Board of Trustees to consider Housing Master Plan, Heritage College research facility

The Ohio University Board of Trustees will consider the 2022 Housing Master Plan and the expansion of several academic programs to regional campuses during its meetings on Oct. 20-21 at Ohio University’s Athens campus.

The Board also will consider the addition of a new building for the Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine and receive an update on the Honors Tutorial College’s 50th anniversary. President Hugh Sherman also will share a look back at OHIO’s Homecoming and Black Alumni Reunion events and discuss Intel’s awarding of $3 million in grant funding to OHIO to lead the Appalachian Semiconductor Education and Technical (ASCENT) Ecosystem. The Board also will receive an update on the search process for OHIO’s next president, including feedback gathered from surveys, interviews and forums in recent weeks.

The Board will meet from 8 a.m. to 3:45 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 20, and from 9:30 a.m. until 11:15 a.m. Friday, Oct. 21, in Walter Hall 104 on the Athens Campus. 

Items on the Board agenda include:

Housing Master Plan update
Resources, Facilities, and Affordability Committee, 1:15 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 20, Walter Hall 104

The Board will consider approving the 2022 Housing Master Plan that has been under discussion during recent meetings. The plan focuses on further improving the residential experience through programmatic changes to current living spaces and development of new living spaces, adding additional engagement and study space and improved amenities.

Additionally, the plan includes building-by-building recommendations, identification of a site being recommended for new construction and a list of buildings to be considered for future demolition. The plan also includes a projected phasing of projects for Fiscal Years 2023 and 2024, as well as the six-year capital improvement plan for FY25-30.

The plan was developed with student and parent survey feedback and campus stakeholder input, as well as reviews of current deferred maintenance needs.

Capital budget
Resources, Facilities, and Affordability Committee, 1:15 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 20, Walter Hall 104

The Board will consider several new capital project additions, as well as new construction of the Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine Translational Research Facility on Union Street Green, across Factory Street from Heritage Hall.

The building represents the second phase of the Heritage College’s efforts to reimagine its curriculum and research. A portion of the transformational $105 million Vision 2020 Award that the college received in 2011 from the Osteopathic Heritage Foundation will be used toward the Translational Research Facility. The space will enable faculty, students and staff to conduct forefront research, ranging from biological basis of health and disease to interventions that improve the health of individuals and the public. The project is estimated to cost $66.9 million.

Other projects under consideration include:

• Addition to Clippinger Renovation Phase 3: An additional $3.67 million is being requested to complete the project, for which $34.3 million has already been allocated. The project addresses deferred maintenance and programmatic needs in Clippinger Laboratories’ western half. The increase is due to ongoing increases in the construction market.
• Addition to Washington and Gamertsfelder halls’ window replacement: The Board will consider an additional $1.55 million to the project, bringing it to $4.85 million total. The increase is due to ongoing increases in the construction market.
• Addition to Peden Tower roof replacement: The Board will consider an additional $100,000 to bring the project total to $700,000, due to ongoing increases in the construction market.
• Campus aesthetic improvements: The Board will consider the $675,000 project, which includes pressure washing and paint touch-ups to multiple buildings, including Baker University Center, Morton Hall and Alden Library, as well as the replacement of the gravel walk between North McKinley Avenue to Mulberry Street with concrete.

Program expansion to regional campuses
Academics and Student Success Committee, 9 a.m. Thursday, Oct. 20, Walter Hall 104

The Board will consider expanding three programs to all of Ohio University’s regional campuses. They are:

• Associate of Equine Studies (currently offered at Southern campus): The Patton College of Education is seeking to expand the program to the Chillicothe, Eastern, Lancaster and Zanesville campuses. No additional faculty, staff or resources would be needed to support the expansion.
• Bachelor of Arts in Sociology Criminology and the Bachelor of Arts in Sociology Pre-Law: The College of Arts and Sciences is seeking to expand the two Athens-based programs to the five regional campuses, with the support of the Department of Sociology and Anthropology.
• Bachelor of Science in Psychology: The College of Arts and Sciences is seeking to expand the Athens-based program to the five regional campuses, with support from its Department of Psychology.

The goal is to increase enrollment at the regional campuses by making these degree programs available. All expansions would require the approval of the Ohio Department of Higher Education.

Honors Tutorial College anniversary
Academics and Student Success Committee, 9 a.m. Thursday, Oct. 20, Walter Hall 104

Honors Tutorial College Dean Donal Skinner and several current students will share details about the 50th-anniversary celebration of the College and the benefits of a tutorial-based education. The tutorial degree programs serve approximately 300 students across 36 programs of study. It is based on the centuries-old pedagogical method employed at Oxford and Cambridge universities in the United Kingdom.

Enrollment Planning Update
Academics and Student Success Committee, 9 a.m. Thursday, Oct. 20, Walter Hall 104

Vice President for Enrollment Management Candace Boeninger will provide an enrollment update, including preliminary census results that showed a record for first-year Athens enrollment of 4,441 students. The update will include information about the freshman application cycle, highlights within the class, and information on the University’s overall headcount. It will also include information about FY23 priorities for the Division of Enrollment Management.

OMNI Center creation
Academics and Student Success Committee, 9 a.m. Thursday, Oct. 20, Walter Hall 104

The Board will consider establishing two new centers within the Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine’s Ohio Musculoskeletal and Neurological Institute (OMNI). The OMNI Center for Healthy Aging seeks to understand biologic mechanisms behind reductions in neuromuscular and musculoskeletal form and function in seniors, while the OMNI Injury and Pain Research Center will focus on the physiological mechanisms, biomechanical effects, and neuro-psychological aspects of pain and injury.

The full Board of Trustees agenda is available at https://www.ohio.edu/trustees. The Oct. 20 committee meetings will be streamed at this link. The Oct. 21 meetings will be streamed at this link.