A campus master plan for Stephen F. Austin State University was approved Tuesday during a meeting of the Board of Regents. The SFA 2020 campus master plan takes into consideration factors including student enrollment, academic programs, parking, and future building and land use.
Created by the architectural firm Perkins + Will, the plan includes provisions for the construction of a science building, the renovation of the E.L. Miller Science Building and the construction of a black box theater, pending the availability of funding for the projects.
“We have requested funding for the science building from the Texas Legislature in the past, and we will continue to work toward that,” said Danny Gallant, SFA vice president for finance and administration. “Should that funding become available, this plan will allow us to proceed with construction in a timely manner. It is a framework that will ensure we make the best possible use of our resources.”
The 2020 campus master plan updates a plan that has been in place since 2006 and takes into consideration short-, intermediate- and long-term campus and infrastructure needs. The plan is designed in a flexible manner to incorporate infrastructure funding opportunities initiated by state or donor support.
“Our overall goal is to present a vision that builds upon the university’s legacy, tradition, values and accomplishments,” Gallant said.
Regents also approved a realignment of the Division of Communication and Contemporary Culture in the College of Liberal and Applied Arts. The reorganization is intended to more accurately reflect the disciplines and degree offerings in the division and provide more opportunities for research and interdisciplinary work in these fields.
As a result of the realignment, the Division of Communication and Contemporary Culture will become the Department of Mass Communication, comprising the faculty of the global media program. In addition, the Department of Modern Languages will become the Department of Languages, Cultures and Communication, and the communication studies faculty will join this new unit.
A new Division of Multi-Disciplinary Programs will comprise the following programs: Bachelor of Applied Arts and Sciences, Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Studies, Bachelor of Science in Multi-Disciplinary Studies, Bachelor of Arts in philosophy and the master’s degree in interdisciplinary studies.
An extension of the university’s current agreement with EverFi for the use of AlcoholEdu, an online component of SFA’s comprehensive campus-wide approach to alcohol abuse education for SFA students, also was approved by regents Tuesday.
The extension allows SFA to continue its current use of the program for four additional years at a cost of $106,000. Dr. Steve Westbrook, vice president for university affairs, said entering into a multi-year agreement will result in a cost savings of 19 percent, or almost $20,000, over the life of the contract. More than 9,570 first-year students have completed the voluntary program since SFA began using the program in 2006.
The board approved additional grant awards allocable to Fiscal Year 2012 totaling about $2.5 million. To date, the university has received multi-year grant awards totaling approximately $49.5 million. These grant awards result from extensive faculty research and service engagement across many academic disciplines. The grants include direct federal, federal pass-through, state and private awards.
During the meeting Tuesday, Regents also approved:
· policy revisions in areas of academic and student affairs, building and grounds, and financial affairs;
· an increase in the soccer field drainage project budget to $260,000;
· drilling a well in the SFA Gardens for irrigation purposes;
· the Fiscal Year 2010-11 annual financial report;
· the SFA Charter School 2010-11 audited financial statements;
· a resolution to acknowledge review of SFA’s investment policy and strategy; and
· a resolution to approve qualified financial institutions and investment brokers.
