Governing Board Digest

/in /by

By Vice President for Administration Steven Thiesfeldt ’74

Meeting of September 24-25, 2015

  • Received a report from Director of Finance Carla Hulke and from the auditing agency, which showed that MLC achieved a Department of Education composite financial ratio of 3.0 (on a 3.0 scale).
  • Designated $4.95 million in unrestricted net assets to tuition assistance ($1.6 million), program maintenance ($100,000), faculty position funding ($100,000), and the Economic Stabilization Fund ($3.15 million).
  • Adopted a 3% increase in student costs, lower than the anticipated 5% increase, bringing tuition, room and board charges to $19,490. Also approved a 5% increase in institutional financial assistance.
  • Approved three calls: (1) a man to teach music, give music lessons, and direct a choir (to replace Dr. Wayne Wagner, who is retiring)—subsequently filled by Craig Hirschmann DMLC ’84; (2) a man to teach theology (to replace Prof. Lyle Lange, who is retiring)—subsequently filled by David Scharf WLS ’05; and (3) a man to teach science and PE and coach men’s basketball (pending Synodical Council approval)— subsequently revised to math instead of science, and then filled by Greg Holzhueter MLC ’11.
  • Approved one-year sabbaticals for Prof. Thomas Nass, who is writing a commentary for Concordia Publishing House, and Prof. Miles Wurster, who is doing graduate study.
  • Approved a Congregational Partner Grant Program for first-year students, in which MLC will match congregational support up to $1000 per student.
  • Expanded the MLC Day activity to include an appeal for scholarship funding.
  • Approved an annual 4% distribution of the early childhood education scholarship funds raised through the “Let the Children Come” campaign.
  • Approved the updated Master Site Plan, which includes the construction of new or upgraded facilities over the next 8-10 years. Also requested a proposal for a capital campaign to address these upgrades.

A CLOSER LOOK: Master Site Plan

Compelled to Speak, the college’s strategic plan, suggested a need to “develop a plan for on-going maintenance, renovation, and expansion of facilities.” In cooperation with the WELS Capital Projects Committee, the college prepared an updated site plan and a prioritized project list that outlines major campus facility needs.
The plan addresses
• student housing,
• athletics (including property acquisition),
• music, and
• HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning) needs.

Now that the board has approved this plan, the Mission
Advancement Office will develop a proposal for a capital
campaign to address the new construction (subject to the
approval of the Synodical Council and in cooperation with
the WELS Ministry of Christian Giving).

Meeting of April 7-8, 2016

  • Approved a proposal from the Master Projects Committee to address the specific needs and details of the master site plan. The four-phase plan calls for $45 million in improvements to our campus over the next ten years.
  • Asked the Mission Advancement Office to develop a plan for a capital campaign to fund the various projects in the Master Site Plan.
  • Approved the Master Staffing Plan for the 2017-19 biennium.

A CLOSER LOOK: Master Staffing Plan

At its February 2015 meeting, the governing board asked the administration to develop a comprehensive master staffing plan. Led by Human Resources Manager Andrea Wendland and assisted by Director of Finance Carla Hulke, every college department was invited to propose its staffing needs for the next five to six years.
The data from this study was used to analyze opportunities for improved efficiency and create a list of prioritized needs for both faculty and staff in the 2017-19 biennium.

The plan calls for . . .
• two additional professors (history-social science and mathematics-science)
• three additional administrative assistants (Education, Admissions, and Mission Advancement Offices).
Wendland and Hulke also conducted a staff compensation analysis.