The meeting covered transparency in university matters in general but also included the resignation of former university President Paul W. Ferguson.
Fifteen people in total were present at the meeting, and the doors were closed to the public.
Greg Carbó, a student representative at the meeting, said he was excited to be a part of the dialogue between the trustees, faculty and administration. He said he thinks all students should take the time to meet with trustee members and learn what they do.
"What we as a student body want and need is to see their faces, who they really are," Carbó said. "This was my first time meeting them, but I shook their hands and we talked for a while."
Carbó said students should expect an open dialogue soon – with open forums and more statements from the trustees. And he said that everyone should pay attention.
After talking with trustee members, Carbó said he felt more closure over the resignation of Ferguson and felt ready to move on toward progressing BSU.
Bruce Frankel, an urban planning professor and member of the Faculty Council, said he had mixed feelings about the meeting. The Faculty Council had proposed a no-confidence resolution against the Board of Trustees in the aftermath of Ferguson’s resignation.
Frankel said right now there still is not enough transparency in regards to the selection of the next president, even though this meeting and the future meetings are closing the gap between the Board of Trustees and the other constituents of the university.
“The mistake that they have been making throughout the selection of Gora, the selection of Ferguson, will be repeated at the next,” Frankel said. “I don’t think what they said today is adequate progress. I think it simply ensures that another mistake will be made, and we [the university] have only ourselves to blame.”
Rick Hall, chairman of the board of trustees, agreed that the university has to continue to move forward toward transparency and communication.
"We've heard that there's a desire to have this openness. We are pleased to hear that and welcome input and look forward to hearing great thoughts," Hall said. "It's a start — not an end all — as we evolve here."
Also among the attendees was Amy Harden, a family and consumer sciences associate professor and Chairperson for the University Senate. At the meeting on Monday afternoon, Harden said that she believed the meeting was a step in the right direction.
"I feel really positive about [the meeting]," Harden said. "It really was encompassing of everyone's different views. The trustees were really listening, really wanting to improve the situation."
No new information was released about Ferguson's resignation at the meeting, but Harden said that the discussion was more focused on improving future communication between students, faculty and the administration.
Harden said that increased communication was what most of the meeting's attenders seemed to want – but she said it won't come easily.
"It seems like such a simple thing – communication. But it's not as easy as you think," she said. "It's very complex."
Dom Caristi, a telecommunications professor, was also at the discussion. He said the meeting was a good first step toward a more open university, but that faculty and students can't stop pushing the Board of Trustees for more communication yet.
"[The trustees] had the willingness to start a conversation. And this morning we started that conversation. But if nothing else happens … well, then that won't be good,” Caristi said.
Caristi said he worries students and faculty will lose interest in the situation and stop pressing for an open university, an issue that he said could stop BSU from continuing to move toward transparency.
"I would hope that people would maintain an interest in this," he said. "I hope that students continue to go to trustee meetings … I hope that faculty continues to care."
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