OHIO Board of Trustees to consider Housing Master Plan Phase II construction; learn more about impact of Student Spaceflight Experiments Program during April meetings

The Ohio University Board of Trustees will consider approval for new construction for OHIO’s Housing Master Plan Phase II and find out more about the experiential learning opportunities that the Student Spaceflight Experiments Program has offered OHIO students during meetings on Thursday, April 4, and Friday, April 5, on the Athens Campus. 

Committee meetings will begin at 1:15 p.m. on Thursday, April 4, and at 9 a.m. on Friday, April 5, in Walter Hall 104 on the Athens Campus. The complete schedule and agenda for the April meetings, as well as links to livestreams for both days is available online at ohio.edu/trustees. 

The Board will also receive an update from President Lori Stewart Gonzalez regarding the progress of the Dynamic Strategy process after committee leaders presented their ideas and findings to the community in February. The final form of the Dynamic Strategy ideas will be presented for the Board’s approval during their June meeting. Additionally, Vice President for University Communications and Marketing and co-chair of the Mission and Vision Refresh Committee Robin Oliver will share the committee’s revitalized mission, vision and values statements.

Additional agenda items from the Board of Trustees’ April meeting are anticipated to include:

Student Experiential Learning
Academics and Student Success Committee, 1:15 p.m. Thursday, April 4, Walter Hall 104

Executive Vice President and Provost Elizabeth Sayrs and Professor Sarah Wyatt will present to the Board on the experiential learning opportunities students have received through the Student Spaceflight Experiments Program (SSEP).

Under Wyatt’s leadership, 34 undergraduate students, making up 10 teams, worked to design a research project that would travel to the International Space Station (ISS). Three finalists were then selected after an internal review and sent to the National Center for Earth and Space Science Education (NCESSE) for selection to fly. One winning team was selected and is currently prepping their experiment for flight. 

The students are not the only ones who can say their work has been to space – Wyatt has also flown experiments aboard the ISS and has been active in grant reviews for USDA, NASA and the NSF and served as a program officer at the NSF and led numerous grant panels for NASA. Most recently, she was a member of the steering committee that led the National Academy of Sciences Decadal Survey for Biological and Physical Sciences Program at NASA. She is also a Fellow of the American Society of Plant Biology and the American Society of Gravitational and Space Biology.

Housing Master Plan Phase II – New Construction
Resources, Facilities, and Affordability Committee, 2:15 p.m. Thursday, April 4, Walter Hall 104

The Board will consider approval for new construction of a 600-bed residence hall on South Green that will meet the evolving needs and expectations of today’s students and their families as part of the Housing Master Plan Phase II. This investment will enable OHIO to provide competitive housing offerings that will aid in the recruitment of new undergraduate students to the Athens campus. This $110.5 million project is anticipated to be funded by Housing departmental reserves and external financing. 

Approved by the Board in 2022, the Housing Master Plan was created to help shape and guide the University’s ongoing improvement of and investment in the residential infrastructure across the Athens campus through a combination of new construction and major and minor renovation projects. The goal of the plan is to further enhance OHIO students’ overall residential experience for many years to come. 

Capital Projects
Resources, Facilities, and Affordability Committee, 2:15 p.m. Thursday, April 4, Walter Hall 104

In addition to the Housing Master Plan Phase II, the Board also will consider several new capital projects, including:

• Heritage Translational Research Center - The Board will consider approval to increase the budget of the Heritage Translational Research Center by $8 million. The center aims to promote and provide a functional and flexible translational research environment that elevates OHIO’s research profile and aligns with the Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine’s 2030 strategic priorities. This $74.9 million in total project is anticipated to be funded by internal bank financing, grants, departmental reserves and central University funding. 
• Russ Research Opportunity Center Room 180 Fit Out – The Board will consider approval the development of an effective and efficient research environment for several active and pending sponsored research projects in the newly completed Russ Research Center.  phased renewal plan for the renovation of learning spaces in Bentley and Morton Halls. The upgrades are intended to enhance the quality of OHIO’s academic and student experiences within two of the most highly utilized learning spaces on the Athens Campus. This $1.5 million project is anticipated to be funded by the Russ College of Engineering and Technology departmental funding.
• Athena Cinema Structural Stabilization – The Board will consider approval to stabilize a structural issue discovered during routine maintenance. The $850,000 project is anticipated to be funded by century bond emergency project funding and central University funding. 
• West Green Gulch Bridges Repair and Repaint – The Board will consider approval to repair a pedestrian bridge on West Green that is in a state of disrepair and will also remove a second pedestrian bridge that is no longer needed. This $558,000 project is anticipated to be funded by century bond. 
• Lin Hall Third Floor Renovation – The Board will consider approval to provide a gallery and learning laboratory for student and alumni engagement to highlight OHIO’s research and creative activity. Renovation of the OHIO Museum Complex space on the third floor of Lin Hall will include refinishing the floors, walls and ceilings in rooms 310 and 311, the third-floor corridor and the stairs to the third and fourth floors. This $500,000 project is anticipated to be funded by external grant funding. 

FY24 financial forecast
Resources, Facilities, and Affordability Committee, 2:15 p.m. Thursday, April 4, Walter Hall 104

Interim Vice President for Finance & Administration and CFO John Day will present a brief update to the Board on the FY24 financial forecast, focusing on the most significant variances that impact the forecast including net tuition and fees; room and board; compensation; grants and contracts; and debt service. This information and data will continue to evolve as OHIO moves forward in FY24 and continues to gather more detailed information from its planning units.

University Advancement Fundraising and Engagement Report
Resources, Facilities, and Affordability Committee, 2:15 p.m. Thursday, April 4, Walter Hall 104

Interim Vice President for University Advancement and President and CEO of the Ohio University Foundation and Vice President for Student Affairs Lyn Redington will provide the Board with an update on fundraising and engagement, highlighting Advancement’s strategic priorities, as well as report on key fundraising and engagement activity in support of Ohio University. Redington will also highlight the ways in which alumni are connecting with OHIO and how the institution intends to further foster engagement as the University looks forward to its annual OHIO Giving Day on April 9.