WHEREAS, Ron has more than 35 years of experience as an attorney and entrepreneur, leading technology enterprises in the global marketplace; and WHEREAS, Ron has been an engaged member of the Board of Trustees, helping to represent the university before the legislature and governor, strengthening board engagement with the faculty, reinforcing Central’s roots in the Ellensburg community, and leading the search for CWU’s new president; and WHEREAS, Ron helped to lead the university through extraordinary times, including the Great Recession, during which state support fell by 50 percent, and during the COVID pandemic, which demanded unprecedented innovation, toughness, and grace from the entire university community; and WHEREAS, Ron has been, in turns, inspiring, serious, brilliant, and funny, injecting board discussions— social and business-related—with philosophical musings, topical debate, and entertaining anecdotes; NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that this Board of Trustees thanks Ron for his leadership, commitment to CWU, and his passion and work ethic, which have helped make our university a better place.
ADOPTED and signed this 29 th day of July, 2021.
Motion 21-29: Mr. Conner moved that the Board of Trustees of Central Washington University approve Resolution 21-07 honoring Ron Erickson. Ms. Gillis seconded the motion. The motion was unanimously approved. FACULTY/STUDENT EXPERIENCE Board members have expressed a desire to learn more about the academic experience of students and faculty. On July 29, trustees joined Professor Greg Lyman at Hogue Hall to learn how a grant from the National Science Foundation is supporting students and faculty research and invention. Dr. Lyman, who is the 2021-2022 Faculty Senate Chair, is leading CWU’s work in a project that measures the impact of wind on building “appurtenances,” in this case, the solar panel array on top of Hogue. Dr. Lyman is an Associate Professor and Program Coordinator for Electronics Engineering Technology. His specialization in instrumentation requires him to work with sensors and data acquisition systems. The goal of the project is to influence the development of building codes for rooftop structures. CWU has the wind required for the study, as well as solidly attached appurtenances on the roof of Hogue. CWU is the test site for the study. Students and faculty developed programming and manufactured unique apparatus to measure wind load, including new technology for testing air pressure on roofs. Florida International University, a study partner, will build a full-scale version of the test site in their wind tunnel—the size of a hangar, constructed for hurricane research. Trustees met and spoke with two recent graduates who worked on the program, Emily Raney and Cameron Gordon. WORK SESSION FY22 BUDGET Vice President Hibbard reported that overall, CWU’s fall 2021 forecast remains at 10,700 students, which is a decline of 471 students from fall 2020. This includes a projection of 1800 new, first-year students, 1000 new transfer students, and 260 new graduate students. Last fall some students chose to take a year off from college; staff continue to engage these students to encourage enrollment. In addition, multiple campaigns and outreach efforts have launched to support student persistence.
5 Board of Trustees Minutes July 29-30, 2021
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