Board approves academic calendars, sabbaticals, financials and $42 graduate fee; moves to executive session

The Board of Governors approved a set of routine and policy items during the meeting, including minutes from prior meetings, financial statements, academic calendars and personnel sabbaticals, and it approved a standardized graduate course fee of $42 per credit hour starting fall 2025. The board concluded the public meeting by voting to go into executive session under RSMO 610.021 sections (1) and (3).

Why this matters: The actions set the university—s academic schedule for two upcoming academic years, confirm fiscal reporting and budgeting work, authorize faculty sabbaticals, and establish a graduate-course fee that will affect tuition revenue and graduate tuition pricing starting in fall 2025.

Votes and formal actions (at a glance) - Minutes, Nov. 8 board meeting: Motion to accept minutes was moved (mover not specified in the transcript) and seconded; the motion passed (recorded as all in favor). Outcome: approved.

- Minutes, Dec. 18 special board meeting: A separate motion to approve the Dec. 18 minutes was moved and seconded (movers/seconders not specified); motion passed. Outcome: approved.

- Financial statements (period ending Dec. 31, 2024): Governor Seaborg moved to approve the financials; a second was made and the board voted in favor. The motion "The financials have been approved" was recorded after roll call-style affirmation. Outcome: approved.

- Academic calendars for 2026—27 and 2027—28: The Academic Affairs Committee recommended approval; a motion from the floor was seconded and the board voted to adopt both academic calendars. Outcome: approved.

- Faculty sabbaticals: The board approved two sabbatical recommendations forwarded by Academic Affairs: Leslie Smith (full year) and David Penning (half year). Outcome: approved.

- Standardized graduate course fee: The Budget and Audit Committee proposed a standardized graduate fee for fiscal year 2026; the full board approved a $42 per credit hour graduate fee to start in fall 2025. Outcome: approved. The motion as recorded: "That motion approves and is passed for $42 per credit hour graduate fee, starting fall of 2025." (Tally not provided in the transcript.)

- Executive session: The board voted to move into executive session "pertaining to RSMO 610.021 sections 1 and 3." A roll call was taken with the chair and multiple governors recorded as "Yes," and the meeting moved into closed session. Outcome: approved (roll call affirmative).

Notes on vote details and transparency Most motions were routine and passed by voice vote; explicit roll-call naming was limited to the executive-session motion, where several governors answered "Yes" during the roll call. The transcript shows several named participants who seconded or otherwise participated in motions (for example, Elliot Seabert is recorded as seconding one motion). In instances where the transcript did not provide a mover, seconder or roll-call tally, the meeting record lists the action as approved and the source transcript is cited.

Ending The board scheduled future meeting dates and then moved into executive session under the cited statute.