[{"_1":2,"_112":-5,"_113":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88,100],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6686560,"mediaKeyId","2591280-2619abe5faff0f5323b9308e1c50b60c","parentId",2591280,"title","ETSU trustees approve consent agenda; committees approved AI use policy, institutional research security notification and housing/meal rate changes","audioSeconds",626,"startMs",2070325,"endMs",2696885,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2591280-2619abe5faff0f5323b9308e1c50b60c&start=2070&end=2696","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2591280-2619abe5faff0f5323b9308e1c50b60c/thumbnail_2070325.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6686560/Tennessee/ETSU-trustees-approve-consent-agenda-committees-approved-AI-use-policy-institutional-research-security-notification-and-housingmeal-rate-changes","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6686560-0d1a497772f325f3bf0274a95d24c7e5/orig.mp4?Expires=1771106776&Signature=FUMlTcqJTvbacS87WodeYT7-pVodAasC9eifO1KcIuLQTGG~L7mMP94W7Sk50edNuVOMrpTO42h2ngDYqE9YxPNdnxGkhBzLnTSwuzUsfSGaIa70eR9FQI2qxnWDBJs4I3udH3W9jg2uIvL7eT8UpXsHbosmo0oG1NxsspXnO7LDH4gQu4XcJ-QXwxoEiQ78rvgr6nzOeK609dy7aAz5n2CdmvWHpAhQSx1wn24lQK70ZLKGWPj-aF5aqX1qETrkcRmNZmZzvViDFVn9pT1YNBu8m9qLTmlpO~3z1HH2LqJO5et~w0O3uW8xdzkLvT1VsonIvO2dopaMWQHIkkkC6g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","East Tennessee State University","date","2025-02-21T00:00:00Z","article","The East Tennessee State University Board of Trustees approved several routine items via the meeting’s consent agenda, adopting minutes and ratifying actions previously approved by morning committee meetings.

Chair Latimer asked for a motion to approve the minutes of Nov. 15, 2024; trustees voiced approval and the motion passed. Later, after committee reports and discussion, trustees approved the consent agenda by voice vote.

The Academic Research and Student Success Committee earlier this morning approved a policy on the use of artificial intelligence and related technologies for instructional and assignment purposes. Trustee Ayers reported the committee’s action and said the provost will \"work with the campus to make additional policy changes needed and provide detailed procedures on the use of AI to the campus by 06/01/2025.\" The committee also voted to notify state legislative education committee chairs about the adoption of an institutional research security policy that it passed in December 2024.

The Finance and Administration Committee approved several items that were moved to the consent agenda. The committee approved no increase in tuition rates for the College of Medicine for the 2025–26 academic year. It also approved proposed housing and meal plan rate increases for fall 2025 that are part of a two‑year plan; trustees were told those increases range from about 5 percent to 8.7 percent and were included in the consent agenda.

The Audit Committee reported an unmodified opinion on ETSU’s financial statement audit and noted that the ETSU Police Department received accreditation from the Tennessee Law Enforcement Accreditation Program. Those informational reports were summarized to the full board and included on the consent package.

Board votes on the minutes and the consent agenda were taken by voice: \"All those in favor? Aye. Opposed?\" The chair stated the motions carried. No roll‑call tallies or dissenting votes were recorded in the transcript.

Actions approved in the consent agenda were described in committee briefings and adopted by the full board; trustees did not pull any consent items for separate discussion.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","ETSU Board of Trustees Meeting – 1:00 p.m. - 02/21/2025","oneSentenceSummary","At its meeting the East Tennessee State University Board of Trustees approved the consent agenda, which incorporated earlier committee actions including an academic policy on AI use, institutional research security notification, no tuition increase for the College of Medicine and planned housing and meal rate increases.","taxTitle","East Tennessee State University, Public Universities, School Districts, Tennessee","taxId",79444,"location","Tennessee","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6686564,"ETSU biologist demonstrates 3D‑printed robotic flowers to study pollinator behavior",674,3326010,4000329,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2591280-2619abe5faff0f5323b9308e1c50b60c&start=3326&end=4000","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2591280-2619abe5faff0f5323b9308e1c50b60c/thumbnail_3326010.jpg","/articles/6686564/Tennessee/ETSU-biologist-demonstrates-3Dprinted-robotic-flowers-to-study-pollinator-behavior","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6686564-fefd89a263086a95dbfdcc886db335ea/orig.mp4?Expires=1771106776&Signature=UdBpDMwazV5uJj7WESxD14pUUt6EKkH5UPIKix8W4yb9zI93OaVwrR46ye5crfWPQy1uzmUqn3GXnnJxMS1tU9DiBm8SQ2GirSyaJ9vVube1DtEd8TLPrf50Ssf03VBmpBCUiik-ouaGggKFfBAORhGlk6InNZ7ilJA8j4OXX5XUhop-YC-l6R~g9Gk9Cd7DH5NP0k3E6wV9ha7-f6W~7zaIdLJAiCDiGjAYysUcbs1iApvxFndinO3KKzujm27orHOpC2braRhwfJJDClarCeFbRLqAMh62~IlL1-2TqcA8T9b9bcVy4~7oQeCW8LRwH93GUHAUr-2nkCqovgqo2w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Assistant Professor Melissa Whitaker presented the Board of Trustees with an overview of her lab’s research using 3D‑printed 'robotic flowers' to study pollinator behavior and the effects of non‑nutritional floral chemicals.

