Rafes gives Faculty Senate a campus development report

The Faculty Senate heard a report during its regular meeting March 12 from Richard Rafes, senior vice president for administration, regarding current and pending construction on the UNT campus.

Rafes listed a new science building, a new residence hall — recently named Traditions Hall — and the soon-to-be-completed Student Recreation Center as new construction projects. The 108,000-square-foot science building will be located on what is currently parking lot 10, between the Science Research Building and the Environmental Education, Science and Technology Building. Construction is scheduled to begin in May with completion slated for August 2004 at a cost of $15 million. Traditions Hall, currently under construction on North Texas Boulevard, will hold 300 beds and is slated for completion this fall. The cost is not to exceed $9.5 million. The Student Recreation Center on North Texas Boulevard is also slated for completion this fall. The center's $31 million cost is funded by a student-paid Student Recreation Center fee.

Rafes also updated the senate on the status of the UNT Research Park's renovation and plans for use of the recently acquired Liberty Christian School property. He said the university plans to move the engineering technology, materials science and engineering, and computer science and engineering departments to the research park by Fall 2004. Other departments that will be part of the UNT College of Engineering will be added later. UNT purchased the Liberty Christian School property — located south of campus across I-35E — last year but will not take possession of the property until July 2004. The property provides 91,228 square feet of building space and almost 19 acres of land and will be used primarily for academic buildings and athletic facilities.

Rafes' report also included plans for construction of additional residence halls, a tentatively planned parking garage and the development of property that currently makes up Eagle Point Golf Course.

Groundbreaking for an additional 600-bed residence hall located on the golf course property is slated for June with completion expected in August 2004. Rafes said building on the golf course property will save the university millions of dollars it would normally take for property acquisition. He also said the university tentatively plans to construct a new Student Health and Wellness Center adjacent to the current facility, then raze the old center and construct a parking garage in its place, if funds become available.

In other business, the senate approved reports from the Committee on Committees, the Scholarship Committee, the Curriculum Committee and the Honors Day Committee. Carolyn Kern, Honors Day Committee chair, said the Honors Day ceremony has been changed this year so that only students will be honored. Awards that have been historically presented to faculty and staff members during the Honors Day ceremony will be presented at the faculty and staff convocation ceremonies.

David Kesterson, provost and vice president for academic affairs, spoke to the senate about the current "stringent economic times." He said, due to the nature of the state budget this year, it is a strong possibility that UNT will not know its budget for 2003-04 until some time this summer.

Lou Pelton, senate vice chair, presented a resolution to senators from the Texas Council of Faculty Senates urging Texas lawmakers to avoid defining the concept of doing more with less as paying faculty less. The senate will vote on the resolution during its April 9 meeting at 2 p.m. in Wooten Hall, Room 322.

Jeffrey Oxford, senate chair, addressed the senate about several topics, including proposals to cut the university budget, the process to evaluate administrators and summer pay for faculty members.

BY MICHELLE HALE mhale@unt.edu

Other featured articles in this issue

• Board of Regents authorizes $31.5 million to finance residence hall
• EDS contributes $6.25 million software to UNT
• UNT's International Week begins April 7
• Parking lot 10 scheduled to close in May
• UNT departments on the move
• Staff Council elects replacement officer
• Nutrition course assisting U.S. Army Reservists
• 2003-04 Staff Council elections are this spring
• Outstanding staff, department awards presented at March 5 sack lunch

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