Arkansas Tech University will operate under a balanced budget of $124.9 million during the 2012-13 fiscal year following action by the Arkansas Tech Board of Trustees on Thursday.
Trustees approved the budget during their regular monthly meeting at the Ross Pendergraft Library and Technology Center in Russellville.
In other business on Thursday, the Arkansas Tech Board of Trustees approved:
*selection of AMR Architects of Little Rock to provide architectural services for a planned renovation of Chambers Cafeteria;
*a construction contract in the amount of $184,300 with Cornerstone Construction of Russellville for an interior renovation to Brown Residence Hall;
*a construction contract in the amount of $139,363 with Ketcher and Co., Inc., of Little Rock for re-roofing of Tucker Residence Hall;
*a construction contract in the amount of $115,030 with Ketcher and Co., Inc., of Little Rock for re-roofing of Caraway Residence Hall;
*construction contracts in the amount of $132,072 with EWI, Inc., of Russellville for exterior painting at Caraway Residence Hall and Wilson Residence Hall;
*a contract in the amount of $728,753 with Sprinturf of Atlanta, Ga., to install the new artificial turf playing surface at Thone Stadium at Buerkle Field that was approved by trustees during their April meeting;
*a transfer of $172,619 from the unappropriated educational and general fund balance to purchase furniture, equipment and lighting for the new television and radio stations currently under construction at the Energy Center;
*a transfer of $3 million from the unrestricted educational and general fund balance to a physical plant fund that would be restricted for critical building maintenance needs, with all expenditures from the fund subject to approval by the Arkansas Tech Board of Trustees;
*meal plan rates for the 2012-13 academic year, which represent a 3.4 percent increase over rates for the 2011-12 academic year;
*awarding exclusive campus drink rights to Pepsi for a period of two years beginning on July 1, 2012, and ending June 30, 2014, with an option to renew annually for five additional years;
*residence hall fees and fines, public safety fees and fines and student services fees for the 2012-13 academic year;
*a certificate of authorization to allow appropriate personnel to conduct all necessary and proper banking transactions on behalf of Arkansas Tech-Ozark Campus;
*a letter of notification that states the intention of Arkansas Tech-Ozark Campus to provide technical certificate training in air conditioning and refrigeration at Chaffee Crossing in Fort Smith as a means of providing a convenient training facility for displaced workers in the Fort Smith region;
*a program proposal and a letter of intent for a new Associate of Applied Science degree in human services at Arkansas Tech-Ozark Campus;
*updates to the Arkansas Tech-Ozark Campus faculty handbook, which call for Arkansas Tech Career Center to have representation in the Arkansas Tech-Ozark Campus Faculty Senate and for the adoption of revised course syllabi elements to include emergency procedures.
Trustees approved the hiring of Dr. Sherry Field as dean of the Arkansas Tech College of Education beginning Sept. 1.
Field is currently associate dean for teacher education, student affairs and administration in the College of Education at the University of Texas at Austin, where she is also the Catherine Mae Parker Centennial Professor in Education.
She will succeed Dr. Eldon Clary, who will retire as dean of the Arkansas Tech College of Education on June 30 following 45 years on the Tech faculty.
In other personnel-related matters on Thursday, the Arkansas Tech Board of Trustees approved:
*promotion of Dr. Stephen C. Jones, who previously served as associate professor of management, to associate dean of business and associate professor of management for the 2012-13 academic year;
*promotion of Dr. Mona Chadwick, who previously served as assistant professor of educational leadership, to interim head of the Arkansas Tech Center for Leadership and Learning and assistant professor of educational leadership;
*hiring of Dr. Jan Kallberg as assistant professor of emergency management, Catherine Martin as visiting instructor of speech, Jennifer Wilbanks as visiting instructor of psychology, Shaana Escobar as visiting assistant professor of nursing and Dr. Rachael Urbanek as assistant professor of wildlife science on the main campus in Russellville for the 2012-13 academic year;
*hiring of Christy Raines as coordinator of disability services in the Arkansas Tech Office of Student Services effective June 1;
*resignation of Vincent P. Tinerella, assistant librarian, effective June 1;
*hiring of Bonnie Sher as program chair in health information technology and workforce education faculty member at Arkansas Tech-Ozark Campus for the 2012-13 academic year;
*hiring of Marshal Gattis as workforce education faculty member and clinical coordinator at Arkansas Tech-Ozark Campus for the 2012-13 academic year;
*hiring of John Phillips IV as coordinator of student recruitment at Arkansas Tech-Ozark Campus effective May 16.
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