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A Stetson student heads to class.
Board Changes Investment Policy The Board of Trustees approved a change in the university’s investment policy in alignment with Stetson’s recent decision to become a tobacco- and smoke-free campus. The university will no longer directly invest in tobacco company securities. “This decision is an outgrowth of Stetson’s commitment to its values,” explains Stetson Vice President and CFO Bob Huth. “By choosing to restrict investment of certain university funds, we are putting our values into action, which is an important component to the full Stetson experience.” The board reviewed and approved the 15-year campus plans for Stetson’s four campuses recommended by the university’s Facilities Committee. The plans identify various facility projects to be undertaken in the near and midterm. Two new graduate degree programs also were approved: • The J.D./LL.M. in Advocacy 10
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degree program at Stetson’s College of Law began in spring 2015. It offers a joint-degree program, allowing qualified students the opportunity to earn both a J.D. degree and an LL.M. degree in advocacy from Stetson in as little as three years. • The Master of Education (M.Ed.) in Social Justice degree program offered in Stetson’s College of Arts and Sciences will support educators in meeting the academic and social-emotional needs of all students, including students considered at-risk. This program is designed to help educators better understand and serve the marginalized segment of children in the United States who live in families with incomes below the federal poverty level. Family homelessness is the fastest growing segment of the homeless population. The board recognized two significant gifts by longtime Stetson supporters. Their gifts were celebrated in separate ceremonies on campus: WORLD: The David and Leighan Rinker Center for International Learning has been
endowed by Stetson Trustee David Rinker ’62 and his wife Leighan ’65. The dedication ceremony was held to honor them and their family’s longstanding investment in Stetson’s future. While Stetson’s recruitment of international students and the study abroad programs are most well-known, the newly endowed WORLD (World Outreach, Research, Learning and Development) Center seeks to recognize, connect, increase and support the other ways Stetson is able to internationalize the institution and gain global recognition. The Hollis Family Student Success Center, the latest endeavor in a long history of support and service to Stetson by the Hollis family, will be the hub of learning in the heart of the Stetson campus. The center will put the various functions of Stetson’s Student Success program into one high-visibility, high-traffic location: Stetson’s duPont-Ball Library, on the second (mezzanine) level. It will focus on empowering students with the academic, social and financial know-how to
succeed and to live a life of significance. Four new members of Stetson’s Board of Trustees, elected previously, attended their first trustee meeting. They are Susan Morris ’69, Troy Templeton ’82, MBA ’83, Robert Pocica ’75 and C. Scott Bruin ’75. Their photos and bios are included on the university’s Board of Trustees website. The trustees received information on Title lX and participated in an information session about what the university has done and continues to do to be compliant with its requirements. The focus was on ensuring a safe environment for faculty, staff and students. Leading the discussion was a panel of experts, including Stetson’s General Counsel Mark Alexander, partner, Alexander DeGance Barnett; Professor of Law Peter Lake, who serves as director of the Center for Excellence in Higher Education Law and Policy; and Douglas Onley, senior claims counsel, United Educators. —Janie Graziani