Resources Committee Meeting:
Ohio University’s Board of Trustees focused on state support of instruction and how OU will maintain its high appropriations from the state.
Stephen Golding, vice president for finance and administration, explained how state support of instruction is funded and why OU receives a large dividend.
“Because of all the change that have taken place within the state support for instruction line, we thought it was important for the board to have some sort of primer on state support for instruction,” Golding said.
SSI funding models have changed their funding formula to benefit not only course completion but also degree completion, putting OU as one of the top recipients of SSI, receiving a 1.51 percent increase in SSI last year.
The state of Ohio had $1.25 billion to distribute to the 12public institutions.
“This is why the president likes to say he’s number one because it’s the way the university performs compares to other institutions,” Golding said.
However, the board expressed concerns about some of the changes that are to be implemented during FY14 and FY15, including a transition from a two year to a three year average for course and degree completion, and giving less funding when considering out-of-state students.
“Intellectually, you’d think that because of the cost that you charge to an out of state student as opposed to an instate is a contributing fact to revenue…will university and college support by the state of Ohio place less emphasis on out of state stud from here on out,” said •Trustee Patrick Campbell.
However, •OU President Roderick McDavis said although he believes it important to be cautious, he expects OU to remain one of the top receivers of SSI compared to other institutions.
“To their surprise even after the tinkering Ohio University is still at the top,” McDavis said.
The board also received updates on the FY14 budget results—presented in a new format—and an Investment Policy, to be approved at the March meeting.
In addition to the regular construction projects on the agenda—including rehabilitations of Tupper and Lindley halls, Stocker Center air handler replacements, Bromley Hall and Central Food Facility renovations—Harry Wyatt, vice president of facilities management, asked for the board to vote upon construction of a road connecting South Green Drive and Mill Street.
The connector road, in addition to five other phases of road construction, is a part of a five phase plan to improve traffic patterns on the northeast side of campus.
The board voted in favor of adding the connector road to its resolutions, and it will be voted upon with construction projects.
The resolution to undertake schematic design for three projects was modified, fixing a factual error in the date that the board approved the Capital Improvement Plan, which was November 2013.
The committee meeting ended on a closed-door session.
—compiled by Danielle Keeton-Olsen
Joint Academics and Resources Committee Meeting:
The academics and resources committee was held on Monday during the year’s first Board of Trustees meeting, where members discussed a new tuition model and increased graduation rates for students.
The OHIO Guarantee and the University Completion Plan both lay out models that would aid Ohio University undergraduate students in successfully receiving a degree.
In the OHIO Guarantee model, tuition, housing and dining rates will be determined based on a student’s first enrollment and will remain constant for four years, or 12 semesters.
“The call for transparency has been answered with this program,” said Pamela Benoit, executive vice president and provost.
Beginning in the 2015-16 academic year, the model is aimed to facilitate early degree completion.
Students could enroll in the summer for their first semester while paying tuition rates for the previous academic year.
Once completed with summer session, a student will then pay a fixed tuition rate starting in fall semester, which will stay constant for 12 semesters.
By starting in the summer, students would be able to initially pay a lower rate.
“They (parents) know for 12 semesters what the costs of their student’s program will be. It doesn’t matter what program they are in,” said OU President Roderick McDavis.
The University Completion Plan is set to increase retention and graduation rates by .5 percent each year.
Part of the increase in retention rates has come from the success of learning communities, said McDavis, which has increased from a 72 percent first-year student participation in 2012 to 76 percent in 2013.
The plan also outlines increased aid for first-generation and transfer students, more access to mental health professionals, and course adjustments for traditionally difficult courses in the sciences, according to university documents.
"This supports the long-term help of the university,” said Stephen Golding, vice president for finance and administration.
A completed version of the plan will be presented to the Board of Trustees in March for approval.
—Compiled by Dina Berliner
It will cost Ohio University $3.9 million over the next three years to pay their tenure-track faculty what it believes they deserve.
Discussed during this mornings joint academics and resources, Executive Vice President and Provost Pam Benoit and Vice President for Finance and Administration Stephen Golding gave trustees their first look into a new report compiled by a compensation task force that would boost OU to third in the state for faculty salary.
The university currently ranks eighth in the state for professors ($103,757) and associate professors’ ($77,460) average salaries and sixth for adjunct professors ($67,986).
“I feel there is something wrong when OU ranks as high as third academically but only pays eighth best” said Trustee David Scholl.
The outlined plan would increase the compensation pool by $1.3 million each year in addition to traditional increase trends to keep in line with other universities and their changing faculty compensations.
“Obviously we aren’t trying to compete with a school like Ohio State, but we need to be higher,” Benoit said.
The official report is expected to be released in February.
—Compiled by Alex Felser