\"Bees are critically important to our global economy and our food security,\" Whitaker told the board, summarizing the motivation for her lab’s work. She explained that floral nectar contains not only sugars but also compounds such as caffeine, nicotine and, in experimental tests, morphine, and that those compounds can alter pollinator learning and visitation.

Whitaker described the lab’s platform: interchangeable 3D‑printed floral displays mounted on hollow stems, motion‑triggered microcameras, a nectar reservoir that can be spiked with test compounds, and single‑board computers that log visit times and durations. Graduate students Skyler Mathison and Josh Foley have driven the project’s design and testing; engineering collaborator David Zollinger helped integrate sensors and electronics. Whitaker said the design was iteratively refined based on bee responses and that bumblebees readily learned to use the devices.

Current experiments use the robotic flowers to examine whether small quantities of compounds such as caffeine and nicotine enhance pollinator learning, and Whitaker said her students are also investigating morphine’s effects. She described planned extensions that would combine the flower arrays with machine‑vision tracking inside artificial nests to observe colony‑level consequences of chemical exposure.

Whitaker credited the ETSU College of Arts and Sciences for funding the research through her startup account and thanked students and collaborators. Trustees asked questions about sourcing bees and tagging methods; Whitaker said some bees are purchased through agricultural suppliers and that her team uses small tags and off‑the‑shelf components to identify individuals. The board did not vote on the research presentation; it was an informational update.","Assistant Professor Melissa Whitaker described a lab platform of 3D‑printed 'robotic flowers' that record bumblebee visits and permit controlled tests of floral chemistry; the project is funded by the ETSU College of Arts and Sciences startup funds and involves graduate and undergraduate students.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6686571,"ETSU trustees briefed on Voyager (Oracle) rollout; go‑live targeted for July with mandatory payroll tests",614,4061655,4676405,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2591280-2619abe5faff0f5323b9308e1c50b60c&start=4061&end=4676","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2591280-2619abe5faff0f5323b9308e1c50b60c/thumbnail_4061655.jpg","/articles/6686571/Tennessee/ETSU-trustees-briefed-on-Voyager-Oracle-rollout-golive-targeted-for-July-with-mandatory-payroll-tests","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6686571-5f26f105df29d615b1d13b6f4a590fff/orig.mp4?Expires=1771106776&Signature=NvsA5KIKJgdt72kSA4MkQMe5j6uEyVLd3Df49O0D43~Ij4FxY8NCAug7h7GdigIHbaucPAaunc3V9TsXrqfl0kNYWFoG2AnDR3c9sMbu-oFMRRkwh0UMzpYoO6DzIVlJl7diOQj0t6J~zDBbovPuEFqD~CXtIXtNBlet4AznunZuGWyP14jAAUGqhnsljQGemaF4yCohXoM25rVn5sAu-6JMUuBezBf180TWlpuOHU8O4wHyoW9VKGt5hgZz~Z2mlkmnUCzCbfzJf5BaJMrBvraF2GiK6CisSEdHvx8wVq3kmYfmZxnmucxW9H6XzqqjEWNFD~HbbJmdpQ8PgGacJg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","University staff updated the East Tennessee State University Board of Trustees on progress and risks for the Voyager enterprise resource planning (ERP) rollout, a multi‑phase Oracle installation scheduled for implementation this summer.

Dr. Karen King and project staff said the team completed its second conference room pilot using ETSU data and met exit criteria (95% of tests completed satisfactorily). \"We finished our conference room pilot 2...we did reach that 95%,\" King reported. The rollout timeline includes five weeks of systems integration testing, end‑to‑end testing, pilot training and user acceptance testing before a final cutover targeted for July.

Project staff described a sequence of test environments and repeated conversions, integrations and data loads designed to rehearse cutover multiple times. Integrations to be tested include parking and banking connections, state agency interfaces (for example, Edison Health/State systems) and supplier registration workflows. Staff emphasized a redesigned chart of accounts, out‑of‑the‑box dashboards from Oracle, mobile web‑clock and leave‑request tools, and an auto‑provisioning security approach that will assign system access by role.

Payroll testing was a focal point. Staff said they have completed an initial parallel payroll test with roughly 85% success and that a larger parallel payroll run is scheduled; they reported that all identified errors from the first test had been cataloged and were being addressed. \"But to be clear, we will not go live if we can't pay people,\" one project presenter said. Staff stressed the availability of a fallback (running Banner) if immediate payroll problems occurred at go‑live but said they aim for high confidence before switching operational systems.

