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K-State Today

September 18, 2018

Kansas Board of Regents September meeting agenda items

Submitted by Cindy Bontrager

Dear campus community,

The Kansas Board of Regents will meet Sept. 19 and 20 at the Curtis State Office Building in Topeka. The board will consider the following agenda items during the meeting.

The Regents will act on K-State's request to name two academic departments after separate individuals. President Richard Myers will announce the new names of the chemical engineering department and the architectural engineering department at the meeting.

Kansas State University requests approval to amend the capital improvement plan and to accept program statements for three renovation projects. The first request to renovate areas of McCain Auditorium will expand and renovate the lobby to improve patron interactions and experiences. A new box office, concierge station and concessions area will be added to provide adequate ticket and event space. A new suite of administrative offices, a technical director's suite and donor lounge also will be created. The $6 million project will be funded from private gifts.

K-State requests approval to partially renovate Derby Dining Center to offer updated dining venues, expanded student services and quality spaces for residents of the Derby Complex. The renovation will include updates to core mechanical, electrical, plumbing, HVAC and life-safety systems. Updates to the interior layout will allow students to see all meal options available and improve the dining experience. The total project cost is estimated at $16 million. Legislative bonding authority of $15 million will be requested during the 2019 legislative session contingent upon Regents' approval. Debt service and a cash investment of $1 million will be paid from Housing and Dining Services auxiliary revenue.

The final renovation request is to reconfigure existing areas in Mosier Hall to address critical functions of clinical training, research and teaching. The project will be completed in three phases. Phases one and two include the creation of a new auditorium with updated technology and seating options and the creation of a new Pet Health Center. Phase three will address the need for additional research space by creating a research suite. The estimated total project for phases one and two is $8 million and will be funded from affiliated corporation revenue of $5 million from the K-State Veterinary Clinical Outreach Inc. and $3 million of corporate gifts from Hill's Pet Nutrition and Boehringer Ingelheim. Phase three will be completed once additional funding from private and corporate sources is identified.

The Regents will act on K-State's request to enter into a three-year lease-purchase agreement with the KSU Foundation for an 80-acre tract of pastureland near Colbert Hills. The land will be used by the animal science and industry department. The purchase price of the property is $280,000 to be paid from animal science and industry-restricted fee fund balances.

Kansas State University requests permission to name the soccer stadium in the Athletics complex in honor of a generous alumni family. President Richard Myers will announce the facility name at the meeting. The $10 million facility will be completed in December 2019 and will serve as the central headquarters for women's soccer.

The Regents will discuss and act on the fiscal year 2020 and 2021 unified state appropriations requests. Proposed requests include the addition of $50 million in base funding for state universities in fiscal year 2020 and funding for need-based student financial aid with one-to-one private matching in fiscal year 2021.

The Regents will act on K-State's request to award an honorary doctorate during the December 2018 Graduate School commencement ceremony. The individual will be announced at the meeting.

Matt Casey will provide the Regents with the first reading of nonbudgetary legislative proposals. K-State requests approval to sell the Pecan Experimental Field in Chetopa and the original gym at the K-State Polytechnic campus in Salina.

The Regents will adopt five board goals for 2018-2019. Goals include developing an outline for a new strategic plan for the higher education system in Kansas and pursuing ways to increase access to higher education.

If you have any questions about these agenda items, please contact me at cab@k-state.edu or 785-532-6226. For live updates on all Kansas Board of Regents meetings follow @ksregents on Twitter. Agendas and complete meeting minutes also are available online.

Sincerely,
Cindy Bontrager
Vice president for administration and finance