Ohio University’s Board of Trustees will virtually meet May 11 for its first meeting since January to discuss new degree programs and to vote on next year’s tuition and room and board fees.
The last Board of Trustees meeting was postponed because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Board recognizes the pandemic is causing hardship on students and their families.
While undergraduate rates will remain the same, the Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine’s tuition will increase by 2%, and there will be a program fee increase for two engineering master’s degrees.
The Board is also reviewing a construction project for University Terrace to be realigned for over $1.8 million. The project would realign the road so it is not adjacent to the chemistry building. It also includes removing the existing road and building a new one.
There are currently 187 facilities projects underway, totaling $383,612,922 in budget. The expenditures, however, are only $152,657,488.
Robin Muhammad, chair of Faculty Senate, will give her annual presentation to the Board. Muhammad will present on faculty leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic and faculty overview of strategic initiatives.
Regional Higher Education requested for the associates degree in applied business in the Office of Administration Technology to be suspended. The request is being made because of a lack of resources, decreasing demand and the overlap with technical program’s content.
One tenured faculty member remains and will transition to another program for Office Administrative Technology courses.
No new students have been admitted since Fall Semester 2019, and a completion plan for the remaining students has been made.
The Patton College of Education’s Department of Human and Consumer Sciences has developed a bachelor’s degree of applied human and consumer sciences. The program will be offered online, and the University Curriculum Council, or UCC, approved the program in January.
The program will be supported by the resources and faculty members within the restaurant, hotel and tourism program. The budget is between 10 and 15 students for the first year.
The Board will also review a master’s of education in theater education from The Patton College of Education. This was approved by the UCC in February and will use financial resources and faculty from the Department of Teacher Education and the School of Theater. The school is estimating to have two or three students annually.
Another master’s degree that the Board will review is a master’s of science in project management from the Russ College of Engineering and Technology. This program, which was approved by the UCC in February, will also use resources and faculty members already in the college.
The college is aiming to have between 10 and 15 students the first year and then increase to about 25 students.
The third master’s degree that the Board will discuss in May is in translational biomedical sciences. This degree is designed for students who are pursuing a doctorate in transnational biomedical sciences but do not submit an acceptable dissertation, so the resources and faculty members are already in the program.
The fourth master’s degree the Board is reviewing is a master’s degree in sustainability, security and resilience from the Voinovich School of Leadership and Public Affairs. This is an online program that is likely to start in Fall Semester 2021.
Some computer and audiovisual equipment will be upgraded for this program, but the school already has a fully online master’s degree in public administration, so all courses can be taught by existing faculty members.
