Board of Trustees to consider nursing program expansion, budget

The Ohio University Board of Trustees will consider expanding the nursing program onto the Lancaster campus and review the FY23 operating budget during its meetings April 7-8.

Additionally, the Board will receive updates on the Patton College’s Brothers RISE program and consider capital projects. President Hugh Sherman also will present an update on leadership, COVID-19 and the Make Respect Visible campaign.

The Board will meet from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Thursday, April 7, and 9:15 a.m. to noon Friday, April 8, for its regular meetings in Walter Hall on the Athens Campus.

Items on the Board agenda include:

Brothers RISE
Academics and Student Success Committee, 1:30 p.m. Thursday, April 7, Walter Hall 104

Patton College of Education Interim Dean Sara Helfrich and Associate Professor of Instruction Jason Rawls will share details of the Brothers RISE (Rallying to Inspire and Shape Education) initiative that is designed to strengthen public education by recruiting students, particularly African American males, into the field of teacher education. This includes mentorship and academic and social support with a focus on racial identity and ethnic development.

The Brothers RISE program launched in the 2021-22 academic year and has thus far been successful, including the growth of a strong community of Black scholars and leaders within the college.

Nursing program expansion
Academics and Student Success Committee, 1:30 p.m., Thursday, April 7, Walter Hall 104

The administration will request approval for the pre-licensure Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree program to be expanded to the Lancaster campus as a secondary site of the degree being offered in Athens.

Next steps would include approval by the Ohio Board of Nursing, Ohio Department of Higher Education, and the Higher Learning Commission. Admission into the Lancaster campus pre-BSN major is anticipated for Fall 2022, with admission to the BSN major expected for Fall 2023.

Operating budget
Resources, Facilities, and Affordability Committee, 9:15 a.m., Friday, April 8, Walter Hall 104

University administrators will request Board approval of the FY23 All Funds Operating Budget. Ohio University has balanced revenues and expenses for FY23 and remains focused on developing and implementing strategies to achieve a sustainable multi-year budget.

The discussion will include forward-looking trends in revenue and expense categories and review net tuition, fees, room and board by campus and student level.

OHIO was able to balance FY23 revenues and expenses due to a number of factors:

• A stronger incoming Athens cohort in FY22 progressing through its undergraduate career;
• FY23 incoming cohort enrollment assumptions that build upon that success;
• Compensation savings associated with the 2022 voluntary separation/retirement program;
• Adjustments to employee compensation budgeting practices to incorporate historical structural turnover and vacancy savings.

Capital budget
Resources, Facilities, and Affordability Committee, 9:15 a.m., Friday, April 8, Walter Hall 104

The Board will consider several capital expenses to make repairs and address deferred maintenance concerns.

The projects include:

• Bryan Hall HVAC and life safety upgrades ($8.4 million): This project would upgrade heating, ventilation and air conditioning equipment, bring chilled water to the building and upgrade life safety equipment.
• College Green tunnel rehabilitation ($3.378 million): This project would repair an existing utility tunnel at the intersection of Union Street and University Terrace.
• Gamertsfelder/Washington Hall window replacement ($3.3 million): This project would remove windows that are original to the buildings and install new windows and associated architectural work.
• Grosvenor/Grosvenor West roof replacements ($1.3 million): This project would replace the flat roofs on the two buildings.
• Peden Stadium turf replacement ($1.3 million): This project would replace the artificial turf, which is nearing the end of its useful life and showing signs of disrepair. This would provide a safe and attractive surface and an opportunity to incorporate the upcoming renaming of the field.
• Campus steam system repairs ($900,000): This project would address steam distribution and tunnel improvements, to be coordinated with the summer campus steam outage.
• Nelson Dining Hall flooring replacement ($900,000): This would replace the carpet flooring in Nelson Court’s main seating area and Nelson Market with durable surfaces that will last longer and require less maintenance.
• Athens Campus window repair/replacement ($525,000): This project is implemented biannually for window repairs and maintenance across campus. The project includes repair and replacement of windows in Putnam Hall.
• Porter Hall flat roof replacement ($504,000): This project would replace the roof on the upper and mechanical levels of Porter Hall, including insulation and deck repair.

Fee changes
Resources, Facilities, and Affordability Committee, 9:15 a.m., Friday, April 8, Walter Hall 104

The Board will consider changing the fees associated with a pair of graduate programs.

• The Master of Physician Assistant Practice program in the College of Health Sciences and Professions currently has a fee of $60 per credit hour under the eCampus graduate rate structure, in which students pay per credit hour. The program is realigning to the Graduate Comprehensive rate structure with a comprehensive fee structure starting at nine credit hours per semester. The board will be asked to amend the fee to $334 per credit hour – still the least expensive in the state.
• The Master of Cardiovascular Perfusion is a new collaborative degree program with Cleveland Clinic. The program fee request of $563 per credit hour is necessary to fulfill a memorandum of understanding between the Cleveland Clinic and OHIO.

Housing Master Plan
Resources, Facilities, and Affordability Committee, 9:15 a.m., Friday, April 8, Walter Hall 104

University staff and contracted consultants will share the planning process, project scope and key focus areas for the update of 2012 Housing Master Plan for the Athens campus. The master plan will provide a comprehensive review of the state of the University’s residence hall facilities in context with market position and enrollment needs and will develop a financial and physical roadmap for implementation of capital improvements in the portfolio.  A final report is expected to come to the Board in June 2022.

The full Board of Trustees agenda is available at https://www.ohio.edu/trustees. The April 7 committee meetings will be streamed at this link, and the April 8 meetings will be streamed at this link.