Regent Ramsey inquired why Crowe did not perform an audit for FY 2021. Regent Walston asked if Crowe was paid during that time period.

Regent Hatchett asked Dr. Shields how likely it was that KSU would be able to find an external auditor to step in.

Regent Fletcher asked Regent Dukes, Audit Committee Chair, for the status of Audit Committee meetings. Regent Dukes replied that she had been asked to refrain from holding meetings while the current auditors were performing the internal audit but that committee meetings would resume following the completion of that process.

Move the Board to approve entry into an agreement with an external auditor. The motion was seconded by Regent Fields and passed without dissent.

Chair Patton asked Dr. Shields to present this agenda item. Dr. Shields turned the presentation over to Ms. Candace Raglin, Director of Human Resources.

Regent Hatchett inquired whether someone in administration could describe the process that is undertaken when determining how to justify a position at the University.

Regent Fletcher noted that the salaries presented appeared to be low and wondered how the outcome of a future compensation study might impact these salaries. Additionally, Regent Fletcher questioned the possibility of HR returning to the Board at some point in the future to request altered salaries based on the findings of such a study.

Regent Walston asked why seemingly similar positions offered different salaries and questioned why approval was being sought for the top end of salary ranges rather than somewhere in the middle of the salary range.

As a follow-up to Regent Fletcher’s comments, Chair Patton asked if Ms. Raglin could state whether the proposed salary ranges were competitive with those of comparable institutions in the state of Kentucky.

Chair Patton also asked if the University was interested in moving toward the high end of competitive salary ranges in order to attract quality candidates. Ms. Raglin responded affirmatively, stating that this is a goal of the Management Improvement Plan.

Regent Fields asked Interim President Johnson if there was a strategy or plan in place to provide additional help to some of the greatly understaffed areas within the University.

Regent Walston requested an increase in administrative support services for academic departments.

Regent Moyer queried why most of the positions sought for approval did not offer salary ranges. Regent Moyer further noted that a hiring officer’s ability to operate within a salary range versus offering a set salary amount may provide increased negotiating opportunities in attracting desirable job candidates.

Regent Hatchett commented on a tension existing in higher education between offering the most economical instruction possible while fulfilling a duty to expose students to highly talented and