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Trustees approve budgets for new campus projects

Lauren Ceronie, Campus Editor

The Miami University Board of Trustees met Friday and approved more than $78.3 million in project budgets for construction and renovation around campus.

The projects will include construction of a new residence hall on the Morrison, Emerson and Tappan (MET) quadrangle, a new Western Campus dining hall, improvements to the Western Campus infrastructure, renovation of Bishop Hall, improvements to the MapleStreet Station site infrastructure, renovation of Cook Field and renovations to the Equestrian Center.

Over half of the $78.3 million approved will go toward building a new MET quadrangle residence hall and a new Western Campus dining hall.

"We've been working on a host of improvements for our student body facilities," said Vice President of Finance and Business Services David Creamer, who explained the resolution. "It's important to note we've been working on these issues with the finance and business committee for about three years that's entailed a 15-year plan for how we will renew what are today well maintained residence and dining halls but facilities that are largely nearing the end of their useful life and our plan for how we will preserve those."

The new residence hall will be an important part of avoiding overcrowding as older residence halls are renovated.

"The new residence and new dining halls are important because we don't want to have to displace students while we go about this," Creamer said. "We will need new space for students to occupy while we take the older facilities offline."

University Trustee Harry T. Wilks, the sole trustee to ask questions about the resolutions, asked if there would be any state funding used in this project. Creamer said there would not be money coming from the state of Ohio so other sources of funding would be used.

"We need to use tuition or other university funds to accomplish these projects since there are no state of Ohio capital appropriations," Creamer said.

The residence and dining halls will be paid for through the collection of room and board monies in the future and the university will set aside money from the general fee and tuition for the equestrian and Cook Field improvements, according to Creamer.

Wilks showed curiosity about the state of the university's endowment. The university's endowment did struggle when the economy crashed but has since recovered to where it was in 2008, according to Creamer.

He also questioned the $1.98 million approved for renovations to the Equestrian Center that will include raising the outdoor riding arena out of the flood plain.

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The Board also heard and approved the recommendation for promotion and tenure of 37 faculty members and one librarian. Five university professors were showcased at the meeting including Emily Zakin, chair and professor in the philosophy department, Deborah Beyer, associate professor of nursing, Bryan Ashenbaum, associate professor of management, Andrew Au, associate professor of art, Patrick Murphy, associate professor of English.

Friday's meeting marked the end of Miami senior Matt Schoder's time as Student Trustee. In honor of his service, the Board passed a resolution to express their appreciation.