Chairperson Mark Dodson presented a plaque of appreciation to former administrative secretary Louise Paxton during Western Oklahoma State College's Board of Regents regular session Tuesday. Paxton, former administrative secretary to WOSC President Randy Cumby, served eight years as Cumby's secretary. As administrative secretary, Paxton also worked closely with the seven-member Board of Regents.

Instructional Faculty Association President Rebekkah Morrow addressed the Board on behalf of the IFA.

Lisa Greenlee, dean of arts and sciences, and Celia Nippert, math and science instructor/coordinator, presented a copy of Western's self-study report for the Higher Learning Commission/North Central Accreditation upcoming visit. The Board voted to approve the document as submitted and have it sent to the printer in preparation for the accreditation visit.

Bruce Wiese, vice president for business affairs, discussed the expenditure comparison report and the state grant compliance audit report. The Board voted to accept Wiese's recommendations that Cole and Reed be employed as Western's external auditors in fiscal year 2008 and that Crawford and Co. be

employed as Western's internal auditors for fiscal year 2009.



President Randy Cumby updated the Board on the upcoming construction of

Western's Cooperative Higher Education and Training Facility. Western has

decided to reject the current bid and readvertise for bids. Western expects

to accept a bid and begin groundbreaking by early 2008.



Western's Board adopted a resolution in favor of the recently announced

Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education's fiscal year 2009 budget

request in the amount of more than $1.2 billion, an 11.15% increase over

last year's increase. Western will benefit from this allocation in the form

of additional instructors and salary increases and will be more able to meet

the mandatory costs of utilities and healthcare. Western's Board adopted

the resolution in response to a request from Chancellor Glen Johnson of the

OSRHE.



Western's Board voted to purchase the rodeo grounds from the WOSC

Foundation, Inc. for the purchase price of $200,000 and invest an additional

amount of $200,000 into the rodeo and agriculture facility. The Board heard

from President Cumby, Larry Duffy, vice president for development and

alumni; Lee Doughty, WOSC Foundation board trustee; Wiese, and various

others, including Guy Smith, rodeo coach, and Nathan Wells, agriculture

instructor, before voting on the issue.



Dr. Randy Smith, vice president for academic affairs, presented Western's

updated Strategic Plan, which the Board voted to accept.

Kent Brooks, dean of information services and chief technology officer, made

a presentation about the future of Western's Higher Education and Training

Facility.

President Cumby informed the Board that Elizabeth Wallace, chemistry

instructor, has received another $49,000 grant from the Oklahoma Center for

the Advancement of Science and Technology (OCAST) on behalf of the college.

In personnel matters, the Board voted to employee Zebulon Burks as an

instructional support technician.