Expansion and renovation approvals for Ohio University's Athens campus are among prevalent issues on the OU Board of Trustees' fall agenda.
A new residence hall, integrated research center and College of Communication building are a few items of approval for the first meetings of the academic year. Committee meetings will begin Oct. 12, followed by the executive meeting the next day.
The 2006 general receipt bond allocates $55 million for these projects.
OU encountered housing issues this year, with more than 300 additional incoming freshmen. The trustees will vote on building a 350-bed residence hall located near Nelson Commons on South Green. Two-person rooms will be connected with a bathroom between them. The $24 million project, funded by the Residence and Dining Hall Auxiliary, is expected to house students in fall 2007. The residence hall is also on the agenda under projects to be approved, along with the authorization to hire consultants and to develop construction documents.
The 2006 general bond also allots about $5.2 million for the new student center, set to open winter 2007, and $2.4 million for a College of Communication building. When the new student center opens, Baker Center will undergo renovations or demolition and reconstruction to become the new communications building.
The Office of University Planning and Implementations also is proposing funding for capital improvement projects for the 2007-2012 fiscal years, which will be voted on because it is due to the Ohio Board of Regents this fall.
Among capital improvement projects this year, the university plans to build a 100,000-square-foot Integrated Research Center to house facilities for five of the 10 colleges. The building, scheduled to open September 2009, would cost around $30 million. About $1.5 million of the research center's cost is included in the 2006 general bond.
Other action items on the priority agenda include a sexual harassment implementation plan and protocol for reporting sexual assaults concerning students, as well as a proposal to establish a Center for Sports Administration and an update of the Audit, Finance, Facilities and Investment Committee's master plan.
17 Archives
Carolyn Casey
