy in the residence halls. On the negative side, interest and depreciation is more than budgeted and Andrews is feeling the loss of $435,000 in subsidy from the Michigan Conference. According to Andreasen, Schalk stated that because the additional revenue will be achieved later in the fiscal year, we will be at budget by the end of the fiscal year. He pointed to two key campus entities, the residence halls and Dining Services, as being on budget.

Also in the report from Financial Administration was an update on construction and remodeling for the Undergraduate Learning Center and the new residence hall tower. According to Schalk, both construction and budget are on schedule and crews anticipate building closure (roofs and walls) before the first snowfall of the season. Over Christmas break, half of Nethery Hall will be vacated to begin the remodeling portion of the Undergraduate Learning Center project.
 
Max Trevino, chair of the Audit Sub-Committee, reported to the Board a recent “clean audit” for Andrews University. According to Trevino, the auditor called it “the best audit ever.”

The Board also voted and approved a new PhD program in Biblical & Ancient Near Eastern Archaeology, which is housed in the Department of Old Testament in the Seminary.

The Board also approved a number of faculty and staff appointments:

Faculty Appointments
College of Arts & Sciences: Alina Baltazar, assistant professor of behavioral sciences; Lilian Correa, instructor of English; Garnett Brendan Cross, instructor of physics; Gretchen Krivak, assistant professor of nutrition & wellness; Laura Racovita-Szilagyi, assistant professor of social work/director of field education
College of Technology: Brani Byers, assistant professor of aviation maintenance
University Schools: Audrey Walker, instructor, Ruth Murdoch Elementary School
Seminary: José Bourget, assistant director of the Center for Youth Evangelism; Kenly Hall, associate professor of Christian Ministry; Errol McLean, associate professor of church growth and evangelism; Rick McEdward, associate director of the Institute of World Mission/assistant professor; David Penno, Doctor of Ministry project coach

Promotion-in-Rank and Continuous Appointments
College of Arts & Sciences: Gisele Kuhn, assistant professor, Department of Nursing; Gary Land, professor emeritus, Department of History & Political Science; Gary Land, assistant dean of graduate programs, College of Arts & Sciences
School of Architecture: Kathleen Demsky, associate professor, Architecture Resource Library
School of Education: Robson Marinho, chair, Department of Leadership & Educational Administration
Seminary: Cheryl Doss, director, Institute of World Mission; Martin Hanna, director, MA in Religion; S. Joseph Kidder, full professor/continuous appointment, Department of Christian Ministry; Jiri Moskala, chair, Department of Old Testament; Stanley Patterson, chair, Department of Christian Ministry; John Reeve, editor, Andrews University Seminary Studies; Kenneth Stout, emeritus, Department of Christian Ministry; Randall Younker, director, PhD in Biblical & Near Eastern Archaeology

Staff Appointments
Sylvianette Ballesteros, enrollment recruiter, Division of Enrollment Management; Naomi Best, enrollment coordinator—public high schools, Division of Enrollment Management; Taisha Bulgin, catering manager, Office of Dining Services; Jonathan Mark Daniels, retail manager, Office of Dining Services; Christopher Denda, staff psychologist, Counseling & Testing Center; Viviana Insunza-Caceres, student financial services processor, Office of Student Financial Services;  David Muth, director of maintenance/accounts manager, Department of Aeronautics; Philip Roberts, multimedia engineer, Office of Information Technology Services; Ian Roberts-Clarke, project manager, Office of Integrated Marketing & Communication; Gillian Sanner, assistant to the vice president of Student Life, Division of Student Life; Amy Waller, payroll manager, Office of Human Resources

Change in Position Title
Ryan Clough, accountant 1, Office of Financial Records; Japhet De Oliveira, director, Center for Youth Evangelism; Carolyn Hurst, director, Office of Graduate Admissions; Kristine Knutson, director, Student Success Center; Matthew Park, senior designer, Office of Integrated Marketing & Communication; Alice Williams, university archivist, Center for Adventist Research; Dianne Wilson, director of operations, Office of Dining Services; Carletta Witzell, student intervention/disabilities services coordinator, Student Success Center

Retirements
Gary Marsh, Department of Aeronautics, 42 years of University service; Jacqueline Kinsman, Department of Nursing, 25 years of University service; Roger Okuno, Andrews Bookstore, 7 years of University Service; Barbara Friesen, assistant in administration, 38 years of University service