Trustees: Bus Fee + Other Business

TRUSTEES APPROVE BUS FEE, HEAR REPORTS, CONDUCT OTHER BUSINESS

     COLUMBUS -- The Ohio State University Board of Trustees,
meeting Friday (2/7), approved a student referendum adding a $9 
per quarter fee for all students, which will permit unlimited
access to Central Ohio Transit Authority buses.  The board also
heard a report on a feasibility study to upgrade recreation 
facilites and dealt with other items of business.

COTA referendum passes

     Trustees approved a proposal for unlimited access to the 
COTA bus system for students for a $9 per quarter fee.  A student 
referendum was held Jan. 28 and 29 with 4,785 students voting yes 
out of 5,702 student votes.  In addition to unlimited access with 
the use of a student identification card, COTA will add new 
routes to the Bethel-Sawmill area, the Brewery District, German 
Village and Lennox Town Center.  Upon approval of a tuition cap 
waiver from the State Controlling Board, service for students 
would begin March 31.

Board hears report on recreation, education and athletic facility 
feasibility study

     The board heard a report by David Williams, vice president 
for student affairs, Mike Dunn, director of university recreation 
and intramural sports, and Diane Jensen, assistant director of 
university recreation and intramural sports, on a feasibility 
study for the student recreation center. The study concludes 
there is a need for a major renovation of and addition to Larkins 
Hall to better meet student, faculty and staff needs. Total cost 
estimates for the renovation and addition are some $117 million.  
Funding sources would include the Department of Athletics, a 
student fee of $50 - $55 per quarter, fundraising and the 
commitment of university capital dollars in a future biennium. 

     The new addition to Larkins Hall would include a seven-court 
gymnasium; suspended one-eighth mile jogging track; 25,000 square 
feet of fitness and conditioning space; juice bar; climbing wall; 
squash courts; and a new aquatic center with a diving well, 10-
lane 50 meter pool and a leisure pool.  A phased renovation of 
Larkins Hall will make significant improvements in the activity 
space as well as allow for all of Physical Activities and 
Education Services to be located in the facility.

     Williams said the study was presented to show what other 
universities are offering for student recreation and what could 
be offered at Ohio State.  A survey sent to 6,000 students and 
2,000 faculty and staff shows 73 percent support a fee of at 
least $45 per quarter. The project will be presented before 
trustees during the next meeting of the board. 

Technology will enhance learning and research
     Ohio State is making strides to become a leader in 
technology enhanced learning and research, James Davis, acting 
associate vice provost and director of university technology 
services, told the Board of Trustees Friday (2/7).

     He said there are many examples of technology enhanced 
learning and research.  For instance:

     --Engineering faculty teach in General Motors' "Corporate 
University" with videotape and interactive video.

     --  Education faculty teach graduate courses on Ohio State's 
regional campuses through interactive video, the World Wide Web 
and electronic-mail.

     --  Some veterinary medicine courses are based on 4,000 
digitized images on the Web.

     --  Ohio State and the University of Minnesota offer an 
advanced political science course by telecommunication with four 
universities.

     --  Calculus courses are taught on-line to students at 
several universities.

     -- Chemistry students have access to flash cards on the Web.

     The number of interactive and on-line courses doubled from 
1995 to 1996, Davis said. More than 250 classes use computer 
laboratories and 375 classes use the Web in instruction.  About 
32,000 users at remote locations connect to campus facilities 
150,000 times each week.

     "We are using a comprehensive and integrated approach to 
expand the traditional method of 'one teacher in one place at one 
time' in emerging ways," Davis said.  Interactive video, 
telecommunications and conference communications allow students 
access to instructors, courses and materials that broaden their 
educational experience, he said.

     Ohio State's recent projects include investing in the 
development of universitywide technology enhanced learning and 
research, developing more interactive video courses between 
Columbus and five regional campuses, development of Internet II 
with the National Science Foundation and 100 other charter 
institutions, the Learnshare consortium of Fortune 500 companies 
to pool Corporate University resources to train employees.

Board accepts 15 named endowed funds

     Trustees accepted gifts from The Transportation Research 
Center Inc. in recognition of its partnership with Honda Motor 
Co., Ltd. and Honda of America Mfg., totaling $2,500,000 to 
establish two Honda Chair in Transportation positions in the 
College of Engineering.  The board accepted 13 other new named 
endowed funds with gifts totaling $3,263,065:

     -- The Life Skills Endowment Fund, $250,000, for student 
athlete support in the Department of Athletics.

     -- The James A. Campbell Athletic Scholarship Fund, 
$100,000.

     -- The Harry B. Warner Scholarship Fund, $20,350, in the 
College of Engineering.

     -- The Frank J. Kloenne Chair in Orthopedic Surgery, 
$1,521,575.

     -- The Human Cancer Molecular Genetics Research Endowment 
Fund, $568,996, in the Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and 
Research Center.

     -- The Benua Foundation Scholarship Fund, $319,416, in the 
College of Law.

     -- The Alpheus W. and Adah B. Smith Endowment Fund in 
Physics, $125,250.

     -- The Palliative Medicine - Hospice Endowment Fund, 
$113,799, in the Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Research 
Center.

     -- The T. Scott and Carrie B. Sutton Endowment Fund, 
$75,240, for animal nutrition education and research in the 
College of Food, Agricultural and Environmental Sciences.

     -- The Thomas M. Johnson Scholarship Endowment Fund in 
Biological Sciences, $50,000.

     -- The H. Frederick Krimendahl II Endowment Fund, $50,000, 
for partial support for Presidential Scholars in the University 
Honors Center.

     -- The Rod and Casey Clark Athletic Scholarship Fund, 
$40,016.

     -- The Russell D. Tipton Scholarship in Accounting, $28,422.

Miscellaneous business

     In other matters, trustees:

     -- Heard a report on performance-based funding by William J. 
Shkurti, vice president for finance, and Matthew V. Filipic, vice 
chancellor for administration of the Ohio Board of Regents.  They 
told trustees that the university and regents believe the state 
should modify its current funding system to recognize the 
importance of meeting performance criteria. Doing so, and funding 
a series of programs to reward quality performance, would go a 
long way toward improving higher education in Ohio, they said.

     -- Heard a budget status report from Shkurti that showed 
enrollments are above base projections and indirect cost 
recoveries from externally funded research are up 1.6 percent 
from last year. The enrollment figures mean that $1.1 million of 
the $2.8 million contingency set aside last spring will be 
available for allocation during fiscal year 1998, as long as 
winter and spring enrollments are at or near projections.
Since the drop in indirect cost recoveries appears to have 
bottomed out, no adjustments currently will be recommended, 
although recoveries are below last spring's projections. Shkurti 
said he will continue to closely monitor the situation.

     -- Approved 328 contracts totaling $22.56 million for 
research projects funded in November and December.

     -- Amended the Rules of the University Faculty to double the 
size of the University Senate's Hearing Committee to 24 members.
Members conduct reviews of faculty complaints about promotion and
tenure matters.

                             #
Contacts: David Williams, vice president for student affairs,
          (614) 292-9334; James Davis, director of University
          Technology Services, (614) 292-6553.

Written by Tracy Turner, University Communications, 688-3682,
and David Bhaerman, University Communications, 292-8422.


[Submitted by: Von Vargas  (vargas.12@osu.edu)
               
Fri, 7 Feb 1997 16:21:18 -0500 (EST)]
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