OU Trustees set to discuss semesters, health center
By Nick Claussen
June 23, 2008
The Ohio University Board of Trustees will discuss a possible switch to semesters, a proposed new student health center, pay levels for the president and top administrators, and a wide range of other issues at its meetings this week.
The Trustees will hold committee meetings on Thursday in Athens, and then a full board meeting on Friday.
OU President Roderick McDavis and Executive Vice President/Provost Kathy Krendl are recommending that the university switch from its current calendar system of quarters to a semester system, which is used by most of Ohio’s public universities.
In a memo to the Trustees from Krendl (included in the Trustees’ agenda packet), the provost says she will make a presentation at the board meeting about issues the university will face if it makes the switch to semesters.
“As part of this presentation, I will be discussing the length of time required to make a possible transition as well as the cost, the anticipated affect on enrollment and subsidy, and how such an extensive project will affect the workload of faculty and staff,” Krendl stated in the memo.
McDavis, in an e-mail sent to OU students (also included in the agenda packet) said that if the change is approved, OU will begin a three-year process of switching to semesters during the 2009-2010 school year.
“The first group of students likely to experience the effects of a change to semesters would be students graduating in spring 2012,” McDavis said in the e-mail. The change to semesters will benefit students and faculty, he said in the e-mail.
“We are proposing this transition because we believe that semesters will provide academic advantages to our students and faculty by offering an opportunity to pursue coursework, research and creative activities in more depth,” McDavis said in the e-mail. “A semester system also will give students a chance to participate in internships and other co-curricular activities that are often built around semesters.”
The state’s new University System of Ohio plan for higher education in Ohio recommends that all public institutions be on the same calendar system, and most are already on semesters.
The move to semesters is one that many in the business community in Athens support, as it would eliminate the six-week Christmas break and keep students in town throughout part of the busy holiday shopping season in December.
Some in the business community argue that it will not make a difference, however, as it will not keep students in town for any additional weeks during the year, but only move the dates during which they’re present.
THE TRUSTEES WILL also discuss a proposal to build a new student health center. OU officials have put forward a plan to build a new clinic that would replace Hudson Health Center, possibly on open land across Richland Avenue from Peden Stadium. That property is now used for “tailgate parties” before OU football games.
The new facility would combine services currently offered in Hudson Health Center and the Parks Hall medical building. A comprehensive review and assessment of Hudson Health Center in 2007 discussed the need for the new health center.
A memo from William Decatur, vice president for finance and administration/treasurer, and included in the agenda packet, states that the Trustees will receive an update at the meeting on the progress of the plans for the new facility.
“Following discussion with the board at the April meeting, a constructability analysis was completed resulting in enhanced program plans and a more realistic project budget,” the memo reports. “We will discuss these developments and the implications for the project.”
The university budget will also be a major topic during the meeting, and the Trustees will discuss financial items affecting several areas of campus. For example, a number of new fees will be considered, including a new $65 dissertation-filing fee for graduate students, six new student course fees and new on-line course fees.
In an attempt to address financial problems at the Baker Center food operations, the university is also looking into ways to enhance revenue and cut costs in the student center, according to a memo from Decatur. Also with food service, the university is proposing new meal plans geared toward off-campus students, as well as faculty and staff.
Other items to be discussed at the meeting include:
• The progress of the Vision Ohio Five Year Implementation Plan, and the goals set for the university in the plan.
• Raises for McDavis and his top executive staff and officers. These raises will be discussed behind closed doors in executive session, then voted on during the full meeting on Friday.
The board packet states that the Trustees will review the performance of McDavis and the executive staff, hear “a presentation of salary recommendations by the President based on his review,” and discuss the salary compensation for McDavis.
• Enrollment for the fall quarter is expected to be up slightly, according to projections in the agenda packet. The enrollment on the Athens campus is projected to be at 20,413 for the fall quarter, up over the 20,350 in the fall of 2007, according to the agenda packet. Total enrollment of all campuses is projected to be at 29,092 in the fall, compared to 28,908 in fall of 2007.
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