Ohio State trustees meet, approve agenda

COLUMBUS – The Ohio State University Board of Trustees established 10 new named endowed funds, totaling $542,534, and accepted 281 new research grants and contracts, totaling $37.6 million, awarded to the university during September 2003, at its meeting Friday (11/7).
In other business, trustees approved a variety of personnel, fiscal and construction matters.

Named endowed funds
·The Ethel Roe Caulkins and Earl F. Caulkins Scholarship Fund, $250,065, provided by a gift from the estate of Mildred “Migg” Caulkins Urban (B.S.Ed., 1932) in memory of her parents for undergraduate and graduate scholarship support
·Dr. Kate Riffee Fund for Human Value, $100,000, provided with gifts from a friend of The Ohio State University to provide support for programs dedicated to the welfare of student athletes and the staff of the Student Athlete Support Services
·The Ray A. and Linda S. Miller Alpha Zeta Partners Leadership Fund, $25,464, provided by gifts from Raymond A. Miller (B.S.Agr., 1966; M.S. 1968; Ph.D., 1976) and Linda S. Miller (B.S.Ed., 1968; M.A., 1994) of Hilliard, their family, friends, colleagues and alumni of the College of Food, Agricultural and Environmental Sciences to support undergraduate student leadership development activities associated with the Alpha Zeta Partners Leadership Program in the College of Food, Agricultural and Environmental Sciences
·The Ronald S. Erkis Family Athletic Scholarship Fund, $25,167, provided by gifts from Dr. Ronald S. and Joyce L. Erkis to provide scholarship costs for a student athlete who is a member of the women’s basketball team
·Michael A. Bricker, DVM Equine Scholarship Fund, $25,000, provided by gifts from his wife, Karen Mico Bricker, family and friends in loving memory of and to honor the life and work of Michael A. Bricker (D.V.M., 1976) to support third- or fourth-year veterinary students planning to pursue a practice emphasizing equine medicine
·The Andy Hague Endowed Scholarship Fund, $25,000, provided by gifts from Mr. and Mrs. Bill Hague of Gahanna to support a scholarship in the College of Veterinary Medicine
·The Margaret F. McDonald Scholarship Fund in Agricultural Economics, $25,000, provided by gifts in memory of Dr. Margaret F. McDonald (B.A., 1929), associate professor emeritus in the Department of Agricultural, Environmental and Development Economics, from her nephew, Albert B. Fisher III (B.A., 1978; M.S., 1981); Kathleen C. Fisher of Columbus, and the Owens-Corning Foundation to support student scholarships
·The William J. and Lois E. Robison Endowment Fund, $25,000, provided by a gift from William and Lois Robison to support human cancer genetics research in the Comprehensive Cancer Center – The Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute
·The River Road Hotel Corporation Endowment Fund for Cancer Research, $25,000, provided by a gift from River Road Hotel Corporation of Columbus to support cancer research at The Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute
·The Jerry J. Halterman Endowment Fund at Ohio State ATI, $16,838 (grandfathered), provided by gifts from family and friends of Jerry Halterman (Ph.D., 1964), who served as the first director of the Agricultural Technical Institute (ATI) from 1972 to 1978, to strengthen academic programs, support faculty development and to enrich the education of students at ATI

Change in description of named endowed chairs
·The Esther Dardinger Endowed Chair in Neuro-Oncology
·The Dardinger Family Endowed Chair in Oncological Neurosurgery

Change in name and description of named endowed funds
·The Martha Brian Fellowship in Journalism is now The Martha Brian Fellowship Fund in Journalism
·Edgar W. Ingram Minority Assistance Scholarship Fund is now The Edgar W. Ingram Scholarship Fund
·The Dr. Harry F. Bartels Veterinary Practice Management Fund is now The Dr. Harry F. and Eltha J. Bartels Veterinary Practice Management Fund
·Frederick Ives Chair’s Scholarship Fund is now the Frederick W. Ives Chair’s Scholarship Fund

Personnel appointment
·Peter E. Geier has been named interim vice president for health services and interim chief executive officer in the Office of Health Services in The Ohio State University Health System, effective Feb. 4, 2004. He holds the concurrent position of senior associate vice president for business development and strategic planning and chief financial officer/chief operating officer.

