Board OK's dorm name, amends faculty handbook

The Board of Trustees met to adopt several resolutions that will help benefit the ASU campus.

The Board has finally adopted a resolution to name the new dorm facility. This facility will now be called the "North Park Quad."

The dorm got its name because of its current location on campus. It is located on the north side of campus; this is where "North" came from. Parking services also sits close to the dorms; this is where "Park" came from. Last, the rooms inside these dorms are set up quadrant style, so now you have "Quad". When put together, you have North Park Quad.

The Grand Opening and Ribbon cutting ceremony for North Park Quad will be held on Oct. 6.

Earlier this semester, faculty members were in an uproar over the faculty handbook. The ASU Faculty Handbook is the operational resource used by faculty and administration. It is important that the handbook remain current and accurate for faculty and administrative use.

The board adopted the resolution to remove the following statement from the handbook: " No faculty member will recommended for promotion or tenure without a favorable recommendation from the department committee. Where the college committee makes the initial evaluation of the application, no faculty member will be recommended for promotion or tenure without a favorable promotion or tenure without a favorable recommendation from the college committee."

According to one resolution, recruitment initiatives can be enhanced if ASU is able to promote the tuition cost for out-of-state students as the same tuition cost for in-state students.

A request was made to offer a waiver of out-of-state tuition cost in the form of a scholarship to students who meet the proper criteria. The student has to have a high school GPA of 3.0 or higher and an ACT score of 24 or higher. They must also attend ASU beginning on or after Aug. 20, 2007 and must be a full time student. Last, the applicant must be a U.S. citizen, who resides or lives in one of the 49 states in the U.S., other than Arkansas. "We are trying to attract students who are academically qualified," President Wyatt said.

Due to the National Collegiate Athletic Association regulations, student athletes are not eligible for this waiver. Also, students who are receiving other institutional scholarships are also ineligible.

According to an executive summary, ASU has several capital projects in various stages of programming, design and construction underway.

ASU has a total of 14 capital projects ranging from $35.1 million for the Student Union/Reng Student Services Center to $112,669.57 for the Tenant Farmers Museum. "We will also dedicate the Tyronza Tenant Farmers Museum on Oct. 6," President Wyatt said, "This is where the first agricultural movement took place".

ASU has two capital projects under construction: the Delta Center for Economic Development and the College of Nursing & Health Professions.

Seven capital projects are under construction at this time: the Student Union, Lakeport Plantation Renovation Phase III, Chilled Water Distribution System, Cooper Alumni Center, Hemingway-Pfeiffer/North Visitor Center, Judd Hill Center and the Southern Tenant Farmers Museum. ASU has submitted designs for four projects: Humanities & Social Sciences Building, Westside Overpass, Chickasaw Renovation and Childhood Development Building.