Recap of the Jan. 23 Board of Trustees Meeting

01/23/2017

The JSU Board of Trustees unanimously approved a proposal to build a new campus recreation center during its quarterly meeting on Jan. 23.

The 101,000-square-foot facility, to be located next to Kennamar Hall, will include gymnasiums, a weight and fitness area, an elevated walking track, racquetball courts, a small leisure pool and whirlpool, a 40-foot indoor climbing wall, multipurpose rooms, and locker rooms. It will also feature a lounge area where students can hang out between classes.

“I think, when we look back on this process years down the road, we will wonder why we didn’t do it sooner,” said Trustee Thomas Dedrick, Sr. 

The construction budget for the project is $28 million, which will be delivered though a Public-Private Partnership (P3) arrangement between the university, the JSU Foundation, and the USDA’s Community Facilities Direct Loan and Grant Development Program. Construction should be completed in spring 2019, with a mandatory student fee of $190 per semester taking effect in January 2019.

Other Board Actions:

  • Approved the new 2017-2021 Strategic Plan
  • Gave the green light for the university to move ahead with exploring the creation of a new bachelor’s degree in advanced forensics and master’s degree in occupational therapy
  • Passed a resolution honoring former Gamecock baseball standout Todd Jones
  • Passed a resolution honoring recently retired dean of the School of Arts and Humanities, Dr. Earl Wade, who – with 40 years of service to the university – was the longest serving dean. The trustees also announced the Honors House, home of the university Honors Program, will be renamed in his honor.
  • Gave its blessing to allow JSU First Lady Dr. Pamela Beehler to pursue her kinesiology research and service on campus on a voluntary basis

Finally, the Board of Trustees announced that its next quarterly meeting, previously scheduled for April 17, has been moved to the last weekend in April, when it will hold a board retreat at Renaissance Birmingham Ross Bridge Golf Resort and Spa.