Responses to Questions 2 20 from Chairman Mendelson s letter of January 21, 2014 Q2) Please provide the name of each business entity, whether or not transacting any business with the District of Columbia government, in or from which you or any member of your immediate family have a beneficial interest exceeding in the aggregate $1,000, or that produced income in excess of $200 during a calendar year. A2) None Not Applicable Q 3) Please provide the name of each business entity, whether or not transacting any business with the District government, in or from which you or your immediate family have received (or are receiving) honoria and income earned for services rendered in excess of $200 during a calendar year during the past two years. Also include the identity of any client for whom you performed a service in connection with your outside income if the client has a contract with the District government. A3) Northern Virginia Community College; George Mason University; Commission on Colleges, Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Q4) Please provide the name of each business entity, whether or not transacting any business with the District government, in which you or any member of your immediate family serves as an officer, director, partner, agent, employee, consultant, contractor, volunteer or in any formal capacity or affiliation. Also list the positions (help), a brief description of the entity, and any other pertinent details. A4) None Not Applicable Q5) Please provide the name of each business entity, whether or not transacting any business with the District government, in or from which you or any member of your immediate family had an agreement or arrangement for a leave of absence, future employment, including date of agreement, or continuation of payment for a former employer. A5) Not Applicable Q6) Please provide the name of lender and the amount of liability for each outstanding liability borrowed by you or any member of your immediate family in excess of $1,000. Do not include loans from a federal or state insured or regulated financial institution, or from any business enterprise regularly engaged in the business of providing revolving credit or installment accounts (i.e., you do not have to disclose loans from a federally insured or regulated bank) Q6) None Not Applicable Q7) Please provide all real property located in the District in which you or any member of your immediate family have an interest with a fair market value in excess of $1,000 or that produced income in excess of $200 during a calendar year. Do not list personal residences occupied by you or your spouse or domestic partner.
A7) 1208 Hemlock St., NW, Washington DC 20012 Q8) If you have received within the past twelve months any gifts from a prohibited source, as that term is defined by DC Official Code 1 1161.01(46), and the aggregate value of the gifts from a prohibited source is $100 or more, please provide the following information: (1) the name or entity that provided the gift; (2) a description fo the gift; (3) the date the gift was received; and (4) an estimated value of the gift. A8) Not Applicable Q9) Please list all professional and occupational licenses held by you. A9) None Not Applicable Q10) Please list any professional organizations of which you are currently a member A10) American Association of Community Colleges President s Roundtable; Commission on Colleges, Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Q11) Please list all boards and commissions connected with the District government on which you are or have been a member, and include the term of service for each. A11) None Not Applicable Q12) Do you have any outstanding liability for taxes, fees, or other payments to the District, federal, or other state or local governments, either contested or uncontested? If so, please provide documentation of attempts to apply the amount owed or to resolve the disputed claim. A12) None Not Applicable Q13) Do you or any member of your immediate family have any interest, financial or otherwise, that may directly or indirectly pose a conflict of interest for you in the performance of your duties on the UDC Board of Trustees? A13) None Not Applicable Q14) Please describe your background and experience that qualify you to serve on the Board A14) I have worked in higher education as a faculty member and as a college administrator, specifically in the community college, for almost my entire professional career (approximately 38 years). Over the span of those 38 years, my work experiences have included serving as the Provost (CEO) of Northern Virginia Community College s Loudoun Campus. During my tenure, Loudoun was the fastest growing and the wealthiest county in the United States. While serving as Provost, we grew enrollment such that we moved from NOVA s smallest campus to its third largest. I opened and served as director of four successful off campus centers two in Reston, VA, one at the Loudoun Hospital in Leesburg, VA, and one at Signal Hill in Loudoun County, VA. During my career at NOVA, I also served as Dean of Students and Assistant for Campus & Instructional Development at its Manassas Campus, and as Dean of the Math, Science, and Computer Science Division at the Alexandria Campus. I had the opportunity to serve in other administrative roles, including Interim Provost (CEO) of the Annandale Campus, Coordinator of Student Benefits and Support Services, Coordinator of Counseling. Shortly after retiring from
