97-03-07 Trustees: Revenue, Construction, Miscellaneous

TRUSTEES HEAR REVENUE REPORT; ACT ON CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS

     COLUMBUS -- The Ohio State University Board of Trustees on 
Friday (3/7) heard a report comparing Ohio State's revenue with 
that of its peer institutions, authorized design work and awarded 
construction contracts, and conducted other business.

Trustees hear report on university revenue benchmarks

     Undergraduate tuition at Ohio State is low compared with 
tuition of its peer institutions, William J. Shkurti, vice 
president for finance, reported.

     The university ranks 12th of 20 peer institutions for annual 
resident undergraduate fees, following Michigan, Penn State and 
three other Big 10 schools, Virginia and five in the California 
system. Ohio State's annual fees, at $3,468, are 7.1 percent 
below the $3,734 average of its peers. Peer institutions are the 
top 20 public research universities as determined by a composite 
of rankings by the National Research Council of Graduate 
Programs, U.S. News and World Report and the American Association 
of Universities.

     At the same time, Ohio State ranks 20 percent below the 
average of its peer institutions in revenues per full-time 
equivalent student, Shkurti said.

     And the university ranks ninth among the 13 Ohio public-
assisted universities in undergraduate fees, with only Cleveland 
State, Youngstown State, Central State  and Shawnee State 
universities charging less.  Ohio State also is well below the 
$3,767 state average.

     Ohio State is a tremendous value to the people of Ohio, 
Shkurti said. With tuition of $3,468, Ohio State ranked 37th in 
academic reputation in U.S. News and World Report's America's 
Best Colleges. Miami University, with tuition of $5,098, was 
ranked 65th; Ohio University, with tuition of $3,885, was ranked 
84th; Cincinnati, with tuition of $4,152, was ranked 116th; and 
Bowling Green, with tuition of $4,190, was ranked 169th.

     But a 3 percent tuition cap proposed in the state's 
executive budget will exacerbate Ohio State's underfunding by 
locking in current inequities, Shkurti said. Because the 
university's tuition already is lower than that of other schools, 
a 3 percent increase would bring Ohio State only an additional 
$104 per student, while at Miami, for example, a 3 percent hike 
would bring in another $153 per student. A 3 percent increase at 
Michigan would earn another $182, and at Penn State, another $169 
per student.

Trustees authorize design work; award construction contracts

     There will be a new look to the Lima campus soon with the 
addition of two buildings -- a laboratory and classroom building 
and an agriculture building. Trustees approved a request to seek 
construction bids for the two projects on Friday (3/7).

     The $15.23 million Life and Physical Sciences Building at 
Lima will provide space for the science departments and those of 
Lima's allied campus, the Lima Technical College.

     The state-funded project will replace laboratory and 
classroom facilities that are more than 30 years old, said 
Barbara Koelbl, a university architect.

     "The facility will give us the opportunity to offer more 
sciences to our students," said Catherine Kouns Born, 
communications coordinator for the Lima campus. "We've been so 
cramped for space in the past that we've not been able to meet 
the demands of our students for science classes."

     A $1.05 million agriculture building also on the Lima campus 
will house offices and meeting space for University Extension as 
well as federal and state agricultural agencies. The project will 
be funded by the campus and by building leases.

     Trustees awarded a contract for a $1.3 million steam line 
replacement from McCracken Power Plant to St. John Arena. The 
current line passes through the site of what will be a new 
parking garage and has to be moved, said Al Mathews, assistant 
vice president for physical facilities. Replacing it with a 
larger-capacity line, however, will allow the university to bring 
steam to the new Schottenstein Center.

     The new line will pass through parking lots adjacent to Ohio 
Stadium. As many as 600 parking spaces for students and staff 
will be temporarily lost during construction, said Sarah Blouch, 
director of transportation and parking services. The work is 
scheduled to begin in April and be completed before the first 
home football game and the beginning of autumn quarter.  About 
300 parking spaces will be out of service during the spring, and 
an additional 300 during the summer.

