Correction appended.
The Board of Trustees met to discuss and vote on an HCOM fee increase, the budget, demolitions and renovations to Trisolini House, Brown House and Pilcher House at Thursday’s meeting.
Academics and Student Success Committee
Ohio University Board of Trustees heard updates Thursday from the Division of Student Affairs concerning the first comprehensive external review from the department since 1997.
Four presidents and chancellors of student affairs from other universities conducted the review, which concluded in March. They made 20 recommendations to OU’s division and suggested Student Affairs work to improve interfaculty relations and address the university’s decreased enrollment insecurities.
Student Affairs hired a new director of strategic planning and assessment contingent to the review’s recommendations to manage annual departmental review processes. The new director will, among other things, oversee the assessment of student employees and other departmental processes.
Senior Associate Vice President and Dean of Students Jenny Hall-Jones and Vice President for Student Affairs Jason Pina said the efforts to improve Student Affairs will come at no extra cost to the university as the department is not asking for supplemental funds.
The Patton College of Education presented to the Board of Trustees and demonstrated a new online dashboard that has interactive statistics and graphs about the college’s student retention rate, alumnae placement and other relevant information.
The board was interested in the number of Patton graduates that are employed post-graduation nationwide as opposed to the accessible number on the dashboard that only encompasses graduates employed in Ohio.
Representatives from the Patton College of Education said it is difficult to contact employers and obtaining those statistics is a problem other colleges in the country face as well.
University Custodial Services updated the Board on the implementation of a new time clock in Glidden Hall in August. This cut back on lost travel time. Employees used to clock in the Convocation Center and then lost time in transportation to the other side of campus, where they worked.
The new time clock saves 10 minutes per employee, per shift, as the previous setup lost an estimated potential of 703,506 minutes a year and $228,305 in travel time. Representatives from Custodial Services said the employees were very happy with the change.
Joint Committee
Administrators and board members discussed tuition and fees, budget updates and the Fiscal Year 2021-2026 Capital Improvement Plan.
The Board of Trustees approved a 2.5 percent increase in Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine instructional fees, technology fees and non-resident surcharges.
The budget discussion included updates on employee compensation, revenue enhancement strategies, cost reduction plans and enrollment strategies.
During the enrollment update, administrators talked about the implications of a changing market share, or how many high school seniors are attending college.
“What we’re starting to look at really closely is our market share,” Senior Vice Provost for Strategic Enrollment Management Craig Cornell said. “We’re expecting a decline to 10 to 20 percent.”
Administrators also discussed the decreasing enrollment during summer sessions.
“We’re pulling all the stops, but we need to do more,” Vice President and Provost Chaden Djalali said.
Regarding the discussion about the upcoming Capital Improvement Plan, administrators discussed the foundational goals and targets of the plan regarding deferred maintenance primarily on the Athens campus.
The discussion centered around “recognizing there is need to slow down capital spending to balance competing pressures and changing economic climate,” according to the agenda.
Resources, Facilities and Affordability Committee
Shawna Bolin, assistant vice president for university planning and real estate, requested $2.6 million from the Board of Trustees for the demolition of The Ridges building 29 and building 15.
Bolin said the demolished buildings will eliminate deferred maintenance and will enable future partnerships and development.
Steve Wood, senior associate vice president and chief facilities officer, also said the cleared space can be used to house future needs in The Ridges, along with being able to avoid energy-related losses.
Wood said he wants to employ decentralization strategies before winter 2020 on The Ridges building numbers 13, 14, 18, 21 and 33.
The trustees also approved to renovate Trisolini House. It was recommended demolish Brown House and lease Pilcher House.
Bolin said Trisolini House could be used by Culinary Services if renovations are done on its exterior foundation, HVAC, roof and other repairs, which would cost $1.5 million. The building is currently occupied by the Cutler Scholars program, who will move to the Center for Academic Engagement.
Bolin said Brown House should be demolished because of structural and safety issues. This would cost between $275,000 and $400,000. The space is not efficiently used by the house, despite the fact that it is integral to College Green, Bolin said.
In other business, the trustees commended the establishment of the new Sustainability Committee and its hub structure. Ryan Fogt, an associate professor of geography, is the coordinator for the Sustainable Administration Hub; Theresa Moran, the director of food studies, is the coordinator for the Sustainable Living Hub; Dave Bayless, a professor of mechanical engineering, is the coordinator for the Sustainable Infrastructure Hub.
The committee will work together to create sustainable engagement ecosystems, which will further the university’s institutional commitment to environmental, social and economic well-being, Elaine R. Goetz, director of sustainability, said.
Colt Austen, Madeline Butina, Ian McKenzie, Sarah Penix and Hardika Singh contributed to this report.
A previous version of this report incorrectly stated which buildings of The Ridges would be demolished and the state of Brown and Pilcher houses. The article has been updated to reflect the most accurate information.