Appointments to the OSU Harding Hospital Board
·Dr. Richard Harding has been appointed to a three-year term as a citizen member, effective Dec. 1, 2003
·Dr. Sul R. Thorward has been appointed to a three-year term as a citizen member, effective Dec. 1, 2003

Reappointment of chairpersons
·Mary Jo Welker has been reappointed chair of the Department of Family Medicine
·Thomas N. Hansen has been reappointed chair of the Department of Pediatrics

Emeritus titles
·Jack M. Balcer, professor emeritus in the Department of History, effective Dec. 1, 2003
·Dev S. Pathak, professor emeritus in the School of Public Health, effective Jan. 1, 2004
·Michael Knee, professor emeritus in the Department of Horticulture and Crop Science, effective Feb. 1, 2004
·Henry A. Wise II, clinical professor emeritus in the Department of Surgery, effective Nov. 1, 2003

Resolutions in memoriam
·John P. Beckwith, associate professor emeritus in the College of Dentistry, who died Sept. 23, 2003
·Byron E. Gamble, assistant professor emeritus of The Ohio State University Extension, who died Oct. 11, 2003
·Austin E. Knowlton (B.Arch.E., 1931), who died June 25, 2003
·W. Wayne Talarzyk, professor emeritus in the Department of Marketing and Logistics, who died Sept. 12, 2003

Construction projects
Trustees authorized the university to select qualified architectural/engineering firms for the following projects:
·Installation of directional signs in and around the Medical Center Campus. Estimated project cost is $360,000 with funding to be provided by Ross Heart Hospital bond proceeds and the Ohio State Medical Center.
·Renovation and expansion of the Woody Hayes Athletic Center and Varsity Tennis Courts. Estimated project cost is $20 million to $22 million with funding to be provided by Athletic Department development funds.
Trustees authorized the university to request construction bids for the following projects:
·Renovation and modernization of the Drinko Hall Law Courtroom. Construction document project cost is $400,000 with funding to be provided by the Moritz College of Law general funds.
·Replacement of a portion of the walkways to Lincoln and Morrill Towers. The construction document project cost is $660,000 with funding to be provided by House Bills 748 and 675.
·Construction of a helipad on Rhodes Hall tower. Trustees had originally approved the project for $2.9 million, but the cost has increased to $4.8 million resulting from the need to replace two failing chillers on the Rhodes Tower roof. The increase in funding will be provided by University Hospitals.
·Repair and weatherproofing of concrete and replacement of the hand railings in the area around Scott Hall. Construction document project cost is $150,000 with funding to be provided by House Bill 675.
·Renovation of the Emergency Department at University Hospitals East. Construction document project cost is $4.8 million with funding to be provided by the University Hospitals auxiliary funds and by future university bond proceeds with debt service to be provided by University Hospitals.

Waivers granted
Trustees accepted the quarterly report on waivers of competitive bidding requirements granted during the period of July through September 2003. The senior vice president for business and finance granted 75 waivers of competitive bidding requirements for annual purchases totaling approximately $8,402,300. The vice president for health services granted 31 waivers for annual purchases totaling approximately $14,137,500. Waivers can be granted in the event of an emergency, when a sufficient economic reason exists or when the goods and services can be purchased from only a single source.

Master Plan updated
The board adopted the proposed 2003 Update to the University Master Plan, Volumes I and II, first adopted in October 1995. The Master Plan is updated periodically to ensure that it continues to be responsive to the dynamic nature of the university and the Academic Plan.

