February 12, 2015
Kansas Board of Regents Feb. 11 meeting university updates
Submitted by Communications and Marketing
The monthly Kansas Board of Regents meeting on Feb. 11 included several items related to Kansas State University.
K-State's budget reductions
The Regents released the total budget reductions by institution from Gov. Sam Brownback's allotment.
Making a Difference for Kansans
President Kirk Schulz shared Kansas State Research and Extension's "Making a Difference for Kansans" publication with the Regents. The publication addresses five challenges that affect Kansas — global food systems, water, health, developing tomorrow's leaders and community vitality — and how KSRE is helping to find solutions.
Students' Advisory Committee
Reagan Kays, K-State student body president, presented at the meeting as chair of the board's Students' Advisory Committee. There were 121 students from all of the Regent institutions at the Higher Ed Day on Feb. 10. Kays also discussed Lifeline 911, which can improve student safety and grant limited immunity from a state's Minor in Possession, or MIP, and Minor in Consumption, or MIC, of alcohol charge in certain circumstances where they make contact with officials during a medical emergency of a minor. Read more.
Helping students succeed
President Schulz, along with other university leaders, presented "How Kansas Universities prepare students to succeed in a global economy and environment." Schulz focused his part of the discussion on creating global partnerships and attracting international students. In 2014, there were 2,250 international students at K-State. Schulz said K-State thinks there is a strong benefit to having students from all over the world sitting next to one another in the classroom. He also said that to have K-State students to work anywhere in the world, the university has to give them the tools to be successful.
K-State's Accreditation Report
All of the Regent universities are fully accredited by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools. In addition, K-State reports 47 programs accredited by specialized accrediting bodies. Six programs are either certified, licensed, registered, or Federal Aviation Administration approved according to the standards of their respective regulatory bodies. Not all educational programs have accrediting bodies. Program accreditation is most prevalent in professional programs, such as architecture, engineering, nursing, law and teacher education.
Multiple-year appointments
The board approved policy revisions to allow state universities to offer multiple-year appointments for specific employees.
The policy change will increase competitiveness for faculty members and will give universities flexibility in appointing faculty members well-suited to a particular function or area of teaching.
Kansas State University was instrumental in changing the policy. K-State Faculty Senate and academic administrators saw the need to expand titles for faculty members employed in nontenure track positions. In December 2014, the university requested that the Kansas Board of Regents amend its policy, which required annual appointment of unclassified nontenure track and nontenured personnel.
Based on Kansas State University's request, the board created a more generic policy for all state universities.
Kansas Bioscience Authority
Former Regent Jerry Boettcher, a Kansas State University engineering alumnus, provided an annual report on the Kansas Bioscience Authority.
For live updates on all Kansas Board of Regents meetings follow @ksregents on Twitter. Agendas and complete meeting minutes are available online.