Ohio University’s Board of Trustees held a meeting off campus for the second time in two years — just minutes away from one of its regional branches.
The board’s Thursday meeting and retreat at Columbus State Community College was about 14 miles from OU’s Pickerington campus.
OU and Kent State University held two board meetings off any of their campuses since January 2011 — the most of all Ohio public universities.
Typically, universities hold their board meetings on their main campuses. In the past two years, OU has held four board meetings at its regional branches — the most of all Ohio public universities.
At the board’s most recent meeting, it passed a 2.89 base salary increase and one-time 15 percent bonus for OU President Roderick McDavis, as well as a 1 percent salary pool increase for faculty and staff.
“We’ve always retreated to some place near Athens, but not on (the main campus),” said Board Chairwoman Sandra Anderson.
McDavis said Columbus State is close to the Athens campus, but closer to where the trustees live.
“It was very convenient for us to get here,” McDavis said. “Certainly our trustees were able to get here.”
The board was not charged for the four rooms it occupied at Columbus State, McDavis said.
Since the 2010-2011 academic year, the board has primarily held meetings on OU’s Athens campus in Walter Hall — except for the meetings at the beginning of each semester, which are typically held at one of the regional branches.
“After the last Board of Trustees meeting, when they’re going to do something that’s controversial, they’re going to hold it off campus,” said Jacob Chaffin, representative for OU Student Union, referencing the board meeting in April where four OU students were arrested for protesting tuition hikes. “The decisions they make do affect the satellite campuses of Ohio University, so it’s not uncommon for them to hold it at a branch campus.”
OU’s Communications and Marketing held a live stream of the board’s resolutions.
The board’s agenda is also posted online, and includes several Power Point presentations on topics and resolutions to be discussed and passed. This meeting’s agenda did not include McDavis’ and faculty raises.
“We always talk about what are ways in which the board members can appropriately connect with the constituent groups, where not everybody feels like it’s not appropriate to go directly to the board because we do have an administration but for the Board to be aware of constituent concerns,” said Board Secretary Peter Mather.
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@DanielleRose84
