Stephen F. Austin State University

NACOGDOCHES, Texas – The Stephen F. Austin State University Board of Regents voted to authorize funding for two building projects and to obtain assistance in planning future building projects during a meeting on campus Tuesday.

Turner Construction Company was selected by regents to provide construction program management for upcoming projects.

“As a result of the amount of construction the university will be engaged in, we felt we needed a company to offer construction program assessment services, planning management and review,” said Danny Gallant, interim vice president for finance and administration. “This provides an opportunity to prioritize projects and ensure top-quality engineering and code compliance.”

The company has completed 21 “Green” projects, worth approximately $13.1 billion. The building projects utilize practices and techniques to reduce the impact of a building on the environment. Efficiency is increased in the use of energy, water and materials, and the buildings’ impact on human health and the environment is improved through better site selection, design, construction, operation, and maintenance.

In Texas, the company has constructed 10 projects certified by the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System. LEED rating, according to the agency’s Web site, is the nationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction and operation of high performance green buildings. LEED recognizes performance in five key areas of human and environmental health: sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials selection, and indoor environmental quality.

The regents authorized the university to negotiate a contract with Turner and, if negotiations are not successful, to negotiate with Carter & Burgess, Inc.

Also on Tuesday the board of regents moved forward plans for the Richard and Lucille DeWitt School of Nursing, approving a project budget and beginning the search for an architect.

The project budget includes the costs of construction, furnishings, infrastructure, and the issuance of bonds totaling $13 million. The board also asked the administration to seek approval for the project from the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board and passed a resolution authorizing a request for financing for the issuance of tuition revenue bonds to help fund the project. A second resolution declared the expectation to reimburse expenditures for the nursing building with proceeds of future debt.

Earlier this year, the Texas legislature passed House Bill 1775 authorizing the construction of the nursing school on a 17-acre property donated to SFA by Lucille and the late Richard DeWitt. The site, which has appraised for $1.4 million, formerly served as a distribution center for the Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurants owned by the DeWitts.

The university also was authorized by the regents to issue a request for proposals for an architect for the nursing facility, which will include classrooms, laboratories and faculty offices. The board is expected to choose an architect at its January meeting.

Regents took actions concerning the construction of a new $28 million Education Research Center on campus, a project the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board approved in June. The board passed two resolutions regarding the new center on Tuesday. The first authorized a request for financing for the issuance of tuition revenue bonds to help pay for the center. The second declared the expectation to reimburse start-up expenditures with proceeds of future debt.

In other business, the Board of Regents approved a request for a name change from the university’s Department of Human Sciences to the School of Human Sciences. According to the administration, the new name better reflects the specialized and professional programs offered by the school and the overall educational experience of graduates. Academic majors within the school include child/family development; food, nutrition and dietetics; interior design; fashion merchandising; hospitality administration; and family and consumer sciences.

The regents approved a request to move the geography program into the Department of Sociology in the College of Liberal and Applied Arts. The college also requested a merger between the Department of Criminal Justice and the Department of Political Science and Public Administration. This request also was approved.

At their meeting, the regents also:

• pproved faculty and staff appointments, status changes and retirements;
• approved the summer II and fall 2007 small class list;
• approved a licensing agreement with Decker Operating Company for a sponsored research project;
• awarded a concrete contract to Cox Concrete Contractors for minor improvements;
• approved a new $125,000 support facility for the Equestrian Center;
• approved the annual audit plan, audit charter and report
• changed the funding source for two recently purchased East Austin Street properties from designated fund balance to the Higher Education Fund;
• re-established the discounted hourly tuition rate for new Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, and Oklahoma students at $30 more than the rate for Texas residents, pending approval by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board;
• approved new installment plan options to address tuition affordability concerns;
• adopted policy revisions to incorporate organizational, job title and regulatory changes and to improve the flow of information;
• heard reports from President Baker Pattillo, Director of Audit Services Gina Oglesbee, Faculty Senate Chair Marc Guidry and Student Government Association President Kent Willis; and
• met in executive session.