President Pestello Offers Recap of February Board of Trustees Meeting
March 6, 2024
Dear members of the Saint Louis University community,
The Saint Louis University Board of Trustees held its first meeting of 2024 on Feb. 23.
In my report to the Board, I shared an advanced look at the 2023 President’s Report, which highlights the transformative impact of the SLU experience on students, faculty, and staff. The report, which has since been shared with the SLU community, offers a powerful representation of what makes our University distinctive and shows just a few of the countless ways SLU is contributing to the greater good.
During the meeting, the Board approved the separation of the current Department of Civil, Electrical and Computer Engineering into a Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering and a Department of Civil Engineering. Previously approved by the School of Science and Engineering Faculty Council, the move is expected to allow each department to grow research, increase student enrollment and create new interdisciplinary activities.
In other action, the Board approved the opening of six new academic programs and the closure of one executive master’s program:
- Modern Languages and Intercultural Communication, B.A. (St. Louis and Madrid) - opening
- Teaching, B.A. (Online Option) - opening
- Medical Sciences, M.S. - opening
- Stem Entrepreneurship, M.S. – opening
- Biomedical Engineering, M.S. – opening
- Biomedical Engineering, Ph.D. – opening
- Health Administration, M.H.A. (Executive) – closure
The meeting featured a special presentation from national safety and security expert Sue Riseling, who led the external review of DPS in 2021. Among the key topics she discussed were the impact of community crime on college campuses and active shooter incidents. Thanks to our strong relationship with the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department, the city’s police chief and the major who oversees the 3rd and 4th Districts were on hand to help connect national issues with local concerns.
Academic excellence remained a focus for the Board, with the trustees learning about the impact of the SLU/YouGov Poll from poll director Steven Rogers, Ph.D., an associate professor of political science; and Kaitlin Klasen, a senior majoring in political science and communication who has served as the poll’s research assistant since 2022.
Committee Updates
- Provost Michael Lewis, Ph.D., offered an update on our recruitment efforts for the incoming class of undergraduate students. While it is still very early in the enrollment cycle, there are encouraging signs, including an increase in freshman deposits over this time last year and an uptick in the number of students applying within a 300-mile radius of campus. Provost Lewis also detailed the proactive actions that SLU has taken to support students and parents who are grappling with historic delays involving the FASFA at a critical stage in their college decision process.
- David Heimburger, vice president and chief financial officer, offered an update on the FY24 budget. As noted in the September Board recap, the first-year class and net tuition revenue in the fall were less than initially budgeted. While SLU remains in a strong financial position overall, it has become clear that we are unlikely to meet our initial budget targets by year-end. To help minimize a projected budget deficit, the Business and Finance team has been meeting with leadership to explore opportunities for savings for the remainder of the fiscal year. Identifying new revenue opportunities remains an important focus as well.
- Christine Jacobs, M.D., dean of the School of Medicine and vice president for medical affairs, shared highlights of what the school accomplished in the first year of its five-year strategic plan. These advancements include growing federally funded research expenditures, enhancing preclinical and clinical curricula, and opening a medical student wellness center, among other milestones.
- Mickey Luna, vice president for human resources, shared the results of the recent Faculty and Staff Voice Survey and outlined efforts that are underway across the University to enhance the working experience at SLU based on employee feedback.
The latest meeting of our Board of Trustees once again reaffirmed the strength of the SLU community. As trustees, leaders, faculty, staff, students and alumni, we are all integral to advancing our mission to make a difference in the lives of others. Together, we are moving our University forward in inspiring ways.
Sincerely,
Fred P. Pestello, Ph.D.
President