The University of Toledo Board of Trustees recently thanked Dr. Nagi Naganathan for moving the University forward during a time of transition as he completes his year as interim president.
Board Chair Joseph Zerbey presented Naganathan with a resolution honoring his service to the institution.
“Under your leadership as interim president, the Board of Trustees acknowledges and thanks you for your guidance and efforts to build the morale of students, faculty and staff, while continuing to grow the University’s educational foundation, as well as your tireless commitment to academics, research and philanthropic growth,” Zerbey said.
When he assumed the interim presidency, Naganathan held a retreat with student and faculty leaders, vice presidents and deans to identify key initiatives for the year and then focused his time on achieving those goals.
Among those initiatives were faculty hiring and retention plans that led to new tenure-track faculty in 34 departments and lecturers in 17 departments; improvements in the student experience with an overhaul of the Title IX policies and procedures; and the implementation of a student recruitment and retainment council to work to increase enrollment with early indicators predicting more students this fall.
Naganathan also provided leadership for efforts underway that include a campus master planning process, an affiliation agreement between the UT College of Medicine and Life Sciences and ProMedica, and UT’s Capital Campaign.
He thanked the board for the opportunity to serve the institution.
“It truly has been a great honor,” said Naganathan, who will resume his position as dean of the College of Engineering July 1.
The Board of Trustees also approved the $932 million budget for fiscal year 2016 and ratified the employment contract of the incoming president, Dr. Sharon Gaber.
The budget includes a 2 percent increase in tuition and general fee for in-state undergraduate students contingent on the requirements embedded in Ohio’s two-year budget, which continues to be developed by state lawmakers
Also included in the budget are a 3 percent increase in room and board costs and a 3 percent price increase for UT Health clinical operations. Non-union salary groups will receive a 2 percent wage increase, and there are pay increases for union salary groups according to collective bargaining agreements.
An additional $7.4 million is invested in scholarship dollars for students.
The board also elected officers for the 2015-16 year. Sharon Speyer will serve as chair, and Steven Cavanaugh will serve as vice chair.
The June meeting was the last for John Szuch, executive officer at Signature Bank, who was named to the UT Board of Trustees in 2006 to a term set to expire June 30.
