Penn State's Board of Trustees met May 16, 2008, at the University Park campus. The following items were presented to the board for action or informational purposes.
Penn State Board of Trustees meets; President Spanier's remarks
Penn State's Board of Trustees held its regular bi-monthly meeting Friday (May 16) at Penn State's University Park campus. In his opening remarks to the board, President Graham B. Spanier provided an update on recent and upcoming activities at the University. Among the topics covered were recent presidential campaign visits to University campuses, an update on undergraduate applications, spring commencement, athletic success and faculty accomplishments.
For the full text of Spanier's remarks, visit http://live.psu.edu/story/30898.
New program to combat high-risk drinking provides hope for success
Penn State continuously looks for ways to diminish the misuse of alcohol among its students by pioneering new programs such as AlcoholEdu for College, an online learning module for first-year students throughout the Penn State system, a panel of experts explained Friday (May 16) in a report to the University's Board of Trustees. Those presenting included Gail Hurley, interim vice president for Student Affairs; Margaret Spear, senior director of University Health Services, Linda LaSalle, coordinator of Health Education Services and Linda Higginson, assistant dean for advising in the Division of Undergraduate Studies.
Read the full story at http://live.psu.edu/story/30884.
CIC enhances academic excellence opportunities, efficiencies
Penn State is sharing the advantages of being among the top academic institutions in the United States through its membership in the CIC, the acronym for the Committee on Institutional Cooperation, which is a consortium of 12 nationally renowned public and private research universities. In a report today (May 16), Penn State's Board of Trustees learned that being a member of the CIC brings tremendous benefit to students and faculty at these universities, as the institutions work together on adopting best practices and cost-saving measures, promoting academic collaborations, sharing resources and preparing the next generation of leaders in higher education.
Read the full story at http://live.psu.edu/story/30889.
Board hears update on Commonwealth Campus restructuring
The 2005 restructuring of the Commonwealth Campuses has resulted in more streamlined operations, increased involvement of central units in campus operations and greater responsibility and autonomy assumed by campuses in many key areas, the Board of Trustees learned today (May 16). John Romano, vice president for Commonwealth Campuses, focused on administrative organization, admissions and enrollments, academic programs, faculty resources and budget management in his informational report to the board.
Read the full story at http://live.psu.edu/story/30888.
Blasko recaps 2007-08 Faculty Senate activity
Dawn Blasko, immediate past chair of the University Faculty Senate, told Penn State's Board of Trustees Friday (May 16) about initiatives undertaken by the Senate in the past year, including action to change the First Year Seminar general education requirement, addressing student binge drinking and establishing a Faculty Senate Trustee Scholarship.
Read the full story at http://live.psu.edu/story/30891.
Penn State nursing school to become academic unit with dean
Penn State's programs in the School of Nursing have experienced significant growth in enrollments, research and outreach, contributing to the health care of residents in Pennsylvania and across the nation. To continue and support the growth, the Board of Trustees today (May 16) approved an administrative change that makes the School of Nursing an independent academic unit and changes the title of the person who oversees it from director to dean, effective July 1, 2008.
Read the full story at http://live.psu.edu/story/30893.
Trustees approve new vice president for Student Affairs
Penn State's Board of Trustees today (May 16) approved the appointment of Damon R. Sims as the University's new vice president for Student Affairs, beginning August 1. Sims, currently associate vice provost for Student Affairs at Indiana University at Bloomington, brings a wealth of experience to the Penn State post. As associate vice provost at Indiana, he is involved in the oversight of a division of 200 staff members who support 39,000 students. Sims also holds academic appointments in both the School of Law and the School of Education.
Read the full story at http://live.psu.edu/story/30886.
Penn State to acquire adjacent Houts property
Penn State will acquire a strategic parcel of land adjacent to the University Park campus known as the O.W. Houts property, following approval from the University Board of Trustees Friday (May 16). The property consists of eight parcels totaling 5.33 acres at the intersection of West College Avenue and North Buckhout Street in State College and Ferguson Township.
Read the full story at http://live.psu.edu/story/30899.
Architect appointed for new child care facility
Penn State's Board of Trustees on Friday (May 16) appointed Horizons Design of Brookline, Mass., to design a new child-care center on the University Park campus. The new center will replace the Child Development Laboratory (CDL), currently located in Henderson South Building. The CDL will be demolished to make room for a proposed addition to Henderson Building.
Read the full story at http://live.psu.edu/story/30895.
Trustees approve interim budget for 2008-09
The Board of Trustees today (May 16), approved an interim maintenance and operating budget of $3,425,188,000. This budget supports all Penn State operations and enterprises throughout the commonwealth. The University adopts an interim budget each year so that it has an approved fiscal operating plan from the beginning of the fiscal year, July 1, until the next year's actual budget is approved by the University's Board of Trustees.
Read the full story at http://live.psu.edu/story/30894.
Trustees approve facilities fee to fund non-academic space
A student facilities fee was recognized by Penn State's Board of Trustees as the best option to accommodate improvements to non-academic, recreational and multi-use space. Trustees today (May 16) approved a resolution to implement this new fee beginning in fall 2008. Division of Student Affairs leaders have held several discussions with student organization representatives since January to explain the rationale for the fee and to receive their input. Feedback from these sessions was reviewed by Penn State President Graham Spanier, who decided, in consultation with other senior administrators, to move forward with the fee as the most viable option to address these facility issues.
Read the full story at http://live.psu.edu/story/30897.
Board of Trustees appoints three to Medical Center board
Penn State's Board of Trustees announced today (May 16) the appointment of Cynthia Baldwin and Edward R. Hintz Jr. and the re-appointment of Rodney A. Erickson to the Board of Directors of Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center. Each appointee will serve a three-year term through June 30, 2011.
Read the full story at http://live.psu.edu/story/30901.
Penn State announces results of Board of Trustees elections
Penn State alumni, delegates of agricultural societies and the board (representatives of business and industry endeavors) have elected six incumbents and one new member to serve on the University's Board of Trustees, as announced today (May 16) at the trustees' meeting.
Read the full story at http://live.psu.edu/story/30917.
Statistician, educator and author named honorary degree recipient
A world-renowned innovator and one of the most influential industrial statisticians of the last 50 years will receive an honorary doctor of science degree from Penn State. The University's Board of Trustees today (May 16) approved J. Stuart Hunter as a recipient, who will receive the degree at one of the University's future commencement ceremonies.
Read the full story at http://live.psu.edu/story/30900.