Penn State's Board of Trustees met on Friday, Jan. 18, 2008, on Penn State's 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 Jan. 18 on Penn State's University Park campus. In his opening remarks to the board, President Graham B. Spanier provided an update on some recent and upcoming activities at the University. Among the topics covered were commencement in December, in which the University graduated a total of 4,256 students; the continued high number of applications to the University; events at the University marking Martin Luther King, Jr. Day; a recent study evaluating the impact of Penn State's outreach efforts; achievements in research by Penn State faculty; a recap of the fall success of Penn State athletic teams; and the upcoming groundbreaking for renovations and construction at the Penn State Dickinson School of Law's Carlisle campus.
For the full text of the President's remarks visit http://live.psu.edu/story/28178.
Faculty, staff stay in technology loop to communicate better with students
Students at Penn State are using technology innovations to communicate with each other, which means faculty and staff are modifying their actions to keep up with these changes and effectively stay in touch with students, a panel of experts explained Friday (Jan. 18) in a report to the University's Board of Trustees. Panelists -- who included Gail Hurley, interim vice president for Student Affairs; Cynthia Hall, assistant vice president for University Relations; John Harwood, senior director, Teaching and Learning with Technology, and Allan Gyorke, manager of Education Technology -- explained that the University enlists evolving strategies to use technology to communicate with students, promote scholarly discussion and deliver student services.
Read the full story at http://live.psu.edu/story/28179
Academic challenges must balance programming needs, faculty resources and strategic planning
Academic affairs represents the core of the University and is a complex enterprise that must be well-managed in order to deliver the highest possible quality of education. Penn State performs well in comparison with its peers in providing continually evolving programs that anticipate students' curricular and professional needs, and works diligently to encourage faculty opportunities for long-term success, said Rodney A. Erickson, executive vice president and provost of the University, in a report Friday (Jan. 18) to its Board of Trustees. "Building academic quality is a multidimensional and self-reinforcing process," said Erickson, noting that great faculty and great students are interdependent elements for achieving success.
Read the full story at http://live.psu.edu/story/28180.
Trustees hear accomplishments, new incentives in Intercollegiate Athletics
In a presentation to the Board of Trustees Friday (Jan. 18) Penn State Director of Athletics Tim Curley brought to light how the Intercollegiate Athletic Department has benefited a wide range of Penn State students including varsity, club sport and paralympic athletes as well University Park students via recreational activities, and varsity sport athletes at the University's commonwealth campuses. "I believe Intercollegiate Athletics at Penn State is unique in the way that it affects the lives of such a diverse and numbered part of the student population," said Curley. "This fall semester alone, we have had both national and conference champions, numerous academic successes as well as record enrollment in intramurals and club sports. A higher number of students have come through our fitness centers and classes. Additionally, our alumni and ability athletes continue to make us proud with all they accomplish."
Read the full story at http://ive.psu.edu/story/28185.
Former church to become home for Visual Arts building at Penn State Altoona
The University Board of Trustees today (Jan. 18) approved the purchase of a new building in Altoona to be used for the Penn State Altoona Visual Art Studies Program (VAST). Originally a church, the 15,000-square-foot property on West Chestnut Avenue includes a former sanctuary, basement, garage and adjoining house. The majority of the space was converted to a fully functioning woodworking, sculptural and material-working space by former owner Geo Trusty. Trusty is donating all of the industrial, high-quality equipment in the building to Penn State Altoona.
Read the full story at http://live.psu.edu/story/28186.
Trustees approve architect for Henderson Building replacements
Seeking to address the needs of the College of Health and Human Development, Penn State's Board of Trustees Friday (Jan. 18) approved the appointment of Bohlin Cywinski Jackson of Wilkes Barre, Pa., to design replacements for two sections of Henderson Building and Henderson South on the University Park campus. "This will allow the college to consolidate several of its departments and research centers, which are currently dispersed across campus and in off-campus rental space," said Gary C. Schultz, senior vice president for finance and business / treasurer.
Read the full story at http://live.psu.edu/story/28183.
Pennsylvania Transportation Institute renamed to honor Thomas Larson
The Pennsylvania Transportation Institute (PTI) at Penn State has been renamed to honor the late transportation leader Thomas D. Larson following approval from the University's Board of Trustees Friday (Jan. 18). The new name is The Thomas D. Larson Pennsylvania Transportation Institute. Larson was a student and professor of civil engineering at Penn State who served as the first secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation and later as head of the Federal Highway Administration.
Read the full story at http://live.psu.edu/story/28181.
Trustees approve renaming Rider I and Rider II Buildings at University Park
Rider I Building, located on South Burrowes Street at Penn State's University Park campus, has been renamed the James M. Elliott Building, effective immediately. Approved by the Board of Trustees on Friday (Jan. 18), the new name is in honor of the late James M. Elliott, director emeritus of human resources in the Office of Human Resources, and his meritorious service over a nearly 52-year career at the University. Rider II Building, located at South Burrowes Street and West Beaver Avenue, will be renamed Rider Building.
Read the full story at http://live.psu.edu/story/28182.
Penn State trustees re-elect officers
James S. Broadhurst, chairman and chief executive officer of Eat'n Park Hospitality Group Inc., was re-elected chair of Penn State's Board of Trustees today (Jan. 18). Steve A. Garban was re-elected vice-chair. Broadhurst was first appointed to the Board of Trustees in 1998 to fill an unexpired term as a business and industry trustee, and was elected for successive terms. He served as vice chair of the board from 2004-2006; he was elected chair in 2007. Garban was elected to the Board of Trustees by the alumni for a three-year term beginning July 1998, and has been re-elected for succeeding terms. He was elected as vice chair of the board in 2007.
Read the full story at http://live.psu.edu/story/28187.
Trustees approve appointment to the Penn State Investment Council
Penn State's Board of Trustees has approved the appointment of a non-University representative to the Penn State Investment Council, a group established to provide direct oversight of the University's endowment and long-term investment program. The new member appointed until September 2009 by the board is Carmen Gigliotti, managing director, Private Equities of DuPont Capital Management in Wilmington, Delaware. In September 2007, several other non-University council members had their appointments renewed for a one-year term, they are: Timothy J. Crowe, managing director of Anchor Point Capital LLC in Coral Gables, Fla.; Edward R. Hintz Jr., president of HHR Asset Management LLC in Chatham, N.J.; Arthur D. Miltenberger, vice president and chief financial officer (retired) of R.K.Mellon & Sons in Ligonier; J. David Rogers, chief executive officer of J.D. Capital Management in Greenwich, Conn.; and Linda B. Strumpf, vice president and chief investment officer of The Ford Foundation in New York, N.Y.
Read the full story at http://live.psu.edu/story/28184.