The Board of Regents approved the accountant’s report on agreed-upon procedures for the NCAA compliance report during their first quarterly meeting this morning.

Jennifer Williams, CPA partner, gave a brief presentation, stating “there were no significant reportable matters” to disclose to the board today regarding the report.

The report was approved unanimously without any discussion from the board.

The board additionally approved financial reports discussed at their last meeting, including the 2023-2024 statement of revenue and expenditures. 

When asked for updates on expenditures versus revenue since the initial report, Executive Vice President for Strategy, Operations and Finance Susan Howarth said she “remained optimistic that we [WKU] will end the year positive or, at least, break even.”

Institutional Research Director Tuesdi Helbig reported on enrollment and retention, stating fall 2023 was the first time since fall 2010 WKU had seen an increase in degree-seeking students between years.

Fall 2023 saw 14,262 enrollments compared to fall 2022 with 14,062.

“The fact we went up 200 students this past year is really huge,” Helbig said.

Enrollment for first-time first-year students also increased from 2,755 in fall 2022 to 2,822 in fall 2023.

For retention rates, Helbig said first-time, full-time baccalaureate degree-seeking students, underrepresented minorities, low-income students, first generation students and living learning communities increased between the 2021-22 and 2022-23 years.

The Regents voted for the approval of several academic affairs changes discussed at their last meeting, including the notable addition of a bachelor of science in neuroscience and a bachelor of science in data science.

The board also approved the honorific renaming of the terrace at Gary Ransdell Hall to the “Tate C. Page Terrace.”

The Board of Regents will hold their next meeting on April 12. 

Assistant News Editor Ali Costellow can be reached at [email protected]