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Saginaw Valley State University

December 17, 2018

SVSU Board approves faculty sabbaticals, congratulates Student Association

The Saginaw Valley State University Board of Control approved 11 faculty sabbaticals during the Board’s regular meeting Friday, Dec. 14.

Those 11 faculty members will pursue a variety of research projects in their respective disciplines during the 2019-20 academic year. Those who were approved for sabbaticals were:

  • Elson Boles, sociology
  • Veronika Drake, English
  • Mark Giesler, social work
  • Susan Hillman, teacher education
  • Garry Johns, mathematical sciences
  • Gail Kantak, biology
  • Julie Keil, political science
  • Kim Lacey, English
  • Andrew Miller, geography
  • Conor Shaw Draves, English
  • Marilyn Skrocki, health sciences

The Board also congratulated the SVSU Student Association for raising more than $36,000 for the Barb Smith Suicide Resource and Response Network during the 2018 Battle of Valleys fundraising competition. SVSU students have raised more than $425,000 over the past 15 years to support a variety of community causes.

In other action, the Board:

  • Passed a resolution congratulating the men’s soccer team, which qualified for the NCAA Division II national tournament.
  • Passed a resolution congratulating the women’s soccer team, which qualified for the NCAA Division II national tournament.
  • Passed a resolution congratulating the men’s cross country team, which qualified for the NCAA Division II national championships, where they placed 6th overall, and head coach Rod Cowan, who was named the Midwest Region Coach of the Year.
  • Passed a resolution to grant undergraduate and graduate degrees.
  • Approved confirmation of board members for previously authorized public school academies.
  • Approved 2.5 percent raises for the 2019 calendar year for executive staff. President Bachand’s salary was set at 293,400; Deb Huntley, Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, will receive a salary of $234,600; and James G. Muladore, Executive Vice President for Administration and Business Affairs, will be paid $224,000.