From
the Trustee Docket
Penn State Intercom......January
25, 2001
Diversity report
presented to board
Nearly half of Penn State's minority student population is at campuses other than University Park, with the highest percentages at Penn State Abington and Penn State Delaware County.
The Board of Trustees on Jan. 19 heard a report on racial and ethnic diversity at campus college locations from W. Terrell Jones, vice provost for educational equity and affiliate professor of counselor education and African and African-American studies.
For the full story by Amy Neil, check the Web at http://www.psu.edu/ur/2001/19jan01botdiversity.html.
Business dean announces
changes in MBA program
The phrase, "this is not your father's Oldsmobile," applies well to The Smeal College of Business Administration, as the dean outlined a vision for the future of the college to the Board.
Dean Judy Olian noted that Smeal College is taking a proactive role in shaping business practice, and is positioning itself as a leader in preparing graduates for tomorrow's converging economies.
For more on this story by Steve Infanti, check the Web at http://www.psu.edu/ur/2001/19jan01botolian.html.
Board approves
plans
for new IST building 
The trustees approved sketch/preliminary plans for a new building for the University's School of Information Sciences and Technology (IST) at University Park. The building's uniqu design is the work of Rafael Viñoly/Perfido Weiskopf Joint Venture of New York City and Pittsburgh.
For the full story, check the Web at http://www.psu.edu/ur/2001/19jan01botist.html.
West Campus housing
plan meets approval
The board took action Jan. 19 to meet the growing demand for on-campus family and graduate student housing. It approved final plans and gave authorization to obtain bids and award contracts for a complex of new housing on the West Campus that will include 75 four-bedroom apartments, 124 units of family housing and 379 parking spaces. This plan is a slight revision of the plan first approved by the Board last May.
For the full story, check the Web at http://www.psu.edu/ur/2001/19jan01bothousing.html.
Architect named for
architecture building
The University Park Master Plan proposes to relocate the School of Architecture and Landscape Architecture from the Engineering Units to a new building between the Palmer Museum and North Halls, close to other College of Arts and Architecture buildings.
The board approved the appointment of Overland Partners of San Antonio, Texas, and WTW of Pittsburgh to be architects for the proposed 110,193-gross-square-foot building, which will include classrooms, office space and state-of-the-art studios.
For the full story, check the Web at http://www.psu.edu/ur/2001/19jan01botsala.html.
Chemistry, life sciences
building plans get OK
The board approved final plans for a new chemistry building and a new life sciences building, both off Shortlidge Road. The design of the two buildings includes a physical connection at upper-floor levels, to facilitate collaborative research activities in the two buildings. The board also approved authorizing bids and awarding contracts for the life sciences building.
For the full story, check the Web at http://www.psu.edu/ur/2001/19jan01botchemlifesci.html.
Land lease, sale
meet acceptance
Gov. Tom Ridge recently announced the release of $5.6 million to the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture (PDA) for the construction of a new Pennsylvania Livestock Evaluation Center. PDA seeks to build a larger facility at the University's Russell E. Larson Agricultural Center at Rock Springs.
The board also approved the sale of a .09-acre piece of property about three blocks from Penn State Erie.
For the full story, check the Web at http://www.psu.edu/ur/2001/19jan01botpdaerie.html.
Two to receive
honorary degrees
The trustees approved the granting of honorary degrees to Lucent Technologies chairman and chief executive officer Henry B. Schacht and Argonne National Laboratory former chief executive officer Alan Schriesheim.
For the full story, check the Web at http://www.psu.edu/ur/2001/19jan01botdegree.html.
Hintz elected chairman;
Baldwin named vice-chair
Edward R. Hintz, president of the New York-based private money management firm Hintz, Holman and Hecksher Inc., and Cynthia Baldwin, judge in the Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas, were elected chairman and vice chairman, respectively, of the Board of Trustees on Jan. 19.
For the full story, check the Web at http://www.psu.edu/ur/2001/19jan01botbaldwin.html.
Changes made in several
undergraduate, graduate programs
For a list of program changes, click here.