University Facilities
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University Facilities |
| Minutes of the October 24, 2001 Meeting | |
Attending: Beach, Boyd, Davis, Dodd, Fry, Hosier and Rowell.
Mr. Fry reviewed the results of Swing Space Committee's recent meeting. The Chancellor decided that between $1.4 and $1.5 million will be available for this project thus the building will be downsized to approximately 15,000 gross square feet. Sitting of the facility still remains a question. A sitting recommendation will be presented to the Board of Trustees at the November meeting. Part of the sitting problem is related to the final location of the arts facility and some procedural issues related to the university's master planning process.
Mr. Davis gave a status report on bond funded construction and renovation projects. The university is currently behind on several projects. The main reason on two of these is sitting. Swing space must be constructed by December 2002 in order to meet the needs of the first occupants. Office of the President wants all projects on schedule. At this point there is a growing concern on the economic impact on the issuance of bonds. Mr. Davis is realigning his staff so that they have more involvement in construction and renovation projects. Staff need to be more aggressive, be looking for improvement opportunities in internal processes, and be more focused on the service aspects of their jobs.
Committee members discussed reasons why projects are behind schedule. It was determined that the decision-making process must work more smoothly and more quickly. Recommendations must be taken to the senior officers when ready and they must act more quickly and with finality. The approval process must be more formal including the creation of a calendar showing the dates when decisions must be made. Assumptions, guidelines, principles, parameters, etc. that are related to the master planning process must be reviewed.
A number of other construction issues remain including sitting of public/private student housing. Utility capacities, transportation, parking/roads, storm drainage, etc. must be reviewed in light of all construction projects.
In response to Mr. Davis' question about the working title for creative arts building, the Committee asked that this facility be assigned the name "Creative Arts Academic and Classroom Facilities" which is consistent with the name used in the bond package voted on last November.
Committee members also discussed the importance of the November Board of Trustees meeting.
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Last Updated: November 20, 2001