While the Board of Trustees discussed the Strategic Plan April 24, they focused on tuition, construction, the collegiate learning assessment, the writing initiative, the Lower Coastal Plain Substation and renovations to the Natural Resources Management and Development Institute Forest Products Lab Building at their committee meetings April 25.
The board passed a resolution to allow the finance committee to take proper actions on tuition increases before the board meets again in June because the Alabama Senate is still in session and no actions have been taken and the last day of the session is May 19.
Mouton presented a schematic design of the new dining facility to the board. He also said phase two for parking for the new housing project will hold 856 cars instead of 1200.
The board approved a budget increase for the Shelby Center for Engineering Technology. The budget will increase by $3.045 million and the money will come from the college of engineering.
Mouton also said the University is working with the city to widen and put in additional turning lanes at the intersection of Magnolia Street and Donahue Drive. The changes are expected to start November 2008 and be finished by summer 2009. He said using landscaping, poles and chains will help direct students to crosswalks on Magnolia Street.
Mouton said the new Student Center will be finished from a construction stand point in June, but will not be open until right before school.
The board was presented with an aerial picture of The Village and approved a total budget of $157.84 million for the project.
Mouton said the University plans to double the number of campus bike paths and it is important that the city puts in bike paths where students live that take them to campus.
The academic affairs committee discussed the Collegiate Learning Assessment. The committee said Auburn’s students scored better than 60 percent of the other university students who are participating in the Collegiate Learning Assessment.
Marsha Boosinger and Sharon Roberts, co-chairs of the Writing Initiative Task Force, said the force has discussed what writing is like at Auburn, the English Center and core English classes.
The board approved the resolution to discontinue the shared programs between Auburn University at Montgomery and Auburn University in the Bachelor of Arts in French and German. Students now enrolled in the programs will be able to finish them.
The board also approved the merging of two departments in the College of Education, the department of counselor education, counseling psychology and school psychology and the department of rehabilitation and special education. The degree programs in both departments will continue.
New ways for the University to use the Lower Coastal Plain Substation in Camden, Alabama were approved by the board along with changing its name to the Auburn University National Resource Education Center.
The board debated the $2.4 million budget for renovations to the Natural Resources Management and Development Institute Forest Products Lab Building.
The lab sought approval to use money that they already had in their reserve which will allow them to get external funding from companies.
May 24, 2008 - 11:40pm
Streets around Auburn University campus.
When are the streets going to be resurfaced in and around the Auburn University campus. Most of them have been very rough for ten years now. With all the new buildings being built on campus, you would think that someone cares enough to improve the streets around here, especially Magnolia Avenue. That street is almost impossible to travel. Kinda like a pig trail in rural Alabama. The car shops are making a killing on car repairs, because of the streets here in Auburn. What a shame to not improve our streets around campus. Makes a bad impression to vistors who visit Auburn.May 29, 2008 - 6:31pm
Less parking spaces???!!!???
With less parking spaces on campus, what am I supposed to do as a student who must commute because Tiger Transit does not and probably never will serve my neighborhood. On top of that, I have the longest distance from the parking lots to the building that most of my classes are in compared to other students. Here are some suggestions to the Board to look at concerning these issues:
1) NO FRESHMEN WILL BE ALLOWED TO PARK IN C ZONE LOTS WHATSOEVER. A special lot (F zone) will be created for them, and Tiger Transit will provide service to that lot at all times.
2. Upperclassmen (those with 100 or more hours) may park in what may be called the CC Zone. This zone will be created from the remaining C zone lots on the west side of campus that are the closest to the central core.
3. The remaining C zones will compromise the current C zone lots that are furthest away from the central core. Those with less that 100 hours may park here.
4. During the Fall semester, any Marching Band student may park in the C and Res. Hill lots surrounding Hinton Field without being fined beginning and ending 1 hour and 30 minutes before and after rehersal, respectively, and for other times as determined by band staff and parking services. In addition, the grass field on the corner of Donahue and Lem Morrison, south of AUMC, shall also be open to these students as an overflow lot.