Architecture firms for a planned construction project and a planned renovation project at Arkansas Tech University were selected by the ATU Board of Trustees during its meeting at the Ross Pendergraft Library and Technology Center on Thursday, May 16.
Miller Boskus Lack of Fayetteville will be the lead architecture firm in the development of plans for a student union and recreation center. Personnel from the Dallas, Texas, location of SmithGroup will assist in planning the facility.
Trustees selected Little Rock-based firm WER Architects to plan a renovation of the former swimming pool area in the Hull Physical Education Building. Once complete, the renovated space will provide a multi-purpose area with lounge, event and recreation facilities for ATU students.
In other business on Thursday, the ATU Board of Trustees approved:
*the 2019-20 operating budget for the university, including tuition and fee rates on the Russellville and Ozark campuses;
*approval to move forward with next steps for a new campus entrance project at the east corridor off North Arkansas Avenue near Tucker Coliseum, including continued conversations with the City of Russellville and the Arkansas Department of Transportation;
*a resolution expressing the willingness of ATU to utilize federal aid Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP) grant funds as part of its planned campus entrance project;
*a transfer of $4.56 million from fund balances to cover the costs of renovations to the Hull Physical Education Building, Hughes Hall, Baswell Techionery, lab vent hoods in McEver Hall and Chambers Cafeteria;
*closure of Lake Point Conference Center effective Sept. 30, 2019, and placement of the facility, as well as the adjacent Center for Leadership and Learning building, on the market for sale;
*a transfer of the remaining farm operations, technology and telecom unexpended funds from the current operating budget as of June 30 to reserve accounts;
*a proposal by the College of eTech and the Department of Professional Studies to reconfigure the Bachelor of Professional Studies degree into a new Bachelor of Arts degree in organizational leadership effective spring 2020;
*updates to the university course catalog and faculty handbook, as proposed by the Faculty Senate, regarding student class attendance policies and procedures;
*parking regulations on the ATU campus in Russellville for 2019-20;
*student affairs fees and fines for 2019-20;
*a 0.7 percent decrease in residence hall rates for 2019-20;
*a 4 percent increase in on-campus meal plan rates for 2019-20;
*the 2019-20 schedule of events for the ATU Department of Diversity and Inclusion;
*a university ethics policy drafted by faculty and staff representatives and consistent with accreditation standards set forth by The Higher Learning Commission;
*utilization of unappropriated funds from the Ozark campus bookstore to assist with annual operating costs for food service operations at the Ozark campus;
*and a transfer of $154,084 from unappropriated educational and general funds to infrastructure reserve accounts on the Ozark campus.
