Stephen F. Austin State University

WHITNEY, TEXAS – The Stephen F. Austin State University Board of Regents approved the purchase of Anasazi laboratory computer system for the chemistry department at a cost of $75,000 in a meeting Friday. The American Chemical Society, the chemistry department's accreditation body, requires the department to have access to a nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometer.

"The cost of a modern moderate-to-high field NMR spectrometer is $300,000 to $600,000, depending on the field strength of the instrument," said Dr. Michael Janusa, chair of the department. "We realize this is an enormous request and have begun searching for grant funding for possible acquisition of this instrument in the future."

Until the university is in a position to purchase a higher field spectrometer, the requirement can be satisfied by purchasing an Anasazi system for $75,000 to be used with the permanent magnet already owned by the department.

Regents approved the administration's recommendation to hire Deborah Baisden of Austin as vice president for finance and administration. Baisden is expected to assume duties at SFA on March 1.

Regents approved renovations to the Miller Science Building and Kennedy Auditorium, including cleaning, waterproofing and stone restoration, as well as a $120,000 renovation of the University Police Department building. Public areas and classrooms in the Ferguson Building will be upgraded, as will lecture halls in Liberal Arts North. Restrooms in the McGee and McKibben also will be renovated.

The Board authorized the physical plant to begin work on a $200,000 campus signage project with the assistance of design students from the Department of Human Sciences.

The board authorized Leo Daly as architect for the baseball/softball complex in a previous meeting, and costs for the architectural, engineering, and environmental mitigation cost are expected to be approximately $1 million. The board authorized the university to create an account for project funds.

Centennial Contractors Enterprises was approved as a job order construction contractor, an authorized construction delivery method available to the university for renovation projects for SFA facilities. While Centennial will be available to the university as a prime contractor or subcontractor to the Physical Plant on a job-by-job basis, all projects that involve an amount in excess of $50,000 require prior board approval.

Regents heard the following reports: budget review, plan for Ferguson Building renovations, signage plan, update on Phase III housing, poultry science presentation, purchasing and historically underutilized businesses, capital campaign, open meeting training, Teaching Excellence Center, Office of Instructional Technology, informational technology and a Strategic Plan '08 update.

Regents participated in a retreat with Dr. Tito Guerrero, SFA president, to facilitate continued effective board and administration functioning.