VANCOUVER, Wash. The Board of Regents of Washington State University advanced several building projects and regents took their first look at an early retirement incentive plan for employees during meetings Thursday and Friday at the WSU Vancouver campus.
The board gave the go-ahead for selection of a general manager/construction manager for the School for Global Animal Health Building on the Pullman campus. The building, which will house the College of Veterinary Medicine’s infectious disease research programs, will be funded through a grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and other donated funds.
Construction is scheduled to begin in the summer of 2010.
The regents also approved a project to refurbish the interiors of Stephenson North and McEachern residence halls. Funding for the $4.25 million project will be provided by the university’s housing and dining system. The work will be done this summer.
The regents also approved an increase in the cost of a renovation project that will create a new veterinary clinic on the Spokane Riverpoint campus. The construction budget was increased from $1.5 million to $1.75 million to allow for some additions to the original plan. Construction is scheduled to begin next month.
The regents approved housing and dining rates for 2009-2010. The residence hall room and board rates, which have been approved by the Housing and Dining Advisory Board made up of students and administrators, will increase 5.7 percent. The increase only affects students entering the system; returning students continue to pay the rate that was in effect when they moved into the halls. Apartment rental rates will increase 3.5 percent.
At Thursday’s Finance and Audit Committee meeting, the regents discussed a proposal from President Elson S. Floyd for a voluntary early retirement incentive program. The plan would be available to members of the WSU Retirement Plan who had been members for more than 10 years and who had reached the age of 55. As a retirement incentive, the university would place $18,000 in a tax-exempt medical expense plan to help offset medical costs.
About 637 employees would be eligible for the plan, which is being considered as a way to cut costs in light of a looming budget shortfall.
Floyd said he will continue to refine details of the plan and gather feedback before bringing it back to the board, perhaps at a special meeting to be called in the next few weeks.
The board’s next regularly scheduled meeting is March 27 at the Tri-Cities campus.
