April 19, 2016
Kansas Board of Regents April meeting agenda items
The Kansas Board of Regents will meet April 20 on the Kansas State University campus. The board will consider the following agenda items during the meeting.
The Regents will act on a request to approve a Professional Science Master's in Applied Science and Technology at Kansas State University. The degree is designed to help K-State Olathe achieve the Johnson County Education Research Triangle goals for the campus to provide graduate programming in food, animal health and related areas, consistent with regional demand and K-State 2025. A Professional Science Master's degree is a unique professional interdisciplinary program that prepares students for direct entry into a variety of science-related career options in industry, business, government and nonprofit organizations, progressing to leadership roles. The degree is application based and geared for working professionals seeking advancement to management/leadership positions in animal health, food and related sectors.
Kansas State University requests approval to amend the fiscal year 2016 rehabilitation and repair list to include renovation of the second floor of Kramer Dining Center. Kramer was constructed in 1960 to provide dining to students living in adjacent residence halls. As the Wefald Hall and dining center project nears completion, 7,500 square feet of vacated space in the existing Kramer dining rooms will be renovated to create a faculty in residence apartment, 10 offices, four classrooms/meeting rooms, a dividable meeting room and restrooms. The estimated total project cost is $940,000 and will be funded from Housing and Dining Services auxiliary funds.
The Regents will receive program review reports for academic year 2014-2015. Board policy requires the board to maintain a program review cycle and a review process that allows each university to demonstrate that it is delivering quality programs consistent with its mission. K-State reviewed 18 programs in the areas of engineering technology, technology, aeronautical technology, animal sciences and programs from the College of Business Administration. All programs were recommended to continue and all programs met minima and quality requirements. View K-State's program review report.
The Regents will act on a request for an award of $497,097 in state matching funds for five Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research, or EPSCoR, proposals. EPSCoR is a federal program that encourages university partnerships with industry. The program is designed to stimulate sustainable science and technology infrastructure improvements in states that historically have received a disproportionately low per-capita average of federal research dollars. Doohong Min, assistant professor of agronomy at K-State, requests funding for $50,000 for evaluation and research of teff grass as a dryland forage crop for water-limited areas in Kansas. The EPSCoR committee recommends awarding Min $70,000 for fiscal year 2016. View all EPSCoR proposals.
President Schulz will present an annual progress report on K-State 2025 to the Regents.
Regent Dennis Mullin will update the Regents on the K-State presidential search.
If you have any questions about these agenda items, please contact me at cab@k-state.edu or 785-532-6226. The meeting will begin at 1:30 p.m. in the K-State Alumni Center's Ballrooms B and C. The meeting also will be streamed live online. 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