Gannon University’s Board of Trustees met Friday as part of its yearly schedule to come together and discuss contemporary campus events.
The meeting, which lasted from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., was attended by all but two trustees, according to Doug Oathout, Gannon’s chief marketing and communications officer.
Oathout said this was the board’s fourth scheduled meeting of the calendar year, and served as the “special topics” meeting, in which the board focused on a single main issue while also handling routine business before the holiday season.
The board normally meets four times throughout the fiscal year, with meetings occurring in September, November, February and May.
“Other meetings tend to stretch over two days and involve several subcommittee reports on topics ranging from enrollment to retention,” Oathout said.
The key focus of the meeting was the WIG Fully Engaged initiative, as well as the roll out of GU+, Gannon’s new service framework.
The meeting included a presentation featuring several members of the WIG committee that designed GU+ for the university.
The presentation preceded this week’s worth of training sessions that faculty and staff will be undergoing.
The meeting did not feature any major votes by the board, and nothing was tabled for the following meeting.
The board of trustees, made up of Gannon alumni, is Gannon’s governing body, and it oversees many aspects of Gannon, including the school’s operations and strategic direction, as well as holding the administration accountable for the “stewardship of Gannon,” Oathout said.
For some wondering if student voices are heard by the board, Oathout said the student body is considered by all. “Students and the student experience are at the core of every conversation and decision,” Oathout said. “In fact, an SGA president is on the board.”
Gannon students who were unfamiliar with the board meeting felt that it was important that trustees were meeting and discussing issues critical to the student experience.
“Honestly, this is an aspect of Gannon we tend not to think about but is very important to the student experience and well-being,” Mike McGhen, a junior psychology major, said.
“These are the people making the decisions, and I’m glad to hear they met and are being informed on some of the important things happening around campus.”
Nicholas Frisina, a junior English major, said he felt it was important that the board was meeting regularly and being told about some of the new initiatives around campus.
“For the board of trustees, it’s essential they know what’s going on and can see recognizable progress,” Frisina said.
“Even though I wasn’t at the meeting, it sounds like they are up to date on all the exciting and new innovations occurring at Gannon.”
Kyla McNulty, a sophomore public service & global affairs major, said she was glad the board met and hopes that those in attendance were able to get caught up on important matters related to Gannon.
“I hope they were made aware of the awesome things Gannon has going on,” McNulty said.
“Gannon has a lot of cool stuff happening.”

MICHAEL GUIDO
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