Real property interest transferred
Trustees authorized the university to transfer property located at 6400 Sunbury Road in Blendon Township, subject to a life estate, to The Ohio State University Foundation for consolidation of interests and disposal of the property.

Gateway property transferred to board
The board approved the transfer of the real property comprising the South Campus Gateway from Campus Partners for Community Urban Redevelopment, Inc., to the university to be held for the use and benefit of Ohio State. This will allow tax-free bond financing. The South Campus Gateway, the initial redevelopment project for the South Campus/High Street redevelopment effort, is expected to be completed in Summer 2005 and will include substantial university facilities, including office space, university housing, a parking garage and the Moritz College of Law Buckeye Barristers Club.

Bylaws amended
Trustees approved several amendments to the Medical Staff Bylaws of University Hospitals East.

New law degree established
Trustees approved establishing a Master of the Study of Law degree in the Moritz College of Law. The degree, an alternative to the three-year, full-time program leading to a Juris Doctor degree, will be a non-professional degree providing an education in legal principles and methodology for students in other disciplines who have no previous legal training and require or could benefit from knowledge of the legal system. The program will be effective upon approval of the American Bar Association and the Ohio Board of Regents.

University receives NIH site visit
The board heard a report from Thomas Rosol, interim vice president for research, and Todd G. Guttman, assistant vice president and regulatory counsel in the Ohio State University Research Foundation, on the August proactive compliance site visit to the university by a team from the National Institutes of Health. The NIH team has visited 26 other research institutions in the past three years to ensure that institutional policies, procedures and practices are in compliance with federal guidelines. The reviewers focused on the areas of financial management of sponsored projects, financial conflict of interest, management of intellectual property issues, training and education and other issues related to the oversight of clinical research. According to Rosol, the visit went “extremely well.”

Schottenstein Center celebrates five years
Trustees heard a report on the first five years of programming at the Jerome Schottenstein Center and Value City Arena. During that period, 4.5 million people have attended 617 events, said Center Director Xen Riggs. The center has employed 3,000 workers, of which about one-third have been Ohio State students. The center’s net budget has finished in the black for the past three years, and its total economic impact on the community has been $284 million. Upcoming expenses will include reupholstering, updated scoreboard and video systems, new athletic and moveable equipment and renovations to the physical plant. Among the future challenges is the highly competitive market for viable entertainment acts.

Undergraduate and graduate incoming classes highlighted
The board heard a report on the entering first-year class – the best academically prepared yet – from Mabel Freeman, assistant vice president for undergraduate admissions and First Year Experience. The number of first-quarter freshmen attending the Columbus campus is 6,258, representing a 6.3 percent increase above the previous year. Fifty percent scored between 23 and 28 on their ACTs, improving the entering class ACT average to a record 25.4, compared to 25.2 the past two years. The 2003 national ACT average is 20.8. Student retention rates are also at record levels.
Susan Huntington, dean of the Graduate School, gave trustees a current overview of graduate education at Ohio State, which offers 100 doctoral programs and 125 master’s programs. Of the 9,761 graduate students enrolled at the university’s Columbus campus, 5,399 are Ohio residents, 1,591 are from other states, and 2,771 are international students. Huntington pointed out that a strong graduate program is essential to Ohio State’s national reputation, and that the university is committed to competing for and attracting top faculty and students.

Student receives board recognition
J. Briggs Cormier, a doctoral student in the Department of Theatre, received the trustees’ Student Recognition Award. Cormier served two terms as president of the Council of Graduate Students, during which he worked at implementing the Graduate Quality of University Experience (G-CUE) report, an extensive survey of graduate student issues at Ohio State. He served as director of “Roasted Shoes, Toasted Tootsies” for the Department of Theatre’s Elementary School Touring Production and was a movement coach for the department’s production of “Comic Potential.” He is a member of the Association for Theatre in Higher Education and a recipient of the Outstanding Graduate Student Award and the Graduate School Leadership Award.