Miami Board Of Trustees OKs Bonds For Dorm Projects

BY MARIAH SCHLOSSMANN
and MAGGIE THOMAS
Miami University Journalism Students

Miami University plans to add two additional residence halls in Oxford, responding to anticipated growth in enrollment.

Miami's Board of Trustees on Friday voted, without discussion, to issue $180 million worth of bonds to pay for the halls' estimated price tag of $75.5 million.

Meeting at Marcum Center, the trustees endorsed construction of a hall with 340 rooms at the site of the former north quad tennis courts that would cost about $38.5 million. The board also backed plans for a hall with 270 rooms, at an estimated $37 million, where Withrow Hall once stood in the north quad. Both halls would be ready for students by the fall of 2018.

The bonds would also cover an $11 million renovation of Hughes Hall's "C wing." The second and third floors of the west wing would be upgraded for the College of Engineering and Computing, and to use as "swing space" when a planned renovation of Pearson Hall begins.

An additional $50.8 million is earmarked for repayment of a 2007 bond issue.

Deferred maintenance

Ted Pickerill, secretary to the Board of Trustees, said the new funds will help Miami deal with its considerable deferred maintenance needs.

“We want to get these buildings to a point where they are operational, safe, and modernly-equipped,” Pickerill earlier told students in a Miami class producing stories for this Patch site.

At the meeting, Miami economics professor James Brock expressed concern with the university’s construction plans.

"When I look at the expansion of dorm space and buildings you are going to approve here and when I look at the increased enrollment numbers, it looks like a significant decision has been made here to increase enrollment,” said Brock. “I just hope that the quality of undergraduate education has been taken into consideration as we enhance enrollment.”

Bringing in more students and more faculty creates a “bureaucratic impersonalization of the undergraduate experience for everyone as [the university] gets larger and larger.”

Enrollment is strategic

David H. Budig, board chair, responded to Brock with appreciation for Miami's faculty and noted that the university was recently named No. 2 for Best Undergraduate Teaching by U.S. News & World Report.

“We do have an enrollment strategy that has been implemented, and with that strategy, we do keep those academics in mind when making decisions,” said Budig.

Miami has added about 2,000 undergraduates in the last decade, with more than 16,000 at present. With both freshmen and sophomores required to live on campus, demand will hit 8,100 beds next fall up from 7,100 this fall, according to minutes from the June 24 Board of Trustees meeting.

David Creamer, senior vice president for finance and business services, told the trustees that Miami would save money by going forward with the bond issue now, given low interest rates.

“With the uncertainty of future interest rates, now is really our last chance,” said Creamer.

First meeting for Crawford

In his first meeting with the trustees since becoming Miami's president on July 1, Gregory Crawford said it will be another year and a half before the university officially implements strategies for the 2020 plan, its blueprint to offer "the best undergraduate experience in the nation, enhanced by superior, select graduate programs."

Crawford began his remarks to the board by recognizing Daryl Baldwin, director of the Myaammia Center at Miami, who this week won a “genius grant” from the prestigious MacArthur Foundation.

This is the first-ever MacArthur Distinguished Award granted to Miami and the first in the state of Ohio since 2004.

“For those of us who are driven by our passions and don’t even think of things like these happening, it’s extremely humbling to receive this recognition,” Baldwin said at the meeting. “Without the community, the support of my tribe, and the incredible relationship we have with the university, this would not have been possible.”

Crawfords' values align

Crawford noted that the values of Miami -- liberal arts studies, experiential learning and research -- are ones he and his wife, Renate, have embraced throughout their own careers.

“We truly couldn’t be happier to be here,” said Crawford. “I still pinch myself every morning. We can’t believe this is true.”

He said he sees Miami as “a place in which diversity can thrive,” another of his own priorities. “I’m very happy to push forward and advance diversity in the future and will be working with student groups and organizations to enforce that,” he said.

In terms of community outreach, Crawford has been attending events in the Oxford area and sharing his thoughts on Twitter via @PresGreg.

“We’ve been out with community members to understand how we can be most helpful to the community and advance the university,” he said.

Hodge keeps salary

Friday's board meeting was the first of the school year. The board met twice -- in a regular meeting in June and a retreat in July -- since the end of the 2015-16 school year.

At their June meeting, trustees approved the continuation of now-retired President David Hodge’s $432,000 salary through the 2016-17 academic year. Hodge also will receive a “strategic accomplishment bonus payment of $200,000,” according to the June meeting minutes.

Hodge will continue his services to Miami as a professor during winter term, teaching Geography 382, Leadership for Creativity, online.

Crawford’s Salary

Crawford will receive a base salary of $495,000 and an annual performance-based bonus of up to $75,000 per year, among other benefits, according to news coverage about his contract.

Renate Crawford, who like her husband has a Ph.D. in physics, will be paid $30,700 this year as university ambassador and adjunct professor of physics, trustees' minutes show.

Crawford will officially be inaugurated as the university’s 22nd president on Oct. 10 at Millett Hall.

Photo: Members of the board of trustees meet Friday in Marcum Center. -- Photo By Maggie Thomas