Attendees:   President Ivory V. Nelson, Vice President Saligrama C. SubbaRao, Vice President Howard E. Merlin, Vice President Michael B. Hill, Dean Jerryl Briggs, Ms. Diane M. Brown

Lincoln University Healthcare Benefits - Continuing efforts to provide employees with the most comprehensive, cost effective healthcare coverage, the office of Human Resources is exploring options, which make the additional benefit of a flexible medical spending account available to the employee.  The benefit will enable employees to set aside pre-tax dollars in an account to finance procedures/expenses not covered by their healthcare carrier.  It is anticipated that the new benefit will be made available in July 2002.

$29 million Commonwealth Funded Capital Projects - The Department of General Services has informed Lincoln that the eight projects (Fire Alarms/Security Systems, Storm Water Drainage, Steam Distribution, Electrical Distribution, Communications, Campus Lighting, Sewer Treatment Plant and Water Distribution) must be bid as eight separate contracts.  The Scopes of Work and allocations for each project cannot be combined or pooled within the legislated structure of Capital Funding.  The most flexibility we have to work with will be to provide common trenches under one contract that will enable trenching and backfill for another contract in the same utility corridor.  In addition, a lead contractor can be designated with responsibility to coordinate all of the projects. Outside of common corridors, contractors shall provide their own trenching, backfill and seeding. However, restoration of sidewalks and paved areas can be assigned to one contract.

Heery International will serve as the Construction Manager for these projects to provide master schedule guidance for the projects, among other things.

The project schedule has been revised as follows:
  Preliminary Submission   March 15, 2002
  Final Submission    May 15, 2002
  Bid Award     July 2002

Environmental Monitoring - The following four items remain on the University's list to remain compliant with requirements:
1. Wells that monitor the old underground contamination continue to show good results and decreasing levels of particulates.  The estimate is four more quarters of monitoring before the state signs off.
2. The University is operating under extension for emissions release from its boilers.  This is based on the Department of General Services (DGS) projects and their time line.
3. One more underground storage tank needs to be taken out of service.  It provides fuel to the generator at the treatment plant.  This is also driven by the DGS new plant.
4. The transformers with PCB's will be demolished with the DGS electrical work.

Lincoln University Endowed Accounts - The office of Development and External Relations has researched 210 of the University's endowed accounts. Thus far the review has found:
147 total Endowed Scholarships - 74 verified
 68 Scholarships over $5,000 - 58 verified
 79 Scholarships under $5,000 - 16 verified

63 total Endowed prizes - 53 verified
 10 prize accounts over $5,000 - 10 verified
 53 prize accounts under $5,000 - 49 verified

New Travel Agency to provide University's travel services - The University has contracted with International Tours to provide all travel services.  This change was made in response to concerns regarding the economic feasibility of costs associated with the previous travel service provider.  International Tours will provide hotel reservations, car rentals, train bookings and discounted airfares.  The Traveler Profile form, which has been distributed campus wide, should be completed by each traveler and faxed to International Tours.

Student Honors Convocation - The March 13, 2002 Student Honors Convocation will be a formal academic ceremony at which faculty and program participants will be required to wear academic regalia.  The University will honor, among others, 400 students with a GPA of 3.3 and above.
 
Academic Affairs
So as not to be in conflict with scheduling in-coming freshmen, the Faculty Conference will be changed to a date to be determined.

Student Affairs & Enrollment Management
All students will be advised that May 31st will be the last day to request a refund of their housing deposit if they do not plan to return to Lincoln in the fall.  This will facilitate an improved housing assignment process for returning and new students.
 
Admission Statistics for fall 2002 as of March 1, 2002
# of Undergraduate applications received for fall 2002……………… 2125
# of Undergraduate applications received for fall 2001……………… 1793

# of Undergraduate students admitted for fall 2002………………….   583
# of Undergraduate students admitted for fall 2001………………….   397

# of Graduate applications received for fall 2002……………………..     87
# of Graduate applications received for fall 2001……………………..     38
 
 

Diane M. Brown
Assistant to the President