Members of the Washington State University Board of Regents took action on several items Friday during their first meeting of 2023.
Regents unanimously approved moving forward with the design phase of the new Champions Center on the WSU Pullman campus. The center will allow WSU Athletics to centralize staff and resources into one building and add vital space for community service, professional development, and educational experiences.
Approximately $5.8 million in cash contributions have been donated toward the project as of November 2022, with another $6.9 million in pledges expected to come in over the next six years. Current timelines call for regents to receive an update on the project budget in November, with construction slated to begin in the winter of 2024.
A proposal to increase the project budget for renovations to WSU Spokane’s Medical Building was also unanimously approved by regents on Friday. The renovation project will allow the Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine to bring together offices, student spaces and classrooms, establishing a home for the college. Renovated classroom spaces will meet the modern requirements of providing a medical education for the next generation of students and assist with meeting accreditation requirements.
Regents approved an additional $1.05 million toward the project, bringing the new total budget to $16.05 million. It is anticipated that the project will be completed in June.
Leaders from several governance groups and committees provided updates to the Board of Regents during their meeting. Among them was Dave Cillay, who provided an update on the efforts of the WSU Global Campus. Regents also recognized Sasi Pillay, vice president of Information Technology Services and chief information officer, for his work on behalf of WSU in light of his accepting a new job outside the university system.
WSU’s incoming vice president for finance and administration Leslie Brunelli also made an appearance virtually to introduce herself to regents.
Regents are next scheduled to meet March 9-10 on the WSU Tri-Cities campus. More information on the WSU Board of Regents is available on its website.
