By Dylan Pichnarcik News Editor University administrators addressed concerns about recent executive orders enacted by the Trump administration at a meeting of the Board of Trustees Jan. 29. President Nancy Niemi discussed President Donald Trump’s recent executive orders regarding immigration and federal grants and how they might affect Framingham State. Niemi informed the board the federal order that paused federal grants across the country had been rescinded by the Trump administration earlier in the day. She said, “We have our fingers on the pulse to the extent that we can of all the federal decisions that certainly are currently in play, and of course, we can't know the things that are yet to come. “We are paying very close attention, and I will follow up with our team. It really has been an incredible team effort to get you the information - to get our community the information that they need.” Jeffery Coleman, vice president of Diversity, Inclusion, and Community Engagement, addressed the University’s “evolving strategy as it relates to diversity, equity, and inclusion, on how we are managing our vulnerabilities, and how we're navigating these attacks that we're seeing happen to many institutions across the country. “One of the things I will say is that our response strategy in talking to colleagues in similar positions across the state and across the country is really that we're finding there's a lot of confusion … about what people are hearing and what laws actually say and what they don't say.” He added, “We're also continuing to take a pulse of our campus and educate everyone about what's happening right now nationally, also across the state. We want to help our campus community pretty much parse through language that we're seeing coming from the White House. “We want to make sure that our University community is not intimidated, and we should not be intimidated by what's going on,” Coleman said. During Chairperson Anthony Hubbard’s report, he notified the board that Niemi is the lowest compensated president in the nine Massachusetts state universities. Currently, Niemi earns an annual salary of $273,520, according to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts website. Hubbard asked the board to support a proposal for an increase in Niemi’s salary to be brought to the Massachusetts Commissioner for Higher Education. A motion was made by Trustee Giombetti to authorize Hubbard to seek a pay increase for Niemi on behalf of the board. The motion passed unanimously. In response to the motion, Trustee Claire Ramsbottom said, “It sends a perception of the University when you see that the president of your institution is the lowest paid. … I think that's not the position we want to be in as an institution when we want a perception of excellence. That's what we're striving for.” In addition to a pay increase granted by the Commissioner of Higher Education, Niemi will also be eligible for a merit-based increase after her fifth year of service pending an assessment by a board subcommittee that will be formed within the next year, according to Ann McDonald, secretary to the board of trustees and the University’s general counsel. Niemi announced FSU will receive a $3.315 million student success funding grant from the Commonwealth. She said the funding “is a new initiative at the state university level. … The success funding has been operational at community colleges for about two years and has proved effective for students persisting and retaining their educational endeavors. “Now, each state university is going to receive a portion of this funding within this fiscal year, with the expectation, we believe - the confirmation that the funding is going to come through for the next two years after that.” Niemi said the money from the grant will be used to support student retention and persistence. Kristen Daly, Class of ’92, was introduced as the new alumni trustee, having been selected by the Alumni Association and Foundation Board of Directors. Daly said joining the board was “such an honor and a full-circle moment.” She said she has spent the last 30 years working in communications and journalism. Daly now owns a speech-writing company. In addition to serving on FSU’s Board of Trustees, Daly is the chairperson for “Dress for Success Boston,” which helps “unemployed and underemployed women achieve economic independence by providing no-fee programs, development tools, and professional attire to thrive in work and in life,” according to its website. Daly said her goal in serving on the Board of Trustees is to “elevate this University so everybody knows how special it is.” The student in the spotlight was graduate student Felpe Arías. Arías came to FSU from Columbia with an undergraduate degree in systems engineering. He said he was looking to develop his English to further his professional and academic goals. Arías completed the Bridge to University and Professional Success Program and is now a graduate student in the Master’s of Business Administration program. Arías also serves on the Graduate Education Council.