     Trustees also awarded a contract to replace the roof on Doan 
Hall and authorized design work and seeking construction bids for 
a renovation of the lobby and reception area of Rhodes Hall in 
the University Hospitals. Funding for the $1.47 million Doan Hall 
project and the $250,000 Rhodes Hall renovation will be provided 
by University Hospitals.

Board accepts 13 named endowed funds

     The board accepted 13 new named endowed funds with gifts 
totaling $597,557:

     -- The Margaret E. Snider Marching Band Scholarship Fund, 
$50,000.

     -- The Greene County Alumni Scholarship Endowment Fund, 
$15,025, for graduates of Greene County high schools.

     -- The Patsy Parrish Jones Scholarship Fund, $15,000, for 
students on the Newark campus.

     -- The Evert C. Strickland and Esther L. Hedges Strickland 
Scholarship Fund in Education, $15,000.

     -- The Dr. Harry F. Bartels Veterinary Practice Management 
Fund, $250,163, to support courses in practice management -- such 
as human resources, financial management and marketing -- in the 
College of Veterinary Medicine.

     -- The William K. Westwater Medical Research Fund, $51,822, 
in the College of Medicine.

     -- The Anne Powell Riley Cancer Research Endowment Fund, 
$44,538, in the Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Research 
Institute.

     -- The Pauline M. and Justin Boyer Scholarship Fund in 
Pharmacy, $31,011.

     -- The Ann Katherine Carr Carter Scholarship Fund, $25,000, 
for graduates of Grandview Heights High School in the College of 
Education.

     -- The Dr. Lloyd C. Ferguson Scholarship Fund in Veterinary 
Medicine, $25,000.

     -- The John W. King University Scholar Fund, $25,000.

     -- The Kathryn L. and Edmund B. Quinn Arthritis Fund, 
$25,000, for support of advancement of medical knowledge and 
treatment of arthritis.

     -- The Ruth E. Smith Memorial Leadership Endowment Fund for 
Alpha Delta Pi Sorority, $25,000, to support enhancement of 
leadership skills for members of the sorority.

Miscellaneous business

     In other matters, trustees:

     -- Authorized the university to purchase a property at 1568 
Neil Avenue for $117,000. Although there are no immediate plans 
for the site, the property falls within the acquisition lines of 
the university, said Anne Dorrian, director of real estate and 
property management. Funds for purchase of properties within the 
university's acquisition zone already have been allocated.

     -- Approved a plan to allow eligible university employees to 
purchase service credits in the Public Employees Retirement 
System, in accordance with system guidelines.

     -- Approved 198 contracts totaling $16.05 million for 
research projects funded in January.

     -- Agreed to loan up to $1 million to MedOhio Health Inc. to 
assist in implementation of its home health care program for 
patients served by the University Medical Center.

     -- Approved revisions to the classified civil service rules, 
which will allow the Office of Human Resources to gradually 
implement the university's new classification plan, called 
broadbanding.  When complete, Human Resources will have reviewed 
and revised approximately 2,600 non-bargaining unit job titles in 
order to better classify and compensate jobs. The system will 
have fewer, more general titles that fall within very broad pay 
bands.  Broadbanding will clarify and reduce the total number of 
titles and allow greater flexibility.  It is a budget-neutral 
process, which is expected to be complete in 1999.

     -- Heard an update on the accreditation process. Purdue 
University President Steven C. Beering will lead a site review in 
early May of Ohio State's academic programs and student support 
efforts, officials of the Office of Academic Affairs reported to 
trustees.  The visit by the 20-member team caps an accreditation 
review required every 10 years by the North Central Association 
of Colleges and Schools.  Ohio State already has conducted an 
extensive self review.
                             #

Contacts: William J. Shkurti, vice president for finance,
          (614) 292-9232
          Jill Morelli, assistant vice president and
          university architect, (614) 292-4458
          Larry Lewellen, acting vice president for human
          resources, (614) 292-4164

Written by David Bhaerman, University Communications,
          (614) 292-8422


[Submitted by: Von Vargas  (vargas.12@osu.edu)
               
Fri, 7 Mar 1997 16:27:22 -0500 (EST)]
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