Board of Trustees to receive update on OHIO Guarantee+ Graduation Plan

Board to consider budget, capital improvements during August meetings

The Ohio University Board of Trustees will receive an update on implementation of OHIO Guarantee+ Graduation Plan during its August meetings.

The Board will also consider the FY22 budget, as well as a new six-year Capital Improvement Plan, during its meetings Aug. 19-20 in Athens.

The Board will meet from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 19, and 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Friday, Aug. 20. Meetings will be held in person in Walter Hall on the Athens Campus. An audio stream of the meetings will also be available. Following the Friday meetings, Ohio University President Hugh Sherman will deliver the State of the University address in the Walter Hall Rotunda. The State of the University will be live streamed.

Items on the Board agenda include:

Guarantee+ Graduation Plan
Academics and Student Success Committee, 1:45 p.m., Thursday, Aug. 19, Walter Hall 104

Executive Vice President and Provost Elizabeth Sayrs and Associate Vice Provost Jen Murphy will present an overview of OHIO Guarantee+ Graduation Plan, which create individualized experiences for every OHIO student with a clear timeline for completion of degrees. The OHIO Guarantee+, first announced last year, was launched in fall 2020 and will be rolled out fully over the next three years.

Throughout their college careers, students will meet regularly with a professional academic advisor — their success coach — who will help them integrate meaningful co-curricular experiences into their graduation plan and engage in the career exploration process. Three distinct areas – advising, career and experiential learning – will redefine the student experience at OHIO, creating a coordinated care approach that builds integrated teams around each student and individualized support structures for every OHIO student that opts into the program. These individualized graduation plans are customized to the program and the student.

Fiscal Year ‘22 budget
Resources, Facilities, and Affordability Committee, 8 a.m., Friday, Aug. 20, Walter Hall 104

The Board will be asked to approve the operating budget for FY22, which is aligned with the six-year Capital Improvement Plan and FY22 Capital Plan.

The budget continues to be impacted by the University’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Expense strategies adopted in the FY22 budget will be presented in the context of the financial impact of COVID-19, as well as multi-year revenue assumptions from state operating support and net tuition and fees, as well as strategies to limit use of reserves.

As approved by the Board in June 2021, room and board rates for the FY22 Ohio Guarantee cohort were set by the President in consultation with the Board chair and the chair of the Resources committee, and in accordance with the state budget bill. No additional Board action is needed. The room and board fee schedule that was adopted provides students and their families more choices to self-select the room and board plan that suits them best; reduces the annual cost of a traditional single room, making it equal to the cost of a traditional double room; and aligns cost options and amenities to provide diverse choices for students and families while maintaining the quality of the residential experience.

Capital Improvement Plan
Resources, Facilities, and Affordability Committee, 8 a.m., Friday, Aug. 20, Walter Hall 104

The Board will be asked to approve a new six-year Capital Improvement Plan (FY23-28), as well as the FY22 annual Capital Improvement Plan (CIP). The six-year CIP is a comprehensive spending plan of capital investments, including facility, infrastructure and deferred maintenance investments planned on all OHIO campuses. The CIP maps out funding strategies and dependencies that will guide capital investments over the course of the plan, including a summary of major projects, areas of focus and alignment with strategic objectives.

The biennial state capital budget projects for FY23-24 are embedded within the six-year CIP and will be submitted for approval by the Board in accordance with state submission dates.

Capital projects
Resources, Facilities, and Affordability Committee, 8 a.m., Friday, Aug. 20, Walter Hall 104

The Board will be asked to approve four capital projects that address deferred maintenance needs. They include:

• Phase II, HVAC and energy efficiency improvements at Ohio University Lancaster: This $3.7 million project would build upon work done during the first phase, including distribution ductwork and terminal devices, air handling units, and direct digital control upgrades.
• Class Gate tunnel rehabilitation: This $2.6 million project, the University’s highest-priority deferred maintenance item, would address issues in the tunnel systems at the Class Gate and East Union Street area that are in dire need of repair. This project will include significant roadway impacts on East Union and College streets during construction.
• Campus steam system repairs: This $600,000 project would address campus steam distribution and tunnel improvements to aging campus infrastructure.
• Peden boiler and domestic hot water tank replacement: This $500,000 project would replace boilers and hot water tanks at Peden Stadium that are beyond their useful lives.

Marketing and enrollment update
Academics and Student Success Committee, 1:45 p.m., Thursday, Aug. 19, Walter Hall 104

University leaders will provide an update on marketing and enrollment priorities for FY22, including ways University Communications and Marketing and Enrollment Management are collaborating to increase visibility for the University, along with improved efficiency and effectiveness.

Marketing and enrollment priorities impacting Athens, online and regional campus undergraduates and graduate and online professional programs will be discussed.

Regional trustee proposal
Governance and Compensation Committee, 10:45 a.m., Friday, Aug. 20, Walter Hall 125/127

President Sherman will introduce a proposal to add a regional trustee to the membership of the Board of Trustees. The discussion will include defining a “regional trustee,” determining the value of modifying the makeup of the Board, and the process for investigating a change in the Board.

The full Board of Trustees agenda is available at https://www.ohio.edu/trustees. Attendees will be required to wear masks during the meetings. The meetings will also be broadcast via an audio stream. The Aug. 19 meetings will be streamed here, while the Aug. 20 meetings will be streamed here.