The Shippensburg Univer-sity Council of Trustees held a public meeting in the CUB MPR on Friday, Nov. 14.

Important to Friday’s meeting was the announcement of new campus positions, a presentation on a recent program attended by the Wood Honors College and the approval of the 2026 university budget.

SU President Charles Patterson started with his report. He said that the new director of Multicultural Student Affairs (MSA) is Danielle Martin, who will be beginning Nov. 8, and Arnold Taylor Jr. will be the associate director.

He also announced that SU had 2.6% enrollment increase during fall 2025, with first-time enrollment being up by 1%.

Kriner Hall’s transformation is moving forward, and it is funded by philanthropic and public investments. The building will be a hub for entrepreneurship and business creation.

Patterson finished the report by mentioning students who had recently won awards. 

At the 45th annual Juvenile Court Judges Commission awards banquet, Shippensburg students and alumni were recognized for excellence in juvenile justice. The Dr. Thomas L Austin award went to student Lindsey Haser, and SU alum Mercedes Olvera received the Dr. Anthony F. Ceddia award.

Patterson complemented Marlon Aristy, as Aristy was the 2025 recipient of the PASSHE Keeper of the Flame Award for his contributions to diversity, equity and inclusion for his work with SGA and MSA, which reflects his strong commitment to service and community building. 

This was followed by Patterson sharing that honor scholar student Cole Pearson won the Trish Baisden Student of the Year Award, an award sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy. 

Concluding Patterson’s report Interim Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs Nicole Hill shared that SU is pushing for more availability of online programs for adult learners. She is focusing on meeting learners where they are and is starting a fully online undergraduate program in business management.

Hill congratulated Todd Witman as Counselor Educator of the Year by the Pennsylvania School Counselors Association before turning it over to Kim Klein.

Klein presented “Partners in Peace,” which gives lessons in leadership and service from Nobel Peace Prize laureates, to enhance students’ leadership, development and civic engagement.  

Four students from Wood Honors College shared their experience of Voices of Peace. The students were Cole Pearson, Michelle Kubiak, Noah Henry and Victoria Sutherland.

Voices of Peace is an event centered around the Perspective on Nihon Hidankyo 2024 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate. The Woods Honors College was one of 16 honors programs and colleges worldwide selected after a competitive application process.

Klein announced that in spring 2026, a new study abroad program titled Partners in Peace will begin. 15 students were selected to travel to Norway to meet with leaders of key Nobel institutions and visit significant Nobel sites.

The council shifted to the first action item, the approval of the fiscal year 2025 annual audit. It was approved unanimously. 

Second, the council announced that the state budget has been approved, allowing the university budget to be voted upon. The university budget was approved unanimously.

Jolinda Wilson discussed the comprehensive planning process for fiscal year 2026 with projected revenues at $144,760,200, with expenditures and transfers at $142,294,397. 

Affiliation agreements compliance documents for Shippensburg University Foundation and SU student services ink were approved unanimously.

The resolution for Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program Match and Bridge funds financing verified the availability of $200,000 to support the Kriner Hall renovation project. This was also approved unanimously.  

Vice President for Enrollment Management and Marketing Megan Luft transitioned to share that students will be receiving $4 million in Raider Success Scholarships.

As far as enrollment, the 2026 academic year is ahead by 20% for first-time college students applying for spring. There was some concerns about transfer and graduate enrollment, but their office launched a strong marketing campaign. They are offering a discount and transferring all credits over to Shippensburg University. 

Luft told attendees that the last open house of the semester was held on Saturday, and it had the highest registered number since 2019. 417 students registered, with a total of over 1200 guests coming to campus on Saturday.

Lori Smith had three announcements to make when she was given the floor, beginning with praise for the successful completion of homecoming weekend. 

Smith also highlighted SCUPA employee Damian Morales for his role as assistant director of admissions, as he makes the transfer process easier for students and their families.  

Alumni relations with Patterson will be in Redding for a Ship social. Currently, 85 people are registered to attend. On Feb. 14, 2026, the Alumni Relations Office will host a dinner with dancing and a live band. 

Smith mentioned last that Registration will open soon for the Kentucky Derby party is on Saturday, May 2. 

This meeting was Student Government Association President Nathan Garber’s last report at the Council of Trustees meeting, as he will be graduating this semester. The role of president will be transferred to Ella Zinn, current VP of Student Groups, at a public meeting on Thursday, Dec. 4. New SGA senators will transfer positions.

Professor Maria Louis reached out to Garber about the upcoming process for the coordinated community response team. A grant from the Department of Justice was given to the university, and student leaders from the Student Government Association are directly involved in that, according to Garber.

The next meeting will be held on Feb. 20, 2026.

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