Board delays master bridge plan and reviews accounts‑receivable policy after finance update

Trustees at the Sept. 11 meeting moved to delay approval of the master bridge plan for two weeks to allow the full board additional time to review a voluminous packet; the motion passed by roll call. Finance committee chair Trustee Takasha Winton had recommended approval but trustees said the documents arrived too close to the meeting for thoughtful review and asked administration to circulate materials earlier.

CFO Robinson provided enrollment-payment-plan detail requested by trustees: for fall 2026 there are 2,051 students on payment plans with an average balance of about $4,700; 97 of those plans were described as defaulted. Robinson also recommended adjusting the minimum collections threshold from $100 to $200 to align with a current registration allowance and reported more than 800 balances between $100 and $300 representing roughly $160,000; total balances under $1,000 were cited as representing about $1.5 million. Trustees asked for distribution charts and a functional budget breakdown of FY27 spending (instruction, research, student services, institutional support) to support fiduciary oversight.

Why it matters: The master bridge plan includes projects tied to THEC funding cycles and the delay was intended to balance urgency with trustee oversight. Trustees also sought improved timing and formats for materials so they can meet fiduciary responsibilities.