the college, I was called out of retirement to serve as the College s Interim Executive Vice President. I served as chairman of the fundraising and design teams for the Mary Louise Jackson Amphitheatre on NOVA s Manassas Campus. I have served as a member all major college committees including: college budget, curriculum, college planning, instructional & student services, affirmative action, institutional effectiveness, college senate, Administrative Council (President s Cabinet), Affirmative Action, and SACS Steering Committees (for years 10, 20, and 30) and I was the college s administrative coordinator of it s Achieving the Dream Initiative. As a team member and/or as a team leader, I have engaged in the detail work of program development at the certificate, associate, baccalaureate and graduate levels and I have worked with teams from two or more institutions to develop joint programs. I have developed and implemented distance learning capacity, accelerated programs, adult programs, international programs and affiliations, military programs, corporate programs, community based programs and other forms of programs with non traditional educational providers. Over the years, in addition to my community college work, I have served as an adjunct faculty member in George Mason University s Graduate School of Education where I taught courses on the Community College, and as an adjunct at Virginia Tech where I taught a course in Rational Behavior Therapy. I have served on doctoral defense committees at Virginia Tech, University of Maryland, George Washington University, and George Mason University. I have also served as chair or as a member of more than 25 reaffirmation of accreditation committees for the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. I believe that my hands on experience in a variety of roles at the community college level coupled with my teaching experience at both the undergraduate and graduate levels, and my work with the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools enables me to bring a perspective to the Board of Trustees that can be useful as the University of the District of Columbia moves forward toward 2020. Q15) What is your vision for the University? How would you like the University to be perceived five years from now. Include in your answer what you believe should be the relationship between the Flagship and the Community College. A15) My vision for the University is that it will be the leading institution that it aspires to be; that it will remain affordable, accessible, and viable as the only public institution of higher education in the city; that it will become a more valued, highly respected institution of higher education not only by the residents of the District of Columbia but also by the higher education and business communities regionally, nationally, and internationally; that it will be an institution of first choice rather than one of last resort; that it will develop the kinds of partnerships with business and industry in the city that will enable it to create programs that will lead to wellpaying sustainable jobs for its graduates; that it will become a major player in the economic development of the city by providing access to workforce development, career training opportunities, associate, bachelor, and graduate programs all attuned to the outcome of addressing social, educational, and economic development needs of the city; and that it affirms and strengthen its commitment to student success, retention, completion, and graduation; and, that student success be at the core of everything that occurs within the institution.
In terms of the relationship between the community college and the university, by providing career, technical, and workforce (middle skill) courses and programs, the community college can play a very significant role in helping to reduce poverty and unemployment in the District of Columbia. Whether the community college operates as an independent freestanding college or as a branch campus of the University, it should maintain its autonomy. The most important piece in the relationship is that it should be one of cooperation where, upon completion of its courses and programs, students are able to move seamlessly and without the loss of credit from career and workforce development programs to the community college s associate degree programs and from the community college s programs into the University s bachelor degree programs, i.e., the community college serves as a pipeline to the university s courses and programs. Consequently the key is program and course articulation between the two entities such that students who graduate from the community college can matriculate and transition into University s programs with junior class standing. Not only does the community college meet the needs of those students transitioning to the four year programs, but also because of its open door philosophy and relatively low tuition it is better situated to meet the educational needs of its very diverse student population. By offering courses ranging from remedial education to workforce and career oriented certificate programs, it allows the university to focus on upper division courses. If the community college becomes/remains a branch campus of the University, it would continue to share many of the University s systems already in place. The most important of these are its accreditation and charter. The branch campus status for the community college would allow the university to capitalize on economies of scale, and consequently the financial resources of the university, derived from FTE and tuition dollars, would not be negatively impacted. The current governance structure in which there is a CEO in charge of the community college c/would remain in place and an Advisory Board for the community college could be appointed. This Advisory Board would not be a policy making board and it would report to the Board of Trustees. Its role, in addition to championing the community college, would be further defined by the Board of Trustees. Recognizing the human, fiscal, and physical resources required of an independent freestanding community college, there may be significant challenges that will be difficult for the city, the University, and the Board to overcome in the short term not the least of which include accreditation, a steady and consistent