Daniella Tebib
News Editor
[email protected]
The Board of Regents discussed a variety of topics including naming a new provost and approving an updated housing master plan on Friday, Feb. 28, at their quarterly meeting.
Provost appointment
Tim Todd, former dean of the Arthur J. Bauernfeind College of Business, was appointed provost and vice president of academic affairs after the board unanimously approved the recommendation by President Bob Jackson.
Todd received support from several deans who submitted a letter to appoint him to Jackson. Student Regent Trey Book also presented a resolution created by the Student Government Association supporting Todd’s appointment.
Housing master plan
The Board of Regents unanimously approved an updated Housing master plan which consists of a variety of possible scenarios using the current state authorization for $66 million for public-private partnership projects.
The areas of development that are currently being looked at include the College Courts, north housing complex and Regents College and White College.
Among the various different scenarios of development, one includes replacing the College Court apartments with two residential halls. The second scenario involves creating a signature walkway from the residential side of campus to the CFSB Center and the third version would remove and replace Hart College and Springer College with new residential halls. The final scenario discussed would replace Winslow Dining Hall with a new dining center.
Following the discussion at the meeting, the next step for the University is to issue a request for qualifications. Interested firms will have until March 20 to respond and the University hopes to recommend a firm to the board at the June meeting.
Fall recruitment efforts
The board recapped the numbers from Admitted Student Weekend which showed 939 students in attendance, an increase from approximately 700 students in 2019. Not only was there an increase for Admitted Student Weekend, but the University also saw several increases in first-time freshman numbers including a 17.7 percent increase in applications, a 5.6 percent increase in admittance, a 10.9 percent increase admittance from 18-county area, a 9.1 percent increase admittance from out-of-state and a 39 percent increase admittance from first-time transfers.
Bachelor of general studies
Provost Tim Todd and Shauna Mullins, director of Center for Academic Success, introduced a degree track for junior and senior students who are close to having enough credits to graduate, but have not yet declared a major.
Mullins said the new program is meant to be for a small population of students who need a backup plan after changing their major several times without finding the right fit. Newly enrolled students will not be able to declare it as their major when they first come in.
The University already has an integrated studies degree which is aimed toward older students who come in with some experience in the workforce. The general studies program will be aimed toward traditional students at junior or senior status.
Custodial and grounds services update
The University signed a contract with SSC to outsource custodial and grounds services. The last day Murray State will provide custodial and grounds services on the main campus is April 10, and SSC will begin to provide custodial and grounds services on April 13.
Property acquisitions
The board also unanimously approved property acquisitions of 40.5 acres of farmland known as the Cavitt Farm, located at the northeast intersection of North Pleasant Grove and Ollie Hale roads. The board voted to acquire this land for the Hutson School of Agriculture.
Name changes
During the meeting, several name changes were approved as well.
The Department of Organizational Communication will now be called the Department of Organizational Communication and Leadership.
Carr Health will also be renamed John W. Carr Hall. The building was originally named after John Carr, Murray State’s first president, but his name was never put on the facility. The board also found the name change appropriate because the building hosts more than health-related courses.
The Board of Regents and Finance Committee will hold a special meeting on April 24 to discuss and approve actions regarding pensions, approve tuition and fees for submission to the Council on Postsecondary Education and to discuss the budget for 2020-21.
