Strategic plans, faculty resignations, faculty diversity and new building plans were among the topics discussed at the state Board of Regents meeting. The meeting was held Dec. 13-14 in the West Des Moines Marriott Hotel.Strategic plans for the three regent universities were approved at meetings. Regent Ellengray Kennedy said the discussion on the strategic plans went well and that the plans continue to improve.”The plans have really come a long way in five years,” she said. “Each year they get better.”Reports on faculty resignations were also given at the meeting. Regent Roger Lande said the presidents of the universities outlined some of the reasons they believe faculty had left. He said the presidents believe the state legislature’s cuts in funding for the universities last year and the inability to be aggressive in salary increases played a factor. Lande said the universities also gave reports on faculty diversity at the institutions.”Progress was made in some areas, and we were grateful for that,” he said. “We still have problems, but we have made progress.”Kennedy said much time at the meeting was also spent discussing future facilities at the universities. She said university administrators presented the plans for the facilities, some of which were sent back to be reworked.”[We determined] where priorities should be,” she said.Warren Madden, vice president for Business and Finance at Iowa State, said the schematic design and project budget for the College of Business was approved at the meeting. “There’s more planning to do, but they approved moving ahead with the project,” he said. Madden said the Knoll renovations and the Hawthorn Court development project were also approved.