In a day filled with discussion about Ohio University tuition costs, the Board of Trustees fielded presentations dealing with conflict minerals as well as university construction projects during Thursday’s resources meeting.
OU is currently planning four renovation projects that are scheduled to begin this summer.
The projects include work on the new Schoonover Center of Communication in the old Baker Center, a roof repair on Jefferson Hall, a compost facility expansion as well as garage ceiling replacements in Pickering, Brown, Mackinnon and Crawford halls.
Work on the new communications building is by far the most expensive project with a budget of $22.5 million. The Jefferson Hall roof project is expected to cost $3 million, the compost expansion $1.6 million and the ceiling replacements a total of $570,000.
Despite the wide range of costs, Becky Watts, chief of staff to President Roderick McDavis, said work on both Jefferson Hall and the Schoonover Center are crucial.
“I think both are really important for different reasons,” Watts said. “These repairs are going to have us keep from having to do constant renovations.”
The compost facility expansion will include a 31.9 kilowatt solar panel array that will supplement the existing 10.01 kilowatt solar panel and is projected to cover the electricity needs of the entire facility.
In addition to the summer projects, the board fielded an update concerning conflict minerals, a debate fueled by student groups.
Last month, OU President Roderick McDavis set up an Ad-Hoc Advisory Committee on Socially Responsible Practices, which convenes on request by the president. The first issue that the committee is focusing on is conflict minerals.
Conflict minerals are mined in central Africa and are necessary for use in consumer electronics. Various terrorist and militia groups in Africa are financing their activities with these minerals.
McDavis and John Biancamano, the head of the committee, both agreed the debate about the minerals is a difficult one to address.
“Conflict minerals are central to the production of many technologies,” Biancamano said. “In the end, these are hard questions. We have to buy computers. We need electronic equipment. We will do our best to balance these interests.”
The committee’s goals include researching ways for OU to source conflict free electronics that use “socially responsible” resources.
If the committee were to make a decision, its recommendations would be forwarded onto the president who would then pass them to the board.
Students have been very passionate and helpful in working with the administration, Biancamano added.
“These are very complex issues,” McDavis said.
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