The Ohio University Board of Trustees' committees will meet today prior to their formal meeting on Friday to discuss the tuition increase for next year, construction projects, the reduction of high-risk drinking among students and faculty awards.
At its February meeting, the Board rejected a 6 percent proposed tuition increase to review the university's options. However, at the Audit, Finance, Facilities and Investment Committee's March 31 meeting, it discussed a 5 and a 6 percent tuition increase for in-state undergraduates, which it will propose tomorrow. One percent of the tuition increase will go toward scholarships and not included in the increase is a 2 percent hike for room and board costs.
Normally, tuition increase decisions are finalized at the June Board of Trustees meeting, but OU President Roderick McDavis said that the decision was made now to appeal to high school seniors still deciding on a college.
A resolution for hiring consultants and developing construction documents for the 2005-2006 fiscal year allocates $4,359,577 to the Athens Campus and $890,086 to the five regional campuses. The resolution allows McDavis to appoint consultants and develop construction documents for the 19 renovations among which the university has divided the money.
The basic renovation projects include $219,577 to turn the area of Union Street known as Jeff Hill into a pedestrian walkway once vacated by the city, and $680,000 assigned for a ramp and masonry improvements for Alden Library.
The Board will also vote on whether OU can enter into construction contracts and receive bids for Phase II of Alden Library's Learning Commons, the Life Science Research Facility addition and the Proctorville Academic Building, a Southern Campus building. OU set aside funds and architects created final plans for these additions.
OU's strategies to reduce high-risk drinking among students will be presented to the Board's Committee on Student Life, Human Resources and Athletics. OU wants to create routine late-night activities for students on the weekends by expanding late-night programming, providing students with incentives to participate and creating better online advertising of the programs.
The Board will also approve 39 faculty fellowship leaves for the 2005-2006 academic year and award 11 faculty members with the emeriti/emerita status once they retire. Trustees will grant honorary degrees to five people, including former presidents George H. Bush and Bill Clinton for their efforts to raise support for the victims of the December 2004 tsunami and Charles R. Stuckey, an alumnus of OU who endowed a Cutler Scholarship.
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Carolyn Casey
