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K-State Today

December 15, 2015

Kansas Board of Regents December meeting agenda items

Submitted by Cindy Bontrager

The Kansas Board of Regents meeting will be Dec. 16 at the Curtis State Office Building in Topeka. The board will consider the following K-State agenda items during the meeting.

The Regents will act on performance agreement reports for academic year 2014 and Board Academic Affairs Standing Committee funding recommendations. Institutions negotiate a new performance agreement with the board on a three-year cycle based on Foresight 2020, a 10-year strategic agenda for the state's public higher education system. For the agreement, each institution developed six or seven indicators to support Foresight 2020 and established a baseline for each indicator.

To be eligible for any new state funds appropriated, each institution annually submits a report updating the Regents on its progress toward meeting each of the indicators in the performance agreement. In order to qualify for 100 percent of any new state funds for which it is eligible, an institution must maintain or improve the baseline in at least 51 percent of the indicators. K-State qualifies for 100 percent of any new state funding that may be appropriated. View performance reports.

The Regents will vote on the housing and food service rates for the 2016-2017 academic year. Approved rates will go into effect July 1, 2016. K-State's "typical" rate for the 2016-2017 academic year will increase by a proposed 3.5 percent, which is an increase of $290. The typical rate is based on a double room in the residence halls and a 14-meal plan.

The Regents will vote on the allocation of Educational Building Funds for fiscal year 2017 rehabilitation and repair projects. Rehabilitation and repair projects cost $750,000 or less and include new buildings, remodeling or alterations, annual maintenance or utility projects. View proposed projects.

K-State requests authorization to increase the K-State Student Union renovation project budget from $25 million to $31 million. The projects will be funded from a $25 million bond and $6 million in special revenue from the Department of Housing and Dining Services, privilege fees and university resources. In 2013, K-State students passed a referendum to initiate a new fee of $20 per semester to support renovations of the Union to update the current food service model and provide additional student lounge and study space. As part of the project, food service will now be managed by the Union. Housing and Dining Services will operate a restaurant in the Union similar to JP's in Jardine Apartments. The university requests authorization for Housing and Dining Services to invest up to $1.2 million of Housing and Dining Services funds for the build-out, kitchen equipment and supplies necessary for the restaurant. The investment will be reimbursed to Housing and Dining Services from profits generated from the restaurant in the Union. The project scope also was expanded by $2.1 million to include the renovation and replacement of the Union roof and remaining exterior windows not replaced in the original project and will be paid from student privilege fee funds. Additional renovations to the Little Theatre, Forum Hall, a catering kitchen on the second floor and Call Hall ice cream parlor totaling $2.7 million will be paid from privilege fee balances, city/university funds and institutional support fee balances.

K-State requests the Regents adopt resolutions for the issuance of bonds by the Kansas Development Finance Authority for $60 million to finance the renovation and transformation of Seaton Hall and for $25 million to finance the renovation and expansion of the Union. The debt service of Seaton Hall will be repaid from educational building funds appropriated to the university and the Union debt service is repaid from privilege fee funds.

K-State also is requesting approval from the Regents to enter into a 10-year lease-purchase agreement with the KSU Foundation for property known as Knox Lane. The 85-acre tract of land is located on the east side of Manhattan within four miles of the Dairy Teaching and Research Center and the Beef Cattle Research Center. The College of Agriculture requested the KSU Foundation purchase the land for use by the Department of Animal Sciences and Industry. The purchase price of the property is $825,000 and will be paid along with interest and other expenses from the Animal Sciences and Industry restricted fees fund balance.

If you have any questions about these agenda items, please feel free to contact me at cab@k-state.edu or 785-532-6226. The meeting will be streamed live online. Or for live updates on all Kansas Board of Regents meetings follow @ksregents on Twitter. Agendas and complete meeting minutes also are available online. Wishing you an enjoyable and relaxing holiday break.

Cindy Bontrager
Vice president for administration and finance