Regents approve honorary degree, authorize new athletic center completion

Highlights of the Feb. 12 UNT System Board of Regents meeting ranged from approving an honorary degree for renowned poet Maya Angelou to authorizing the renovation of additional space at the UNT Research Park for the College of Engineering. Regents also approved needed repairs on retaining walls and walkways around the Coliseum.

Angelou, who was prevented by bad weather from appearing at an Equity and Diversity Conference event and receiving her honorary doctor of humane letters degree on Feb. 27, will speak at UNT at 7 p.m. April 20 in the Coliseum. For tickets, call (940) 565-3805 or visit the University Union ticket office on Level 3.

To help serve existing programs and to meet the needs of new programs in the College of Engineering, the board voted to authorize Hahnfeld, Hoffer, Stanford Architects to design an additional 6,500 square feet of space at the Research Park for classrooms, laboratories, faculty offices and staff offices. Regents stipulated that the cost for the project should not exceed $1 million in Higher Education Assistance Funds.

The regents also approved $1.2 million in HEAF funds to remove and replace about 14,000 square feet of concrete walkway and about 330 linear feet of reinforced concrete retaining wall on the west end of the Coliseum.

In other actions, regents approved:

• Tenure for Michael Kaufman, who will join the UNT faculty later this spring as professor and chair of materials science and engineering;
• Extending the contract of football head coach Darrell Dickey through Dec. 31, 2008;
• Renewing the transportation/bus service agreement with the city of Denton; and
• Purchasing two clusters of property adjoining the campus — 202, 204, 210, 212 and 212 and-a-half North Texas Blvd. and 1811-1817 Mulberry St.

In a special teleconference meeting Feb. 27, regents authorized the completion of UNT's new athletic center on the Eagle Point Campus for a project cost not to exceed $7,010,394.

By granting approval, the regents acted on pledged revenue information provided by the athletic department and construction cost information from the Office of Facilities Planning and Construction.

The board order stipulates that no more than $3,675,000 in institutional reserves — the amount authorized by the board in August — will be used for the project.

Athletic department projections indicate that gifts, gift pledges — including the recent $1 million gift pledge from Houston businessman and former North Texas football letterman Jim McIngvale — and advertising revenues earned to 2013 will provide more than $3,493,000 for the project.

The board approval provides for an advance in the form of a capital obligation loan that is not expected to exceed $1,313,759. That amount is the remainder of the project cost after subtracting the budgeted institutional reserves and proposed gift income through December of this year. The advance is backed by firm pledges of donations.

The regents approved construction of the athletic center shell at their August meeting and building is under way.

"With this approval, work including the mechanical, electrical and plumbing can begin this month and the interior finishes can start in September and will be substantially completed by the end of the year," says Richard L. Escalante, UNT System vice chancellor for administrative services.

The 45,000-square-foot facility will include a state-of-the-art training and rehabilitation center, a strength and conditioning area that will be nearly double the size of the current weight room, team and position meeting facilities, rooms for study and tutoring, an 1,800-square-foot multipurpose auditorium, an equipment room for all UNT sports, offices for the entire athletic department and a North Texas Athletic Walk of Honor to recognize and showcase the school's athletic history.

Last spring, regents authorized construction of a 600-bed residence hall and a dining facility on the Eagle Point Campus.

The guaranteed maximum price for the combined projects from contractor Austin Construction is $37.8 million.

The board will meet again in a special session March 26 to consider tuition rates for the 2004-05 academic year.

BY RODDY WOLPER rwolper@unt.edu

Other featured articles in this issue

• UNT plans second annual beautification day
• Cleanup continues at Clark Hall following small fire
• Spring brings Texas severe weather season
• Staff awards presented at sack lunch
• April brings University, Alumni Appreciation, Honors days
• UNT student is a Truman Scholarship finalist
• Faculty Senate hears provost's academic plan for future of UNT
• Division of University Relations, Communications and Marketing earns three national awards
• TAMS students are semifinalists in national science competition

homepage