JACKSONVILLE -- January 14, 2002 --
The following are excerpts from President Bill Meehan's report to the Board
of Trustees, which met Monday morning.
- HOUSTON COLE LIBRARY: The Library's new roof is 96 percent complete.
The granite panels have replaced the marble on the North and West face of
the building, making that portion of the project approximately 60 percent
complete. The anticipated completion date is August, 2002.
- MARTIN HALL: Martin Hall is 99 percent complete. The architect is
working to resolve remaining issues.
- LADIGA TRAIL: J. F. Morgan General Contractor, Inc. of Oxford began work
on JSU's segment of the Chief Ladiga Trail on December 3. The projected
completion time is 120 days. The University's portion will include an
information kiosk for the University and a parking lot and staging area.
- JOE FORD ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CENTER: JSU's joint building project with
Gadsden State Community College is 95 percent complete. Completion is
anticipated in early February. The April 15 Board of Trustee meeting will
be held at the new facility to give trustees a firsthand look at the new
building.
- CHIMNEY PEAK: The Chimney Peak roadway project is approximately 24
percent complete. The project will provide a paved road to JSU's
observatory and provide access to the University's nature trail.
- AYERS HALL RENOVATION: The asbestos abatement program in Ayers Hall is
scheduled to start in early May and will be completed during the summer of
2002. Renovation of Ayers Hall will continue with the addition of an east
wing that will allow the building to house the Psychology Department, the
Mathematical and Computer Information Sciences Department, the Technology
Department, and Academic Computer Services. Completion is anticipated in
time for Fall classes, 2004.
- CHILD CARE DEVELOPMENT CENTER: The University's Child Care Development
Committee is completing recommendations that will allow Mr. Don Thacker and
the Physical Plant staff to begin renovations to the facility at Ft.
McClellan. The goal is to begin operation of the facility during the
2002-2003 academic year.
- OLD HIGH SCHOOL GYM: The old high school gym, now referred to as
Stephenson Annex until the Board of Trustees chooses to name the facility,
is being refurbished as a practice gym for the University's athletic teams
and intramural sports. Recent renovations included roof repair, painting,
replacement of basketball goals, refinishing the gym floor, and reworking
the lobby and restrooms.
- ENROLLMENT: At this time we are completing the last day of registration
for Spring Semester 2002. I am pleased to inform you that as of the last
reporting date, JSU's Spring enrollment was 7,849--a 5.4 percent increase
over the previous Spring.
- ACHE: On Friday, December 14, the Alabama Commission on Higher Education
approved JSU's proposal to establish a concentration for international
business in the Bachelor of Arts in Economics. Students who elect the
proposed concentration will take 21 of the required 33 semester hours in a
common core in addition to 12 semester hours in international business courses.
- CONSTITUTIONAL REFORM: JSU and the Calhoun County Chapter of Alabama
Citizens for Constitutional Reform will sponsor a conference on Thursday,
February 28 entitled, "Constitutional Reform: What's In It For Me?" The
event will be held in Pete Mathews Coliseum. More than 800 seniors are
expected to attend and hear former Governor Albert Brewer give the keynote
address.
- GOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS: I want to commend the Governor and the leadership
of the House and Senate for their efforts to craft a compromise during the
recent special session to repair the deficit in the Education Trust Fund.
This compromise involved contributions from several different parties,
including representatives of education and business, to solve the $160
million shortfall in the Education Trust Fund this year.
In consideration
of funding requests for the 2002-2003 fiscal year, budget hearings will be
set for late January. The unified budget request for the Education Trust
Fund for JSU totals $37,807,463 and includes $37,505,592 for operation and
maintenance, $133,200 for the Joe M. Ford Economic Development Center in
Gadsden, and $168,871 for the Aerospace Development Center. The Governor's
recommendation is for level funding, the same as the appropriation for
2002, which for JSU is a total of $28,318,597 -- still three percent less
than the state appropriation of October 1, 2000.
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