OHIO Board of Trustees to consider College of Fine Arts renaming following alumnus gift, learn about University’s AI-enhanced Course Redesign Institute

The Ohio University Board of Trustees will consider a resolution to rename the College of Fine Arts following a transformational gift commitment from a notable alumnus; they will also learn more about the work of OHIO’s Center for Teaching, Learning, and Assessment regarding its AI-enhanced Course Redesign Institute during meetings Monday, Aug. 19 on the Athens campus.  

Additionally, the Board will meet several newly appointed deans on campus and receive a preliminary update on fall 2024 enrollment from Vice President of Enrollment Management Candace J. Boeninger.

They will also welcome new trustees Richard D. Dickerson and student trustee Pankaj Karna.

Committee meetings will begin at 11:30 a.m. on Monday, Aug. 19 in Walter Hall 104. The complete schedule and agenda for the August meetings, as well as links to livestreams for both days, is available online at ohio.edu/trustees.  

Additional agenda items from the Board of Trustees’ August meeting are anticipated to include: 

College of Fine Arts renaming
Academics and Student Success Committee, 1 p.m. Monday, Aug. 19, Walter Hall 104 

The Board will consider a resolution to rename the College of Fine Arts and associated programs in honor of a generous gift made by a notable OHIO alumnus in conjunction with their spouse. 

The donor, who has previously served as a member of the Ohio University Alumni Association Board of Directors and The Ohio University Foundation Board of Trustees, has supported and advocated for the University and arts education for many years, contributing to several key programs at the University including student scholarships, the Performing Arts Series, the Pride Center, the OU Press, the Kennedy Museum of Art, and many other areas.  

The Center for Teaching, Learning, and Assessment’s AI-enhanced Course Redesign Institute
Academics and Student Success Committee, 1 p.m. Monday, Aug. 19, Walter Hall 104 

Executive Vice President and Provost Dr. Donald Leo, Professor of Plant Biology Jared DeForest, Assistant Professor of Instruction in Digital Art and Technology Basil Zara, Assistant Professor of Instruction in Education Jennifer Lisy and Assistant Professor of Instruction in Engineering Yanhui Fang will present to the Board on the Center for Teaching, Learning, and Assessment’s (CTLA) AI-enhanced Course Redesign Institute which offers faculty development in exploring the ways generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) can be infused into a course. The institute serves as a springboard for any OHIO instructor interested in how to effectively and ethically teach with GenAI and leverage this technology to support student learning.  

The Board will learn about how the CTLA launched a six-week pilot course this summer for faculty and how the courses redesigned through the institute will serve as models for implementation, as well as innovative examples for teaching with GenAI.  

Dr. Leo will also highlight how the efforts by the CTLA and its AI Faculty Learning Community members have led to collaboration on other GenAI projects, among other benefits these courses can offer to the OHIO community. 

The CTLA began offering programs on teaching and learning with GenAI as soon as ChatGPT became widely available in fall 2022. Since then, the CTLA has supported three Faculty Learning Communities, faculty and student panels on GenAI, six AI Coffee and Conversation events, and multiple workshops and customized informational and development sessions. The CTLA also established a position statement designed to guide the center’s approach to this technological innovation and provide a lens through which faculty might consider GenAI in their classrooms. 

2024 Completion Plan
Academics and Student Success Committee, 1 p.m. Monday, Aug. 19, Walter Hall 104 

The Board will consider approval of the 2024 completion plan which details Ohio University’s plan to address barriers to student success, such as meeting students’ financial needs, supplemental instruction, course modality shifts, expansion of the OHIO Guarantee+, DFW rates (percentage of grades of D or F or of students withdrawing from the course entirely) strategy development and inclusive access to digital course materials. 

The plan also includes adopted Faculty Senate Resolutions aimed at improving student success and retention, describes Ohio University’s programs in Advanced Manufacturing and Healthcare which are part of the workforce initiative and provides information on Project Graduation – Ohio University’s plan and timeline to assist students in earning their associate degree.  

Ohio Revised Code requires the Board of Trustees within each institution of higher education to update its institution-specific strategic completion plan at least once every two years, which is designed to increase the number of degrees and certificates awarded to students. 

Capital Projects
Resources, Facilities, and Affordability Committee, 11:30 a.m. Monday, Aug. 19, Walter Hall 104 

The Board will consider several new capital projects, including: 

• Old Heating Plant Switchgear - The Board will consider a resolution to replace electrical distribution switchgear housed at the Old Heating Plant. The requested budget amendment will allow for remediation of unanticipated existing conditions discovered during the course of construction. This $9.36 million project is anticipated to be funded by state capital appropriations and century bond funding. 
• Bentley Hall and Bentley Hall Annex HVAC and Controls Update – The Board will consider approval to replace existing HVAC equipment and install a modern HVAC controls system in Bentley Hall and Bentley Annex. This $1.7 million project is anticipated to be funded by century bond funding and Energy Infrastructure Project (EIP) residual funding. 
• Annual Campus Steam Repairs 2025 – The Board will consider approval to address steam distribution and tunnel improvements as identified through our annual tunnel assessment. Construction of the prioritized improvements will be completed in coordination with the annual campus steam outage. This $1.2 million project is anticipated to be funded by state capital appropriations and century bond proceeds.