revenue stream, and the impact that would be felt on the resources of the University if the community college becomes a freestanding independent college. In the long term 2020 and beyond, independence is certainly an aspirational goal for which the community college, having first been a successful Branch Campus of the University, should prepare provided that this direction is in the best interest of both the community college and the University and is a part of the vision that it is not only fully financially supported, but also supported by the University leadership, the Board of Trustees, the City Council, and the residents of the District of Columbia. Q16) What steps should the Board take to improve the financial stability of the University? Include in your answer the Board s role in carrying out the University s Vision 2020 Strategic Plan. A16) Based upon my understanding of the role of governing boards (the Association of Governing Boards, the Association of Community College Trustees, as well as, regional accrediting associations), the role of the board includes selecting, evaluating and dismissing the president thereby ensuring professional management of the institution; fiduciary responsibility for the
institution ensuring adequate resources for such things as purchasing, constructing, and maintaining facilities, determination of staff salaries and contracting for services; involvement in decisions regarding defining the institution s role and mission; public relations and program approval. I believe the fiduciary role of the board is to work with the administration, the District of Columbia s CFO, the Mayor, and the City Council, to insure that institutional budgets are appropriately funded for the continuance, growth, and sustainability of the institution; that it is properly managed and maintained; and that there are appropriate policies in place so that the administration is able to achieve what is contained in its Strategic Plan. Q17) What do you see as the top five priorities for the University, and how do you see the Board facilitating each of these priorities? A17) I see the top five priorities for the institution as follows: a) Preparing the institution for and receiving it s reaffirmation of accreditation from the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Higher Education. The board needs to participate in the process and it needs to be as helpful to the institution as possible during this process by providing whatever support the institution needs to successfully attain its reaffirmation of reaccreditation. The board needs to be knowledgeable about and committed to the process. It needs to be familiar with the documentation prepared by the institution in support of its case for reaffirmation. b) Support the University in achieving its goals as outlined in its Vision and Strategic Plan 2020: Roadmap for Renewal, Innovation, Success and Sustainability. The Board needs to enact policies and support human, physical, and fiscal resource acquisition to help situate the University in the best possible position to achieve the goals outlined in its Strategic Plan. c) Effectively market the institution to improve its image to both internal and external constituencies removing of roadblocks and approving policies that provide for the seamless transitions between the various components of the University (Workforce Development, Community College, Baccalaureate, Graduate, and Law programs) for students. The board needs to hold the institution accountable for the removal of roadblocks and to encourage the showcasing the testimonials of students who have transitioned between programs, as well as its outstanding faculty, and its programs. d) Provide access and opportunity for all residents of the District of Columbia by focusing its efforts on improving student success, student retention, student course and program completion, and enhanced graduation rates. The Board needs to insure that policies supporting admissions, articulation, and support programs are in place to provide open access to the institution and that online and in person academic assistance for students that support and enhance student learning, student retention, and student graduation are readily available and easily accessible. e) Effective budget planning and decision making for the continuance, growth, and sustainability of all components of the institution. The board needs to work closely with the President, the District of Columbia s Chief Financial Officer, the Mayor, and the City Council, to advocate for institutional budgets that are appropriately funded. Q18) What steps should the Board take to increase the University s enrollment? Include in your answer methods to increase enrollment at both the flagship and the community college.
A18) Among the roles of the Board is the responsibility to help the institution market and promote itself and its programs to the boarder community; to facilitate partnerships between the institution and the business community; and to support policies and facilities that enhance the institution s ability and capacity to attract students from across the nation and around the world to its programs. Q19) What steps should the Board take to increase transparency with regard to its, as well as the University s actions and decisions? A19) The Board should insure through policy that minutes of Board meetings, exclusive of Board Executive Sessions, are widely distributed by the University and that they are posted to the University s website and to social media such that they are readily available to both the university s internal and external constituencies. Q20) Please discuss any past or present experiences not already mentioned that you believe is relevant to your appointment to the UDC Board of Trustees. A20) All present and past experiences that are relevant to my appointment to the Board have been previously mentioned. Anthony C. Tardd, Ed.D.