Training deliverables are slated to be complete by April with pilot training in May and early June and end‑user training through August; staff plan continuous training support into the fall semester. The project team also highlighted Oracle’s guided learning tools for task‑level, in‑system help and a supplier self‑registration portal to improve vendor onboarding.

Trustees asked about worst‑case scenarios and contingency plans; presenters reiterated the payroll prerequisite, repeated cutover rehearsals and the added staffing resource allocated to payroll work. No board vote was taken; the update was informational.","University staff told trustees the Voyager (Oracle) enterprise resource planning project completed its conference room pilot and is entering system integration testing; parallel payroll tests must match before a July go‑live and leaders said they will not proceed if payroll cannot be run accurately.",{"_33":101,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":102,"_41":103,"_43":104,"_45":105,"_47":106,"_49":107,"_51":108,"_53":109,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":110,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":111,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6686574,"ETSU trustees hear athletics strategic plan as NIL settlement forces opt‑in decision by March 1",608,2692705,3300840,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2591280-2619abe5faff0f5323b9308e1c50b60c&start=2692&end=3300","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2591280-2619abe5faff0f5323b9308e1c50b60c/thumbnail_2692705.jpg","/articles/6686574/Tennessee/ETSU-trustees-hear-athletics-strategic-plan-as-NIL-settlement-forces-optin-decision-by-March-1","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6686574-20213f432b1d18bded59ec259406ae27/orig.mp4?Expires=1771106776&Signature=XT0UrRLw5uavaw46ArMSdyOvJpc3Yletz1mTx8~oyLt~MQHal9ZtA1NLE4RNAjywV3wOt2cDJQH2rknmgyWEDs-miSxD6xet5HU9DTP~M4WavDAX9qioI7BtfKuylOYt~3lwC3-F5ICflpenKnagELch6YzLCcpKRqgvD7xHUvQf5dU2idnCzIWakegMWE~ejC2efP6Fjhe7tA~zIbxohTmgFQfEijz-imVdJXVpescJn9qpHItYQobxlJYKEcY3R5f6R6yGmyWRdvGDFkXfUA63W2ZZEUPJlbAdiI9AFm3x8DQBhbB5VCVf-~O2QTYHB9F4n0XYFWAC9xqhdiQSOQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","At its quarterly meeting, the East Tennessee State University Board of Trustees heard an overview of the Athletic Department’s strategic plan and the fiscal choices the department faces because of the NCAA v. House settlement.

Dr. Sanders, presenting the plan, told trustees that institutions must decide by March 1 whether to opt in to the settlement. \"Institutions must decide whether they're going to opt in or opt out of this settlement,\" Sanders said. He said opting in would let institutions share revenue with student‑athletes through a clearinghouse administered by the NCAA but would also obligate schools to new costs.

The presentation summarized key elements of the settlement and the athletic plan. Sanders said the settlement requires $2.8 billion in damages to be paid over 10 years and estimated ETSU’s share of required payments as about $288,000 per year. He said opting in would remove existing scholarship caps (turning limits on scholarship dollars into caps on roster size) and require institutions to route revenue‑sharing and NIL (name, image and likeness) payments through a clearinghouse. \"If you opt into the settlement, the institution will be able to...compensate student athletes for their name, image and likeness, or revenue share,\" Sanders said.

Sanders told trustees the settlement and other shifts in college athletics — transfer rules, inflation and conference realignments — create major budget pressures. He showed travel‑cost comparisons that illustrate rising expenses: a trip that cost $44,000 in an earlier year rose to $55,000 for a recent football trip, a roughly 24% increase. He also noted an 18% increase in ticket revenue this year, about $120,000, as one source of offsetting income.

The athletic strategic plan presented to the trustees groups priorities into six elements, with student‑athlete experience at the top. Sanders said the plan will also emphasize fiscal management, facilities consulting, organizational changes and entrepreneurial revenue generation. He said the department has retained a consultant to evaluate facilities, including the 1975 dome, and will finalize timelines and responsibilities after the settlement certification in April.

Trustees asked questions but did not take a board vote on the athletics plan or the settlement decision during the meeting. Sanders said the institution must choose whether to opt in or opt out by March 1 and that after the settlement certification on April 7 the department will begin implementing the strategic plan and allocating resources.

The presentation did not include a formal motion or board vote. Trustees were given time for questions after the briefing.","The East Tennessee State University Board of Trustees received an Athletic Department strategic‑plan briefing that framed a looming institutional decision about whether to opt into the NCAA 'House' settlement; opting in would cost ETSU roughly $288,000 per year and change scholarship rules and revenue‑sharing for name, image and likeness deals.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

ETSU trustees approve consent agenda; committees approved AI use policy, institutional research security notification and housing/meal rate changes

ETSU biologist demonstrates 3D‑printed robotic flowers to study pollinator behavior

ETSU trustees briefed on Voyager (Oracle) rollout; go‑live targeted for July with mandatory payroll tests

ETSU trustees hear athletics strategic plan as NIL settlement forces opt‑in decision by March 1