VANCOUVER, Wash. – The Board of Regents of Washington State University will hold a regularly scheduled meeting Oct. 3 and 4 on the campus of WSU Vancouver to consider a number of action items related to faculty policies and capital construction.
The meeting will begin at 1 p.m. Oct. 3 in rooms 101-103 of the Firstenburg Student Commons with a meeting of the Regents’ Executive Committee, to be followed by consecutive meetings of the Regents’ External Affairs, Regents’ Academic and Student Affairs and Regents’ Finance & Audit committees. Each committee session will convene immediately following the completion of the previous session. All four sessions are scheduled to conclude prior to 4 p.m.
The Regents will re-convene at the same location at 8 a.m. on Friday to initially hear reports from groups including the WSU Faculty Senate and Associated Students of WSU.
A number of proposed changes to the Faculty Manual, including changes to language in the manual extending tenure-track appointments to half-time faculty, increasing from four to 10 percent the amount of salary increase extended to faculty upon promotion, and extending additional protection to faculty from unilateral decisions in issues involving termination, are slated for action by the Regents.
The Regents are also expected to take action on a number of additional recommendations related to capital construction, including:
- Authorization to proceed to pre-design of the Plant Sciences Building (REC-5) project within the budgeted amount of $500,000. The project advances the development of the Research and Education Complex east of Stadium Way, which houses research laboratories engaged in the advancement of science and technology in the areas of plant biochemistry, plant pathology, horticulture and crops and soils sciences.
- Authorization to proceed to pre-design of the Plant Growth Facilities Phase 1 project within the budgeted amount of $225,000. The plant growth and greenhouse infrastructure supporting plant science research on the WSU Pullman campus is outdated and lacks capacity to support emerging needs in plant science research.
- Authorization to proceed with the design and construction of the Plant Growth Facilities Phase 2 project with a total budget not to exceed $10 million. Plant science research at WSU is recognized internationally and is one of WSU’s major areas of excellence. However, this reputation is threatened because a major portion of WSU’s plant science support infrastructure, greenhouse and controlled environments are more than 50 years old.
- Approval of the schematic design documents and authorization to proceed to construction of the Clean Technology Laboratory Building project with a total budget not to exceed $52,835,000, inclusive of a previously approved amount of $2.5 million, for design and pre-construction. The Clean Technology Laboratory Building (CTLB) is a new interdisciplinary facility that will house science and engineering programs advancing new technologies in sustainable materials, atmospheric research and water quality.
- Approval of a General Revenue Bond Resolution authorizing the issuance and sale of bonds or other obligations to be used for the Clean Technology Laboratory Building in an amount not to exceed $20 million over a maximum term of 30 years at a maximum interest cost rate of six percent. The 2013 State Legislature authorized WSU to issue the debt and to use WSU’s Building Fee and Trust Fund Revenues to pay debt service on the obligations.
- Approval of the design and construction of the Northside Residence Hall – Phase 2 project with a total budget not to exceed $40 million. As part of the Student Housing Long Range Plan, WSU identified the Northside Residence Hall – Phase 2 as the next component of the student housing improvements in the Northside area. The project is to include the construction of a 250 bed, 100,000 gross-square-foot residence hall with a dining component.
- Approval of a General Revenue Bond Resolution authorizing the issuance and sale of bonds or other obligations to be used for University Student Housing projects in an amount not to exceed $40 million over a maximum term of 30 years at a maximum interest cost rate of six percent. The bond proceeds will be used to reimburse or fund construction of the projects and bond issuance costs.
Contact:
Robert Strenge, WSU News, 509-333583, rstrenge@wsu.edu